Saints ought to abound in fernent loue to the diuine Maiestie in regard both of those infinite excellencies which are in his holy nature and the innumerable demonstrations thereof as also of those great and many benefits which they themselues doe receiue from him This loue cannot be separated from an earnest desire that he may be honored serued obeyed and in word and deed acknowledged and respected according to his owne worth and greatnesse and the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies Now there is such a naturall sympathy betwixt the affections of mans heart and they are so mutually subordinated each to other in their workings as it is not possible but that loue to any person and desire that he should be well dealt withall must needs rayse vp griefe and sorrow vpon the beholding of the quite contrarie For loue must needs beget hatred and abhorring of those things that tend to thy hurt and dishonour of the partie loued because he that loueth cannot choose but esteeme and account them euill yea and very euill and if that thing bee present with any man which he hateth and reputeth euill it must of necessitie stirre vp in him a measure of sorrow proportionable to his hatred Wherefore this griefe must beare witnesse to the truth of that loue which we say wee beare vnto the liuing God and must iustifie all those protestations which wee are ready to make of hauing abundant good will vnto him For it is in vaine to say we loue if we bring not forth the effects of loue It is but painted and imaginarie fire which yeeldeth forth neither heate nor light so it is but tongue-tongue-loue and lip-affection which is good for nothing but to beguile our selues and make vs better conceited of our selues then there is cause that produceth not the true and proper fruites of loue Furthermore wee doe know and confesse Loue to men that our loue to God must alwayes bee ioyned with the loue of our brethren euen of all that are made of the same flesh with our selues I meane our hearts must bee settled in a liking of them and desire of their welfare as of Gods creatures to whom he hath pleased to vnite vs in many bonds For though the Lord doe allow yea and command vs to hate the workers of iniquitie as they well deserue because they commit hate-worthy actions yet this hatred must not be any habituall inclination or motion of the will to their hurt but alone a stirring vp of the affection of dislike against them or not brooking them in regard of the euill which they commit which may well stand and must euer be ioyned with the vertue of Christian charitie whereby out of a liking of them as Gods creatures we are alwayes prompt and ready to wish and seeke their good Now if we do thus loue them must it not needs grieue vs to see that which we know to be harmefull and mischieuous to them Loue cannot choose but breed a fellow-feeling compassion a sympathizing commiseration and sensiblenesse of the losse euill damage miserie of the partie loued Wherefore sinne being as in the next reason we are to shew a most dangerous and hurtful thing to the soules of them that commit it it cannot but call for our sorrow yea much sorrow and many teares whensoeuer we behold it Againe Loathing of sin euery Christian man should haue his heart possessed with a loathing detestation and hatred of sinne that being indeed the first and principal and most immediate obiect of hatred we may call it the chiefe odious thing in regard of which alone it is lawful to hate other things neither is any thing further hatefull then as it doth some way or other participate of sinne misery being alone hatefull so farre as it is an effect and concomitant of sinne from which if it be separated as in the case of suffering for wel-doing it is euen louely and desireable but whatsoeuer doth sauour of sinne in as much as it is sinfull is hatefull also and therefore the Word of God commands vs to be haters of euill And if a man doe neuer so much forbeare sinne out of other considerations of the inconueniences that insue it not out of a loathing of it in as much as it is a contrariety to the will and glory of God the chiefe good for indeed sinne alone is properly contrarie to God as hauing no manner of dependance vpon him nor similitude of him nor any other relation to him but alone as contraries be relatiues and as crimes haue reference to the Iudge that is to punish them I say if in this respect of loathing sinne as sinne wee forbeare it not our forbearance of it is not a thing formally good it is not truly nor sincerely good but alone good inshew a practice of hypocrisie a carcasse or painting of goodnesse It being then a thing so absolutely needfull to hate sinne as that wee cannot say we haue Gods Image vnlesse we resemble him in this for hee hateth sinne with a perfect hatred it is therfore also necessarie that we grieue for sinne for the presence of a thing lothsome and detested cannot be separated from griefe griefe being nothing else but a contraction and paining of the heart at an euill thing present and that must needs bee confessed euill which is accounted hatefull So then we shall falsely affirme that we hate euill if we sorrow not to see it committed There are some things which in nature a man abhorreth and cannot away withall as some cannot endure a Cat some a Mouse some a Frog or the like now when such a loathed thing doth of force and whether he will or no draw neere to any person experience will tell vs how grieuous it is vnto him hee cryes and shreekes and starts and shewes an extremitie of the passion of sorrow and if he cannot flie from it his whole body will weepe as it were in a kind of cold sweat as if the weeping of the eye were too little So if sinne be amongst the number of things that we cannot away withall that we do loath detest and haue in abomination we shall surely testifie our abhorring it by a sadnes heauines deiectednesse contraction contrition troublednesse falling melting and mourning of our spirits when wee cannot choose but see it committed for betwixt grace and sinne there is as true an antypathy as betwixt a mans nature and a toade And therefore so much grace I meane sanctifying Grace as we haue in vs so much sorrow must we needs haue for sinne So haue you the first reason of the point consider the second which wee fetch from the nature of sinne CHAP. III. Containing another reason of the doctrine gathered from the nature of sinne Reas 2 SInne is of all things in the World the most and greatest euill From the nature of sinne which separating the person in whom it ruleth from the Sea and Fountaine of goodnesse We may call it after a sort the
the things done nor vpon our owne worth or strength in doing but vpon the Spirit of God and his blessing for successe We must looke vp vnto God for the fruit of all his ordinances and of our labours promising our selues good speed but from God not from our selues In his strength we must be strong performing all the things that hee commandeth in obedience but still acknowledging that without him we can doe nothing The Lords souldiers must make mention of the name of the Lord their God and say Through him we shall doe valiantiy and he will tread downe our enemies vnder our feete Our feete must tread them downe but God must tread them downe with and vnder our feete Therefore the Apostle Ephes 6.10 before he sets downe any part of the Christian Armor begins his directions and makes entrance thus Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might We must be strong but not in our owne strength we must be powerfull but not in the power of our owne might Rom. 8.11 He that raysed vp Christ from the dead must quicken our mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in vs saith the Apostle This is the most important consideration of all the rest in the point of our spirituall warre to know whence our successe and strength to get successe and all must come that so we may bee full of assurance to preuaile not through the sufficiency that is in vs or the excellencie and prayse-ablenesse of our endeuours but through him that inableth vs. It must bee a power by meere and free Grace created in vs continued in vs renewed in vs by which wee must oppose our selues to these deadly enemies of our saluation Let the Christian bee as full of hope yea assurance as is possible but let him build his hope and assurance without himselfe euen vpon the meere fauour and goodnesse of God that hath promised to fight for vs. The vse of spirituall meanes thus spiritually is the mortifying of the deeds of the body by the Spirit And thus we may say to our selues assuredly as Dauid to that Philistian Champion 1 Sam. 17.45 46 47. I come against thee in the name of the Lord God of Israel and we shal preuaile against you for God will giue you into our hands Thus I haue informed you of the most pertinent things that you ought to know for your better helpe in the worke of mortification the degrees of it the meanes of it and the manner of doing it Now I will make some vse of all and so conclude CHAP. XI Containing the first vse of the point for examination of our selues in regard of the time past how we haue performed this dutie Vse 1 FIrst then To examine our selues whether we haue moritified sinne yea or no. I must make bold to require euery one of you to examine himselfe whether hee hath thus fought against the lusts of his flesh to crucifie them yea or no The Lord hath sounded the Trumpet to battaile and as a Generall hath giuen the signall haue you prepared your selues and been forward to fight like good and valiant souldiers or haue you not When such a point as this concerning our dutie is taught we can neuer apply it with fruit vnto our selues vnlesse wee begin thus to search and inquire into our selues how we haue performed our dutie No sound humiliation no true comfort will arise to the soule from hearing the Word of God vnlesse we consider our owne wayes and rightly informe our selues of our carriage in what sort we haue practised that that God hath enioyned vs. This dutie you see is plainely inioyned many soun reasons doe confirme it many euident texts doe bind our consciences vnto it Gods will is manifest wee should therefore demand of our owne soules Haue I been obedient to these commandements or haue I not Haue I been carefull of doing Gods will or haue I not 2. Many men remaine ignorant of their owne estates and liue in the continual neglect of good duties and yet perceiue not their owne faultinesse because they neuer take paines to look vnto their wayes and to doe that that Dauid saith would clense their wayes euen to take heed vnto them according to the Word of God There be a number which please themselues in a good opinion of themselues and take it for granted that they be good Christians when indeed they are nothing lesse then that for which they doe account themselues and the cause of this mistaking is ignorance and heedlesnesse either they know not what is the dutie of a good Christian or they neuer aske of themselues how they haue discharged that dutie We haue done our best to helpe you against ignorance in this matter and to make you see plainely what you should doe We are now to perswade you to help your selues against carelesnesse by trying your selues at the true touchstone that you may rightly discerne of your owne estates and not bee guilty of negligent omission without knowing it I pray you Brethren what shall it profit your selues to call your selues after the name of Christ if you haue no good assurance that that honourable Name doth of right appertaine vnto you It is easie to clothe ones selfe with the outward habit of true religion and to put on the garments of externall profession of piery but all these must be pulled from vs at last we must be stripped of formes and shew and found to be such as we are indeed and not such as wee haue barely appeared If thou haue carried the name and face of a souldier of Chrit Iesus and yet haue not fought for him according to the militarie oath and Sacrament wherein thou hast tyed thy selfe vnto him he will giue thee no prayse nor no wages for hauing abused his name and his colours and made a faire shew to no purpose 3. Wel then Brethren it is altogether needful as to doe so to know whether wee haue done the part of good souldiers and this wee cannot know aright vnlesse wee doe well consider of our selues The soule of man if farre in loue with it selfe and will soone iustifie it selfe without cause and beguile it selfe with vaine words saying I haue not sinned when he hath sinned and I haue done my dutie when I haue not Saul boasted 1 Sam. 15. that he had gone the way which God had sent him to and done the work which God had set him about and would not be conuinced by the bleating of those Sheepe and lowing of those Oxen that should haue been past bleating and past lowing if hee had done according to his sayings yet hee did but coozen himselfe with a verie false conceite Many a man spareth his lusts and corruptions and they bleate and low in the eares of all men and yet themselues will not heare them so as to bee driuen from a fond conceite of themselues that they bee mortified men indeed We see how easie
of his grace resting abundantly assured of his loue and satisfied in it and finding him euer and anon sending messages of kindnesse vnto our soules as a Generall that comes amongst his souldiers when they fight valiantly and hartens them vp with his presence and his speech but if the Lord find vs dealing falsely and treacherously with him entring parley as it were with that Enemie that he doth irreconcileably hate and detest and ready to make a truce with that foe with whom hee would haue no truce taken no not for a moment then doth he cease to speake friendly vnto vs as there is great cause and begins euen to chide and reproue and threaten and send vs tidings of great displeasure And ah what soule can conceiue a more grieuous losse in this world then the losse of the light of his countenance 6. Committing of grosse sinnes But sometimes there followes a farre greater mischiefe namely that he which gaue sinne leaue to get head through carelesnesse is at last so foyled by the wicked lusts of his heart that he falles to commit some grosse and grieuous sinnes very foule very loathsome very disgracefull For you must not thinke that the man regenerate is out of the danger of being ouertaken with hainous offences Indeed whilest hee is earnest in beating downe his vnruly passions though he find trouble yet he enioyes safetie and though his lusts struggle and annoy him yet they cannot breake forth in extremitie but if he once become heedlesse and thinke it too much to be at the paines of continually mortifying them then they raise vp themselues and carrie him captiue and cause him to giue his members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse preuailing so farre at length that if God himselfe did not out of his vnchangeable loue come in to his rescue he would be brought backe againe into Egypt as it were his soule would be quite slaine the life of Grace would bee quite extinguished and hee would returne the second time to bee dead in sinnes And ah what wise man would suffer his sinnes to become so violent as to carrie him into such enormous deeds as Dauid and Salomon and Asa and Vzziah fell into and all for want of mortifying these members A man once sanctified may assure himselfe vpon his faithfull and constant endeauours in mortification that he shall escape such foules but if he grow slacke in this dutie he can expect nothing but to haue his conscience thus wounded Is it not more then needfull for vs to looke to our selues 7. For lastly Sore afflictions to the preuenting of farre greater euils our not-sufficiently mortified lusts will bring vpon vs exceeding sore afflictions because the goodnesse of God is such that he wil not see vs perish by them as we should perish if he did not apply such corosiues to cure them If afflictions come not betwixt neglect of the dutie of mortification will produce the euill effect I last named viz. the perpetrating of some vile and notorious wickednesse sometimes the Lord makes haste to strike vs for the preuenting of such falles but if we be once falne then is there no way of recouerie but by some bitter crosse either inward or outward or most times both wayes So we doe inforce the Lord of necessitie to afflict vs vnlesse we would haue him lose vs quite when we waxe carelesse of seeking to preuaile more and more against sinne A crazie bodie hauing disordered himselfe in diet must needs haue very sicke fits and some sicke-making physicke he must needs take or else death would follow his intemperancie So our weake and crazie soules being brought to strange distempers by our folly in not resisting the sinfull and inordinate dispositions of our soules could neuer be brought again to any tolerable soundnesse if God did not by heauie calamities helpe to purge out those euill humours which we had suffered to pester vp our soules as we may see in Dauid and Asa after their sinnes And certainly the farre greater number of crosses which befall the people of God doe come from hence that their heauenly Father is faine vnlesse hee would see them damned which he will neuer doe by miserie to keepe downe lusts which they might but will not without misery keepe downe by the careful exercise of mortification and to draw them to repentance for those loathsome sinnes which for lacke of mortifying their earthly members they haue falne into and would neuer repent of otherwise so that if we will not bee content to put our selues to the labour of working out our saluation by crucifying the flesh God will put vs to the paines of bearing heauie crosses that shall helpe to crucifie them in a manner whether we will or no. And doe we not see a necessitie of mortification CHAP. III. Shewing the profit of the dutie NOw because necessitie going alone 2. From the good will follow if we doeit doth drag rather then leade and so as an hard and rigorous commander is obeyed indeed but backwardly and against the haire therefore let vs discourse a little of the fruit that will arise from our labour in the worke of Mortification that seeing profit as well as need the difficultie may not hinder vs from doing it euen with chearefulnesse Now the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh will ring with it foure exceeding great and desireable benefits 2. The first is Great peace vnspeakeable peace and quietnesse of soule The heart will be at one with God it selfe and all men so long as it holdeth variance with sinne Hee that is at warre with his lusts shall not be at warre with his Maker If we fight his battailes against our corruptions he will not fight against vs. Nothing causeth the God of Heauen to frowne vpon man but sinne while the World was free from sinne it was also free from all tokens of Gods displeasure therefore it must needs follow that the surest way to keepe our selues in euen termes with God is to be diligent in resisting sinne He is not of so ill a nature as to picke quarrels against vs without a cause himselfe tels vs that he corrects not willingly Lament 3.33 nor of his own accord Sin then being the sole cause of mouing him against vs wee shall bee sure to find him so farre louing towards vs as wee are carefull to preserue our selues from sinning against him which is best and most attained by the studie of mortification so all will bee well aboue our heads in Heauen if we follow Pauls direction Now the conscience is Gods officer and deputie and that that will make him gentle and quiet to vs will make it also quiet and gentle The conscience neuer should and seldome doth rise vp in armes against a man but when he hath giuen leaue to some corruption to grow head-strong for want of opposing it in due season and order As there is no distempered motion in the body till the humours be immoderately stirred by
helping hand to the dispatching of one that hath so many wayes deserued death Sinne is a thiefe for it robs God of his honour and glorie It is a traytor for it striues to thrust God from his regall authoritie and dominion A murtherer for it slew Christ Iesus our elder brother and seekes to slay our owne soules for these be the lusts that fight against our soules as Peter tels vs. What can bee more equall then that wee striue to destroy vtterly and to roote out and make a cleane riddance of so vile a thing as this 3. And for our selues doth not equitie require that a man should faithfully keepe all good and lawfull promises and couenants Now we haue couenanted with God in our Baptisme We haue vowed to forsake sinne to fight against the deuill and all sinfull lusts In that Sacrament we did bind our selues as by a solemne military oath to bee the souldiers of Iesus Christ and to fight vnder his Banner against the Deuill the World and the Flesh Shall we become foresworne periured persons as it were souldiers forsaking their Colors casting down their weapons and running away from their Captaine God forbid Doe we not often renew in the Lords Supper the Couenant wee made in Baptisme It is certainely one part of the dutie whereto we tie ourselues in that holy Sacrament to seeke the death of sinne in vs that procured the death of Christ for vs. Seeing we haue often reiterated our Couenant of God of fighting against these lusts let vs be ashamed to be found breakers of so many and so iust promises Seeing we haue taken Christs liuerie vpon vs and haue giuen our names to him to be souldiers in his Campe it is most fit and equall that we should be true and valiant souldiers manfully resisting his and our enemies the greatest and principallest of which wee know to bee these members vpon earth Let vs therefore arme our selues to this battell and make no peace with the things with which God will neuer bee at peace and abhorre to shew our selues either perfidious and false or timorous and faint-hearted souldiers 4. Last of all let vs consider what sinne is Sinne is an vnreasonable thing and we shall find it most righteous to subdue and destroy it Sinne is a most vile and absurd thing contrarie to all right and to all true reason alluring vs to it selfe with none but false vaine and counterfeit enticements nothing therefore can bee more equall then that a thing so most vnequall be resisted and striuen against with vtter dislike Sinne doth a man no good at all but much harme and mischiese it is like a disease good for nothing but to vexe and torment him in whom it breedeth It allureth vs with shews of profit pleasure credit ease and the like but it is a meere coozener and deceiuer and euermore beguileth vs in the end and we shall vtterly misse of our hopes if we trust to its offers and follow its allurements It will bring vs losse in stead of profit euen the losse of an heauenly Kingdome It will reward vs with torment in stead of pleasure euen with the torment of eternall fire It will requite vs with shame in stead of credit euen with euerlasting reproach and confusion in stead of ease it will procure anguish for tribulation and anguish shall for euer lye vpon the soule of euerie one that worketh wickednesse vpon the Iew first and also vpon the Gentile Can any thing bee thought more equall then that so egregious a coozener so errand a lyer so false a companion that is made all of lyes guile fraud and imposture should bee euen apprehended and hanged vp out of the way as we vse to speake that it may beguile vs no longer CHAP. V. Shewing the certaintie of good successe in fighting against our lusts BVt let vs hasten to an end Fourthly from the certaintie of good successe and consider in the last place what successe we shall bee sure to meete with in this fight if wee arme our selues with a constant resolution to continue fighting and neuer for any feare or any cause to giue ouer We shall lose nothing by mortifying the flesh First we shall lose nothing at all that is worth hauing A man may enioy all lawfull conents profits and pleasures and whatsoeuer is truly needfull to the comfort and welfare of his body mind and state though he follow Gods direction and mortifie these members that are vpon the earth and nothing shall we get by following feeding and nourishing them but that which for the present is idle vaine needlesse superfluous and might better be spared then had and for the time to come also will prooue mischieuous and banefull A man may see well enough without that eye that Christ bids him pull out and cast from him he may well enough walke and liue and performe all actions of life for his benefit without that foote and hand which our Lord doth bid vs to cut off and fling from vs. If it seeme to bring blindnesse lamenesse and maimednesse it is but a conceited and imaginarie lamenesse blindnes and maimednesse that appeareth so to vs and is not as he that is borne a monster with sixe fingers might very well cut off one and yet still haue a perfect hand and better for vse then that that had such superfluitie of members Adam and Euah might haue filled their bellies in Paradise though they had neuer come neere to the tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill God had prouided them store of fruit to please their eye and taste and feed their bodies though they had vtterly forborne that forbidden fruit So doth the Lord allow to the sonnes of Adam sufficient store and varietie of lawfull and warrantable things to enioy so that wee may haue as much good as our soules can wish though we cast from vs all sinfull lusts and refuse to follow the inclinations of them The inordinate affections of our soule are like the vnnaturall desires of the stomake when it longeth for things that are sowre and naught and vnwholesome as it were for raw flesh vnripe fruite or things farre worse then these There is wholesome and necessary food enough in he world though a man should neuer eate dirt and coles as some haue longed after So wee can bee no losers by healing our selues of these diseases of the mind which carry vs after nothing that is worth the hauing if wee did measure things by a well-ordered iudgement 2. But moreouer God will accept our labor to mortifie sinne we shal be sure to find acceptance with God in this our endeauour of mortification though we come farre short of perfection so long as wee doe heartily and sincerely striue to perfection Hee that fights resolutely against sinne with spirituall weapons shall bee accounted a good souldier though he be wounded in the battell and knocked downe and taken prisoner and the Lord will redeeme and ransome him
hereafter He that hath begun the worke of mortification so farre as I told you before in speaking of the first degree of it that now those sinnes which once raigned in him are put downe from their regencie and those corruptions that once have was a slaue vnto are now deposed from their throne as it were and doe cease to command in his members as once they did hath much cause to reioyce in the saluation of GOD although hee find these lusts still striuing and labouring to recouer their ancient soueraigntie 2. It is certaine that the Spirit of GOD doth rule in him in whom sinne hath ceased to rule Euerie man is vnder the command of the flesh or of the Spirit euerie man is subiect to the Lord ruling in him by Grace or to the Deuill ruling in him by lust Satan is a verie strong man and our owne lusts are his weapons none can bind this man and cast him out but the Spirit of strength of which Saint Iohn saith Stronger is he that is in vs 1. Iohn 4.4 then hee that is in the world Wherefore if any man that was once vnder the yoke of wrath lust reuenge couetousnesse or any other vile affection doe find now that by feruent prayers to God by the power of the Word in holy meditations applied to him and by vertue of the death of Christ and other like spirituall meanes by him vsed the Lord hath pleased to pull this yoke from off his necke so as now in stead of taking delight in the euill motions of sinne hee is grieued in his soule when such thoughts doe stirre in his soule and ceaseth not to crie to Heauen till he find them beaten backe againe and doth not now yeeld vp himselfe to follow these things with greedinesse but is vsually able to forbeare the palpable practice of sinne and if hee be ouertaken in any grosse manner hee is greatly humbled and abased and recouers himselfe with speedie confession and lamentation and renewing of his resolutions If any man I say doe find the case to stand thus with him hee hath in some measure fought and preuailed and now blessed bee hee of the Lord let him looke vpon the dead bodies of his lusts with much comfort and let him triumph in God that hath conquered for him and let him encourage himselfe still to continue fighting that still his soule may increase in strength as the House of Dauid is said to haue done and his sinnes may grow weaker and weaker as it was said of the House of Saul 3. My Brethren this warre whereinto you are entred must last for terme of life The flesh and Spirit can neuer bee reconciled there is no thinking of any peace but that which will bee worse then dishonourable euen damnable and a sure warre is much rather to be chosen then an vnsure peace much more then a peace which will be surely mischieuous Now by how much the warre will prooue of longer continuance by so much had you need to put on more strength that you may endure and a great part of your strength must grow from your comforts in your good beginnings Wherfore now let euerie true mortified man according to the riddle that Samson once propounded to his companions fetch sweetnesse out of the strong and meate out of the eater let them find an Honie-combe in the carcasse of the Lyon which they haue slaine and goe eating let them I meane take great consolation in the sight of their happie proceedings in this heauenly worke 4. There bee some Worthies of Israel that haue lifted vp their speares against many hundreds as it were and left them all dead in the place the hearts of such doe nto much need to bee wished to take comfort The content they find in perceiuing the strength of sinne so much abated in them is vnspeakeable Dauid was no more full of ioy when hee saw Goliah come tumbling to the ground then are their soules when they looke vpon this slaughter that God hath inabled them to make among their lusts No man is able to set forth in words the ioy that growes to a man who is hard set to by a cruell enemie of whom hee lookes for nothing but death vnlesse hee preuent it by giuing death when hee sees him fall downe wounded and gasping for breath O with what a countenance and cheere did Iael runne to meete Barak and to bring him to the sight of dead Sisera Surely the content of a spirituall man in his spirituall victories when now his sinnes are euen breathing their last as I may so speake is no whit lesse yea it is much more solid then that of such a conquerour Those that haue happily passed the brunt of this battaile and haue their enemies in the flight rather then the conflict are and haue cause to bee the chearefullest of all men they bee like souldiers pursuing their foes with that ioyfull shoute of victorie victorie in their mouthes and they enioy the comfort of their former labour with much thankefulnesse 5. But there are other some that haue not yet attained so much strength nor gotten so much ground against their foes They are now as it were in the verie hottest of the skirmish the bullets flie about their eares as I may so speake and their corruptions are violent within them and doe often with great strength hale them and draw them captiue to the law of sinne which is in their members They do sometimes get the better and beate back euill desires and find themselues mightily resolued to sinne no more at other times euill desires doe mightily afflict them and they are well-neere readie to faint and fall scarce able to retaine their purpose of goodnesse scarcely able to hold out in their resolution of not sinning yea it may bee contrarie to their resolutions pulled by the flesh to do the euill that they hate but then feeling themselues wounded they smart and bleed and struggle with their foe and get vp againe and againe betake themselues to their weapons of prayer and meditation which were almost wrested out of their hands for a time and come crying and mourning before the Throne of Grace begging pardon begging helpe and so againe confirme their Faith and renew their repentance and make vp the breaches of their new obedience These poore Saints like souldiers whose enemies doe yet hold their owne and make strong resistance are often full of feare and care and doubt their hearts often droope and they mistrust sometimes lest they shall bee vanquished rather then ouercome Let mee therefore apply my speech to he encouragement of those that need encouragement I say vnto thee whosoeuer that art in this case that thy case is good and happy and that thou hast much cause of reioycing in God notwithstanding all the trouble and cumber that thou findest with thy sinnes It is a blessed thing and a great and vnspeakeable fauour of God that to what lusts thou didst once do seruice