of the former with these precedaneous motions to fin Besides let the Thoughts Words and Deeds of the holyest person which you would instance in be sifted to the bottom and some bran will be found in them some chaff will be winowed out of the heap of his conversation even since that time that he hath had some comfortable assurance of his good Estate but all this is not only tryable by experience but by Rules and Grounds of Divinity which have proportion with the Analagy of Faith 23. The new Creature or the Regenerate man who doth sincerely endeavour to perfect Holyness in the fear of God doth not pass into this estate by any physical and natural but by a spiritual and moral change the principles of Motion and Operation in him continuing not only the same but still lyable to the same Errors in working as before otherwise as we have already said his state must be a state of Impeccability which was never in our earthly Tabernacle but once when Christ Jesus took our nature upon him in whom though the humane nature was lapsible because otherwise he had not been made in all things like unto us Sin only excepted Heb. 2.17 which lapsability is not yet by reason of the hypostalical union of the Humane and Divine nature in his Person he could not only not fall but feel no Motion to the least sin neither was Guile found in his mouth So then by reason the faculties in the Soul remain the same after as before conversion as that man doth will Vertue with the same Individual will wherewith before he did will Vice he doth love God with the same natural power of affecting wherewith before he loved the World It must follow that the Soul and her Appetites as well concupiscible as irascible being still physically the same the change is only in these 3 things especially the 1. cause 2. manner and 3. end of their operation The Moral cause if I may so term it by the efficiency whereof the Will and her Appetites are in a Regenerate man moved to act upon the proposal of any object is that Tincture of Grace which is cast into the Soul by the blessed Spirit of God which is a kind of Principium motus quietis in Moral as Nature is in things Natural mingling it self into every faculty of the Soul apprehending in the Intellectual willing or nilling in the Elective power governing and guiding the Affections in all their Operations both of aversation and desire being so perfectly assimilated to the nature of the Soul that as is the Soul in which it dwells Grace is better apprehended by her operation in Regenerate men than defined in its essence something there is that moves them to Act not only so contrary to others but even to themselves whilst unregenerate Rom. 6.21 as the contrary effects of Glory and Shame in the same Persons flowing from the same Acts though under a different state doth evidence but to define what this is whether a substance or a quality whether an Act or any Assistant form may possibly appear a difficulty so much the greater by how much the more solidly it is inquired into As for the manner of a Regenerate mans working by Grace it is regular according to that order which God himself hath fixt in our Nature Reason being the Judge of all our Actions uncorrupted by any prepossession passion or interest which are the causes of all disorderly Actions of the Soul invading by force or stratagemme the more noble and rational faculties whereby Unregenerate men are carried vertiginously about with divers Lusts as well as with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.14 which is a lust in the Understanding and so the more dangerous as are Diseases that fix themselves in the vital parts and in circular motion we know that each part of the Orbe hath a vicissitude of Superiority but in the Soul of man Reason ought to be fixt in the highest seat the deepest mysteries of Faith no way deposing this Queen Regent from her Dignity but only exacting from her that Homage and Fealty which is due to Divine Revelations and the Assistances of the Spirit acting herein spiritual and heavenly things And lastly for the change that is wrought in the end of a Regenerate mans Actions that which he now ultimately and chiefly aims at is the manifestation of Gods Glory and the subordinate end of all his Endeavours is his own and the salvation of other mens Souls but with men of unchang'd Natures as Nature in a state of Corruption is the Principle from which they work and their Manner wholy enormous so is their end ever their self even in that worser sense wherein an obedience and captivity to all or some kinds of carnal Lusts for satisfaction of the unreasonable and brutish part in them is signified in opposition to that manual of Gospel-Duties as I may call it abridged into that most comprehensive Notion of Self-denyal Briefly then if you will but observe the Principal efficient of your moral Actions the manner and end of doing them I trust you will be able to see so great a contrariety betwixt those of the Unregerate and Regenerate life that you will without any just cause of doubt as freely assert the spiritual Life you lead from the vigour and energy of that New Nature in you as you do the Natural life you live by the power of the Old Nature in a physical sense OBJECTION XVII But me thinketh say you I may and ought to be a much better Christian than I am SOLUTION 24. NO moral duty like Mathematical proportions doth consist in an indivisible point That which we judge to be the worst may yet be worser and that which we take to be the best may yet be better if done by any Creature not impeccable Eschue Evil and do Good is the rule of holy living Ps 34.13 which he that sincerely doth needeth not be scrupulous and critically inquisitive into every single Action of his Life though he may not be remiss and supine in doing any the most inconsiderable whilst it is in doing 25. There is no Divine that will assert the necessity of perfect and unsinning obedience under the Gospel his own experience without the Authority of Saint John will confute such Magisterial Theologie e're it run from a pen held by a hand of flesh and blood All humane Actions must needs carrie a proportion to the nature of the Agent by which they are effected in all moral Actions the intermediate Agent betwixt the Spirit of sanctification and the material part of the Action is the Soul of Man in which and by which as by a natural and voluntary Instrument the blessed Spirit doth work so that all moral productions must needs receive some impressions from the next and immediate cause of their being an Artificer never so skilfull yet the defects and ineptitude of the Instrument by which he works may somewhat abate of the excellency of
MARY MAGDALEN'S Tears wipt off OR The VOICE of PEACE TO AN UNQUIET CONSCIENCE WRITTEN By Way of Letter TO A PERSON of QUALITY AND Published for the Comfort of all those who Mourn in Zion LONDON Printed by J. C. for T. Garthwait at the Little North-door of S. Pauls 1659. Reader THe Publisher of this Treatise having in his eye no fear of thy dislike nor regard of thy applause hath no other sollicitation for thy perusal thereof then the opinion he hath that it may be serviceable to the good of thy Soul He thinks he shall be guilty of a very charitable mistake if thou findest an errour in his conjecture and thou more obliged to offer then he to ask thy pardon for it To prescribe preventive or recuperative medicines in a great Plague-time is no piece of impertinent officiousness but a prudent discharge of duty to the Publick If thou be so whole as not to need a Physitian thou hast had good luck having lived in so licentious an age and amongst children that are Corrupters Give God the glory of his Grace and despise not the good wishes of thy Brethren A Short TABLE of the principall Contents in this Book OF the Secret and Revealed will in God c. page 12 Of the Day of Grace being spent page 14 Of Sins of Ignorance and Wilfulness page 19 Of Presumptuous Sins page 20 Of Sins after Baptisme page 22 Of want of Sorrow for Sin page 26 Of Gods accepting Mens Persons page 29 Of Personall Assurance page 36 Of Sacerdotall Absolution and Gods Ratification thereof page 38 Of Esau seeking the Blessing c. page 50 The Example of the Israelites that provoked God Ten times in the Wilderness page 52 Of Assurance of Salvation page 54 Of the Witness and Testimony of the Spirit page 56 The Combat between the Flesh and the Spirit page 63 Of the Motions to Sin in Regenerate persons page 68 Of perfect and unsinning Obedience page 73 Of the Measure of well doing in Holy and Vertuous Actions as in Prayer Alms Fasting page 75 S. Math. 19.12 He that is able to Receive it c. whether an Advice c page 86 Of Loving the Lord with all our Soul c. and not doing every thing we have ability to do page 89 Of Doing Holy and Vertuous Actions in the want of Charity page 92 Of making a mans self the end of his Actions page 59 Against the Fear of Death page 98 Of the Falling away from Grace page 103 Of Conversion page 105 Of Relapses into Sin and Injection of Blasphemous thoughts page 107 Of Want of Children page 112 MARY MAGDALEN'S Tears wip't off OR The VOICE of PEACE To an Unquiet Conscience MADAM I Thank you for your Charity to me in calling me to my Prayers and shall by Gods Grace endeavour to requite it by a counter-change of Charity in praying for you as you have desired me I cannot say that I am sorrie that you stand in need of being prayed for we all do so and they most of all and the more for that who think they need not other mens prayers But Madam as I cannot but admire your Humility in this pious request whose gracious Heart like the Treasurie of the Temple accepts of Mites as well as Talents so I am not a little ashamed of mine own indigence and emptiness and which is worst of all of my own unworthiness I speak it in good earnest Madam and being by your call for my prayers become very sensible of my unfitness at least for the Intercessional part of that duty I can assure my self that as I trust you will not be the worse so shall I be much the better for my praying for you But Madam for my prayers only I presume you did not send me that Summons I cannot then but esteem my self obliged to render a duty to you of the same importance but more immediately tending to the production of that effect which you have desired me to pray for and which perhaps if more timely and individually applyed the Disease had not been so inveterate and raging as it is nor you so distrustful of the vertue and efficacie of Remedies as you are By some scattered expressions of my Friend that delivered your message to me I very confidently suspect your languishing under the wasting torment of a wounded Spirit but How long by what cause or upon what occasion I have no hint upon which I may reasonably ground a Presumption So innocent hath been that Act of your Life of which I have been a Spectator so rational close and undistracted your discourse that I dare confidently affirm no Indications of this secret Maladie did ever present themselves to the most acute observer of your Conversation with us My thoughts concerning such a State in general I have judged it my duty to deliver but how pertinent or conducent to the removal of the particular cause of your trouble I am not able to divine for the reasons before mentioned 1. The Soul of man comes out of the hands of her Creator like a rich and curious Watch carrying in her self as the Causes of her own motion so no disorder till she fall under unskilful or unruly fingers Her first immersion into the Bodie renders her not only lyable to the guilt of Original sin but to the future turbulencies and excesses of those faculties common to us and Beasts which because in them govern'd only by an uncontroulable instinct of nature are wholly sinless and have in them no other tendency but the preservation of that creature in which they work but with man it is much otherwise whose appetites are subjected to a rational choice under the penalty exacted by a Law wholly commensurate with reason and the noble dictates of a Soul emancipated from the Suggestions and delusions of flesh and blood 2. Hence is it that she receives in us no wounds but by our own hands her Peace is never broken but by Errours in our Election and that most times but radically neither the true resentment of our guilt and danger being subsequent to a reflexive act of the Soul from whence proceed those Smiting Thoughts able to wear out or rend an heart of Adamant The source or spring whereof usually are the consideration either 1. of what we have been or of 2. what we are or of 3. what we shall or may be hereafter the guilt of sin acted the prevalency of sinful dispositions in our nature and of enormous habits in our persons the fear of Relapses and horrour of future punishments are that which set mens souls upon Tenter hooks and few there be who have been guilty of any gross sin whose Prepentance if true hath not given them some taste of this bitter Cup apportionate to the course of their unregenerate life 3. What we have been is of the same latitude in our Regeneration from whence we are to compute our Spiritual life as in our Creation from whence we derive our
you are not hereby endangered by present guilt or engaged under just fear of Apostacy your state in this as in all other things being not without example in the dearest Children of God OBJECTION XXIX But God hath manifested his Displeasure against me in many accidents of life SOLUTION 35. IT may be Gods not giving you Children is principally intended by you in this objection the Key of the wombe being as the Hebrewes were wont to say in the Hands of God there being indeed a more immediate coucurrence of the Divine Majestie required to the fruit thereof then to the production of other things in the ordinary course of Providence I have known this prevaile very farr with some of your sex heightning their perplexityes from that of St. Paul to Timothy 1. Ep. 2.15 from whence they conclude that if a Woman continue barren in a state of Marriage there is no hopes of her salvation that depending so necessarily upon the former condition of Child-bearing to this we answer by these degrees 1. It is no mark of Gods irreversible anger against us that many Crosse accidents befall us in this life seeing they are generally acknowledged to be not only matter of advantage to our Souls bettering us by such chastments but they ought to be apprehended as Signatures or Marks of our adoption St. Paul having illegitimated all such as are not own'd by God for sons by these fatherly Corrections of them Heb. 12.8 very farr are they too from being distinctive prognosticks of those everlasting distributions at the day of judgment in the opinion of King Solomon who tells you that no man knoweth either Love or Hatred by all that is before them Eccle 9.1 2. Where God hath given Children and by some evill accidents taken them away there may more justly be supposed a manifestation of Gods heavy displeasure then where he gives no Children at all yet that hath been the case of many holy Men and Women as appears in the example of Job and David whose Histories are furnisht with most remarkable passages to this purpose their lives being chequered as one may say with various contingencies of good and evill 3. Be it granted that barrenness amongst the Jewes was reputed a curse and that God threatneth it as a judgment upon them to have miscarrying wombs and dry breasts yet ought it not to have that Character with us Christians who are not engaged to obedience by promises of temporall but of Spirituall and eternall blessings things of that concernment even in those dayes clouded with shadowing and carnall ordinances that God himself proposes them to the obedient Eunuches as a full indeed superabundant satisfaction for their Sterility Is 56.5 the truth is there ought not to be neither is there without our own fault any barrenness in Christians of either sex the forming of Christ in their Souls intimated by the Apostle Gal. 4.19 being a misticall birth in all the Sons and Daughters of God and not without some reflection on this did the Church appoint the Magnificat of that blesed Virgin to be publikely sung in her Liturgie it being hoped that every member thereof would consider that they were bound to bring forth this fruit unto God 4. Lastly for that of the Apostle to Timothy the sense is so obvious and that false interpretation so remote from the wisdome goodness and truth of God that it is strange the Fancies even of women who 't is confest are very forcible should be able by any chimistry of imagination to extract such a disproportionall meaning from that text For St. Paul having fixt that sex in their due place of subordination in the Church that he might give them some reasons to be content with that portion mentions the order of their Creation the woman being not only formed after Adam as that signifies order of time but of Nature also the Man being as one may speak the first running of the metall and her being first in the transgrssion a token of weaknesse and frailty as the Grounds upon which he builds a conclusion or canon for the order not so likely to stand fast upon the bare authority even of the Apostle himself without being cemented and crankt with very good and undeniable reasons but yet not to leave them under the dishonour of being first in that fatall Crime Ringleaders in Rebellion seldome tasting of that mercy which is shewed to their followers and likewise to keep them from being chrust out of that place by the anger and insolence of the other sex the Apostle tells them that by the fruit of their Womb they made amends for the miseries and mischiefs of their fault the Remedy comming by them namely the incarnation of Christ as well as the disease of the efficacy whereof they were likewise to have their part if they should continue to perfor me the conditions of that mercifull Covenant the Apostle very seasonably minding them of constancy in their professions and Practise of which the first of that sex shewed no good example in her hearkning to the suggestions of the Serpent in Paradise More perhaps might be sayd to this purpose but the apprehensions I have of your abilities and art of discerning beyond the common capacity of your sex having already check't me for falling into this solemne and foreseen Digression Thus Madam have I given you my thoughts in these generall and conjecturall applications hopeing that they may possibly light on the whole or some part of the cause of your trouble I have offered them to you not so much in acknowledgment of those favours I have heretofore received from your self and your dear Husband since with God though my obligation thereby could not be discharged by a farr greater attempt to recompence them as for the tender respect I have to your afflicted state That this should do a perfect cure though I know God doth manie times great things by small meanes I have no grounded hopes to believe not only because of the defects and impotence of my endeavours but for that difeases of this kinde are influenced upon by the distempers or complexion of the Patient and have a secret and maligne aspect upon them from many circumstances not guessable I presume by persons more Acute then I can deserve to be thought I know Divines should not undertake to cure like Empericks by Guesses and at randome and therefore madam I have not obscurely intimated my desire unto you in this Paper to make a very seasonable and home address to some one of a Thousand Job 33.23 A skilfull Phisician of Souls that you may not be thought to subordinate the care of your better and eternall part to that Cabinet of beautifull earth wherein God hath lock't up that rich Jewell for some few years I am confident Madam it is not only the best but the only Counsell you can follow with assurance by Gods blessing of cureing these wonnds in your Spirit no if I have but cleansed and Wip't or done the least other good office of helping forward their cure as I ought and you to give all the Prayse thereof to God so shall it be esteemed a plentifull Reward for this little Labour of Madam Your affectionate Servant in Christ Jesus A PRAYER OAllmighty God the Creator and Preserver of Humane Spirits the searcher of all Hearts who knowest and tryest all our wayes and understandest our thoughts afarr off from thy love and bounty it is and not from our desert that we have any measure of grace whereby we may know and obey thy Will any impression of Godly sorrow when we have broaken thy lawes any desire to resolution and performance of what is pleasing in thy sight after we have erred and strayed from the pathes of thy commandments mercifully I beseech thee to behold all such as are grieved opprest and perplexed in Spirit through the guilt of sin weaknesse of Grace frailty of Nature or the devices of our grand enemie and accuser Especially be mindfull of thy Servant B. B. who hath aesired the prayers of me thy most unworthy Servant and grievous finner O Lord to thee are known all the causes and accasions of her trouble and confusion of Spirit the distractions and terrors of her soul are not hid from thine Eyes O thou that hast the Balm of Gilead the Soul-healing Oyle of mercy and pardon of sin pour the same I most humbly beseech into her wounded Spirit bind up this bruised Reed kindle this Smoaking Flax preserve her from the Snares of Satan free her from the delusions and errors of a deceitfull imagination and vouch chase to her such a measure of Spirituall Consolution that her soul may be comforted and strengthned thereby to the finishing of her course with joy through a finall Victorie over all her Enemies by the goodness and power of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen FINIS Books Printed and Sold by T. Garthwait at the little North door of St. Pauls B. Chappels Methodus Concionandi 120 Notes upon 103. Psalm being a Praxis upon that Method 80 A Commentary on the 5 Books of Moses or Pentateuch by J. Trap. 40 Remains of Mr. Geo. Herbert late Orator of the university of Cambridge Reliquiae Wottonianae A Collection of the incomparable pieces of that great Master of Language and Art Sr. Henry Wotton Kt. Provost of Eton. c. 120 The Works of that profound Divine Dr. Tho. Jackson Pres of Gorp Chr. Col. Oxon. in folio in 3 Vollumes Dr. Cosins Scholasticall History of the Canon of the Scripture 40 Dr. Waltons Introduction to the Oriental Languages in 120 Dr. Steward Sermon at Paris of Hezekiah's Reformation 120 The Conversion of Rigep Dandulo a Turk to the Christian Faith by Mr. Gunning 80 The Rationale on the Book of Com. Prayer by Mr. Sparrow 120 The whole Duty of Man A Book necessary for all Families 80 Mr. Joseph Mead his Dissertationum Triga 40 Dr. Dees Actions and Conferences with Spirits c. Set out by Dr. Casaubon folio School Books Mr. Walkers Treatise of English Particles 80 Mr. Busbies Horat. Castigat Mr. Busbies Juvenal Castigat Mr. Busbies Persius Castigat In usum Scholae Westmonaster
the work unless he can suppose the Soul of Man in all her faculties to be not only regular but inerrable that transpiercing Eye will sind some flaw in the most orient moral Action which a state of Separation and Bliss might have rendered that Action free from our very Prayers and Prayses are undoubtedly not so perfect in this as in the other life and this is one reason why till the day of Judgement Christ doth not deliver up the Kingdom to the Father his Melchesidekian Priesthood continuing in my opinion till that time both for the Quick and Dead that they may have their Perfect Consummation and bliss in everlasting glory this the Church prayes for and for what the Body prayes the Head doth undoubtedly intercede OBJECT XVIII But me thinketh say you I may do more good then I do SOLUTION 26. COncerning the measure of well-doing if it were in Moral positive precepts of Gods revealed Will there needs nothing more be said but that of our Saviour These ought to be done Matth. 23.23 But because such doubts or Scruples that afflict your minde are most likely to arise from those duties which are prescribed only in gross but the Quotum or measure left to our own prudence to determine as Fasting Prayer Alms c. I shall onely insist upon these there being no tollerable doubt or scruple to be made concerning the other which oblige ad semper at all times and in their full measure But you must take notice that it is not possible that part cular Rules and Directions can be given to all Christians concerning these Duties whereby all objections may be prevented some what may be said in general which may serve so far to direct you and all good Christians concerning these duties that by observing them you may be left secure from all damnable omissions of any of these duties and from any dangerous errors in performing them Fasting is a duty when enjoyned by publike lawful Authority and for Christian ends and to be performed in a charitable manner is an indispensable duty upon all save such with whom that Authority doth actually dispense or may duly be supposed to be dispensable by such an Authority But for private Fasts how frequently they are to be observed by every one cannot be defined without some regard had to our constitution of Bodie our calling the usual Contingencies of necessary affairs c. which may hinder the performance or make it impertinent to our end Publick Fasts are less lyable to errors in the performance than private are one reason amongst others is because the management of every one for that time is for the greatest part left under publick circumstances of Time Persons Place c. which render the Duty more free from error and scruple in the Performance Private asts are seldom free from private faults and inconveniencies Now because the circumstances of Complexion Age Sex Contingencies c. are so variable my judgment is that few Christians oblige themselves by Vow but under a pecuniary mulct to the poor they may to the observation of weekly voluntary fasts making those the choicest opportunities when they are most fit for those duties The best conjuncture is Prayer Fasting and Alms together or in those who have no corporal Alms some spiritual Largess to the Souls of others which all may give these set a price upon the Service of God and keep our Religion from being cheap and refuse and such as costs us nothing but the expence of a little time and breath But by this I desire not to be thought to discharge the weekly dayes of abstinence appointed by the Church or to commute for them by the observation of a day of your own for I look upon the Authority of the Church you were baptized in as uncancell'd in point of obliging you and all others who call your selves the Sons and Daughters of the Church of England These Cautions I shall recommend unto you and others in reference to the matter in hand 1. The duties of our honest and necessary calling wherein men do undoubtedly serve God when orderly and Christianly performed may though not wholly supersede either out of our family or private practise any of these duties yet moderate us in the practice of them So much time spent in prayer cannot in reason be expected from one that subsists by his honest Calling as from him that lives of a plentiful Revenue 2. Diversions and recreations ought not to govern us in of respect these duties but if they be such as require much of our time to the exercise of them which I believe is not agreeable to Christian principles the seasons must not be rob'd away from these duties but from something else wherein we have a power to dispense I do not believe that an Hunting-Match a Cittie-Visit or a Pack of Cards c. ought to exchange and alter the fittest and usual times and hours for prayer though necessary employments deeds of Mercy and Charity may much less abbreviate or wholly dispense with the duty 3. If it happen that there be an opportunity of doing some dutie of Piety as publick Prayer or Sermon c. in that place where you are enjoyn'd to be an Auditor Member of the Congregation on the Lords day or in any other place where you are in case there be no Schism in the National Church you may not absent your self only for such Diversions and Recreations the reason is not only for that a guilt of omission and also a scandal will follow from thence but you may lose an opportunity of doing or receiving some good at that time which you may not have tendred to you again To lavish away ones time is a very great imprudence besides a sin in any Christian but to lose seasons and opportunities is a very great piece of guilt as well as folly 4. In case you have bound your self to any of these in respect of the measure and frequency either by Vow or promise or firm Resolution especially if by way of Revenge for former faults 2 Cor. 7. 11. by all means be as projectual as you may in the observation there of assuring your self that as you shall meet with the more and greater oppositions after such Vow Promise or Resolution so you will finde much more trouble upon the not performance of the duty so vowed promised or resolved on because the duty thereby becomes in its circumstances to the hic and nunc of it of the nature of Gods unchangeable precepts and the sin of unfaithfulness is added to the omission of that duty by you 5. You need not scruple the Condition or perswasion of the Person to whom you give in bestowing of your Alms if you perceive the Receiver thereof be such as by honest endeavours cannot provide for himself and his Family in a way proportionable to the Dignity of mans Nature you have a good aim to hit the mark of Charity if nothing be probably