sincere Christians Whosoeuer amongst you findeth that in his soule the consideration of Gods infinit goodnes through his onely Son hath had such a powerfull working that it hath euen knit his heart sast vnto the author of so great kindnesse and made him euen say and sweare within himself that he would surely keep his righteous iudgements made him constant in taking all pains to mortifie his corruptions to doe his duty in euery thing according to the diuine direction so that there is no one thing so comfortable to him as when he can carry himselfe in some good maner as beseems the Gospel of Christ nothing doth more humble abase him than when he fails of this holy walking if it were demaunded of his very soule what in all the world he most hartily desires and would fainest attaine in all his life his hart would make this answer for him that it is to please God to get acquaintance with his duty and to accomplish it accordingly this he wisheth this hee longeth for this he coueteth more than all wealth or greatnesse or other gailded toy that the world hath to giue him I say now in Gods name to euery such person and require him in Gods name to giue credit vnto my words because they are infallibly grounded on Gods Word that he ought to be of good comfort that he is a true Christian and no dissembler that for such an one he ought to take himfelfe notwithstanding all the blemishes errors ignorances imperfections and it may be also sometimes grosse out-strayings of his life Brethren the true-hearted had neede to bee made to vnderstand their trueth as well as the false-hearted their falsehood For as the latter out of his selfe-liking disposition is ready to flatter himselfe with sweet words so the former out of his acquaintance with his own guilesulnes and the sight of his owne badnesse and vnworthinesse is ready to threaten himselfe ouer-sharpely and to charge himselfe eagerly though wrongfully that he is but an hypocrite But now ye seruants of God consider that it is a fault to molest your selues with causelesse accusations of your selues or to be ignorant of the vnspeakeable fauour that God hath shewed you or to deny the blessed work of his good Spirit in you Yea you are bound in conscience to acknowledge your own true-heartednes and with hearty thanks vnto God much chearefulnes in your selues to approue your selues to him and to your owne consciences I confesse that it is far more dangerous to hope then to feare without a cause but yet the inconueniences of these false seares are also very many very great When a man that is vpright doth not account himselfe so to be he is vnable to thinke comfortably of dying and leauing this World he is backward to prayer he can hardly giue thanks for any thing he cannot long for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ he cannot so much delight himselfe in the contemplation of heauen he cannot be so patient in affliction he cannot be so abundant in godly speeches to the edification of others as else hee might be These feares therefore though by God they be made profitable for the beating downe of pride and for the ferretting out of the reliques of guile that remaine in vs are yet vnlesse they be seasonably opposed remoued very noysome and hurtful like an East wind cold and dry do bite nip the branches and cause the grapes to grow but few and little vpon them Wherfore you must be giuen to vnderstand that fruitfulnesse may well stand with the hauing many weakenesses sins and corruptions though not with the allowing excusing maintaining extenuating denying and wilfull winking at any Thou hast manifold corruptions in thee much pride vaine-glory worldlinesse lust passion reuengefulnesse twenty other like But tel me Dost thou see and feele these corruptions Dost thou constantly obserue the motions risings of them with griefe dislike detestation iudging of thy selfe for them Dost thou make opposition to them by pressing on thine heart the promises threates and precepts of the Word by consideration of the death and sufferings of Christ by groanes in thy selfe and by supplications vnto God and so keepest them from vsuall breaking forth in extremitie and grossenesse or if they do at any time breake forth dost thou arraigue thy selfe for them in Gods presence not ceassing to wound and pierce thine owne heart till thou findest it wrought to a renewed loathing of them not ceassing to confesse them to the Lord and cry for his helpe till thou hast renewed in thy selfe a firme purpose of no more returning vnto them Dost thou these things I say in all thy faults weaknesses and wandrings then I affirme that thou mayest be and art fruitfull notwithstanding all these faults and I tell thee for the comforting of thine heart that these things cannot bereaue thee of the title and priuiledgeof a fruitfull branch and an vpright person Againe thou art very defectiue in vertues of all kindes in faith in meekenesse in patience in thankefulnesse in heauenly-mindednesse and the rest But dost thou take notice of these thy defects Art thou grieued and ashamed of them Dost thou call vpon God to make a supply and call on thy selfe to labour for an encrease of them Dost thou stirre vp thy selfe to grow in these graces not excuse please and content thy selfe in thy wants pretending that euery man must haue his faults and so hast thou thus sleightly passing them ouer then I assure thee againe that for all thy wants thou art yet fruitfull in Christ and so vndoubtedly a true Christian For to fruitfulnes is not required an actuall knowing and doing of all Gods will but a labouring and striuing to know and do the same and that constantly out of loue vnto him for his glory Wherefore if the loue of the Lord do so inflame thy soule that thou resistest earnestly to all thy corruptions and if the intention and purpose of pleasing and honouring him doe so constantly stand before thine eies as to make thee take continuall paines to reforme and amend thy selfe I dare pronounce thee a fruitfull branch a sound-hearted Christian and I doe now require and enioyne thee to fall downe before the Lord with heartie praises for this so vnspeakeable goodnes of his in ingraffing thee into the right Oliue and making thee a liuing member of his Sonne the Head and Prince in whom all fulnesse dwelleth Yea I wish thee to reioyce to delight thy selfe in abundance of peace through the certaine acknowledgement of thine happy estate that thou art not alone in but also of the Church and truely partaker of the fatnesse and verdure of the right Oliue tree To know a mans selfe fruitfull in some degree will make him fruitfull in an higher The man that suspecteth himselfe to be worse than nothin goes fearefully faintly about his businesse but he that is certaine hee hath something
how would euery one feare lest the lot of death might fall vpon himselfe and how carefull would each one bee if it were possible to come vnto the knowledge of the matter whether himselfe should be amongst the liuing or the dead Brethren it is certaine that in the Church of God there be diuers hypocrites which must be damned this our Sauiour teacheth here and we haue deliuered you in his name Can it therefore but be needefull for euery one amongst you to make a diligent enquirie into his owne estate and that so much the rather because this very willingnesse to search into ones selfe Willingnes to search a signe of truth the the contrary of falsehood is a good signe of truth and the contrarie of false-hood The hypocrite of the closer sort is onely therefore an hypocrite because he will not endure the paines of discouering his owne hypocrisie An hypocrite in the hearing of such a point as this can soone see cause enough in his conceit to thinke hardly of another man Sure if this be so saith he within himselfe such a man must needes be in hard case for he can be no better than an hypocrite but for himselfe hee letteth passe all such thoughts concerning himselfe and feedes himselfe still with his former strong and long continued conceit of being a good Christian what euer men thinke of him But the true Christian vpon hearing of such things because hee hath had some acquaintance with the guilefulnesse of his owne spirit is therefore apt to be timorous of himselfe and thinkes to this effect within himselfe Alas what is mine estate these things come hard vpon mee I feare I feare much lest all be not well within me And so searching he findeth hollownesse finding bewaileth it bewailing confesseth it confessing reformeth it and reforming is not ouercome by it Wherefore againe and againe I beseech you let euery man and woman consider diligently of himselfe let him trie and prooue his estate by the notes which I haue formerly set downe in as much plainenesse and perspicuitie as I could Say thou that hearest the Word of God this day in which thou art taught that the true Vine hath branches on it that be not true as well as those that be true what dost thou deeme of thy selfe Art thou an vpright-hearted man or a dissembler Againe I demand of thee what a kinde of Christian thou accountest thy selfe In name and shew and profession thou art one of Christs members but art thou so indeed and truth or art thou not Thine answer will like enough be this That thou hopest thou art a true Christian I say vnto thee therfore that it may fall out thou couldst not so much as say thou didst hope so if thou didst not answere rashly and without all deliberation because thou art an errand grosse hypocrite that dost know thy selfe if thou wouldest confesse it but meerely to counterfeit some outward shew of goodnesse whereas in thy secret conuersation and the vnobserued parts of thy life thou followest and likest wickednesse well euough And if it be so suffer not thine heart to beguile thee any longer and lay no clayme to the name of a true Christian which thy selfe dost well enough perceiue to be altogether vnbecomming one of thy carriage Come now and grow to take notice of that monstrous grosse guile which thou canst not but feele within thy selfe Some doe thinke themselues vpright yet at end proue false if thou wilt but lay thine hand vpon it But if thou boast not so grossely and so palpably hypocriticall but that it may bee possible for thee to say deliberately that thou hopest thou art a true Christian yet I wish thee to take great heed that thine hopes be not ill grounded for many a man thinketh and hopeth that he is vpright which in the end proueth himselfe otherwise and looseth all his faire hopes and so is fulfilled vpon him that the Scripture affirmeth the expectation of the wicked shall perish But willt thou know indeed what to say of thy selfe then lay the line to thine owne soule and apply thy selfe to the rules formerly set downe Say then Where findest thou most faults at home or abroad in thine owne heart Where dost thou find most faults or in the wayes of other men And what faults doe most disquiet and trouble thee and make thee most inward worke and heauinesse thine owne or those of other men If thine owne in all likelihood all is well with thee if other mens loe here the carping vaine of an hypocrite lay thine hand vpon it and feele it with shame and sorrow and say to thy selfe O now the pulse of my soule beates hollow and hereafter till thou haue turned thine edge another way take not thy selfe for other than thou art an hypocrite If thou feelest this busie medling humour and lamentest it thou art not ouercome of hypocrisie but if it carry thee away and thou satisfiest thy selfe in it and thinkest thou hast cause so to doe and resistest it not I condemne thee for a ranke dissembler But tell me yet further Art thou confidene or feareful of thy selfe how standest thou affected towards thy selfe art thou bold confident aduentrous dreaming that thou trowest all the world shall not draw thee to commit such a sinne and bragging that thou art one of these dissemblers Or art thou fearefull of thy selfe scarce daring to trust thy selfe and often almost ready to tremble for feare lest thou shouldest bee beguiled in thy selfe If it be with thee in this latter fashion I say vnto thee blessed is hee that feareth alwayes with such a feare as makes him examine and pray and seek for strength from heauen against his corruptions but if otherwise it is certaine this foole-hardinesse comes from nothing but thy not knowing of thine owne weakenesse therefore I can pronounce thee no better than an hypocrite And tell mee yet againe doe times company places make such a change in thee that what euill thou wilt not doe in one place or company that thou wilt do in another and what good thou dost in some places and times Doth company place c. change thee yea or no that thou carest not to performe in others I say then thou hast cause to esteeme thy selfe a double minded man but if thy resolution be to be stil the same and thy strife not to alter and so in conclusion thou art thy selfe though Satan may trouble thee by such disaduantages I say then thou mayest iustly repute thy selfe true hearted Yea if perceiuing such inclinations to change and vary with time and place thou see and bewaile this folly and striue against it thou mayest be true for all that but if thou extenuate and excuse this varying and thinke with thy selfe that no man can chuse so casting the blame vpon others and not thy selfe I assure thee againe that thou art but hollow But proceed wee in this examination Is all or thy chiefe care
that liueth in the Church out of these naturall desires that are inseparably vnited to his reasonablenesse doth incline himselfe in some things to yeeld to the Doctrine of Religion that so he may serue his owne turne in fulfilling his owne desires this is false goodnesse goodnesse alone to the eye it is called goodnesse as a false shilling is called a shilling because it looketh like a shilling hauing the same stampe and a little filuer at top though in ths middest it be nothing but brasse or some such base and vnworthy matter If a man I say be moued for his owne credit or ease sake yea or for his owne faluation sake to be willing to do some good that God in his word commandeth and to forbeare some euill in the same Word condemned and not to be willing to doe all good commanded and auoyde all euill forbidden this is but guilefull hollow imperfect dissembled goodnesse so esteemed by men and so appearing to them that can looke alone vpon the bark and outer rinde of things not so appearing to the pure eyes of God nor so accounted in his true iudgement that searcheth into the marrow and pith and depth of all things For God himselfe is the chiefe good and in a manner the onely good neither is any thing good but by participation from him and so that goodnesse which is not as it were deriued from him as from the originall of it nor directed to him as to the scope and end of it because it hath nothing to doe with him therefore indeede is not goodnesse whatsoeuer shew it may carrie to the world So that as true goodnesse is will to bee good in all things for Gods sake so is false goodnesse a will to seeme good in some things for ones owne sake Ease may moue a man to doe some good and auoyde some euill so may credit so may profit Now if any of these things doe chiefly and principally worke vpon our wills as the motiues and ends of our actions then is that goodnesse but hypocrisie and seeming goodnesse and that man who liuing in the visible Church suffers this vice of being induced but to some good things not all and withdrawne but from some euill not all for his owne credite profit ease or the like cause not Gods sake onely or principally to sway and beare rule in him he is an hypocrite Hypocrisie ruleth where it is not seene and lamented But when and in whom doth this vice preuaile may some man say I answere euen then and in that man where and in whom it is not seene opposed resisted by the spirituall weapons of frequent confessions hearty petitions earnest lamentations and diligent application of the word of God against it for to beate it downe for all vices must be distinguished into two kindes some are more fleshly and grosse as I may terme them that doe follow the temperature of the body and their strength and weakenesse doth much what depend vpon the constitution thereof such are wrath and choller gluttony and filthinesse and diuers other like Now it is not of necessitie that these vices bee actually in all the corrupt generation of Adam alone they are in euerie one as I may terme it virtually so that if the same soule were put into another body whose temperature would fit the turne of those vices it would be as plentifull in them as any other man is or as it selfe is in any other vice Now there are other vices of a more spirituall nature as I may terme it I meane more immediatly and principally flowing from the corruption of reason and of will and from the natiue defilement of the soule in its chiefe faculties such as are pride vnbeliefe forgetfulnesse of GOD vnconscionablenesse and by name this hypocrisie And these last kind of vices are in all men indifferently since the first sinne of Adam by whom all became dead in sinnes and trespasses though it must not bee denyed that in some they grow more head-strong than in others and doe more manifestly and violently shew themselues according as they are more or lesse nourished with meanes and occasions and as it were soyled with helpes and opportunities fit for them And as for all these vices there doe they preuayle and there they must be called predominant where they are not obserued bewailed acknowledged oppugned and that by spirituall weapons and that constantly For it is most vndeniable that whersoeuer any vice is there it ruleth vnlesse it be mortified and crucified by the spirit that is by spirituall means and ordinances faithfully vsed wherewith Gods Spirit faileth not to worke and it is as certaine that this grand member or lim rather of the body of death which we all bring into the world with vs I mean hypocrisie is in euery man wherefore it hath dominion in him vnlesse it be as was formerly spokē discerned and oppugned And therefore also it is great reason that such one should receiue his name from hypocrisie be intituled an hypocrite And so I would think An hypocrite is a professor of Christianitie that doth not see and resist his hypocrisie an hypocrite maybe fitly called a professor of religion that doth not see bewaile and fight against his owne hypocrisie that is his aptnes to make a shew of goodnes by doing onely some things that are commanded and auoyding onely some things that are forbidden for his owne sake not indeuouring to doe and auoyd all such things for Gods sake Not the hauing but the not oppugning of hypocrisy makes an hypocrite And this thing is worthy to be diligently marked that I spake of the predominancie of vice because it is of maruellous great vse for the true triall of our felues according to those things that afterwards shall be set downe for that purpose For not euery one that feeleth in himselfe some of these signes and effects of hypocrisie that shall be named is by and by an hypocrite but he that hath them in him and takes no care to find them out or if hee must needes find them out continueth not to make warre against them by prayers and teares the sword of the spirit and the like weapons of our Christian warfare And of the description of an hypocrite hitherto I goe forwards to shew you the sorts or kinds of hypocrites for well may wee say that a notable difference in degrees may giue iust occasion of distributing the things so differing into diuers kinds as the Scripture diuideth the heauenly Bodies into the greater light for the day and the lesser light to rule the night CHAP. IIII. Of the diuers sorts of Hypocrites AND of hypocrites within the Church Of hypocrites there are two kinds the grosse hypocrite and the close hypocrite we shal find two kinds the greater hypocrite the lesser hypocrite the grosse hypocrite the close hypocrite both well called hypocrites because in both that vice preuayleth and yet the one distinguished from
into his eares But the wisedome of the wise is to vnderstand his way hee will haue good footing and ground for his good opinion of himselfe or else hee will not rest vpon them Wherefore take heede of being deceiued with that deceit which Salomon calleth the folly of fooles euen to take paines to beguile your selues in resting vpon a lye in a matter of this maine consequence We see and wonder that many men will not be disswaded from accounting themselues true Christians though euery man that hath an eye may see that nothing is Christian in them but the out-side and not all that neither If they make the least semblance of pietic if they be not as bad as the worst of all the limmes of Satan if they can find in themselues the least shaddow of any thing that may be called vertuous they lay fast hold vpon their owne fancies and will not consider that it is the folly of fooles to deceiue themselues O that wee could driue you out of this folly O that we could bring you to see that that all confesse but in their owne cases few or none seeme to consider that in the Church I say in the Church I say againe in the truest and purest Church vpon the earth there be not alone some but many hypocrites that you might not satisfie your selues with such simple allegations for the proofe of your being good Christians as the most are wont to doe but that by looking narrowly and digging deepely and painefully diuing into the bottome of your soules you may at last know your selues with an infallible and sure vnderstanding not to be hypocrites but true hearted And this is one vse for all men that all should trie themselues what they be CHAP. XI Containing the second vse for those that are found out to be hypocrites AN other vse is for those The hypocrite must cease to thinke well of himselfe which by this triall shal be found guiltie let them no longer maintaine a good opinion of themselues but take themselues for what they be whō examination hath found guiltie let Confession therefore prepare him for pardon and amendment for certainely these diseases of the soule will neuer be healed vntill they be seene and acknowledged neither will God euer pardon them till the man in whom they rule begin to see and to confesse them If I did require an open confession of all the dissemblers amongst you namely that they should now before GOD and this Congregation open their mouthes against themselues and intreate all men to take notice that hitherto they haue but sought to cousen the world and themselues not being indeede the men they haue beene and would haue beene taken for if I say wee did exact such an open and publique confession tending to pull blushing into their faces before men yet it ought not to seeme much to any man to yeelde himselfe to the bearing of his due reproach For why what traytor or fellon taken in his felony or treason by a few would not willingly yeelde to confesse the same in the face of the Country at the generall Assises if he were sure to be forgiuen But Brethren the confession which we demaund of you and wherewith the Lord will in this case be satisfied is not open and publike to the world-ward that your credit should be impeached by it and your good names blemished but it is priuate and secret to God-ward tending alone to heale the soule and name both and to preuent the vengeance of God which can not otherwise be preuented Now in thine heart anone in thy closet thy doores as Christ saith being shut to thee fall downe before the face of him that seeth in secret But must confesle to God in secret that he hath beene an hypocrite and if the fore-named triall haue found thee to be an hypocrite tell the GOD of heauen what thou hast found by thy felfe say vnto him O Lord it goeth against my flesh to see and acknowledge but alasse it is to no purpose to holde my peace and by hiding to encrease my guile Wherefore Lord I confesse vnto thee I euen freely confesse vnto thee that hitherto I haue beene no better than a painted Sepulcher full of rottennesse I haue beene more troubled at other mens faults against me than mine against thee and I haue allowed my selfe in this preposterous earnestnes and thought I had cause to be so I haue bin ventrous confident and apt to presume of my selfe and yet haue neuer lamented this carnall confidence I haue giuen my selfe leaue to doe the euill in secret which I would not for a world haue done publiquely and yet haue taken no care to lament it because I thought Pish it is no matter no man shall euer know it I haue giuen free scope to the foule motions of mine heart and taken no care to controle and oppose the loosenesse and licentiousnesse of wicked imaginations My knowledge hath made me proud and in some things I haue refused to know and yet I neyther bewayled my pride nor my witting blindnesse I haue taken no care to ponder on thy word and settle it deeply in my soule and yet haue not seene mine owne folly in being carelesse to couer this seede with earth I haue mis-applied thy gratious promises in Christ rather imboldening my selfe in euill by them then vsing them to the purging of mine heart and life and yet I haue not lamented before thee this my presumptuousnesse I haue confessed my faults but alacke seldome and when a crosse hath compelled me not else I haue amended some things but alas some thing alone this or this name thou the particular to God I could neuer bring my selfe to be willing to amend or if I haue been willing for a passion that willingnesse hath held but a little time and yet I haue flattered my selfe with vaine shifts and haue not abhorred this my guile I haue indeede forborne reproachfull sinnes but euills of lesse grossenesse I haue boldly committed and neuer been troubled with them Vaine-glory hath stained my deedes of righteousnesse and I haue not seene and bewailed it I could not bring mine heart to doe good against euill nor seriously blame my selfe for this reuengefullnesse but been ready to thinke it was more than any man aliue could be able to doe I haue sought the praise of men in acts of thy seruice and it hath not been bitter to my soule to haue thus mis-intended thine ordinances I haue beene vtterly carelesse of secret seruices when I haue seemed forward in publike and yet been well enough contented with that carelesnesse I haue been well enough pleased with the bare out-side of religious duties and taken no paines to finde the life of them within me I haue contented my selfe with lippe-praying and eare-hearing and not beene abased in my selfe for want of feruent praying and powerfull hearing I haue beene censorious against those that haue not beene as strict as my selfe in matters
busie in labouring to obey and a man that liues with him may euen perceiue in him and he in himselfe a strift this way For in truth as there is a great difference betwixt lusting to be rich and labouring for wealth so betwixt a bare lusting to be good and endeauouring after goodnesse The sluggard would bee content to take wealth if he could find it vnder his foote or if with little adoe hee could entreat it to fall into his lap yea sometimes when hee wants money or cloathes or foode and is pinched with neede hee hath a kind of angry eagernesse after it and hee would as leife as his life haue so good a liuing as his neighbour hath but hee cannot shake off sleepe in a cold morning hee can endure no sweates hee can endure no sweate he loues not to rise betimes and set to worke he cannot trauell he cannot take paines Not so the good husband for he thinkes of his businesse whither he may goe what he may doe what times he must obserue for the getting of a shilling and accordingly takes those times dispatcheth those businesses and goes to such places and neyther heate nor cold nor wet nor dry nor night nor darkenesse shall hinder him but he will goe forward with those things which are requisite for his thriuing Euen so the foolish man sometimes could find in his heart to leaue such a sinne and to doe such good duties O it were very well if he had such vertues and were rid of such vices and what a good turne had hee if he could doe as such and such and in a twinge of his conscience or in a fit when he is told of heauen hee could bee content to leape out of his skin to get heauen and to get out of hell but after his fit is ouer he cannot away with this confessing of his sinnes in secret with this rending of his soule with this earnest contending with God and with this crossing of his owne nature and fighting against the lusts of his flesh euen with this labouring for the righteousnesse of God aboue all things But the Christian stands otherwise affected he museth of the way and meanes of getting grace he thinketh seriously what is to be done for the beating downe of such a vice and building vp of such a vertue hee beateth vpon his owne heart all such reasons as hee can bring to fix his will in a resolution of doing good leauing euill hee taketh paines with calling hard vpon God takes paines in checking and controling in prouoking and stirring vp himselfe in labouring to lament and bewayle to hate and detest his sinne and to worke in himselfe earnest sorrow and sound griefe for sinne and thinkes not much euen to weary and toyle himselfe in these spirituall labours Hee plowes his heart hee sowes in the Word be seekes for showres of grace hee weedes his heart hee breakes the clods of his heart Thus he sets himselfe to taske and is a right husbandman in his owne soule Further the thing about which his desires and endeauours are conuersant About the will of God is the will of God reuealed in his Word not the will of men not the secret and hidden will of GOD nor a supposed imaginary will of God but that selfe-same will of God which is deliuered vnto him in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles for so saith Dauid His delight is in the Law of God Psal 1.2 Psal 119.105 And againe Thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet and a light to my paths He lookes to that which is reuealed and desires to be wise according to that which is written and not aboue it his desires and labours are limited by the manifestation of Gods will In things tendred to the thoughts of his mind hee demaundeth how it is written Reuealed in Scriptures and how doe I reade so farre and no further stooping and yeelding as he findeth diuine authority with Propheticall and Apostolicall testimony to call for yeeldance I haue walked in thy truth Psal 26.3 saith Dauid He knowes that what the Lord hath commended to his Church by those principall Pastours of his Church the Prophets and Apostles that is Gods truth and therefore he subdues his reason and affections vnto it But if any man will bring any thing to him and presse it as necessary to saluation which hath not the stampe of diuine inspiration he knowes not how to submit his conscience to such basenesse as to yeeld it selfe to any other than the royall soueraignty of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings like a right good subiect and withall noble and ingenuous that as he cannot be induced to with-draw his necke from his Princes yoke so can he by no meanes indure the burden of an vsurpers Scepter and therefore he had rather die with the honorable liberty of a subiect of the Lord than liue a slaue inthralled to the tyranny of an vsurping creature Now this will of God he striueth both to know Both to know and doe the same and also to doe Not to know alone nor to doe alone but to know and doe both euen to doe out of know ledge is the marke that his indeuours aime at An hypocrite separates these two things hee would know but regardeth not to practise he admits GODS Word into his head willingly and with applause in most things but into his heart and into his life hee doth not admit it Neyther doth he therefore study to vnderstand that he may bee ruled by the light hee hath gotten but alone that he may make himselfe a teacher of others or a carper at others and a well applauded discourser before others He hath lame feete though hee haue a seeing eye and neuer cares to goe where hee sees his duety leadeth him Thus the forward dissembler and quite contrarily the ordinary formall man he seemeth to be all for doing and doing little caring to know or vnderstand as if a man should talke of dispatching his worke in the darke without a candle doubtlesse this worke would be but bunglingly performed but the Christian desireth to rectifie his life by knowledge to guide his feete by his eye and his eye by the lanthorne of the Word that so hee may neither haue a fruitlesse knowledge nor a blinde practise but may attaine the blessing that our Sauiour pronounceth saying Now you know these things Iohn 13.17 happy are ye if you do them And this is the matter of a good life a setled will and endeauour to know and doe the will of God set downe in Scriptures Let vs acquaint you with the moouing cause thereof The motiue of fruitfulnesse is loue to God Iohn 14.15 which must bee the loue of God in Christ according as our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs saying If yee loue me keepe my commandements In like maner the Apostle telling vs that faith must worke by loue 2. Cor. 5.14 15 and saying of himselfe that the
promises and threats and to say within your selues this good or euill shall surely be performed vnto me accordingly And so mighty is the Word of God that if it be thus hidden in the heart it shall surely purge the heart make it good if it be ingraffed in the soule it is able to saue the soule if it bee couered with earth it wil bring forth a crop neither is any branch so barren and vnfruitfull but by thus applying the Word to it selfe in priuate meditation it shall by little and little be made fruitfull But many men doe want the power of the Word because they content themselues barely to reade or heare the Word or if they marke it a little for the present they esteeme-that sufficient neuer taking care to goe alone and lay it fast vnto their owne hearts Take knowledge I pray you brethren of the true cause why the Word of God doth not profit the most of your soules you come hither to heare it perhaps also you gine some reasonable heede to it and can remember what was spoken and can talke of it a little if occasion serue but the world with its businesses or delights doth so bewiteh and beguile you that you can find neither heart nor time neither wil nor leasure to call againe to mind the things that you haue heard and to aske your selues Doe I this dutie am I guilty of this sinne doth not this reproofe pertaine to me haue I any part in this promise and accordingly to striue with your owne hearts to be either humbled or comforted and so to resolue on amendment and reformation according to the Word This is the cause that we haue so too too many fruitlesse hearers Hence it is that so much is taught so little practised How long will you continue to neglect this most sauing and most profitable exercise of binding the Word on the tables of your hearts and of incorporating it into your soules and being Gods instruments to ingraue it in your owne minds by meditating on it and by busying your cogitations vpon it afterwards as a thing that much concerneth you How often haue you been told that much hearing without meditation wil breede nothing but a swimming knowledge that it will not beget holinesse that it will not renew the soule but that hearing seconded with meditation will quicken and will sanctifie I pray you take notice of this fault amend it Redeeme time as to come and hearken to the voyce of God speaking to thee so likewise to get alone afterwards and apply it to thy selfe in thy serious meditations Certainely if we did thus declare our high esteeme of Gods Word and make it appeare that our soules did account of it as of a thing most pretious and healthfull to our soules the Lord of heauen would not faile to giue his blessing and to make it mighty to the working of a godly conuersation in vs it should bring forth the fruit of good liuing But lastly Lastly pray to God to make vs frui full by his Spirit you must also ioyne with your meditating which he that meditateth cannot but doe he that meditates not can hardly doe in any earnestnesse constant prayer vnto God for his holy Spirit to write his Law in your inward parts to engraue it in the fleshly tables of your hearts and to moue and incline your wills to obedience that so you may become the Epistle of God ministred by men For fruitfulnesse is a supernaturall effect it comes not from any power inherent in mans soule or arising from his owne wil but it is an effect of the spirit of life and grace which is sent from Christ the Vine as it were sap into the seuerall branches that doe sucke and draw it from him in his ordinances and by name by faithfull and earnest and continuall requesting it at his hands You must therefore make conscience to call vpon God for the good worke of his spirit to helpe you to liue holily to make you assured of his loue feruent in loue to him zealous of his glory and constant in walking in his lawes And in particular you must daily beg of him to strengthen you for the performance of such and such duties and leauing of such and such sinnes as from time to time the Word of God which you heare doth call vpou you to leaue or to performe God will be entreated for all good things and hee hath bound himselfe not to deny the requests of all that call on him Matth. 7.8 Euery one that seeketh findeth O comfortable and large promise answering all obiections and able to stay vp the soule against all discouragements Neuer any man was so wicked sinful but if he would come to the Lord earnestly beseech him for his name sake to change his heart and life and continue constant in following this suite the Lord did surely hearken vnto him and make him godly You cannot be good of your selues but you may if you will not winke see your owne badnesse and your owne impotency You may if you will not harden your owne hearts and make your selues carelesse of your owne soules cry and call to God to make you good and importune him with perpetuall supplications to bow and incline your hearts to keep his precepts to open your eyes to see and your hearts to entertayne his holy Law that you may conuert and he may heale you This I say you may doe if you do not make your selues wilfull and obstinate by contemning the exhortations of Gods Word and euen stopping your eares against it and by wilfull turning your hearts after other matters I haue shewed you now how the barren may become fertile how the dry may be filled with sap and how the liues of them may be made godly and Christian which are yet farre from godlinesse and Christianitie See your barrennesse and to attentiue hearing ioyne diligent meditating on the Word you heare and constant prayer vnto GOD for the strength of his Spirit to make his Word effectuall and to giue you grace to obey it then shall you surely be made branches bringing forth fruit for then do you abide in Christ and his word abideth in you and that our Sauiour himselfe doth after wards prescribe as an infallible way to bring forth much fruit CHAP. XIX Containing the fourth vse BVt now it is time that we turn our selues vnto the fruitfull branches The sruitfull must be comforted therein to diuide vnto them that comfort which GOD hath allotted vnto them which this text affordeth and they stand in need of For all those therfore that do bring forth fruit in Christ in such sort as hath bin shewd we haue much good to speake and ioyfull tidings to deliuer Wee are to assure and secure them against all the feares of their owne hearts against all the cauils of Satan and false censures of the wicked world that they be not hypocrites but true-hearted and
of his owne though not so much as he would is chearefull and forward in following his calling It doth likewise euen dampe the courage of a good Christian in following the trade of godlinesse when hee is still causelesly accusing himselfe to haue no truth no sinceritie no vprightnesse but to know that hee hath truth indeed and yet is farre short of perfection this encourageth him to goe forward in striuing after perfection The consolation that pietie affordeth is a principall furtherer of our good proceedings in it and therefore thou must take comfort in the truth of thy beginnings that thou mayest goe forward with a liuelier pace and greater diligence Consider heere how that our Sauiour doth not name the bringing forth of as much and as faire fruit as others for the note of a good and pleasing branch but simply the bringing forth of fruit and therefore if thou beest in any degree fruitfull though neyther so much as thou wouldest or shouldest or seest others to bee yet there is iust cause of receiuing comfort Indeed the littlenesse of our fruit should humble vs but not discourage vs. It should stand before our eyes to keepe vs from pride not from peace to stop vs from conceitednesse not to hinder our comfort in God Satan that desireth to make all things harmefull vnto vs labours also to turne the reliques of sinne which remaine in vs to the ouer-much disquieting and terrifying of our consciences and to the shaking of our faith and interrupting the consolations we might enioy in God but let vs not yeeld to the subtiltie and malice of Satan in this behalfe When thou seest thy selfe failing in the measure of fruit obserue this fayling well but turne it not the worst way Let it make thee charge thy selfe with too much negligence not with vtter hollownesse conclude from it that thou art but weake and feeble not that thou art but an hypocrite and dlssembler And now let all Gods people chiefly those that are full of doubts and feares depart away confirmed and established in comfort let their spirits be at peace within them and let them feede of the fat and sweete portion which the Lord hath allowed them The ioy of the Lord will bee their strength these comforts will ripen their fruites as the Sunne-beames doe the fruites of the earth and they shall with most east and assurance grow better and better when they find the comfort and benefit of being truly good already So then conclude thou thus for thy selfe euery fruitfull branch is a true Christian I am fruitfull though not of so large faire ripe clusters as others yet of Grapes my life is truly holy and good though not approching so neare to perfection as it should and therefore I will not doubt to esteeme my selfe a true Christian and to giue the Lord the glory praise and take to my selfe the comfort and peace of my sinceritie And so we haue spoken of the obiect of Gods Husbandrie the parts of which we will hereafter entreat of at some conuenient time if God afford vs life and opportunity Deo Solà gloria FINIS GODS HVSBANDRY THE SECOND PART TENDING CHIEFLY TO THE REFORMING OF AN HYPOcrite and making him true hearted AS IT WAS DELIVERED IN CERtaine Sermons and is now published By WILLIAM WHATELY Preacher of the Word of God in Banbury in Oxfordshire 1. Cor. 4.5 The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the hearts AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater-noster-row at the signe of the Talbot 1622. TO THE COVRTEOVS READER I Make bold good Reader to present vnto thy view this second part of Gods Husbandry containing a few Sermons which I preached vpon the words of Christ in the fifteenth of Saint Iohns Gospell My maine intention herein was to helpe the people of God against that miserable sinne of Hypocrisie which in the former Treatise I sought to discouer Doubtlesse all our paines and all our preaching is little enough and too little to make men see and reforme so perillous and withall so subtill a vice This is a disease of so darke a working as will hardly be discerned vntill it be past cure And though a man bee not so totally possessed and ouercome by it as that he deserue to bee called an Hypocrite yet are the remainders of it which abide in the most sanctified hearts as the Canaanites amongst the sonnes of Abraham exceeding troublesome and exceeding noysome calling for all diligence and labour to expell them It is the daughter of ignorance and selfe-loue the mother of pride and selfe-conceitednesse the sister of vaine-glory and contention It is of all sinnes one of the most hideous because it damneth those that seeme to themselues little lesse then free from all other sinnes When the whole army of vices is fled before the face of vertue and seemes to haue yeelded a full victory then doth this vice as it were by stratagems and deuices vndermine victorious vertue and rob it of the victory which it seemed to haue gotten It is the refuge and hiding place of all other faults neither can wee further preuaile against any corruption then we preuaile against this neither can any corruption further foyle vs then this doth lend it aide and succour This vice maketh those things abominable in Gods sight which to menward seeme praiseable and causeth that heauen doth detest what earth applauds It comes to Church with men and poysons preaching praying hearing reading receiuing the Communion and all the parts of Gods seruice It is bold to creepe into the clozet also with some men and doth many times corrupt their most retired deuotions It maketh that the Lord accounts himselfe but mocked when men account themselues to haue well worshipped him It turnes mercy iustice chastity into vices after a sort and causeth that they be in true iudgement but faire and guilded sins It marreth in one word all good things and changeth the not committing of sinne into a sinne and the performing of the most commendable duties into very loathsome euill A deuout Hypocrite is little better then a profane Epicure and a painted Sepulohre is little different from a very dunghill Happy shall that man be that is carefull to spy out the working of this crooked and deceitfull vice in himselfe and that with earnestnesse diligence warinesse and constancy doth striue to chase it out of his owne heart When the Ziphites wretched claw-backes as they were came to waken Sauls sleeping malice by offering him their seruice to deliuer vp Dauid the Story tels vs that he sent them backe with this instruction Goe and prepare yet and know and see his place and where his haunt is and who hath seene him there for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly See therefore and take knowledge of all his lurking places where hee hideth himselfe and come yee againe to me with the certainty and I will
deserued punishment which his grieuous wickednesse doth challenge at the hands of his righteousnesse If it be obiected that God might conuert the hypocrite if he would The answere is By his omnipotent power he might and so he migt the diuels too and the very prince of the diuels Beelzebub himselfe But wee must vnderstand that the Lord hath set downe a certaine way and order of conuerting men vnto him agreeable to the rules of his owne vnsearchable wisedome euen such a way as is in it selfe most plaine sure and infallible if the negligence and obstinacy of men doe not hinder and such a way as is most conuenient to procure the greatest honour that may be vnto him in their saluation and that is that man himselfe should become a working instrument with God to his owne conuersion and saluation Which seeing the hypocrite will not doe the Lord will neuer bee so ouer-gracious vnto him as to bring him to heauen by another way but will euen magnify himselfe in destroying him because he neglected to take the right course that was shewed him to doe himselfe good So you see reasons enow on Gods part why such branches should be separated from the Vine Consider we of themselues and see if there be not more then cause of handling them with such seuerity First they thrust away saluation from themselues Reason 2 as it is sayd of the Iewes in another case From themselues whom 1. They thrust away saluation from them Because they will not entertaine and yeeld vnto the good motions of Gods Word and Spirit that doe vrge and presse them to turne vnto the Lord and therefore what can be expected in reason but that they should procure vnto themselues euen sharpe and swift damnation For is it not most equall that he which will not receiue saluation when it is proffered vnto him by God should vtterly perish as that he should be starued and dye for hunger which will not receiue foode when it is put into his hands These men resist and oppugne the Spirit of God and will not accept of life vpon such termes as it may stand with Gods Iustice to bestow it vpon them If he would saue them and giue them leaue to goe on in their beloued sinnes too O how glad they would be of such a carnall way of comming to heauen But if he wil not giue eternall life but vnto those that are carefull throughly to reforme their hearts and liues they know not how to be at all that paynes Surely the matter standing thus betwixt the Lord and their soules it could not stand with his righteousnesse to preserue them from ruine The dissembling Christian dealeth by God as the Disciples of Christ did deale by him in the sixth of Iohn When he told them of eating his flesh and drinking his blood they sayd This was an hard saying who could heare it and so went backe and walked no more with him So the hypocrite hearing of remission of sinnes of life of saluation thinkes they bee things very desireable and out of a will to haue a part in them he will goe a great way with God but when he heares of a generall renouncing of all sinne and of washing and clensing his heart and that without this care there is no saluation he will not beleeue that the way to heauen is so narrow he shrinkes backe at these exhortations and thinkes the Lord is an hard Master and will goe with him no further So then seeing the fruitlesse branch doth carelesly or obstinately let passe the opportunity of sauing himselfe when it is often offered vnto him what can be more righteous with God then that hee should bring vpon himselfe eternall destruction Againe the hypocrite abuseth the richest of all Gods benefits his Word his Sacraments his Gospell the blood of his Son his tender of mercy and the rest of those supernaturall things that he hath to doe with He turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse and like a very Swine doth tread vnder foot the most precious pearle of Gods goodnesse in Christ and must not an heauy vengeance therefore needs oppresse him Meate drinke apparell wit strength health these be worthy gifts of God and exceeding sinfull is the abuse of them accounted in the sight of God as reason there is that it should and very heauy haue the punishments been that haue lighted vpon the abusers of such mercies But these are cōmon fauours euery dayes benefits the outcasts of the world haue them as wel as those of Gods houshold Only the Word of God his holy Ordinances the knowledge of himselfe of his Son and of his Kingdome and the offers of mercy to saue them from hell these are peculiar fauours highly-esteemed kindnesses specially bestowed vpon those of his owne family with whom hee pleaseth to bee in Couenant Now the hypocrite abuseth these he peruerteth these he flatters himselfe in his sins for all these and when God himselfe doth euen as it were come a wooing vnto him in all these ordinances and beseech him to be reconciled to receiue himselfe for an husband his Kingdome for a dowry and Heauen for a ioynture hee will none of the bargaine vnlesse he may haue the liberty of inioying his sinnes besides O how great an indignity is heere offered vnto God how shamefull a repulse doth the Lord receiue and how vndeserued a refusall wherefore by how much the mercies of God that the dissembler abuseth in cōtinuing obstinate against them are greater by so much must God in iustice needes increase the sharpnes and strength of his blowes against his soule 3. Doe much harme in the Church Againe the hypocrite doth procure a number of mischiefes in the vine where he growes which must needs occasion and hasten his cutting off These discredit Religion and cause it to bee ill spoken of these being of Gods family in shew doe bring an ill name vpon it as once the spies did vpon the land of Canaan They doe grieue the hearts of the vpright and strengthen the hands of other sinners and fill their mouthes with insultation Their barrennesse and want of good fruit doth administer matter vnto those that are ready to cauill of casting reproches vpon the roote on which they grow and vpon all the branches that grow by them Neuer did any professed enemy doe so much hurt to true Religion and so much hinder the proceeding of true piety as the hypocrite hath done Hee is one of the chiefe stumbling blocks in the world and if a woe be denounced against him by whom offences come then the heauiest of all woes must light vpon him from whose default the greatest of all scandals doe come Doe you not conceiue what triumphing there was against Christ when his owne Disciple had sold him for money The dry branch is a great impediment to the fruitfulnesse of the neighbour branches and the vnfruitfull Fig-tree doth euen keepe the ground idle Hee keepeth many from goodnesse that
other side a worse and more likely signe of a man wholy sold ouer into the hands of guile we can scarce meet with then this to be vnmoued in the hearing of such threats to haue no risings of feare and doubt and suspition nor no troublesome conceits of his owne estate either such man is so abundantly and extraordinarily sanctified as that the ouer-euident proofe of his vprightnesse doth presently secure him from such thoughts or else he is wholly buryed and bound hand and foot in the hollow graue of guile and therefore cannot feele it because hee is altogether vnder the power of it For this is the nature of these darke and hidden vices they are euer the lesse felt by how much they doe more strongly preuaile euen as the pangs of death are least troublesome when they haue quite ouercome the strength of nature Wherfore nothing fearing any danger that may come vnto the true hatred by this earnestnes let me yet once againe settle vnto those that be dissemblers adiure protest and call Angels men and Christ God and their owne soules and all things that are to witnesse against them that vnlesse they wil open their eyes see themselues to be in a damnable estate they shall surely be damned You may perhaps maruel that we should presse the poynt so hard but the cause is we know the Hypocrite to bee the most noysome weed in Gods garden and faine would we make him see his danger that he might escape it Yea we know that hypocrisie doth harden and deadden the hart aboue all other sins that nothing in the world is more difficult then to make him see and feele his perill who will rather thinke any man yea all men Hypocrites then himselfe although by this his ouer-aptnesse to thinke so hardly of others hardnes to be made conceiue so hardly though truly of himselfe he might if he were not blind discerne himselfe to be as hee is But now if thou beest such and so proued by what hath been formerly spoken how good soeuer thou hast been to see to and beest still how full soeuer of knowledge and of zeale blazing outward how glad soeuer to God and heare Sermons how able soeuer to pray and to repeat Sermons how well soeuer accounted of by others and by thy selfe and how strongly soeuer perfwaded and in that perswasion ioyed of thy being Gods child and being saued as all this may befall thee and yet the former notes discouer thee to be but hollow I doe now in Gods name adiudge thee and preiudge thee vnlesse thou repent to cutting off to burning to eternall death lo here is the portion of thy cup At length Gods arme and axe shall fell thee and grub thee vp by the roots if thou wert as tall as the Cedar of Lebanon and as tough as the Oakes of Bashan and as strongly rooted as the tree that groweth neere a rocke CHAP. V. Containing the third vse viz. An exhortation to the Hypocrite to come out of his hypocrisie Vse 3 BVt to what purpose doe we thus earnestly fight against Hypocrites with the sword of Christs mouth Let the Hypocrite bee carefull to come out of hypocrisie which he hath put into our mouthes Onely onely at least chiefly if it may be to conuert him and to make him cease to be an Hypocrite when he sees the lamentable condition of such kind of men It is your conuersion which we wish O all yee that haue been dissemblers and your reformation which wee aime at which we are well assured can neuer bee effected but by shewing you the woe which is comming vpon you Now therefore seeing the case of counterfeit Christians is so bad so hard so intolerably so desperately so ineuitably wretched but by turning wee beseech you suffer your selues to be wrought vpon to be conuerted to become true and to receiue the Spirit of vprightnesse which the Lord of heauen is now ready to powre forth vpon you Be it knowne vnto thee O thou that hast been hither to but an Hypocrite that thy case is not altogether irrecouerable but that thou maist if thou wilt not at this time also refuse Gods gracious offer bee made sincere and so bee receiued into grace For brethren be ye well assured of this truth that when the Lord of heauē sends his seruants vnto you in his owne name to call vpon you to performe any good duty tending to your owne saluation that then he is also present in his ordinance by the gracious cooperation of his good Spirit to inable you with strength from himselfe to performe that duty For Gods ordinances are not idle neither shall his VVord returne in vaine but shall be effectuall for all for which hee sendeth it and he that desireth not the death of the sinner but rather that he may turne and liue will effectually turne him from his euill way if he doe not wilfully harden himselfe therein and euen refuse to be conuerted Be willing therefore to be made vpright that thou maist be so indeed and be it for certaine deliuered vnto thy soule that thou shalt bee made able to become such if thou doe not stiffen thy selfe in the naturall vnwillingnesse of thy corrupted nature I demand therfore of thee in the same question that our Sauiour vsed to the sicke man that lay at the Poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole If thou be willing now the waters are stirred now the Spirit of God is come downe in this ordinance now thou mayest bee put into these waters and now thou shalt bee made whole If thine answere bee that thou art willing then I say vnto thee make it appeare that thou art so in very truth and that thou dost not onely say thou art so for many a mans words and meaning are farre distant each from other many a man affirmeth with loud voyce and open profession of speeches that hee is willing to receiue that grace which hee is not willing to receiue There is a faint motion of the will which is rather an act of the vnderstanding conuinced that one should be willing to get a thing thē any true and earnest working of the will towards that thing and this kind of willingnesse must men take for a true being willing But heerein they doe much deceiue themselues for a man may bee inforced to acknowledge that hee ought to bee willing to get such or such a thing and withall finde in himselfe some slothfull wishes to haue the same and yet be destitute of that stedfast and fixed resolution of the will which is indeed the motion of the will required to be in vs if we will receiue good from the Lord. But how shall it be made manifest whether a mans willingnesse bee settled or ouert well grounded or shallow Surely he that indeed bendeth his will to any thing will be contented to deuoure the paines of seeking and striuing after it as he that would be rich
errours but many more then they can possibly come to the vnderstanding of Rom. 7.21 in this life Paul also tels vs that when he would doe good euill was present with him And who can boast of freedome from this cumbersome presence of euill if the Apostle himselfe could not Some would elude the euidence of this text but to no purpose for the matter wee are in hand to proue because if this place should faile vs yet the other places alleaged and to be alleaged doe by their plainnesse refuse to bee eluded but this text they would elude by saying that the Apostle doth not here speake of himselfe as he was after his regeneration but as he was before regeneration so describing a meere naturall man brought as farre as the Law without grace could bring him But this fancy the Apostle himselfe doth plainly enough cut off saying in the conclusion of his discourse So then I my selfe in my minde doe serue the Law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne This I my selfe ioyned with the present tense can denote none other but Paul himselfe as hee then was when he wrote these words and according to the condition in which hee then remained And doth he not to his complaint O miserable man subioyne his triumph of Thanks be vnto God through Iesus Christ Can the meere naturall man come to such a sight of his miserable seruitude to sinne as withall to giue thankes vnto God in Christ for his deliuerance It is manifest then that the Apostle affirmeth thus much of himselfe as he then was after his beleeuing in Christ and many yeeres spent in his Apostleship And if it were thus with Paul at that time shall any man in all the world expect to finde it otherwise Saint Iohn also writeth most plainly saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The poynt then is fully proued needing indeed none other confirmation then the continuall experience of all Gods Saints agreeable to the Word of God But for your better satisfaction in the matter wee will shew you both the cause why it is so and the reason why it standeth better with the wisedome of God to appoynt it so to be rather then otherwise For without all doubt the Lord could giue vs perfection of sanctification in this life if so it seemed good vnto his wisedome And the cause of it is The cause of our not being perfect here is our not being fully vnited to Christ our not being fully and perfectly vnited vnto Christ Iesus our Head from whom all graces are deriued as water from the fountaine If we were conioyned to Christ in the highest degree of vnion wee should also be voyd of sinne For as in our vniting vnto the first Adam wee did so wholly receiue his corrupt image that there remained no good thing in vs so in our vniting to the second Adam we should so wholly be filled with his holy Image as to haue none euill abiding in vs. But whilest we remaine in this world wee haue not a full possession of him wee are not so neerly vnited vnto him Wee are like a maid contracted espoused made sure to a man which hath an infallible right into him and hath receiued diuers tokens euen rich tokens of loue to assure her of the marriage in due time but is not yet married vnto him nor is put into the possession of his person and estate wholly and fully as at the consummatiō of matrimony And this also ariseth hence that hee is a glorious incorruptible immortall and spirituall Man we are mortall corruptible meane and naturall men and so weak feeble and imperfect a thing as a mortall vnnaturall man though it may in some degree be ioyned vnto so glorious a nature and person as that of Christs namely in respect of a certaine right and interest into him and of the receiuing of some first-fruits and benefits from him yet cannot be admitted into a full and whole perfect coniunction with him namely so far as to see him as it is seene and know him as it is known and to be all in all with him Now so exceeding deeply doth the staine of sinne cleaue vnto vs which we haue receiued from our first parent Adam that an vnion of lesse closenesse then this euen of wholly possessing Christ and being wholly possessed by Christ will not serue the turne wholly and altogether to expell the corruptions of our hearts You see now whence it comes that in this life we remaine obnoxious to diuers imperfections Next Reasons why God will not giue vs a totall freedome from sinne heere let vs consider why the Lord of heauen will haue it to be so rather thē otherwise In truth it should be an intolerable presumption and sawcinesse in vs to demand a reason of Gods actions if himselfe did not vouchsafe to stoope so low as to render vs a reason thereof himselfe But in this matter the Scripture saith plainly that God hath shut all vnder sinne that hee might haue mercy vpon all Doubtlesse this is principally to be vnderstood of giuing ouer man to bee sinfull in his first corruption shewing the reason why God did permit and appoynt it so to be but withall it may very fitly serue to informe vs in the present matter shewing why the Lord doth please to leaue euen his owne seruants after their ingraffing into Christ vnto the sinfulnesse of their nature so farre that they shall not be wholly free from it namely 1. That it may most manifestly appeare we are saued of grace that it might most manifestly appeare that they be saued of grace and not of merit and that he may fully and vnquestionably inioy the praise of hauing giuen it them of free will and bounty not paid it them as a thing earned by the worthinesse of their workes although in another respect the Lord pleaseth to call it a wages viz. not in regard that it is giuen for the dignity of the workes but because of the certainty of such an ouer-abundant requitall For as an honest man will surely pay his labourer his hire according to the Law so the Lord will surely giue eternall life vnto his seruants that by continuance in well doing doe labour for the same Now seeing the Lord did principally aime at his owne glory in giuing saluation vnto men it is most agreeable to reason that he should in such sort bring them vnto saluation as may most manifest the riches of his mercy the glory whereof he doth most affect and seeke in that worke and it is a more cleere demonstration of mercy to giue them saluation through the iustification which is by faith in Christ notwithstanding that themselues remaine very weake feeble imperfect sinfull and vnable to performe exact obedience to his Law then if he should at the first moment of their regeneration free them wholly from all weaknesse and after a life
corruptions But death at once with a most happy paricide as I may terme it kils both it selfe our last foe and sinne its mother our first foe and sorrow its sister our daily foe That one pang which puls away the soule from the body doth also pull away sinne both from the soule and the body O most desireable pang and worthy to be thirsted after more then any earthly thing Iob when his body was full of botches could say with much vehemency of passion Why dyed I not from the wombe why gaue I not vp the ghost when I came out of the belly then should I haue lyen still and beene quiet I should haue slept then had I been at rest Hee could in elegancy of speech commend death and say There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together and heare not the voyce of the oppressour yea hee saith that a miserable man would long for it and dig for it more then for hid treasures and would reioyce exceedingly and be glad if he could find it This impatiency of life is no way worthy commendation it sauours too much of selfe loue to be good and allowable But if out of an holy impatiency of sinne wee could as feelingly take vp speeches of a like nature O how truly might it witnesse with vs that we did hate sinne that we were enemies to the lusts of our hearts that our corruptions were to vs as imprisonment sicknesse paine captiuity and so that wee were sure of our part in Christs goodnesse who comes to preach liberty vnto the captiues Verily our soules are as full of hotches many of them as Iobs body and it will hardly bee better with many of vs so long as we abide in these earthly tabernacles were we as full of spirituall life as hee of naturall and our soules as truly indued with holinesse as his body with sense we should complaine of this burthen with much bitternesse and say O that I could tell where to seeke death O that I might finde the graue and come to those quiet regions where worldlinesse and pride and wrath shall no more torment mee and where my will shall be no more carryed away with any fleshly perturbation I confesse that this is the least part of the good that death bringeth vnto the Saints that it doth vtterly dismisse them from the seruitude of the flesh but were we so thorowly spirituall as we should be this would seeme of so great worth with vs as wee would preferre it before all that the world counts delightfull The Bridegroome would rather go to his graue then to his bride-chamber the traueller would rather lye downe in his bed of earth then in a bed of downe and euery man would bee of Salomons minde and count the day of death better then the day of birth I confesse that wee must so farre resigne our willes to Gods will as with all contentednesse of minde to weare out the dayes of our apprentiship and pilgrimage For so long as God hath any seruice for vs to doe any where though the place and company be full of troublesomnesse yet should wee force our willes to doe him seruice with our owne disquietment but yet a vertuous desire of being separated from this vnhappy condition of life wherein wee shall neuer fully be separated from the sinne that cleaueth so fast would be very commendable and very profitable The gavvdes of this vvorld vvould not so easily beguile vs the cumbers of this vvorld vvould not so frettingly gawle vs if wee did dis-sweeten the one with making our selues to taste the bitternesse of our sinne and dis-imbitter the other with feeling the far greater bitternesse of that which is as farre more harmefull then it as lead is heauier then corke Then should wee proue our selues to bee men and women of a discerning spirit that can know of things what is good what is bad and of bad things what is more what is lesse bad Then should we shew our selues to approch neere that height of grace which the blessed Apostle had who in relating of bonds imprisonment hunger thirst nakednesse whipping stocking shipwrack and daily dying neuer bursts forth into lamentations but rather recounts with ioy that which was so painfull to suffer and seemeth to bee glad of life for nothing else but that by suffering more of those troubles hee might doe more seruice to the Church and honour to Christ but when he hath occasion to declare his sinfulnesse the body of death the law of his members the rebellion of his flesh then onely is heard bewailing and crying out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body Let therefore the feeling of sinne make our desires so earnest after full freedome from it that we may for this cause euen breathe after death when there are none other aduersities to distaste the comforts of this life vnto vs that by it wee shall be set at liberty from the diuels tentations the worlds affrightments allurements but specially from the corrupt lusts which we both doe and whilest we lodge in this dungeon shall carry about with vs. And let each of vs say often to himselfe O that I were parted from husband and wife from children from friends from lands and goods and from this world and all that in this world is counted worth hauing so that I might also bee parted from my corruptions and neuer more hereafter stand in need of pruning Fasting and prayer will purge the Word and Sacraments will cleanse and all Gods ordinances and all our Christian indeuours will helpe to lop off these disordered passions that are within vs. But this is alone a cleansing in part a paring off some euill and leauing much behind onely the last blow of death will make a full riddance of all that is euill in vs and after that blow giuen there shall nothing remaine behinde that may call for any more purging This is the soueraigne medicine that will consummate the cure of our diseased soules which till then shall neuer bee deliuered from all diseases though wee bee in Christ as the Vine and haue God the Father for our Husbandman O then Lord send thou this last enemy which may doe mee more good then all the former friends I meet with can doe euen worke a dissolution of my soule from my body and of my sinne from them both Let it come Lord let it come speedily doe thou hasten it in due season and take away all sinne by taking away this life of nature to make way for a farre more excellent life of glory Desire of death is then only warrantable when a desire of Gods full presence and of sinnes perfect absence be the causes mouing that desire CHAP. IX Containing the third vse of the poynt viz. an exhortation and direction how to keepe downe our corruptions whilest wee liue Vse 3 BVt as wee should moderately wish for death We