through some of them but not all and what they cannot get now they feed themselves with a false hope they shall hereafter they are content to be called Precisians and fooles and crazie braines but they want brokennesse of heart and they will pray it may be for it and passe by that difficultie but to keep the wound alwayes open this they will not doe to be alwayes sighing for helpe and never to give themselves rest till their hearts are humbled that they will not these have a name to live yet are dead Eighthly The way of moderation or honest discretion Rev. 3. 16. which indeed is nothing but luke-warmenesse of the soule and that is when a man contrives and cuts out such a way to Heaven as he may be hated of none but please all and so doe any thing for a quiet life and so sleepe in a whole skin The Lord saith He that will live godly must suffer persecution No not so Lord. Surely thinke they if men were discreet and wise it would prevent a great deale of trouble and opposition in good courses this man will commend those that are most zealous if they were but wise if he meet with a black-mouth'd swearer he will not reprove him lest hee be displeased with him if he meet with an honest man heâ—l yeeld to all he saith that so he may commend him and when he meets them both together they shall be both alike welcome what ever he thiâ—kes to his house and Table because he would faine be at peace with all men Ninthly and lastly The way of selfe-love whereby a man fearing terribly he shall be damned useth diligently all meanes whereby he shall be saved Here is the strongest difficultie of all to row against the streame and to hate a mans selfe and then to follow Christ fully I now come to the sixth Generall Head proposed in order to be considered CHAP. VI. THat the grand cause of mans eternall ruine or why so many are damned and so few saved by Christ it is from themselves Ezek. 33. 11. Why will you dye The great cause why so many people dye and perish everlastingly is because they will every man that perisheth is his owne Butcher or murtherer Matth. 23. 27. Hos. 13. 9. this is the Point we purpose to prosecute at the present The question here will be how men plot and perfect their owne ruine By these foure principall meanes which are the foure great Rocks that most men are split upon and great necessity lyeth upon every man to know them for when a powder-plot is discovered the danger is almost past I say there are these foure causes of mans eternall overthrow which I shall handle largely and make use of every particular reason when it is opened and finished First by reason of that bloudy black ignorance of men whereby thousands remaine wofully ignorant of their spirituall estate not knowing how the case stands betweene God and their soules but thinking themselves to be well enough already they never seeke to come out of their misery till they perish in it Secondly by reason of mens carnall securitie putting the evill day farre from them whereby they feele not their fearefull thraldome and so never groane to come out of the flvish bondage of sinne and Sathan Thirdly By reason of mans carnall confidence whereby they shift to save themselves by their owne duties and performances when they feele it Fourthly By reason of mans bold presumption whereby men scramble to save themselves by their own seeming faith when they see an insufficiency in duties and an unworthinesse in themselves for God to save them I will begin with the first Reason and discover the first traine whereby men blow up themselves which is this They know not their misery nor that fearefull accursed forlornâ— estate wherein they lye but thinke and say they shall doe as well as others and therefore when any friend perswadeth them to come out of it and shewes them the danger of remaining in such a condition what 's their answer I pray yon save your breath to coole your broth Every Fat shall stand on his owne bottome let me alone I hope I have a soule to save as well as you and shall be as carefull of it as you shall or can be you shall not answer for my soule I hope I shall doe as well as the precisest of you all Hence likewise if the Minister come home to them they goe home with hearts full of out-cryes against the man and their tongue dipt in gall against the Sermon God be mercifull unto us if all this be true here 's harsh doctrine enough to make a man run out of his wits and to drive me to despaire Thus they know not their misery and not knowing they are lost and condemned Creatures under the ever lasting vvrath of God They never seeke pray strive or follow the meanes whereby they may come out of it and so perish in it and never know it till they awake with the â—lames of Hell about their eares They will acknovvledge indeed many of them that all men are borne in a most miserable estate but they never apply particularly that generall truth to themselves saying I am the man I am now under Gods wrath and may be snatcht away by death every houre and then I am undone and lost for ever Now there are two sorts of people that are ignorant of this their miserie First the common sort of prophane blockish ignorant people Secondly the finer sort of unsound hollow professors that have a Peacocks pride that thinke themselves faire and in a very good estate though they have but one feather on their crest to boast of I will begin with the first sort and shevv you the reasons why they are ignorant of their misery that is for these 4. Reasons First Sometimes because they want the saving means of knowledge Ther 's no faithfull Minister no compassionate Lot to tell them of fire and brim-stone from heaven for their crying sinnes there 's no Noah to forwarne them of a floud there 's no messenger to bring them tipings of those Armies of Gods devouring plagues and wrath that are approaching neare unto them they have no pilots poore forsaken creatures to shevv them their rockes they have either no Minister at all to teach them either because the Parish is too poore or the Church-living too great to maintaine a faithfull man the strongest Asses carrying the greatest burdens commonly O woefull Physitians sometimes they be prophane and cannot heale themselves and sometimes they be ignorant and know noâ— what to preach unlesse they should follow the steps of Master Latimers Fryer or at the best they shoot off a few pot-gunnes against grosse sinnes or if they doe shew men their misery they licke them whole againe with some comfortable ill applyed sentences but I hope better things of you my brethren the mans Patron may happily storme else
sinne is onely againe sin because it is a troubling or a damning sinne The striving of the spirit against the flesh is from a deadly hatred of sinne Rom. 7. 15. But thy striving of conscience against sinne is onely from a feare of the danger of sinne for Balaam had a mind to curse the Israelites for his monies sake but if he might have had an house full of silver and gold which is a goodly thing in a covetous eye it is said hee durst not curse them Thirdly In judging of the sincerity of the heart by some good affection in the heart Hence many a deluded soule reasons the case out thus with himselfe Either J must be a prophane man or an Hypocrite or an upright man Not profane I thanke God for I am not given to whoring drinking oppression swearing Nor Hypocrite for I hate these shewes I cannot indure to appeare better without then I am within therefore I am upright Why Oh because mine heart is good mine affections desires within are better then my life without and what ever others judge of me I know mine own heart the heart is all that God desires And thus they foole themselves Prov. 28. 26. This is one of the greatest causes and grounds of mistake amongst men that thinke best of themselves they are not able to put a difference betweene the good desires and strong affections that arise from the love of Jesus Christ. Selfe-love will make a man seeke his own good and safety hence it will pull a man out of his bed betimes in the morning and call him up to pray it will take him and cary him into his chamber towards evening and there privately make him seeke and pray and tug hard for pardon for Christ for mercy Lord evermore give us of this bread But the love of Christ makes a man desire Christ and his honour for himselfe all other things for Christ. It is true the desires of Sonnes in Christ by faith are accepted ever but the desire of servants men that worke onely for their wages out of Christ are not Fourthly In judging of Gods love to them by aiming sometimes at the glory of God Is this possible that a man should aime at Gods glory and yet perish Yes and ordinary too A man may be liberall to the poore maintaine the Ministery be forward and stand for good things whence he may not doubt but that God loves him But here is the difference though a wicked man may make Gods glory in some particular things his end yet he never makes it in his generall course his utmost and last end A subtle Apprentice may doe all his Masters work but he may take the gaine to himselfe or divide it betwixt his Master and himselfe and so may be but a Knave as observant as he seemes to be So a subtle heart yet a vile villanous heart may forsake all the world as Iudas did may binde himselfe Apprentice to all the duties God requireth outwardly at his hands and so doe good works but what 's his last end It 's that hee might gaine respect or place or that Christ may have some part of the glory and he another Simon Magus would give any money sometimes that he could pray so well know so much and doe as others doe and yet his last end is for himselfe but how can you beleeve if you seeke not that glory that comes from God sayes Christ there 's many seeke the honour of Christ but doe you seeke his honour onely Is it your last end where you rest and seeke no more but that If thou wouldest know whether thou makest Christs glory thy last end observe this Rule If thou art more grieved for the eclipse of thine owne honour and for thine owne losses then for the losse of Gods honour it is an evident signe thou lovest it not desirest it not as thy chiefest good as the last end for thy summum bonum and therefore doest not seeke Gods honour in the prime and chiefest place Sinne troubled Paul more than all the plagues and miseries of the world Indeed if thy name be dashed with disgrace and thy will be crossed thy heart is grieved and disquieted but the Lord may lose his honour daily by thine owne sinnes and those that be round about thee but not a teare not a sigh not a groane to behold such a spectacle As sure as the Lord lives thou seekest not the Lords name or honour as thy greatest good Fifthly In judging the power of sinne to be but infirmitie for if any thing trouble an unregenerate man and makes him call his estate into question it is sinne either in the being or power of it Now sinne in the being ought noâ— must not make a man question his estate because the best have that left in them that will humble them and make them live by faith therefore the power of sinne onely can trouble a man Now if a man doe judge of this to be onely but infirmitie which the best are compassed about withall hee cannot but lie downe securely and thinke himselfe well And if this errour be setled in one that lives in no one knowne sinne it is very difficult to remove for let the Minister cast the sparkes of hell in their faces and denounce the terrour of God against them they are never stirred why because they thinke here 's for you that live in sinne but as for themselves although they have sinnes yet they strive against them and so cannot leave them for we must have sinne as long as we live here they say Now marke it there 's no surer signe of a man under the bloudy raigne and dominion of his lusts and sinnes than this that is to give way to sinne though never so little and common nor to be greatly troubled for sinne for they may be a little troubled because they cannot overcome sinne I deny not but the best doe sinne daily yet this is the disposition of Paul and every child of God he mourneth not the lesse but the more for sinne though he cannot quite subdue them cast them out and overcome them As a prisoner mournes the more that he is bound with such fetters he cannot breake so doth eyery one truely sensible of his woefull captivitie by sinne This is the great difference between a raging sinne a man will part with all and a sinne of infirmity a man cannot part withall a sinne of infirmitie is such a sinne as a man would but cannot part with it and hence he mournes the more for it A raging sinne is such a sinne as a man happily by vertue of his lashing conscience would sometimes part withall but cannot and hence mournes the lesse for it and gives way unto it Now for the Lords sake take heede of this deceit for I tell you those sinnes you cannot part withall if you groane not day and night under them saying O Lord helpe me for I am weary of my selfe
suffer or fly God hath made good that promise in Jeremie he hath revealed to us abundance of peace and truth and we through ingratitude have ferfeited both Our peace is shaken and who can promise himself with Hezekiah there shall be peace and truth in my dayes Peace may faile thee but let not Truth Every good Christian may and should say with the good King there shall be Truth in my daies if not peace and truth I will so far honor truth as to receive the love of it I will hold it fast by faith hold it forth by practise praise God daily for it and venture all in defence of it So did the Martyrs whose memory is sweete and whose reward is great It is better suffering for truth then with truth yet if Truth must suffer or can die better it is to dye with Truth then out-live it But that Truth may live and we live by truth let us magniâ—ie God much for truth for his word and good bookes that spring thence Some pâ—obably may say it s enâ—ugh to praisâ— God for his word other books are not â—â—nti Wilt thou praise God â—or the Seâ— and â—e unthankfull for the rivers and springs Wilt thou lift up thy voyce for the great Waters and be silent for the silver drops and showers If the former raiâ—e affect thee be not ingratefull for the latter God would have men to value his servants and praise him for their labours But they have errors in them Be it so shall we refuse to praise God for the Flowers and the corne because there be some weeds in the garden and thistles in the field Prejudice not thy selfe buy reade take thy delight here is a garden without weeds a corne field without Cockle or darnell thorne or thistle Art thou a Sincere Convert here are truths sutable solid and wholsome thou maiest feed and feast without feare The Authour is one of singular piety inward acquaintance with God skild in the deceits of mens hearts able to enlighten the darke corners of the little world and to give satisfaction to staggering spirits His worke needs not the purple of anothers commendation to adorne it But because custome not necessity for it's truths prorogative to travaile without a pasport I say because Customo causeth Truth to crave and to carry Epistles Commendatory know that the worke is weighty quick and spirituall and if thine eye be single in perusing it thou shalt find many precious soule-searching soule-quickning and soule-enriching truths in it yea be so warned and awakned is that thou canst not but blesse God for the man and matter unlesse thou be possest with a dumbe devill To conclude Christian Reader take heed of unthankfulnesse spirituall mercies should have the quickest and fullest praises Such is this worke thou foresawâ—est it not thou contributedst nothing to the birth of it It 's a preventing mercy By it and other of the same nature od hath made knowledge to abound the waters of the Sanctuary are daily increased and growne deepe Let not the waters of the Sanctnary put out the fire of the Sanctuary If there be no praise there is no fire If thy head be like a winters Sunne full of light and heart like a winters earth without fruit feare Iest thy light end in utter darkenesse and the tree of knowledge deprive thee of the tree of life The Lord grant thou mayest finde such benefit by this worke as that thy heart may be ravished with truth and raised to praise God to purpose and made to pray Lord still send forth thy light and truth that they may leade us So prayes Thine in Christ W. Greenhill An Introduction to the Worke. THe knowledge of Divinity is necessary for all sorts of men both to settle and establish the good and to convert and fetch in the bad Gods principles pull downe Satans false Principles set up in mens heads loved and beleeved with mens hearts and defended by their Tongues whilest strong holds remaine unshaken the Lord JESVS is kept off from conquering of the soule Now Spirituall Truths are either such as tend to enlarge the understanding or such as may worke chiefly upon the affections I passe by in this knowing age the first of these and being among a people whose hearts are hard enough I being with the latter sort For the Vnderstanding although it may literally yet it never savingly entertaines any truth untill the Affections be therewith smitten and wrought upon I shall therefore here prosecute the unfolding of these Divine Principles First that there is one most glorious God Secondly that this God made all mankind at first in Adam in a most glorious estate Thirdly that all mankind is now fallen from that estate into a bottomlesse gulfe of sinne and misery Fourthly that the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely means of Redemption out of this estate Fifthly that those that are saved out of this wofull estate by Christ are very few and these few are saved with much difficulty Sixthly that the greatest cause why so many dye and perish in this estate is from themselves either 1. By Reason of their bloudy Ignorance they know not their misery or 2. By reason of their Carnall security they feele not they groane not under their sinne and misery 3. By reason of their Carnall confidence they seeke to helpe themselves out of their misery by their own duties when they see or feele it or 4. By reason of their false faith whereby they catch hold upon and trust unto the merits of Christ too soone when they see and feele they cannot helpe themselves The Contents of this Treatise THat there is a God Page 3 4. That this God is most Glorious p. 16. The happinesse of them that forsake all for this God p. 15. A Discovery of Atheisme p. 10. Whence terrors of Conscience arise p. 8. An Explanation of Gods Attributes p. 17. We should make God to be Our God p. 14. God made all Mankind at first in a glorious and happy estate p. 25. Wherein this glory or blessednesse of man did appeare p. 26. How Adams estate was Ours p. 29. Wee are more perfectly righteous in Christ then we could ever have beene in Adam p. 32. How to get the Image of God renewed in us p. 40. A Discovery of such as content themselves with a certaine measure of holinesse p. 34. How justly God may require perfect obedience to all the Law of every man and curse him if he cannot performe it p. 30. Mans misery in respect of Sin p. 42. Every naturall man is dead while hee lives p. 48. The haynousnesse of Adams sin p. 96. Sinnes of the Heart are worse then sins of the Life p. 55. Every Action of wicked men is sinfull p. 57. Whether good duties ought to be performed by naturall men seeing their best Actions are siâ—nes p. 61. Mans misery in respect of the Consequents of sinne p. 63. Mans fearefull flavery under Sathan p. 67. How to
that thou doest doubt of it It may be thou wilt plead Oh I am so ignorant of my selfe God Christ or his will that surely the Lord offers no Christ to me Yes but he doth though thou lyest in utter darknesse Our blessed Saviour glorified his Father for revealing the mystery of the Gospel to simple men neglecting those that carried the chiefe reputation of wisdome in the world The parts of none are so low as that they are beneath the gracious regard of Christ. God bestoweth the best fruits of his love upon meane and weak persons here that he might confound the pride of flesh the more Where it pleaseth him to make his choice and to exalt his mercy he passeth by no degree of wit though never so uncapable But thou wilt say I am an enemy to God and have a heart so stubborne and loath to yeeld I have vexed him to the very heart by my transgressions Yet he beseecheth thee to be reconciled Put case thou hast been a sinner and rebellious against God yet so long as thou art not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of his truth never give way to despayring thoughts thou hast a mercifull Saviour But I have despised the meanes of Reconciliation and rejected mercy Yet God calls thee to returne Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet turne againe to me sayth the Lord Jer. 3. 1. Cast thy selfe into the armes of Christ and if thou perishest perish there if thou doest not thou art sure to perish If mercy be to be had any where it is by seeking to Christ not by running from him Herein appeares Christs love to thee that he hath given thee a heart in some degree sensible hee might have given thee up to hardnesse securitie and prophanenesse of all spirituall judgements the greatest But he that dyed for his enemies will in no wise refuse those the desire of whose soule is towards him When the Prodigall set himselfe to returne to his Father his Father stayes not for him but meets him in the way If our sinnes displease us they shall never hurt us but wee shall be esteemed of God to be that which wee desire and labour to be Psal. 145. 19. But can the Lord offer Christ to mee so poore that have no strength no faith no grace nor sense of my povertie Yes even to thee why should wee except our selves when Christ doth not except us Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden Wee are therefore poore because we know not our riches We can never be in such a condition wherein there will be just cause of utter despayre He that sits in darknesse and seeth no light no light of comfort no light of Gods countenance yet let him trust in the Name of the Lord. Weaknesses doe not debarre us from mercy nay they incline God the more The Husband is bound to beare with the wife as being the weaker vessell and shall we think God will exempt himselfe from his owne Rule and not beare with his weak Spouse But is this offer made to me that cannot love prize nor desire the Lord Jesus Yes to thee Christ knows how to pitty us in this case We are weak but we are his A Father lookes not so much at the blemishes of his childe as at his owne nature in him So Christ finds matter of love from any thing of his owne in us A Christians carriage towards Christ may in many things be very offensive cause much strangenesse yet so long as he resolves not upon any knowne evill Christ will owne him and he Christ. Oh! but I have fallen from God oft since he hath inlightned me And doth he tender Christ to mee Thou must know that Christ hath married every beleeving Soule to himselâ—e and that where the worke of grace is begun sin looses strength by every new fall If there be a spring of sinne in thee there is a spring oâ— mercy in God and a fountaine dialy opened to wash thy uncleanenesse in Adam indeed lost all by once sinning but we are under a better Covenant a Covenant of Mercy and are incouraged by the Sonne to goe to the Father every day for the sinnes of that day If I was willing to receive Christ I might have Christ offered to me But will the Lord offer him to such a one as desires not to have Christ Yes sayth our Saviour I would have gathered you as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not Wee must know a creating power cannot onely bring something out of nothing but contrary out of contrary of unwilling God can make us a willing people There is a promise of powring cleane water upon us and Christ hath taken upon him to purge his Spouse and make her fit for himselfe What hast thou now to plead against this strange kindnesse of the Lord in offering Christ to thee Thou wilt say it may be O! I feare time is past Oh time is past I might once have had Christ but now mine heart is sealed downe with hardnesse blindnesse unbeliefe oh time is now gone No not so see Isai. 65. 1 2 3. All the day long God holdeth out his hands to a back-â—lâ—ding and rebellious people Thy day of grace thy day of meanes thy day of life thy day of Gods striving with thee and stirring of thee still lasts But if God be so willing to save and so prodigall of his Christ why doth he not give me Christ or draw me to Christ I answer What command dost thou looke for to draw thee to Christ but this word Come Oh come thou poore forlorne lost blind cursed nothing I will save thee I will enrich thee I will forgive thee I will enlighten thee I will blesse thee I will be all things unto thee doe all things for thee May not this winne and melt the heart of a Devill II. Upon what conditions may Christ be had Make an exchange of what thou art or hast with Christ for what Christ is or hath and so taking him like the wise Merchant the Pearle thou shalt have Salvation with him Now this Exchange lyeth in these foure things chiefly First give away thy selfe to him head heart tongue body soule and he will give away himselfe unto thee Cant. 6. 3. yea he will stand in thy roome in Heaven that thou maist triumph and say I am already in Heaven glorified in him I see Gods blessed face in Christ I have conquered Death Hell and the Devill in him Secondly Give away all thy sinnes to Christ confesse them leave them cast them upon the Lord Jesus so as to receive power from him to forsake them And he will be made sinne for thee to take them away from thee 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Thirdly give away thine honour pleasure profit life for him he will give away his Crowne