wee be farre from it and as it is but a small comfort to bee ravished with sweete odours so long as we are in the Apothecaries shoppe and afterward to want them so it is but a flattering joye nay rather a starting joye no longer to be affected with the worde and exercises of Religion than wee are in the Church therefore wee must gather heere and there somewhat of the things we heare that may worke on our affections when wee bee farre from the place where they grewe 107 As the arme being soundly knit to the body receiveth pith and strength from the bodie to resist all evill and to draw all good things vnto it and being but out of joynte and the veines which did knit it to the body being loosed it hath no such force so our faith beeing the meanes spirituallie to joyne vs vnto the Lord receiveth strength so long as it is sounde both to resist evill and to accomplish good but if it decaye and fall as it were out of joynt then wee cannot drawe that full strength from the Lord for our defence and strength which we were woont A LETTER AGAINST hardnes of heart I Beseech God the Father of Iesus Christ to giue me his good spirit in writing to giue advice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued M. S. Letter wherein he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue beene not a little grieued because partly for want of a convenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrances and other waightie affaires I haue beene hindred from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit even still I be in the same cace yet conscience towards God loue and compassion towards you forceth me to overcome letts which hardlie I could otherwayes prevaile against And albeit I cannot speake as I woulde yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed groundes I looke for some blessing of God through Iesus Christ If you will not toe much faint in faith and yeeld to the Adversarie yea if you will but hope so vvell of your selfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieved because you tarryed not still at Cambridge according to my advice you must know that I advised it not as a thing necessarie but more convenient as I then supposed but yet as I advised you to obey your Father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home wherevnto you yeelding I cannot see howe you offended it being your Fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knoweth whether being heere you might not asmuch haue beene troubled there being no priviledge for persons and places in such cases And who knoweth whether it be the Lords pleasure for the example and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you wish that heere you were neerer the more and stronger meanes yet knowe you and be perswaded that God can and doeth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker meanes according to his good pleasure besides it is in our corrupted nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as wee should doe I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in mercie vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God will blesse you by them and then by such conference as you may haue from hence by Letters wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of me than for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be ready to offer my office of loue vnto you as God shall enable me and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate by some letters sent frō you by convenient messengers by which I presently perceiue by M. S. Letters that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot bee mooued either with the promises of Gods mercies or feare of his Iudgements nor affected with loue and delight of the things which bee good or with hatred and loathing of the evil great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of dispaire doe I grant because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somwhat false partly for want of a sounde iudgement in your estate partlie for some defect of faith somewhat through your owne default First therefore know you for a certaintie that this is noe other temptation than such as divers of Gods children haue for a time beene humbled with and afterwards haue had good issue thereout and if it please God to mooue you to credit me I my selfe haue knowne others as deepely this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare 1. Cor. 10. 13. and yet further to confirme you heerein the holy Scriptures do record that this way God heeretofore hath humbled his owne people in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentablie thus complaineth 63. 15. O Lord looke downe from Heaven and beholde from the dwelling place of thy holines and of thy glorye where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies of thy compassions are restrained from mee And afterwards O Lorde why hast thou made vs erre from thy waies and hardened our heart from thy fear And in the next Chapter verse 6. We haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes and we all do fade like a leafe and our iniquitie like the winde taketh vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And in the 59. Chapter verse 10. Wee grope for the wall like the blind and wee grope as one without eyes and we stumble in the noone day as in the twy-light wee are in solitarie places like dead men wee roare like Beares and mourne like Doues Soe complaines Hezechias in the bitternes of his soule 34. 14. of Esay Like a Crane or a swallowe so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue And Psal. 51. 10. where David cryeth Create in mee O God a cleane heart and renue in me a right spirite restore to me the joye of my salvation and stablish me with thy free spirite Doth hee not declare that his heart was vncleane that his spirit was crooked that the way of his saluation was lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage so that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption hee could not crye Abba Father nor haue any power against sinne Thus you see howe Gods children may be blinded in mind and hardned in hart
curteouslie saluted and worthelie commended of a Gentlewoman who said she heard a very good report of him he answered her the like haue I heard of you but God make our after fruites of his spirite more effectuall thā the former or else we shal not answer the glory of God and good opinion of his Saintes conceiued of vs. 19 The wicked that dare not boldly professe iniquitie redeeme times secretlie to commit it so though we haue not the strength to professe Religion publictlie yet let vs redeeme times secretly to frequent the exercises of Religion 20 To a Courtier complaining of the occasions of evill he saide Though you haue occasions of sinne offered yet the cause of sinne is still in your selfe 21 Sometimes in a good action vsing good meanes with an vpright heart to a lawfull end yet our prayers be vnfrutefull and our labours want successe then let vs remember that in all these there were secret imperfections and that the Lords deferring is that wee being better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull he may grant our requests in richer manner and measure 22 Where there is an immoderate care of outward things there commonlie is little care of inwarde good things for if one haue inward good things they so content the persons that haue them that they labour not much for outwarde things if they want them desire them the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godlie neglect of outward things 23 Ministers shoulde most frequent those places where God hath made their ministerie most frutefull they shoulde heerein be like the covetous man that where they haue once found the sweetnesse of gaining of soules thither they should be most desirous to resort 24 Let their advice be a generall praescription of Phisick First the parties afflicted are to labor to haue peace of their consciences and joy of the holy Ghost through the assurance of their sinnes pardoned in Christ then carefull must they be to vse the meanes which may nourish their inward peace joy Thirdly they must rejoice and recreate themselues in wisdome and well doing with the Saints of God and holy company and lastly they must refresh themselues with Kitchin phisick and a thankfull vsing of the creatures of God 25 When one saide to him after long conference and praier Sir I haue troubled you oh my brother Not so said he I never felt it by well doing and if I may pleasure you it is as joyfull to me as ever it was to you to receiue money for for this cause I liue 26 His loue ever grewe to a man as he knewe the man to growe in godlines his loue decayed as the graces of God decayed first he was greeved and then his loue was flacked 27 Vnto one that was tempted with much vnbeliefe hee gaue this counsell When the temptation commeth either fall downe in praier and say Lord thou makest mee to possesse the sinnes of my youth and this temptation is very equitie howbeit oh Lord graunt I may by wisdome herein make this temptation an holy instruction and suffer me to possesse my soule in patience oh turne this to thy glory and my salvation I see and confesse what hath beene in mee a long time by that which now sheweth itselfe in me and that thy grace hath altogether hitherto kept vnder this corruption yet Lord I beleeue Lord yet I will beleeue helpe Lord my vnbeleefe thy name bee praised for this seale of thy loue and pledge of thy spirit that in this vnbeliefe I am grieved as in my beliefe I am wont to be comforted and though my former ould and secrete sinnes deserue that I should not onely be given over to infidelitie but also that it should be in mee without griefe remorse yet Lord forgiue my sinnes newe and ould forgiue my vnthankfulnes Lorde increase my faith and grant good Father when thou shalt restore to mee this guift of grace againe that I may vse it in feare and shew it by fruites Or if this doe not prevaile giue your selfe with all humblenes to reade the worde of God especially his promises and bee still attending vpon the meanes wayting when the Lord shall inlarge your heart Or if this do not help go to some faithfull brother confesse yourselfe to him acknowledge your weaknes to him be not ashamed to giue God the glory by shaming your selfe and opening your corruption to him that so hee may pray for you whose praier according to the promise of God made to his holy ordinance herein Iames 5. vndoubtedly shall be heard in the appointed time Thus having prayed by yourselfe and with another and vsed the meanes of reading for your recoverie though you haue not present reliefe yet in meeknes of mind and patience of your spirite go to your calling knowing that your praiers and the word of God being as seede must haue some time betweene the sowing of them and the reaping of the increase and fruite of them Aboue all reason not with your temptations dispute not with the Devill as though you could prevaile of yourselfe and as I would not you shoulde dispute with your temptation so I woulde not you shoulde despise it and make no account of it for in both are extremities If you take it toe much to heart or maruell howe you should overcome such a temptation it will make you dull or desperate If you account of it toe little and maruell howe such things should come into your head which was not woont to be so it will make you not to striue and you shall be swallowed vp before you be aware If you account of it toe fearfully Sathan will oppresse you before you beginne to fight If you account of it toe lightlie the devill needes not to wrestle with you you wil overcome yourselfe Fight boldly in Christ tremble at your owne corruption but rest and trust in Christ your salvation If stil you ar tempted and no bodye by you write your temptation and offer it to God by prayer and promise to him that you will ask counsell at his word at the mouth of his Minister when he shall giue you just occasion If all this help not comfort your selfe with this pledge of Election that you are joyed when you feele your beleefe and you are grieved lest you shuld displease God by your vnbeleefe and knowe that as there is a vicissitude of the meanes of salvation which you must vse so there is also a vicissitude of temptations whereof this is one against which you must striue 28 Vnto one that was tempted with worldly shame and thought the distemperature of his mind proceeded thereof hee saide on this sorte first knowe that Sathan hath no absolute power but a power by permission to trye vs against which we must arme our selues by faith which will assure vs that either the Lord will mitigate our temptation if our power and patience be not great or else if he enlarge the tryall hee will increase our strength
according to the portion of our temptation wee must also pray that the Lord giue not out that measure of leaue to the devill which we giue out to sinne to work rebellion in vs against his majestie but that hee would rather make Sathan a Surgeon to shewe vs our sinnes than Sergeant to confound vs for them It is the pollicie of the adversarie to perswade many that the weaknes of their bodie and feeblenes of their braine proceedeth of their temptations when indeed it commeth of their vnstaid minds wandering toe much after the motions of the devill in that they not resting on the word nor depending on Christ nor contenting themselues to be tryed nor comforting themselues by meditation attend toe much and conferre with the devils illusions and temptations being more greved for their present sufferings than for their sinnes past The roote of this wordly shame is pride and haughtines of minde which is a privie evill and hardly will be beaten into the heade of them that are infected with it but sure it is that we would neuer be so grieved for the losse of a thing if wee did not toe much desire it and toe immoderatlie vse it whilst wee had it Iohn 12. 42. Which sinne of haughtines the Lord seeing in his children that they are more humbled with the losse of worldly credit than with the sence of their sinnes and losse of his glory hee striketh them with the wante of that thing which is most pretious vnto them because they made no conscience of that honour which is most precious vnto him wherefore this is the best remedie rather to be greved that we feele not our sinnes to be pardoned with God than that we are knowne to be sinners amongst men and that we be readie to shame our selues that God may haue the glory acknowledging shame and confusion and the whole hell of temptations to be due vnto vs and glory praise and compassion to be the Lords for this is a speciall mark of the child of God by temptations rightly humbled when hee is ready to shame himselfe for his sinne and to glorifie God in his mercie 29 Vnto one that thought himselfe to haue sinned against the holy Ghost he said Sathans temptations followe our affections for if wee lightly account of sinne hee bleres our eies still with Gods mercies if we beginne to make a conscience of sin hee loadeth vs with the judgments of God being as ready now to aggravate the sin more than it is in it selfe as before he would extenuate it to make it seeme lesse than it was howbeit saide he to the man thus afflicted I wil say vnto you as Samuel said to the people after they had confessed themselues to haue sinned against God with a great sinne True it is said Samuel not flattering them in their iniquities Ye haue sinned greatlie notwithstanding if ye will feare the Lord and serue him and heare his voice and not disobey the worde of the Lord ye shall followe the Lord your God but if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord but disobey the Lords mouth then shall the hand of the Lord be vppon you 1. Sam. 12. 14. So I will not lessen your sin but I say you haue sinned with a greate sinne before the Lord in that you made a mock of the worde which you knewe yet if you turne to the Lord in feare and serue him your sinne is remissable howsoever Sathan charges your conscience in that you haue done evill against your owne knowledge and in that you are affraide lest that sinne be in you and wold rejoyce in God if it were not in you If you purpose to leaue your former sinns and in trueth to turne vnto the Lord I dare assure you that as yet you are free from that sinne 30 When a gentlewoman asked him if hee were not sometimes merrie Yes saith he wee are often merry and sometimes we are afraide of our mirth 31 When we distrust of Gods promises let vs set before vs the example of his mercie done to others that wee may be the more assured to obtaine faith and when we begin to presume let vs set before vs the examples of Gods judgmēts that we may pray for humilitie 32 Being desired to giue his judgement of a waightie matter he answered Sir neither am I able to speak nor you to heare for that wee haue not praied indeed I may talk and you answer as naturall men but wee are not now prepared to conferre as the children of God 33 Wee may thus trie our mourning for the sinne of others First this sorrowe for sinne must be bred for our own sins and from our selues proceede to the sins of others Secondly the measure of our mourning must be agreable and proportionable to the sinnes Lastly our griefe must to be for the person that we be moued rather to pittie and praye for him than to hate or despise him 34 Vnto one that with many words disabled himselfe hee saide meekly oh why doe you seeke so much your owne praise for by this ye bewraie the privie corruption of nature that by toe open a dispraise desireth toe privie praise 35 It is not good to vse that for a dyet which is prescribed for Phisick for that will not work in the extraordinarie neede of the body which is vsed in the ordinarie cause of health 36 Seeing a godly man having his sonne in his armes whome hee loued tenderlie he said to him Sir there is the matter of your rejoycing God make it the matter of your thanks-giving 37 After one had asked his advise for sitting or kneeling at the Lords Table he said as for such things let vs doe asmuch as wee can for the peace of the Church lest wee make the remedie of the evill worse than the evill it selfe 38 To one that said he was possessed of a devill he answered as hoping that he was the child of God and rather deluded than afflicted True it is that in asmuch as lieth in you you haue given your selfe over to the devill but it is not in your power to giue over your selfe to him neither is it in his jurisdiction to possesse you 39 Hee rebuked publicklie a publick offence of a private man in this manner My brethren such a sinne hath passed from this place the guiltles neede not to be offended the person guiltie is to repent of it 40 Because God worketh the sence of sinne by degrees in his children hee suspected them who at every sinne named would shew themselues forthwith troubled 41 Many having escaped out of the gulfe of superstitions are toe deep plunged in prophanesse 42 Being asked howe a man might reprehend he answered First looke that you haue a ground out of the worde for reproving then look if it stand with your calling to reproue afterward consider if some other man may doe it more profitably than you then look before whome you reproue lest yee hinder the credit of
haue had him depart hee rather turning his face from the woman and his back to her fell on his knees and prayed to the Lord for her 70 As good natures do not help of necessitie to regeneration so evill natures cannot hinder Gods purpose in calling if the meanes with his mercie and blessing be purely and painefully vsed 71 When a maid was so sore troubled that two or three held her in her fit hee charged her in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that when the agonie came she should not willinglie yeeld to it but in the Lord resist it for both experience teacheth that the over much fearing of temptation before it commeth and little purpose to resist it when it commeth mightilie incourageth Sathan and also the holy Ghost biddeth vs to resist the devill and he will flie from vs to drawe neere to God and he will draw neere to vs the maid was never after afflicted 72 He would say I feare not the time of the visitation of them that thereby do growe in the guifts and graces of God but rather I feare the time of their deliverance lest it should be overtaken with vnthankfulnes and so woefullie they shoulde loose the fruite of that good which so dearly they had purchased of the Lord. 73 Being asked whether a Christian might vse the helpe of a Papist that had done many cures hee answered that the circumstances were to be considered of First whether the patient dealt before with good Christians of knowledge judgment experience faithfulnes or no Secondly whether asking the advise of such he hath followed the same rightfullie Thirdlye whether having vsed right counsell by right meanes hee hath therefore vsed spirituall meanes prayer fasting searching the inward causes of visitation Fourthly whether there be not some faithfull and experienced man whome hee hath vsed in advise Fiftlie whether the disease be so dangerous or the partie so weake as asking counsell of a Papist may not bee deferred and some better meanes in time bee enquired for Sixtly whether he hath not his heart toe greedilie set on the Phisition or whether hee doth principally seeke vnto the promises and providence of God Seventhlie whether the Papist bee an open blasphemer and whether hee be a Papist of conscience or no Eightly whether hee vse not his phisick for a cloak of sorcerie Ninthly whether he hath ever healed any good professor And lastly whether the patient be of strength able to suffer him to minister vnto him 74 Sin in such a canker that it spredeth secretly and there is such a chaine of vntrueth that yeelds to one and it draweth on another grant a little one and a great one wil followe wherefore as it is good wisdome not only to avoide the plague but to eschue every litle ragge that may seeme to carry the plague so it is heavenlie wisdome not onely to avoide grosse sinnes but all such shewes of sins as may drawe on the other and as wee count it pollicie not to go as neer the rivers bank as wee can lest suddenly or at vnawares wee should slip in so it is spirituall pollicie not to go toe neere sinne lest wee be overtaken of it before wee bee aware of it 75 It is good to take vp the opportunitie of the morning for the worship of God for first who so will see the Image of his heart hee shall by observing his first thoughts in the morning come to some light of it Againe of all times it is most fit to doe any thing in and wee by reason of the alacritie which commeth vpon vs after our rest are most fitte to doe any thing in it Besides if we be seriously minded on good things in the morning other vile thoghts shall the more feeblie fasten on vs all the day after and again delay the morning with suffering worldly thoghts to seaze on vs our minde will be so forestalled and praeoccupated with them that wee cannot easilie and roundly gather vp our affections afterwards to Gods worship for this is a sure note that he which consecrateth the first fruites of the daye in trueth to the Lord and shutteth vp the day with sacrificing to him if he haue any sinne falling on him on the day time hee is checked either with his first morning sacrifice because hee hath not done as he prayed promised vnto the Lord or hee is controulled by the latter and Euening sacrifice in that feare and shame of his sinne makes him appalled to come in the presence of God 76 As wee are carefully to vse the means of our salvation so must we whollie referre the blessing of the meanes to the grace of God neither as some doe thinke that wee can obtaine or continue the graces of God in vs without vsing of the meanes for that is but a dreame of fantasticall spirits neither as the manner of some is so to trust to the means as neglecting to praye for the grace of God in them which is but a praeposterous zeale of such as are not rightly instructed in the way of their salvation 77 It is a most certaine thing in Gods Children that the more their afflictions growe the more their faith groweth the more Sathan striveth to draw them from God the more they draw neere to God although indeed in feeling they cannot see so much 78 It is a profitable note to obserue when extraordinary gifts of God be for our good and when for our hurt If our extraordinary blessinges driue vs more carefully to seek to the ordinary meanes then it is of Gods mercie but if they slacken our care in the ordinarie meanes and puffing vs vp with a spirituall pride cause vs to rest in them then they are for our farther condemnation as if God blesse vs marvelouslie without praier in any thing if we are driven more to praier by it this is of God if it cause vs to leaue prayer it is perrelous 79 As the Lord doeth feede poore prisoners euen with a little foode who though they desire more food can haue no more and doe not refuse more ordinarie meanes and the same God suffereth many to bee pyned who having aboundance think themselues rather clothed with the meanes than nourished be Gods providence So the Lord extraordinarilie doth nourish the souls of them who having fewe meanes doe looke for the ordinary meanes more plentifullie and suffereth some to rot in ignorance who beeing at the full measure of the meanes haue no reverent regard of the necessitie of thē and hereof it commeth to passe that some hungrie soules haue beene filled with more grace at one Sermon than the proud who having heard many sermons are sent emptie away 80 Of all sacrifices most acceptable is that of thanks-giving and therefore in many wordes the Saintes of God haue vowed and entred into bandes with the Lord to paye this oblation both to prevent the vntowardnes of nature which is so vnwilling of this as also to shame themselues