105 The Bent of the heart in duty page 263. C. Comfort of the Spirit page 15. Contentment page 17. Clearenesse of conscience page 49 Care for conscience page 55. Content of conscience p. 67 68. Confession of sin page 88. Change of life page 89. Compassion due to the wounded in spirit page 121. Considerations to pity such p. 123. Continuance under wounds caused 6. waies p. 133. Clearing of warrants what p 173 Causes of Gods suspending his love page 177. D. Desperation two fold page 79. Degrees of wounding page 81. Differences in the wounding p 82 Detestation of sin page 89. Dresse the wound page 145. Danger by sinning page 168. Darkning of warrants page 175. Doubtings in their nature causes differences and sorts page 195. Difference betweene Christians and others in doing duties page 266. E. Enquire after sin page 87. Fruitlesse Endeavours page 280. F. Faith doth foure things to strengthen the spirit page 19. It doth foure waies relieve the soule page 23. Fearing of trouble twofold p. 28 29. Faintnesse page 31. A case about Fainting of spirit p. 33. Faith in operation page 54. Feeding of conscience what p. 64 Sin Felt three waies page 85. The Failing of conscience what page 97. To Feare the wounding of spirit page 126. Former feelings of love foure signes of it page 185. Foundations of divine love to the soule page 192 Faith and doubtings go together page 207. Faith to be cherished and advanced page â—27 Failings in duties page 260. G. A Good cause for suffering p 41. A Good carriage under suffering in seaven things page 45. The Goodnesse of spirit seene in seaven things page 48. Graces two waies considerable page 254. H. Humiliation an effect of the wound page 43. Hope page 44. Humility page 86. Harkning to Satan page 138. Humbling necessary for three things page 162. I Infirmity double p. 3. Selfe Iealousie p. 99. Illnesse of diet p. 136. K. Six rules for Keeping off wounds from the spirit p. 128 The Knowledge of the wound of the spirit necessary p. 114. L. Liberty of spirit p. 49. The Law and two things about it p. 94 95. The Life of sense p. 137 225. Three things about Love and duty p. 170. Love one for kind different in degree p. 184. Littlenesse of faith causeth doubts p. 206. Little grace apprehended p. 245. M. Meanes of making conscience good p. 51. The Misery of conscience in silence in three things p. 97. Mistaking about the wound of conscience p. 115. Melancholy is not this wound p. 117 118. Motives to pittie wounded spirits p. 124. Meanes to get off the wounds of spirit three p. 140. Misplacing of warrants p. 174. Motives and meanes against doubtings p. 216. N. New risings of old sins p. 102. Spirituall Nicenesse 137. O. Overlading of conscience what and how p. 63. Operation of melancholy p. 116. Opening of the wound needfull p. 142. P. Patience of the spirit p. 16. Prevention p. 69. Rules for Preserving the spirit from wounds p. 6 128. Provision p. 147. Promises the ground assuring love p. 185. Q. Quietnesse of conscience p. 48. A Question about the inequality of graces p. 256. R. Religion expressed under the crosse p. 43. The Remoovall of sin p. 64. Seven Reasons proving the burden of conscience insupportable p. 106. Releevements under the suspension of Gods love p. 159. For the Regaining of Gods love in sense foure things p. 167. Ten Releevements against doubtings p. 204. Ten Releevements under imperfection of graces p. 248. Five Releevements against failings in duties p. 261. Relapses afâ—er resolutions p. 286. Causes of Relapses nine p. 288. The misery of Relapses p. 296. The kindes of Relapses p. 301. S. A twofold Spirit p. 6. Conscience called a Spirit p. 8. Mans Spirit considered two waies Ibid. Strength of Spirit graduall p. 36. Sinking of Spirit double p. 37. Sleighting of crosses evill p. 39. Sins that are most wounding p. 92 A Seared spirit p. 114. Sense of love graduall p. 167. To Settle the soule in assurance of love p. 176. Sin to be subdued p. 231. T. Thankefullnesse p. 43 125. Tendernesse of spirit p. 49. Tempting of conscience of what p. 58. To Taste divine wrath p. 96. Testimony of Satan put by two waies p. 219. Thoughts 1. In their sorts p 319. 2. In their trouble 3. In their triall 4. In their cure V. Vprightnesse of conscience p. 48. Vse conscience p. 65. Conscience Vexed p. 58. Vnstedfastnesse in walking p. 163 Vnworthinesse p. â—34 W. Weakenesse of spirit p. 28. Wound of spirit p. 73. Want of good p. 103. Willing of cure p. 141. Wash the wound p. 143. Gods Wages p. 281. Waiting must be added to doing page 283. FINIS A Post-Script to the Reader THou hast a promise of Cases in the Epistle unto thee I had no sooner made it but it was called for by desiring and needing Christians time and leasure also serving it is brought forth as fitly agreeing with the subject handled and deemed by men more judicious then my selfe very comforting and setling unto perplexed soules I. S. Errata Page 116. for are the next instruments reade or Page 323. for formerly reade formally
want of all grace and thus the godly faint not 2. Another arising from the weaknesse of grace by the opposition of temptation and corruption And thus the godly may faint in part but they shall come to a recovery of themselves againe it is with the godly in their sinkings under afflictions as with a man that is skilfull to swimme at the first when hee is cast into the water he is over head and eares and the whole body is covered but by and by hee riseth up againe and swimmes upon the water commanding the water under him whereas it is with a meere naturall and carnall man in his sinkings under afflictions as it is with a stone cast into the deepe there is a great noise made but he sinketh lower and lower and never riseth up againe Vse 2 To examine the strength and sufficiency of our spirits to our enabling under the crosses wee suffer tell me not so much of the greatnesse and grievousnesse of your crosses which you are quick enough to doe but answer me what is the spirit within you and how doth it serve and helpe you can it and doth it sustaine you rightly bearing the burden for you I yeeld 1 That some mens spirits can do sleight crosses and seemingly they make nothing of them but with the Leviathan they laugh at the shaking of the speare but this is an argument of an evill and naughty spirit not to be sensible of Gods hand and rod. 2 That men carnall and formall to outward seeming are marveilous hardie in temper and stout in spirit and have without flinching or fainting passed thorough many afflictions and endured extreame torments when alas they have brawned themselves or a spirit of slumbering and benummednesse is cast upon them and for some selfe aimes they have onely restrained passion in the meane time they doe remaine destitute of all positive joy peace and confidence and want the assurance of the goodnesse of their spirits in bearing the crosse befalling them Quest How may a man know that by a sound and good spirit he beareth the crosse and calamity which God layeth upon him Three signes of a sound spirit upholding man under the crosse Answ By these Signes 1. When the cause of suffering is good a good spirit cannot beare up in an ill cause when a man suffers as a murderer â— A good cause or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters as it is written 1 Pet. 4. 15. Now conscience cannot uphold but when a man suffers as a Christian and is reproached for the name of Christ conscience can and doth uphold as you may reade in the 14. and 16. verses of the same Chapter we see the stoutnesse of the Apostles enduring the lash and the prison was grounded on this that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Acts 5. 41. 2. When the carriage under 2. A good carriage the crosse is becomming a good spirit which carrieth a man under Six waies of the spirits carrying a man under the crosse the crosse 1. With silence stopping inward frettings and outward murmurings against the Lord making a man to say yet my soule be silent unto the Lord it layeth the mouth in the dust and dares not open the mouth against the Lord to charge him foolishly 1 Sam. 3. 28 29. Psal 39. 9. 62. 5. 2. With submission and subjection the soule is low and very humble poore and exceeding empty the man is cast downe under Gods hand and will saying it is the Lord let him doe as it seemeth good unto him 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2. Sam. 15. 25. 3. With thankefullnesse the man can kisse the rod and blesse the rod and say with Iob the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord Iob 1. 21 22. 4. With religion making God as lovely and good and worthy to be praised prayed unto under calamity as at any other time of prosperity a man under the power of a sound spirit doth loose much of his sinne nothing of his godlinesse I dare say he is more quick and hearty in his devotion then at other times the soule doth now settle it selfe upon spirituall imployment and is taken up with God Is any man afflicted let him pray Iames 5. 13. 5. With humiliation now a man shall finde the guilts of his sinne and doth consider the deserts of his sins he can and doth weepe more for the sinfullnesse of sinne then for all the evills he doth sustaine and endure he well knoweth that man suffereth for his sinne and that sinne deserveth more evill then God inflicts upon his children and that the evill of sinne being the greatest of evills can never be sufficiently bewailed 6. With hope waiting upon Gods time and pleasure for deliverance out of trouble expecting that great good shall happily befall him in and by all the troubles which he endureth he considers that as the Bee hath his sting so hee hath his honey and crosses have their comforts in the latter end as well as bitternesse in the beginning Note I say such men doe put themselves into the covenant and promise and will keep themselves there they doe see the Covenant going along with them in their trialls and troubles and doe beleeve that a little assured good is above a great deale of sensible evill and this is the moderation of their spirit in and under the rod. 3. When their comming out 3. A good issue of trouble is glorious and gratious a sound spirit doth beare afflictions with power unto profit and carrieth all painefull evills with soveraigne good unto it selfe so that when a Christian is at the end of his trouble and tossings he shall set downe with great cost and recompence having the great fruit of his patience even blessed is he that endureth and the Spirit of God and glory shall rest upon him he shall say with David before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Psal 119. 67. And it is good for me that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes verse 71. Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. if we can finde any good by afflictions that our proud hearts are humbled that our corruptions are weakned and wasted that our graces are quickned and enlarged and that we are in any degree made more holy and heavenly this is an argument unto us that we have borne all our afflictions by the strength of a sound spirit Vse 3 Labour that there may bee found within you a good and a sound spirit to beare you up under your troubles we know not to what times of tryall God hath reserved us wee may meete with the crosse and calamity may be our portion wee know not how soone and then strength to beare will doe well but know that there is nothing
Shut carnall security out of doores 2. Avoide all occasions of sinning play not upon the hole of the Aspe and come not neare the den of the Cockatrice 3. Wisely withstand temptations unto all sin and wickednesse 4. Keep close to the rule in a holy and religious practise 5. Give contentment unto conscience in nothing willingly offend or displease it this is the wages that is due unto it for sustaining our infirmity we are not to displease such a friend that beareth all our costs and charges and taketh upon him the burden of all our cares and doth not conscience much more for us Learne then 1. To give God The contenting of conscience stands in 2. things content in the pleasing of God you greatly content conscience the servant hath no reason to bee offended all the while his master is quieted 2. To promote conscience in its power unto its place conscience must bee more worth unto us then the world wealth must not buy it worship cannot equall it and wee must not preferre the pleasing of men or our selves unto it it is the discontent of conscience to bee undervalued or to bee put off at low rates and surely if the governement of conscience bee despised it cannot bee pleased conscience is conscience and will and must bee knowne and acknowledged to bee conscience you must heare and obey conscience goe and doe what conscience enjoyneth wee must worke and stop and feare and hope and give and lend and restore when conscience bids us conscience must not be crossed and vexed by us wittingly or willingly it deserves better of us 6. Prevent the wound and torment of it take care that you make it not terrible and troublesome unto your selves if it be your burden how shall it then be able to sustaine your infirmity we reade forward in the Text a wounded spirit who can beare THE BVRDEN of the spirit under its wounds But a wounded spirit who can beare HEere wee have the impotencie of mans spirit against inward perplexities laid down by way of an interrogation which is a most vehement Negation who can beare i. e. no man can beare it in which words the Holy Ghost doth teach us these two things 1. That the spirit of man may be wounded 2. That the wounded spirit is insupportable Wee will begin with the possible estate of the spirit or conscience of man which is this Doct. 2 That it may come under great and fearefull wounds I am Mans spirit may be greatly wounded poore and needy and my heart is wounded within me saith David Psal 109. â—2 and againe he tells us that his spirit was overwhelmed within him Psal 142. 3. we finde wicked men and good men wounded in their spirits unto great vexation I shall briefely open unto you three things 1. What a wounded spirit is 2. The difference of the wound in the good and bad 3. The grounds and causes of this wound For the first know that a wounded spirit is a spirit which A wounded spirit what for the time doth sensibly suffer miserable and in a sort hellish evills in a distressefull uncomfortable fearefull restlesse and desperate manner There goeth to the making of the wounded spirit these things 1. Miserable and in a degree hellish evills I say that innumerable evills doe compasse the soule it is not one misery but an army which doth at this time follow a man thou renewest thy plagues against me and thou increasest thy wrath upon me changes and armies of sorrowes are aginst mee saith Iob 10. 17. the soule is cast into a peck of troubles and into the abundance of calamity yea and it is such kind of misery which nothing can better represent and shaddow then the very paines of the damned the soule for the time feeleth that gnawing worme and lieth as it were boyling and frying in hell fire there is no torment like unto it it goeth beyond all having a fullnesse and exquisitenesse of misery in it 2. The feeling of those miserable evills a man hath now his conscience opened and is made to know and apprehend the extremities of miseries which now lieth upon him even with fullnesse of weight the spirit of man is living and very tender and misery and distresse is felt In a seared conscience there is nothing but senselesnesse for that is past feeling Ephes 4. 19. but in a wounded conscience there is some life and tendernesse the practicall notions are not quite extinguished the naturall light is still burning and indeed miseries would not be miseries unto us did they not touch us to the quick 3. The manner of the apprehending of those miserable evills which is every way most grievous for First of all it is with much distrosse of foule the soule is thereby filled with unspeakeable Psal 77. anguish and paine it is as it were put upon the rack and putto torture and torment in extremity my soule is soretroubled saith David Psal 6. 3. there is such a strange oppression upon the spirit that the heavinesse of it is unto death Mat. 26. 37. Secondly it is without all comfort unto the spirit it is all darknesse without the mixture of light the spirit of a man is so drunke up that it now wasteth it selfe in daily heavinesse O that my griefe were well weighed saith Iob 6. 2. My soule refused comfort saith David Psal â—7 2. a man under the wound of conscience is so under the power of discomfort and so swallowed up of heavinesse that the soule can enjoy no spirituall or naturall comfort for the time every thing doth terrifie it nothing doth comfort it Thirdly it is a spirit filled with horror and feare and that not only in the apprehension of present misery but by the expectation of more and future evills the wounded spirit is a spirit of horrible bondage and keepes a man in bondage to servile terrors trembling thoughts the dreadfull sound is alwaies heard and such men doe create meditate and multiplie feares the spirit of trembling doth so overtake them that they are a terror unto themselves they daily apprehend nothing but guilt and wrath and death and hell and damnation Iob 15. 21. Deut. 28. 65. Dan. 5. Ier. 20. 4. Fourthly it is full of unquietnesse and daily tossings and tumblings it is exceeding restlesse and raging O the disquiet of a wounded conscience the sea in time of tempest is not more raging and rowling madnesse is not more working and unquiet the plague and other impetuous diseases are not more vexing and restlesse to a man then a wounded spirit is Thou keepest mine eyes waking saith David Psal 77. 4. When I held my tongue my bones consumed thine hand is heavie upon me day and night Psal 2. 3 4. My sore ran and ceased not in the night Psal 77. 2. Why art thou so disquieted within me O my soule Psal 43. 5. Lastly the spirit is cast into the devouring gulfe of desperation such under the feeling of their
travells he should never be at a stand or question which was the way that he should take and it is to me as strange a Christian that can passe over so many crosse and unknowne paths unto nature as are to be gon over and yet never to bee weather-beaten or wind-shaken or to be so simple as to doubt for certaine this is nothing but presumption and selfe-deceiving and I would wish no man to blesse himselfe in this estate The other doubts of his 2. Men of doubtings estate because of doubtings it is a maine part of Satans policie to stagger Gods children and to cause the rising up of suspitions within themselves doubting whether that they are Christians in the state of grace by reason of the many doubtings that are found within them O say they we find within our selves the suspension of our mindes in the determination thereof our soules doe hang betweene two objects and unto The nature of doubtings either of them they cannot fixedly incline wee finde that there are at one time two distinct and opposite waies and objects and ends proposed and presented unto our mindes for choice as to beleeve and not to beleeve to be saved and not to be saved to doe this and not to doe this to have heaven and not to have heaven and now it becomes questionable unto us which of these two is eligible or which of these two shall befall us the minde reflects upon both and lookes upon both yet one alone must be ours in the issue our mindes doe debate exceedingly and beate themselves about them whether this or that this way or that way wee shall goe wee know not there are found within us at the same time the assentings dissentings of our minds perswasions and disswasions take hold of us we are like unto the waves of the sea that thrust forth to the shore and yet drawing backe againe or like unto men in ungrounded Simile places who no sooner pluck up one leg but the other sinkes in deeper many reasons on either side are apprehended and no fastning can be found if we looke 1. Upon things to be beleeved Doubtings seene in two things and done there are within us doubtings of the truth and goodnesse of the one or of the lawfullnesse and unlawfullnesse of the performance of the other we still halt betweene two opinions if wee looke 2. Upon our owne particular course and condition whether that we are Christians indeed and be such whose persons are accepted of God whose waies do please God who have any part in the Covenant or just title to the best things and that when we die wee shall goe to Heaven here likewise our hearts doe mis-give us and we daily question our owne estates And could this bee our condition if that we were in a good estate This I confesse is the trouble of Gods dearest children whose Doubtings in the godly cause 4. things mindes within them are diversly carried and cannot come to a rest whose mindes doe hang in suspence and cannot determine this condition causeth unto them 1. Multiplication of disputes such persons have contrariety of reasonings within themselves reason can never be equally ballanced but remaineth as a paire of scales turning this way and that way such can say as much why they should not doe such and such duties as why they should doe them and they conceive as many and as strong reasons why that they should be damned as well as saved 2. Interruption of the practicall act of the understanding that it cannot give sentence either way for a man or against a man so that men under doubts remaine under certaine trouble and restlesnesse but uncertaine quiet and reliefe and know no more what to resolve on then he who hath referred himselfe and his cause unto the umperage of him who will not as yet declare himselfe 3. Uproare in affections they will be very tumultuous passions by doubtings are set on a hurley burley and rage exceedingly now men fret and feare and faint and even vexe themselves unto death 4. Alterations and changes men under doubts are constant in inconstancie and do never remaine setled unto themselves they cannot bee long of one mind but as the weather-cock doth turne with Simile every turning of the wind from point to point so such men to day shall and will be of a good mind for God and Heaven but to morrow shifting and of a new and another mind thus do they every day vary from themselves and this being the condition of a doubtfull Christian I cannot wonder why his doubts should so perplexe him Consider with mee one thing more what it is that causeth doubtings in the soule and if we prove the springs or causes to be evill and terrible no marvaile if that they are so troublesome unto Christians I open it thus unto you Five cau ses of doubtings in Christians Doubtings within Christians spring 1. From originall corruption that sinning sinne and mother of all sinne in men which hath in it the seed of all sinne and therefore doubtings nature it selfe can nothing but doubt flesh in the Elect is wavering and weake even when grace would beleeve and settle innumerable evills have compassed mee about mine iniquities have taken hold of mee so that I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth mee saith David Psal 40. 12. in which place you may see plainely what it was that made Davids heart to faile him it was his sinnes these were the clog unto his spirit and these were they that did stagger and doubt him 2. From the darknesse and ignorance that is within their mindes withholding not so much the light of nature as the light of the Scripture in generall and of the promise in particular without which they are never able to judge aright of things and condition what determination can there be whilst a man is in darkenesse he that cannot see what hee is or where he is may do things at a venture only but in all things he Pro. 4. 18. is uncertaine and doubtfull 3. From the hurryings and winnowings of Satan who followeth Gods children with many and various temptations in times of tempest it is no new thing to see a ship fastly anchored Simile tossed too and fro and when Satan is maliciously haunting and vexing a Christian no marvaile if doubts and irresolvednesse do appeare 4. From the greatnesse of dangers into which they are cast if Peter be ready to sinke in the sea he will doubt O thou Mat. 14. 31. of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt saith Christ we see how his feares did sinke him below the waters and â—urely as a Christians troubles inward or outward doe arise so doe his doubtings arise also the ship doth not more naturally arise Simile with the flowing in of the waters then doubts in the soule with the comming in of troubles 5. From Gods forsaking
witnesse David Psal 32. 3 4. Hezekiah Ezek. 38. 13 14. and holy Iob in his whole History and Christ himselfe suffering this wound without sin in his humane spirit cried out under its burden My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and it cannot Reasons prooving the burden of a wounded conscience are seaven be otherwise if we consider these reasons First a wounded spirit is a burden unto it selfe why hast thou set me as a marke against thee so that I am a burden unto my selfe saith Iob 7. 20. Now all wounds and burdens that are extrinsecall a mans spirit can beare but that which lieth within it selfe it cannot you know if the ship bee whole the waves doe onely beate against Simile the side they onely threaten they sinke her not but if shee have a crack and leake within her selfe she cannot endure the stirrings of the winds nor tossings of the waves but doth easily make her selfe her owne grave thus it is with conscience it cannot be both patient and burden and under all wounds it selfe being wounded it is that which makes the burden insupportable Secondly there is no outward thing which can relieve a wounded spirit it is not all the gold of the Indies nor all the favour of Princes nor all the friends on earth that can asswage or cure this wound a troubled mind impaireth health drieth up the blood wasteth the marrow pines away the flesh consumes the bones and makes all pleasures painefull to a man nothing doth comfort it but terrifie it the light doth not comfort him would God saith he it were night the darknesse doth terrifie him his sleepe forsakes him and his dreames doe not please him hee lieth on his bed boyling in disquietnesse and wisheth for day conscience can relieve against all wounds but its owne Suppose the wound to lie in a mans honour friends and estate conscience can heale all that but it selfe being wounded in the least degree it is beyond the cure and comfort of all outward things we have a saying that no borrowing part can helpe the lending part what helpe Simile can the hand returne unto the heart if I wound my hand the heart can yeeld helpe if the nerves which draw more inwardly be wounded yet the heart can helpe it hath blood and spirits and heate enough but if the heart it selfe be wounded what shall help Thirdly the spirit under its wounds retaineth the sensiblenesse of unpardoned guilt which of all things is most raging and makes the soule most comfortlesse when a man shall apprehend his sins to bee unpardonable or unpardoned it keepes him in a perpetuall rowling and boyling it is a condition that can no way be endured for sin lieth still at the doore haunting and vexing a man Fourthly a spirit that is wounded hath to deale with the mighty and irresistible power of God Now the strength of any burden is according to the strength of him with whom wee have to deale under the wound of conscience God is following his owne cause with his owne arguments and hee is now avenging the wrong that is done to his mercy and patience and is it possible for the creature to sustaine it selfe can we imagin any enabling against Gods pressure and power a man while he is to deale with men may beare up himselfe and hee may have much strength of wit or impudencie of face to out-face all enquiries but when men are to deale with an all-seeing and an all knowing and an all-sinne revenging God the might of whose glory is able to confound men and Angels if he once shall start up our guilts and breake into our soules if he send a trembling heart and sorrowfull mind if himselfe be witnesse against us and by his power imprison and shut us up we cannot avoid it or beare it time will not ease us company will not ease us peace will not ease us when he wounds none can heale but himselfe Fifthly the wound of the spirit is accompanied with the accusations of conscience conscience cannot be bribed or put of there is no flying from it the strength of conscience is awakened and her cruelty roareth conscience under wounding doth arraigne evidence condemne and bind over unto eternall wrath for sin and it is of an indefatigable unresistible and unavoidable power in working a man by flight or death or friends may escape the Magistrates hand but by neither can he possibly ever escape from a displeased conscience a tormented conscience cannot flie from God nor can a man flie from it Sixthly the wound of spirit is of an eternall nature all other wounds end in death and are therefore the more tollerable because they be temporall but this wound endeth not in death if it be not gratiously cured it is the beginning of hell upon earth unto the wicked and it continues him in hell upon earth and after death it is that worme which still is gnawing and never dying death is not the end of this misery and this maketh it the more intollerable to be borne what heart can possibly sustaine it selfe under infinite and endlesse miseries Seventhly and lastly when and whilst men are under the wounds of conscience Satan is strongly and subtly working such is Satans cowardize that he takes us at the weakest and such is his malice that hee will yet weaken us wee being weakened already Satan falling in with the bruisings and sores of mens soules and bringing in the fretting gall of hell and powring forth the sharpest vinegar of most violent objections the soule tortured and the wound enlarged and conscience overcharged Satan now tells the sinner of the impossibility of mercy and uncapablenesse of the bloud of Christ hee now followeth him with strange endictments representations and conclusions yea and arguments of insincerity and hypocrisie and this adds to the weight and maketh the burden intollerable there is no such trouble as to be daily troubled with the divell Having thus opened the wound unto you and its burden I shall fall upon the Application of both in this manner First bee wise to know the woundednesse of your spirits and to consider what is your condition thereby I presse you to this the rather upon these grounds Vse 1 1. Because a multitude of men are under searednesse and senslesnesse of conscience 2 Tim. 4. 2. they are dead and A seared spirit is worse then a wounded spirit sleepie their spirits never moove or work within them and let mee tell you that a wounded spirit is infinitely beyond a dead spirit a troubled conscience is a mercy in respect of a seared conscience conscience in trouble may happily proove conscience in goodnesse and peace and a cure may follow it when iron is put into the fire it may be made pliable and receive another impression Simile and so we doe not know what may be the good issue of a wounded spirit unto man but you cannot hope this of conscience continuing under searednesse 2. Because men
ordinarily take least notice of their spirituall wounds in their cause and cure they are lumpish and heavie full of sad thoughts evill imaginations many times they roare and complaine but this is their Men doe mistake the spirits wound ignorance they know not what ailes them they are so mistaken in the cause businesse in hand that they judge themselves to bee under some bodily distempers by melancholie passions and other violent humours a great madnesse and ignorance in men and being fallen upon this point let mee tell you that melancholy prevailing in men doth come very neere to the trouble of conscience but it is not the wound of conscience here spoken of Satan makes it his bait and man makes it his burden but wee may not make it this wound concerning which I shall yeeld you two things 1. That melancholy given The operation of melancholie in man way unto doth corrupt the imagination and those actions of the minde or the â—ext instruments by which the minde worketh that therewith the heart affections and conscience are greatly distempered with feare and griefe and doe conceive a many uneschewable miseries against it selfe against which fancies and imaginations no arguments of reason can prevaile and this darkning vapour and blackish fume thus affecting the soule doth add torment unto it making it for the time uncapable of the sense of comfort I say this humour of melancholy hath very subtile spirits that flie up into the braine and the instrument of discretion and there they lodge their contagious qualities which corrupt the spirits and annoy both heart and braine whence arise strange imaginations and fancies in the head Head and heart having entercourse and body and soule being united the soule is nor thereby a little troubled 2. That what ever vaine men judge melancholy is not a spirituall maladie or the wounder spirit here spoken of the difference Melancholy is not the wounded spirit proved by 5. reasons betweene both is great as 1. In the ground and cause the troubles of melancholy ariseth either from naturall causes in the body or from supposed and fained causes the imagination conceiving things to bee so and so when indeed nothing is really so the trouble of conscience ariseth from the sight and sense of sin in the soule the apprehension of divine wrath due to man for sin and such like spirituall and reall causes 2. In the seate of it troubles from melancholy seate themselves in the head and naturall spirits the man having lost the right use of his wits and being mistaken in his imagination in conceits becomming monstrous true trouble is in the conscience and whole soule of man 3. In the cure of it physick may cure the one it being a bodily disease or distemper but it is not all artificiall and naturall meanes that can cure the wounds of the spirit 4. In the effects of it melancholy maketh a man simple and absurd in his thoughts touching himselfe such men will speake to you and yet conceive themselves to bee without head or heart and life they will tell you that they see Divels and feele Divels within them and you shall heare many odd things from them when as trouble of conscience looseth not it selfe but speakes according to the truth and feeling of it selfe 5. In the enlargement of it melancholy seldome or never worketh griefe for Gods dishonour it is not touched with sorrow for sin and when it is cured it gives not a man any ground and measure of spirituall joy it enforceth not a man to Christ for ease and rest it quickens no man to prayer and duty all which the wounds of the spirit in some men doe most kindly and savingly Thirdly and lastly let us know our selves rightly in our troubles of mind and we shall the better know our selves in our comforts nothing doth so prepare the heart for comforts and make us to rellish our comforts as the sense of soule trouble and heavinesse I dare affirme that if wee did know and finde our spirituall wants and wounds more wee would and should withall bee more upon the waies and feelings of comfort then we are Vse 2 Secondly let us have compassion on such who are wounded in spirit you see that such is the weight of their wounds as neither eye hath seene eare hath heard or tongue of man is able fully to expresse none can in any way of expression speake of it but such as have more or lesse felt it and shall we passe by any that are labouring under this burden not yeelding them our pitie 't is a foolish madnesse in many to thinke this sicknesse and this wound to bee but passion conceit and mopishnesse put into their heads by reading good books or hearing some strict Preachers or melancholy because it often changeth the body they think it ariseth from the body and what need all this adoe about it it is cursed cruelty in any to looke upon any labouring under this wound crying out against them censuring of them for hypocrites and in thought sentencing them to hell blaspheming their God and their religion O Considerations for the pitying of wounded in soule you ignorant men learne better and be now instructed 1. That there is no disease for symptomes and torments like unto this all other maladies are naturall but this is supernaturall they come from the constitution of the body this of the soule in them the humours first in this the conscience first and humours last are distempered they may all bee cured by naturall remedies the body may be brought to a fittemperature but it is not all the medicines under heaven that are meerely naturall can cure or comfort here 2. That it is an argument of an unsanctified and stony heart within maÌ„ to disregard taxe or censure men under the miseries of inward perplexities you being mercilesse and wanting tendernesse and experience cannot pittie them aright 3. Blessed are such as judge wisely of such poore soules and do labour to relieve their soules in their woundings this is a worke of mercy indeed and a businesse becomming the most excellent of Christians Motives to pitie and to relieve wouÌ„ded Christians Christ himselfe received his annointing and was sent of God to bind up the broken hearted Esay 61. 1 2 3. Ministers have the tongue of the learned given them to speake a word of comfort to such whose soules are wearie Esa 50. 4. and shall not wee that are Christians comfort the feeble minded and support the weake 1 Thes 5. 14. bearing one anothers burden O let us pity such and pray earnestly to God for such considering our owne case Gal. 6. 1. would wee not bee prayed for were wee in their conditions Vse 3 Thirdly how thankfull should all Christians bee for their freedome from this great burden of a wounded spirit tell me are you set at liberty and is all peace and rest within are the bands of the distresse broken wouldst