masterly authoritie and wisedome to draw them back from iniquity In which godly attempt fathers and masters haue alowāce frō God yea they are not only warranted of God to do it but it is a charge laid vpon them children seruants being committed to them not onely to doe them seruice and to be at their cōmandemēt but rather to receiue education instruction from them And when parents and masters faile and become carelesse of the instruction of their children seruants and in the right gouernmēt of them God doth often in his iustice punish the fathers masters neg ligence with the childrens and seruants disorder And when parents masters are carefull to instruct gouerne aright their children seruants then God in his mercy requiteth that care and diligence with the obedience and faithfulnesse of children and seruants Salomon saith in the Prouerbs The rod and correction giue wisedome but a childe set at libertie makes his mother ashamed Here iustice repayeth with disorder in the child the neglect of instruction and gouernement in the parents The same Salomon saith a gaine Correct thy sonne he will giue thee rest and will giue pleasures to thy soule Here mercy repayeth with contenting obedience in the child the wise and careful gouernement of the parents To masters also that their seruants may not breede their vnrest Salomon in the same place giueth these Items by which hee might well suppose that wise men would take warning A seruant wil not be chastened with words though hee vnderstand yet hee will not answer This is plaine enough that for some seruants the right gouernment of them something more then words is sometime necessary And againe he saith Hee that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from his youth at length he wil be euen as his sonne This is plaine enough that a delicate life with liberty and pleasure is not to be allowed to seruants by any rule of good gouernement left to thy griefe he take vppon him to bee more then a seruant Yet these rules for parents to desire and helpe the reformation of disobedient children and for maisters to desire and help the reformation of disordered seruants giues no defence vnto vnnaturall parents that are tyrants to their owne children and to cruel masters that increase the proportion of worke and number of strip◅s but dimin◅sh the due allowance of meate and cloathes and sleepe and are neuer pleased but euer brawling Saint Paul saith vnto parents Fathers prouoke not your childrē to wrath Lenity must be vsed though not cockering and too much sufferance And to masters he saith Masters doe vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall Equity must be vsed toward them thogh not remissenesse To the same purpose may it bee saide for children and se◅uants if while they haue carried themselues duetifully and deserued well their parents or maisters out of their owne vnkindnesse and cruelty doe prooue a heauy burden vnto them because it may please God to ease them of that burden by chaunging the mindes of their parents and maisters it belongeth vnto them as a speciall point of the casting of their burden vppon the Lord to pray vnto God for their parents and maisters that hee will be pleased to open and amend their hearts that they may see their errour and may reforme the same learne to deale more kindly which belongeth to parents and to deale more iustly which belongs to maisters and whereas they haue no authoritie to admonish to teach to correct as their parents and maisters haue yet with due reuerēce they may be bold obseruing opportunitie and vsing decent and humble speeches somtimes to tell them what they think to be fit How reuerently when Saul wronged Dauid and had spoken to Ionathan his sonne and to all his seruants that they should kill Dauid which was Ionathans griefe because he loued Dauid how reuerently did Ionathan labour to make Saul his father see his errour saying vnto him Let not the King sinne against his seruant against Dauid for hee hath not sinned against thee but his workes haue beene to thee verie good for he did put his life in danger and slew the Philistim and the Lord wrought a great saluation for all Israel thou sawest it and thou reioycedst wherefore then wilt thou sinne against innocent bloud and slay Dauid without a cause And when Naamat the Syrian tooke great indignation at the Prophet Elisha because he came not out and laid his hands vpon his leprousie to heale it but commanded him to wash himselfe seauen times in the waters of Iordan which he iudged nothing so vertuous as the waters of Damascus which indignation of Naama◅ the Lord and master grieued all his seruants how reuerently did they say vnto him Father if the Prophet bad commanded thee a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it How much rather then when he saith vnto thee wash and be cleane Such words of mildnesse spoken in fit season and with reseruation of due reuerence may by seruants and children be vsed to their fathers and masters to induce them to see their former errour that it may be a meanes vnder God to change their mindes But this liberty can no way iustify the insolence and vnduetifulnesse of many children seruants that being restrained by the seueritie of their parents and masters grow into discontent speake contemptuously and raylingly without all reuerence and without all regarde either of the authoritie of their parents and masters or of the subiection and duety that they owe vnto them By the same rule is euery one whose domesticall trouble growes by the errour of his neighbour if hee would bee cased which may be the changing of his neighbours minde taught to pray vnto God for the bettering of his neighbour and to put his owne helping hand to so good a woorke by admonishing his neighbour neighbourly And hee hath precepts from GOD to warrant that course Moses saith Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne So that there wanteth charitie in him that will not louingly tell his neighbor of his errour And God doeth often in his iustice make thy bad neighbour to be a cause of trouble vnto thee because thou knowing his disorders hast not told him of them that he might amend A like commaundement giueth the Lord Iesus saying If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone That is if his faul be bent against thee as the chosen obiect of his malice or directed another way it light vppon thee to the hurt or hazard of thy life thy peace thy profit or thy good name or if his misdeede were neither intended against thee nor did light vpon thee but onely thou art grieued in thine honest soule to behold so vngodly dealing in these cases thou art commāded of the
domesticall troubles some are more priuate fitting for this or that domesticall trouble In this chapter I will set down those rules that are common to all these troubles And first of all it is a common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God that we arme our soules with patience and quietly beare whatsoeuer God is pleased to lay vpon vs. For shall we be willing only to receiue good things at the handes of God things agreeable to our hearts wish and when he is pleased eyther for our triall or for our correction or for any other holy cause to lay vpon vs euill and hard things vnpleasant to flesh and bloud shall wee then murmure against his worke God forbid Iob iustly reprooueth such a course saying to his wife Shall wee receiue good things at the hands of God and not receiue euill As when good things come it is fitte to acknowledge Gods free mercie and to be thankefull so when euill things come it is fit to acknowledge Gods holy iustice and to be patient And this course of casting our burden vppon the Lord our blessed Sauior the Lord Iesus Christ commends vnto vs and a sure way of finding ease saying vnto vs Take my yoake on you and learne of mee that I am meeke and lowly of heart and you shall find rest vnto your soules that is whatsoeuer burden falles vpon any of you either after my example or for my sake which I account to be my burdens for I labor in him that labors vnder those burdens let him not murmure let him not spurne impatiently against it but let him take it meekely vnto him as I did my death This shal bring ease to his soule for this is to cast his burden vpon God while for Gods sake he is willing to beare his good pleasure This patience a while continued will make thy yoake easie and thy burthen light and whilest others crie and complaine thou shalt reioyce in God therefore haue the Apostles both in their practise and in their doctrine ioyned together patience and reioycing in the times of trouble because continued patience breedeth ioy Of their practise ioyning patience and reioycing together Paul speaketh thus Also we reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Such was their practise Which while hee reporteth doeth hee not there with all deliuer that troubles patiently borne doe giue experience of Gods fauour giue hope in Gods mercie and breede a confident and vndaunted spirit ◅ and these three experience hope and confidence are the grounds and true supporters of ioy Of their doctrine preached to others Iames the Apostle shewes vs what it was saying My brethren count it exceeding ioy when yee fall into diuers tentations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth foorth patience and l◅t patience haue her perfect worke that yee may be perfect and intire lacking nothing In their practise could this course be kept in wisedome In their doctrine could this rule bee giuen in soundnesse if the patient bearing of all our troubles were not a readie and very soueraigne way of casting our burdens vpon the Lord for our ease therefore haue care of this in the first place to possesse thy soule in patience And if it seeme to any man a hard thing to bee patient in trouble let him not feare to attempt euen by this course of patience to cast his burden vpon the Lord. For there are many reasons that perswade thereunto First the burden while it continueth is a sure testimonie of Gods loue vnto thee Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews saith My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth hee scourgeth euerie sonne whom hee receiueth The chastisement of the Lord by these troubls is an euidēce of his fatherly loue and therfore we ought with the patience of children to beare it Secondly while God out of his loue continueth the burden of this trouble vpon thee he doeth it only for thy good As the same Apostle teacheth vs in the same Epistle saying Hee chasteneth vs for our profit that wee may be partakers of his holiness◅ The effect of those troubles intended of God is our benefit that wee may bee brought to haue neerer fellowship with God in holinesse and therefore they are to bee borne with patience Thirdly though God seem to continue our burden long and in the meane time to shew small kindnesse vnto vs yet sure the end of them will be with a blessing As Moses saith of the worke of God leading the children of Israel for many yeres together through a wearie wildernes that he did it to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end And if the cōclusion of our trouble like the wrestling of Iacob shall be with a blessing it is to be born with all patience A fourth reason there is to be regarded aboue all other reasons of force to make a man patient euen in the fire namely that if wee suffer with Christ wee shall raigne with Christ and when we haue indured patiently a while on earth we shal be rewarded honourably for euer in heauen Hereof the Apostle Paul thus speaketh Our light affliction which is but for a season causeth vnto vs a furre most excellent and an eternall weight of glorie Affliction shall bee rewarded with most excellent glory light affliction with a weight of glory and momentanie affliction with eternall glorie therefore to bee borne with all patience He that considereth these things that if God do send trouble it is of his fatherly loue vnto vs as vnto sonnes that in these troubles he onely intendeth our good to bring vs to haue fellowship with him in holinesse that our troubles shal bring peace and a blessing in the end and lastly that GOD will bring vs from a Crosse to a Kingdome and turne our Crowne of thornes into a crowne of glory He that considereth these things will bend his heart to beare his burthen patiently Whereby hee certainly turneth his burden vpon God for his great ease making a heauy burden to be light which while it is patiently borne melteth and falleth off from the heart like raine falling from the high grounds so that after a while he despiseth the troubles that at the first were fearefull vnto him and they seeme vnto him moale hils that at the first shewed a farre off like mountaines This is the first common rule of casting our burden vpon God alwayes to be obserued By this rule if it be Husband or Wife that causeth vnquietnesse we are taught to suffer their vnquietnesse whome wee can neyther reforme nor remooue and not to make a great flame of a small sparke by prouoking the vnquiet to more vnquietnesse If it bee Parents or Children that
that may fall vpon vs as for example Ioseph was sould vnto strangers and imprisoned in Aegypt the men of Zeklag were spoiled of all that they had in their absence with Dauid Abiathar of the house of Eli was cast out by Salomon from being Priest vnto the Lord warre and famine and the anger of Princes yea many inferior causes breed many calamities the only sure way of casting our burden vpon God is to acknowledge the worke of God in our calamity patiently to beare what he laieth vpon vs and heartily to pray vnto him for succour That wee ought to acknowledge Gods worke in our calamity and patiently to beare his pleasure Iob doth teach vs saying Shall we receiue good things at the hand of God and not receiue euill Surely we doe neuer deserue any good at the hand of God and wee doe continually deserue euill what reason then haue we to desire euer to receiue good that we neuer deserue and neuer to receiue euill that we euer deserue Patience therefore in bearing the calamity that God laieth vpon vs doth well become the sonnes of men And that in our calamity wee ought to pray vnto God if wee would haue him to ease vs of our burden is so cleare that wee neede no proofe for it What man is hee religious or profane beleuer or vnbeleuer that doth not in his calamity remember God looke vp to heauen and pray to God the Mariners in the ship whereinto Ionas was entered when he fled from God when the storme vpon the sea was sore and the tempest proued a calamity vnto them so that they threw the wares out of the ship into the sea to lighten the ship for safty of their liues without instruction they could then according to their knowledge of God fall to praier For so it is written The Mariners were affraid and cried euery man vnto his God Though it be not generall with all men being in calamity and misery to beare it patiently yet it is generall with all men in calamity and misery to pray for ease So that a religious man being burdened with any calamity needeth not so much to be taught that it is fit for him to pray as hee needeth to be comforted by being put in hope that God will in due time answer his praier as surely he will if he be called vpon in the name of his beloued sonne For so hath the Lord Iesus assured vs saying Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Let him pray therefore vnto God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus and patiently attend the Lords leisure and in due time he wil haue mercy vpon him This is when any calamity is fallen vpon vs to cast our burden vpon the Lord for our ease If it be the feare of death that is thy burden and perhaps with regard vnto others that shall be in some danger by thy death as wife children seruants and others that haue their education and maintenance vnder thee First the burden of feare of death is made easie to a godly man by many considerations in al which he casâ—…eth his burden vpon the Lord. First hee will consider that it is common to all Adams posteritie Aâ—… Dauid being ready to die saith vnto his sonne Salomon I goe the way of all the earth therefore death ought not to seeme fearefull to thee that is common to all Secondly hee will consider that hee cannot die before the time appoynted of God that gaue him life and assigned from euerlasting the certaine length of it as Iob saith Is there not an appoynted time to man vppon earth And shall any desire longer life then the giuer of life alloweth Or shall any be grieued to resigne his life into the handes of him that gaue it Thirdly hee will consider that the end of life shall bee the end of trouble vnto him that his death shall bring him rest from all troubles as the Spirit of God from heauen hath proclaimed saying ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labor Rest and ease from weary labour is obtained by our death and departure out of this life Fourthly hee will consider that the sting and danger and all bitternesse of death is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ and death vnto the Saints is made the gate of life the Apostle saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Lastly for his ease of feare in the approach of death yea for the filling of his heart with all true comfort in death that he may rather desire and long for then any way feare the houre of his death he will consider that his death shal be the gathering of him vnto Christ his redeemer as the Apostle saith Desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all For while we liue in the world we are absent from the Lord and we walke by faith and not by sight But when we depart this world wee are gathered vnto him to dwel for euer with him And that is performed which hee promised saying Though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe aud receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also By these considerations is the burden of the feare of death made easie to a beleeuer and in all these considerations doth hee cast his burden vpon the Lord for his ease If hee therefore feare his owne death because others shall want him his wife shal be a widow his children shal be fatherlesse his seruants shal be orphanes and many shall misse him that now haue a helper of him and for their sakes rather then for himselfe hee is afraid to die This burthen is to bee cast vppon God by commending them vnto his prouidence who giueth food to al flesh because his mercy indureth for euer and who is the keeper of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And that hee may doe this the more comfortably for the ease of his heart let him remember that the Lord saith All soules are mine both the soule of the father and also the soule of the sonne are mine He that created thee and had a care of thee as the worke of his handes to maintaine thee created also thy wife thy children thy seruants and thy poore friends and therefore hath also a care of them as the worke of his hands to maintaine them And hee that gaue his Sonne for thee to redeeme thee and therefore had a fatherly care for thee to doe all things for thy preseruation and saluation did also giue his Sonne for them to redeeme them and therefore also hath a fatherly care of them to doe all
or wealths to stand a blanke a cypher ◅ blot and an impediment either in common wealth or Church and to be an offence in the eye both of God all good men and to seeke to get his liuing by honest labour in some other calling that he hath bene better fitted for as Zacharie reporteth the words of some idle Prophets in their repentance as namely That he should no more weare a rough garment that is the robe of the Prophets profession that he was vnfit for and he should say I am no Prophet I am an husband man for man taught me to be an heardman from my youth That is I was neuer brought vp and fitted for the seruice of a Prophet where into I did foolishly thrust my selfe and therefore I will leaue that calling vnto more sufficient men and whereas I was brought vp to the trade of a husband-man heard-man I will henceforth follow that calling that I may eate my bread with a good conscience with Gods blessing though my reputation and maintenance be lesse This is to cast thy burden vpon God If thy ambition and couetousnes did not make thee intrude but men had good opinion of thy sufficiencie as Pharao had of Iosephs wisdome thou hast vsed no cunning to draw them to haue such opinion of thee but they simplie out of their owne obseruation iudged well of thee and imposed a charge vpon thee not being yet so ripe in iudgemēt and otherwise as thou wouldest be and hadst neede to bee in this case there is a good calling of God to giue thee hope of his further helpe though as yet thou be but as Dauid was the youngest among many brethren And the testimonie of thine owne conscience cle◅ring thee from intrusion is some ease of thy burden Plead thine honest calling plead thy cleere conscience before God and craue his fauour and if they that did chuse thee will not discharge thee pray to God for increase of strength craue the helpe of their prayers that laid the burden vpon thee and bend thy selfe with good hope vnto thy busines It is written that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings God ordaineth strength hope well therefore in thy diligent indeuour of the assistance of God and remember what the Lord Iesus answered to Paul my grace is sufficient for thee my power is made perfect through weaknes and what the Apostle saith of himselfe assisted with this sufficient grace of Iesus Christ. I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengthneth me and make vse of these testimonies studying striuing praying and vsing all meanes and helps for increase of sufficiencie And take that as spoken to thee that Paul spake to Timothi◅ These things exercise and giue thy selfe vnto them that it may be seene how thou profitest among allmen This is the waie of casting this burden vpon God If thy sufficiencie be good and thy diligence answerable so that thy conscience witnesseth that thy labour in the Lords Vineyard is faithfull labour but the effect answereth not and the work goeth not forward because the re are that oppose their vtter most power against thy labours to crosse the successe of them And there is scarce any one good worke that a man of publike calling can take in hand but the Diuell hath one instrument or other to crosse the attempt and hinder the successe so did the Sorcerers of Egypt withstand the message of Moses and Aaron comming vnto Pharao in the name of the Lord. So did Rehum and Simshai with their companions with Tatuai and Sauballat and T◅biah withstand to their vttermost power and cunning the worke of the Iewes in building the Temple wales of Ierusalem after their returne from the captiutie When Elias had slaine the Priestes of Baal and sought to bring backe Israel to the worship of the Lord Iesabel opposed hi◅ selfe and made Elias to flie for his life And while the Apostles preached the Gospell of Christ to the Gentiles the vnbeleeuing Iewes stirring vp the Gentiles withstood them in all places as the Apostle chargeth them saying They haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrarie to all men and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued Thus vsually through Sathans enuie it falleth out that scarce any attempteth any commendable worke but that one or other instrument of Sathan ariseth opposing himselfe against it to hinder the performance of it increasing his burden that trauelleth about it How shall men thus vexed cast their burden vpon the Lord First when thou seest their mallice and opposition be not driuen from thy patience and peaceable minde lest thou also shouldest either say or doe amisse in thy vnquiet passion Secondly vnto this patience ioyne prayer vnto God and in thy prayer craue these things of God First that God will oppose his helpe against their opposition and hinder their hindring attempts as the Prophet doeth saying Let not the wicked haue his desire O Lord performe not his wicked thoughts Secondly craue the assistance of Gods hand vpon thy labour good indeuor to helpe thee against thine opposites as the Prophet doeth saying Giue vs helpe against trouble for vaine is the helpe of man through God we shall doe valiantly Lastly that he will take thy good enterprise into his hand and vse thee as his instrument to effect so good a worke by as also the Prophet doth saying Let the beautie of the Lord our God be vpon vs and direct the worke of our hands vpon vs euen direct the worke of our handes Surely in this case this is to cast our burden vpon God if withall when we see the end to fall out contrarie to our godly purpose we glorifie God therein supposing that as God would not let Dauid build his Temple but reserued it to be performed afterward by Salomon so God for some secret cause will not haue that good worke finished by thee but res◅rueth it for some other time and some other person Lastly if thy sufficiencie be good and thy diligence answereable to thy sufficiencie and the worke effected through Gods helpe be answereable to thy diligence but the malice of mē misconstrue thy worke and misreport it so bring thee into danger and trouble as Amaziah the wicked Priest of Bethel misreported the godly seruice of the Prophet Amos and accused him to the King saying Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel The land is not able to beare all his words So seeking betray his life into the handes of cruelty vnder shewes of iustice Then the casting of our burden vpon God is first in his name to protest ou◅ innocencie and that we haue done our dutie with an honest heart as God commaunded vs. So did Amos after Amaziah had accused him saying for himselfe The Lord tooke me as I followed the stocke
Chapter we shall finde it to be not any particular transgression of any or of all the precepts of the law but a wil-full opposition of our heart against as I may call it the body of religion first rightly vnderstoode and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God and vpon no other cause but out of meere enuie The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and saw his miracles and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid that Messias that was promised they knew his doctrine to be holy and heauenly and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God Yet because the people honoured him and vpon the sight of his miracle when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell and was both blind and dumbe because they then cryed out saying Is not this that sonne of Dauid They therefore out of enuy and mallice without any other cause gaue it out concerning him saying He casteth out Diuels no otherwise but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wicked man risen vp out of Hell set vp by the Prince of diuels and assisted with his power to publish the doctrine of diuels and to vphold his kingdome so slaundering the person of Christ the workes of Christ and the doctrine of Christ all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God they had not beene guilty of that great sinne As the Lord said vnto them If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wiâ—…full mallice But they knew his person to be sent of God his workes to be done by the finger of God and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God The Lord himselfe said vnto them Yee both know me and know whence I am Yet did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt And they ceased not this course of slandering his person of disgracing his workes and obscuring the truth of his doctrine laying wait also for his life for God giueth not repentance for this sinne till they had bought him with money of the traytor iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses extorted with their clamours his condemnation from an vnwilling Iudge pronouncing him iust whom he condemned for their pleasure added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could and after his resurrection corrupted the souldiers with money so causing it to be by them divulged that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue and that he did not rise againe from the dead by that course labouring out of enuy to suppresse the Gospell and doctrine of Iesus Christ which yet they knew by the illumination of the holy Ghost to be the very truth of God This malitious opposition of theirs against religion knowne to be the religion of God was their vnpardonable sinne It was not their vncharitabe proceeding against an innocent man their hiering of a seruant to betray his master their suborning of false witnesses against a iust person their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their liking though vniust nor the hyâ—…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the credulious multitude nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life Though all these were grieuous sinnes for many were pardoned both of the people and of their gouerners that had their handes in all this iniustice though they had not so deepe a reaâ—… so enuious a purpose of ouerthrowing by his ouerthrow the religion which they knew to be of God as most of the Priestes and Pharises had many I say were pardoned that had their handes in the iniustice done to our sauiour for he praied for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe and that praier of his could not be in vaine But in the cunning fellowes both among the people and their goueruors that knew him and whence he was and how he wrought and what he taught and that all was of God this was their vupardonable sin that they vsed al that falshood corruption and cruelty both during his life and in his death only to this end to hinder the course of his doctrine as they say plainely in their councell If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him When they knew that doctrine taught by him wherein they would not haue the people to beleeue to be the very truth of God This is the vnpardonable sinne called blasphemie against the Holy Gost because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God which was made knowen vnto them so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost called the spirit of truth because it leadeth into all truth This sinne is a common sinne of diuels that know God and maliciously seeke his dishonor that know the groundes of true and holy religion and enuiously seeke to depraâ—…e them to corrupt them and if they could to abolish them out of the world desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men This sin is sometime but rarely found amongst men and in examination thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne and therefore not to be vnpardonable which is a great ground of hope to build vpon First the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusation of an euill and hypocriticall heart cannot be this sinne that being naturally the estate of all men that come into the world they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things But no man can be borne guilty of blasphemy against the holy-ghost because no man is in his birth enlightned with the knowledge of true religion which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins that were committed in the days of ignorance it cannot be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne must first haue a full cleere knowledge of true religion with perswasion that it is the trueth But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge And hee is far enough from this sinne Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge but out of weakenesse either surprised with a sudden temptation or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation for when these men are at libertie to consider what they haue done they haue no pleasure in it But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary wilfull and malicious opposition against the knowne truth out of their enuy not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement nor all the breaches of all the
cheerefull seruice of them that are about thee vse thy bed thy clothes thy meate prepared for thy ease thy couering thy nourishment vse all the creatures of God in their kinds and praise God that thou maiest haue them S. Paul saith Euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier It ought not saith he to be refused it ought to be receiued with giuing of thankes And if we vse praier vnto God that it will please him to blesse vnto vs his owne gift which the word of God alloweth vs to vse he will sanctifie it for our good For God that giueth these things is good the things themselues that God doth giue are good therefore the effect of them being Christianly vsed cannot but bee good Continue the opinion of thine owne vnworthinesse but reiect thy vnwise purpose of refusing to vse Gods creatures for thine vnworthinesse CHAP. XXX OVR poore distressed sinner reclaymed from the conrses that in his last obiections hee remembred the first being a quicke violent and apparent purpose of ending his owne life the second being a slow dangerous and close purpose of wasting his life is not yet so freed from the troubled thoughts of death that he can with a quiet hope of life looke to the God of life and thus further out of remayning feare obiecteth to the disquieting of his owne heart though I may not hurt my life with violent hands as first I thought to doe and must nourish my life with seruiceable hands which in the second place I thought not to haue done yet my life must come 'to an end by the condition that all Adams children are subiect vnto God said to Adam in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne This was the condition of the first man this is the condition of all men and among all it is also my condition I must die if I cherish life neuer so carefully And this remembrance of death considering my present woefull estate is fearefull vnto mee two manner of waies First I feare lest death should take mee away before I be deliuered from this temptation as it may well doe for I may die to day or to morrow yea I may die presently And if I should so hastily die while this feare directly contrary to faith lieth yet vpon my conscience I should die in my infidelity I should die without faith in Christ and so to die without faith in the sonne of God is the high-way to eternall damnation for the Lord Iesus saith he that beleeueth not is condemned already because he beleeueth not in the name of the only begotten sonne of God Secondly if there should be any ceasing and intermission of these accusing thoughts before my death yet I feare death because after death this accusation may bee renewed and the precedent ceasing proue no doing away for euer but onely a deferring for a time of this plague And I haue cause to feare such a thing because the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is the time after death when men must come to iudgement as the Apostle saith it is appointed vnto men that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement After death the soule commeth to iudgement the book of conscience must then be opened and accusations then or neuer must be heard and if these accusations now be so grieuous vnto mee now while iudgement is far off while there is place for repentance and hope of forgiuenesse surely they will then be much more fearefull woefull miserable horrible therefore the remembrance of death come it sooner or come it later come it before or after the stay of this temptation is fearfull vnto me This obiection is not hard to bee answered thou fearest death two manner of waies First lest it come before thou haue ouercome this temptation and recouered peace with God by faith in our Lord Iesus And thou fearest this hasty comming of death for two causes one is because it is possible that it may so come for we may and must if God cal die presently another because it is dangerous so to die thou takest thy temptation to bee directly opposit to faith therefore if thou die before it bee ouercome thou diest without faith and to die without faith is sure damnation Thus thou fearest deathes hasty comming and to thy feare of death this way growing we will first make answer Against thy feare of death comming before thy temptation be ouercome God giueth comfortable hope that death shall not come before thy temptation be ouercome And it comes not at all but by the appointment of God neither sooner nor later then he appointed it For hee sent vs with life into the world he hath appointed the length of our life in the world and the time and manner of our dying and departing out of the world lieth onely in his pleasure of whom the Prophet saith To the Lord God belongeth the issues of death The set time for the produceing of all his appointed workes resteth in his owne counsell when the Apostles questioned the Lord Christ after his resurrection for the restoring of the kingdome to Israel he made them answer It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And if the time of all his workes be put and placed only in his power then the time of thy death which is one of this workes is put only in his power But his God that hath the sole disposing of thy death hath as I said giuen thee comfortable hope that death shall not come before this thy temptation be ouercome For this we haue his gracious promise deliuered by the pen of the blessed Apostle Paul saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will giue the issue with the temtation that ye may be able to beare it Here he promiseth an issue of euery temptation and also that the man burdened there with shal be able to beare it and ouercome it And hitherto though this temptation hath beene grieuous vnto thee and in bearing of it thou hast felt and found thine owne weaknesse yet God hath supported thee and thou hast beene inabled to indure weary daies and comfortlesse nights And in the meane time while this temptation hath lasted for thy further strengthening thou hast inioyed many mercies of God both in thy soule and body and estate and friends for hee hath not smitten thy soule with the stroke that fell vpon Nebuchadnezzar thou hast had and stil hast thine vnderstanding free to inquire after God and harken after his mercy and he hath not smitten thy body with the bile of Aegypt
but thou hast beene able in body to stand vnder thy burden and to performe many good seruices in thy calling and he hath not smitten thee in thy children friends and goods with the rod of patient Iob but thy estate remaineth safe thy friends are cheerefull about thee such mercies of God haue accompained thy affliction and ministred comfort vnto thee in the time of it And in these things one part of that promise deliuered in Gods name by the Apostle hath beene performed vnto thee God will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able He himselfe that sent the temptation gaue thee strength to beare the temptation and vnto this day thou bearest it though not without griefe yet not without hope Why then shouldest not thou withall cheerefulnes hope and pray that God would performe vnto thee graciously the other part of that promise but will giue the issue with the temptation c Doth not the Apostle when he giues vs that promise in Gods name vse a preface to perswade our hearts to hope for it and pray for it commending God in whose name hee giues it by the title of faithfull saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that yee be able Hope then in that faithfull God pray vnto that faithful God who hath already approued his faithfulnesse in performing vnto thee theone part of his promise and as he is true and faithful he will hauing freely bound himselfe performe his whole promise and giue an issue of thy temptation and thou shalt liue to ouercome it And heere I will acquaint thee with an holy rule which God obserueth in the temptations of his seruants which rule offereth hope of deliuerance from thy greeuous temptation before death The rule is found in Deuteronomie where Moses speaking to the people of Israel and remembring their wearie wandring through a roaring and terrible wildernesse and the many heauie accidents that in that wildernesse came vnto them saith that God led them that way to humble them and to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end Gods meaning was after a hard beginning to bring them to a comfortable end when they were first humbled and prooued And very meete it is that Gods seruants should bee humbled and it is right in God to prooue his servants whether they loue the Lord with all their heart and will indure with patience his good pleasure and whether they will cleaue vnto him in danger and put their trust in his mercies and this proofe is best made by crosses and troubles for this cause doth God send troubles to his seruāts whom he loueth but alwayes with a reseruation in his good purpose to do them good in the latter end Apply this vnto thy selfe It was fit that thou shouldest be humbled to acknowledge thy selfe before God to be dust and ashes and laden with iniquitie to humble thee in this sort God hath sent this crosse doe thou therefore humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that hee may exalt thee in due time It was fit that thou shouldest be prooued that thou mightest see thine owne strength to bee but rotten◅es and dust and that thou mightest shew thy loue thy patience thy faith in God that it might appeare whether God or thine owne case were dearer vnto thee and whether thou wilt glorifie him in aduersitie as thou ma◅ kest shew to doe in dayes of peace and prosperitie and thus to prooue thee he hath sent this temptation therefore now shew thy selfe a man shew thy selfe a Christian shrinke not from God murmure not at his visitation suffer with patience and pray in faith and be constant vnto the end And hee that hath brought thee into this temptation as it were into a roaring wildernesse to humble thee and to prooue thee will surely doe thee good in the latter end Surely this rule offereth vnto thee comfortable assurance that before the end of thy dayes thou shalt see an end of thy temptation and such an end as shall bring thee more ioy then thy affliction doth now breed thee griefe But say that death do take thee away before thou hast ouercome this temptation and thou fearest it may doe so grounding thy feare vpon two reasons one is the possibilitie of it thou maiest die presently the other is the danger of it thou thinkest that then thou shalt die in infidelitie and without faith if this danger were not the possibilitie of dying and death it selfe whensoeuer comming could bee no iust ground of thy feare for the Patriarks and Prophets yea Christ himselfe the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles died and all the Saints of God die And it can not bee hurtfull to any that is so common to all except there be some speciall danger annexed to it that makes it hurtfull to one that is not hurtfull to an other This danger thou saiest is thine infidelitie And thine infidelitie and want of faith thou proouest by the qualitie of thy temptation which thou takest to be directly opposite to faith and the banisher of all faith If therefore it shall appeare that though thou die before thou hast ouercome this temptation to thy liking yet thou wātest not faith in Christ euen faith vnto saluation then there is no cause of feare Indeede this temptation argueth a roote of infidelity to remaine in thee for seeing the Lord Iesus hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and in bearing them hath taken them away and hath washed and cleansed vs in his bloud and seeing God the father of our lord Iesus Christ receiuing satisfaction in the sacrifice of his Sonne hath by an irreuocable word promised to forgiue our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and these things both concerning the meritorious sacrifice of Christ and concerning the faithful promise of God are knowne and haue been made knowne vnto thee Surely this temptation of accusing thoughts would long since haue receiued an answere if there had not beene some roote of infidelitie remaining in thee to giue continuall nourishment vnto it But because there is some infidelitie in thee doth it therefore follow that there is no faith That is not so there may be both together either in his measure and degree Doth not Saint Paul tell vs that in himselfe at the same time there was one power which he calleth the Lawe of his minde leading him to God and to the loue of his lawe and an other power which hee calleth the lawe of his members leading him from God and leading him to sinne his words are I delight in the law of God concerning the innerman but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members Can anie things bee more opposite one to an other then these two lawes of the mind and of the members either striuing to draw
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer