blindnesse not to see the inabilitie of our naturall will to any good vulnerata sanciata vexata perdita est vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet Hee that saith that Man per Naturae vigorem may thinke or make choise of any good pertayning to eternall life hee is deceiued with the spirit of Herisie Quod amissum nisi à quo potuit dari non potest reddi vnde ipsa Veritas dicit Si vos Filius liberauit tunc vere liberi eritis But most clearely doth the Apostle decide this controuersie by declaring our naturall inabilitie to any good when hee saith the naturall man hath such a minde as cannot vnderstand the things of God and such a will as is not subiect to the Law of God nor yet can be to wit so long as it abideth a naturall will not renued by the grace of Regeneration And hereunto these words of Bernard may serue for a cleare commentarie Nescio quo prauo miro modo ipsa sibi voluntas peccato in deterius mutata necessitatem facit vt nee necessitas cum voluntaria sit excusare valeat voluntatem nec voluntas cum sit illecta excludere necessitatem I cannot tell by what meruailous and wicked manner it is come to passe that the will being changed to the worse hath brought vpon herselfe a necessitie of euill doing in such sort that neither the necessitie seeing it is voluntarily brought on can excuse the will nor yet the will seeing it is snared and allured can exclude the necessitie And againe in the same place Ita anima miro quodam malo modo sub hac voluntaria quadam male libera necessitate ancilla tenetur libera ancilla propter necessitatem libera propter voluntatem quod magis mirum magisque miserum est eo ipso rea quo libera eoque ancilla quo rea ac per hoc eo ancilla quo libera But this cursed corruption of our will which by nature is contrary both to Gods will and our weale is cured by the renuing grace of Christ in the regeneration For the first lesson Christ Iesus doth teach his Disciples that enter into his Schoole is to denie themselues to captiue their will and to submit themselues in all things to the will of God As the Christian carefully keepes the light of God as a heauenly Oracle in his mind so in all his resolutions and actions he will not conclude farre lesse enterprise till first hee enquire what is the will of God The Censure But now the great multitude of professors who liue so addicted to their owne will as if they had not a superiour in heauen euidently proues they are not all Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IIII. Of his Conscience The Lords Command THis Commandement commit I vnto thee that thou fight a good fight hauing faith a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. for if thy hart condemne thee God is greater then thy hart and knowes all things but if thy heart condemne thee not then hast thou boldnesse toward God 1. Ioh. 3. 20. Yea a good conscience is a continuall feast Prou. 15. 15. walke therefore before me and be thou perfect Gen. 15. and draw neere to mee with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in thy heart from an euill conscience Heb. 10. 22. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord my God I humbly pray thee make my hart stable vnblameable before thee in holinesse that I may serue thee with a pure conscience and may walke before thee in truth and with a perfect heart doing that which is good in thy sight that so thy peace which passeth all vnderstanding may preserue mine heart and minde in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this Command I Haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day Act. 23. 1. yea in all things I haue a good conscience desiring to liue honestly Heb. 13. 18. And herein also will I for the time to come endeuour my selfe to haue alway a a good conscience toward God and man Acts 24. 16. setting the Lord alwayes before mine eyes Psal. 16. and doing all things as in the sight of God Heb. 4. 13. I will keepe my righteousnesse and not forsake it my heart shall not reproue mee of my dayes Iob. 27. 6. so shall my reioycing be the testimonie of my conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God I haue had my conuersation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. THE OBSERVATIONS COnscience is to be considered in her Nature and Office As for the nature of Conscience it is better felt then it can be discerned for in it wee feele not onely an vnderstanding power as is in the minde but also an agent or working power as is in the will so that it is not a faculty Theoricke onely as the vnderstanding nor practicke onely as the will but compounded and mixt And that it is a different facultie from them both is euident by this that it sits in the soule as a Controller both of the thoughts of the minde and desires of the will As for the office of Conscience we may define it thus It is a spirituall iudge depute by God the supreame iudge and placed in the soule of man to determine of all his actions with him to excuse him or against him to accuse him and that for the conuersion of some and conuiction of others First then it is Gods deputie which vnder him houlds court in the Soule of man for euen the word of Conscience imports that there is another with it vpon the knowledge of our secrets Science may be of one alone but Conscience is of moe then one which are priuie to the same knowledge The same is euident from this that Conscience is said to beare witnesse where of necessitie wee must distinguish betweene him to whom the witnesse is borne and him of whom it is borne the witnesse bearer is Conscience the partie of whom the testimonie is made is man The great Iudge who together with Conscience knowes our secrets is God wherefore also Saint Iohn couples God and Conscience together for they know our deeds together and will iudge them together That Conscience is Gods deputie it warnes vs not to despise the iudgement of Conscience for the Lord in the end will ratifie the sentence of Coscience If Conscience vpon light condemn vs God who is greater then Conscience and knowes much more then Conscience doth know will much more condemne vs. An example whereof wee may see cleerely in Adam who immediately after that hee had sinned ranne away and hid himselfe among the bushes No man pursued him no Angell reprooued him the Lord was not yet come to iudge him onely he found himselfe condemned in
the iudgement of his owne conscience which he could not abide and the Lord when he comes condemnes him for the same fact for which his conscience had condemned him before And from this also that Conscience is Gods deputie proceeds the authoritie of Conscience whose sentence is pronounced with such maiestie and power that albeit the whole world would oppone vnto it yet neither are they able to revoke it nor resist it Wherefore S. Paul sets the sentence of his Conscience that did iustifie him against the calumnies of all men whatsoeuer that did condemne him On the contrary if Conscience doe accuse and terrifie all the men and creatures in the world are not able to comfort We may see this in Adam the pleasures of Paradise auailed him nothing after that his Conscience condemned him the same wee may see in Baltasar who had about him all wordly comforts that the heart of man could desire but because conscience was against him none of these could remedie his terror But this is more also that Conscience is the deputie of God in the soule of man Conscience hath not her seat in the face no other man can know it nor yet in the speech no hypocrisie nor dissimulation of man can thrall Conscience to iustifie his words albeit a thousand times he would alledge it Againe the corruptible body will be dissolued by dust but Conscience which hath her seat in the soule shall liue when the body is dead and stand vp before God after death eyther for thee or against thee To the wicked after death Conscience shall be a biting worme for euer to torment them but to the godly it shal be as a pleasant Paradice rendring to them infinit ioyes wherein they shall abide for euer The offices of Conscience are three especially first it records and keepes in remembrance deedes that wee haue done Secondly it determineth and iudgeth of them with vs or against vs thirdly it executeth the sentence determinate As for the first we may feele in experience that wee doe nothing which Conscience writes not and layes vp in register wee may change our place but still we finde that conscience goes with vs we may cast off our garments but not our Conscience wee may separate our selues from men but when we are most solitarie then doe we find that Conscience is most familiar with vs goe where wee will doe what wee will Conscience is alwayes vpon our secrets As for the second like as Conscience knoweth and registreth all that wee doe so in euery action it determineth eyther with vs or against vs accusing or excusing vs. And in this determination Conscience proceedeth according to her light which is twofold either the light of Nature or the light of the Word As for the light of Nature there are no people so barbarous but that part of Conscience which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keepes in them some sparkes of the knowledge of good and euill which the most prophane man that euer was cannot get vtterly suffocated albeit faine hee would wish it were not in him to conuince him Now the reasoning of Conscience is very strong euen when it conuinceth Pagans by the light of Nature but much more strong when it conuinceth Christians by the Word of God for that part of Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth keepe the light of the Law furnisheth the proposition adulterers murtherers and so forth are worthy of fearefull iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againe that part of Conscience wherein is the knowledge and remembrance of thy deedes makes the assumpsion but so it is thou hast committed adultery or murther and shall remember thee both of time and place and other circumstances whereupon will follow an ineuitable conclusion But here wee must remember to put a difference betweene Conscience and error of Conscience for Conscience may erre for want of cleare light and become eyther ouer strict counting that euill and vnlawfull which is good and lawfull or else ouer large thinking that lawfull which is plainly vnlawfull and here diligent paines would be taken by prayer and reading to informe the conscience with sufficient light out of Gods word And herewithall wee must remember that conscience suppose it giue a diuine sentence yet is it neither perfect nor supreame not perfect because the light that informes it is but in a part for if the conscience be euill yet can it not accuse thee of all the euill that is in thee and if it be good it cannot also remember and record all the good which God by his grace hath done in thee and that as I said by reason of the weaknesse of her light Whereof it comes to passe that in this life the Conscience cannot haue perfect nor continuall peace without feare because it looketh continually for the definitiue sentence of that supreme and highest Iudge then shall it be pacified and neuer doubt any more when it shall receiue that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou faithfull seruant And yet Conscience hauing once giuen out sentence beginneth the execution thereof with great authority rendring ioy to them that haue done well feare and terror to them that haue done euill which is no other thing but a forerunner of that great and final retribution which God who will iustifie the decree of conscience shall render to all men Whereof we are admonished neuer to neglect the accusations of Conscience for albeit that now the perturbation of vnruly affections be so loud that the voyce of Conscience condemning the foolish and crooked wayes of men is eyther but weakely heard or else not at all yet is there a day comming wherein these perturbations shall be silent and Conscience shall speake with so loud a voyce that the deafeâ—… eares of men shall heare it the Lord himselfe also taking part with Conscience and iustifying all her accusations against them And therefore seeing wee can neyther get Conscience corrupted to conceale our faults neither yet smothered put out by any length of time as is manifest in Iosephs brethren whose Consciences troubled them in Egypt for that crueltie which many yeares before they had done against their brother in Canaan but that still if wee doe against God Conscience will speake against vs it is good for vs to agree with Conscience in time and in all our wayes to seeke her approbation Now the ends for which God hath vnder himselfe deputed Conscience in the soule of man are the conuersion of his owne and iust conuiction of his enemies for herein greatly appeareth his equitie towards all men and speciall loue and fauour towards his owne As the Lord hath protested by an oath that hee desireth not the death of a sinner so by his deed he declares it in this that he hath put in man a warner to fore-tell vnto him that heauie wrath whereinto he will fall vnlesse
Sathans instruments Gregor Moral lib. 13. cap. 15. 18 It is great weaknes to be prouoked to wickednes by wicked men Tertul. de Patient 19 Wee should not sight against Sathan with his own armour 20 He that cannot suffer euil words how will he suffer a sharper crosse 21 A good conscience and a good name are both necessary and why Aug. ad frat in Erem serm 53. Philo. lib. d◅ migratione Abrahae 22 But no innocency can defend vs against the tongues of wicked men 23 It is Sathans work to obscu◅e the good name of Gods children Cyp Antoniano frat Epist. 52. 24 Hs is poore that stands in need of another mans praise 25 How the Christian depends not vpon the estimation of other men Amb. offic lib. 1 cap. 5. 26 Troubles comming immediately from God are most patiently to be borne Ioh. 27. 27 Seeing we suffer willingly corrections from men y◅a the cutting of our flesh it is a shame not to suffer Gods corrections 28 A rebuke of those that cannot abide to be touched with any wrong Micah 7. 4. Carnall anger forbidden and the manifold euils that come by it Holy Anger allowed a Esay 43. 21. b Psal. 119. 73. c Esay 32. 15. d Esay 38. 3. e Psal. 25. 8. f Gal. 5. 20. g 1. Pet. 3. 4. h Iam. 3. 13. The Christian is gouerned by the word of the Lord. He is gentle toward all men euen those that are contrarie minded But yet so that hee is z◅lous I The holy Spirit appeared first in the likenes of a Doue after that in likenesse of Fire 2 Teaching vs meeknesse in our owne cause but burning zeale in the cause of God 3 Anger a natural affection created by God in man 4 Anger is eyther carnall or spirituall Gregor Moral lib. ◅ Sect. 125. 5 For the commotion of the minde is according to the mouer thereof Nazian Cygneorum ca◅minum lib. Ibid. 6 Anger stirred by Sathan is eyther without a cause or without moderation 7 What a compound euil carnal anger is Nazian ibid. 8 It makes a man vsurpe the roome of God 9 It makes a man like vnto Sathan Nazian ibid. For a man cannot keepe the meeknes of God and malice of Sathan together 10 It shakes off all reuerence of man Gregor Moral lib. 34. 17. 11 Compared to a raging riuer and to that destroying beast in Daniel How it deformeth the body 12 How it disturbeth the soule Gregor Moral lib. 5. cap. 121. 13 How it interrupts prayer and cuts off fellowship with God Ibid. 14 The Apostles precept serues for a remedie against this euill 15 Three things considered in the precept 16 A holy anger which is commended 17 Three helpes against carnall anger 18 The first is determinate silence Many men ignorantly make their aduersaries their maisters learning at them how to speake euill for euill 19 How meeknesse patience ouer-come stormie words Nazian 20 The second help is consideration 21 Consider thou hast deserued more contempt then man can lay on thee Naz. Cyg car 22 How all the euill words of men whether they be true or false are to be receiued Aug. cont Pet. lib. 3. cap. 10. 23 It is vnreasonable for vs to seeke reuenge seeing Christ and his Saints are not yet reuenged 24 It is also hurtfull all carnall reuenge being like that of Thamers 25 The Patience of Christ stands for an example of patience to vs. 26 In all our wrongs we are to consider Sathan as our principall enemie 27 For the wicked are his members moued by him 28 Remedy against carnall Anger 29 Three sorts of men diuersly disposed tovvard Anger Gregor Moral lib. 5. sect 122. 30 It is humane srailty to conceiue Anger but a diuellish thing to keepe it 31 The vvicked are like bryers and thornes that prick euery one vvho touch them 32 It is farre othervvise vvith the children of God It is not enough to keepe the heart for God hee vvill haue the seruice of the body also Let them marke it vvho thinke they may bovv their knee to Baal Professors liuing prophanely dishonour God shame the Gospell but it shall turne to their ovvne shame in the end A good life is the best defence of a Christian. a Psal. 119. 135. b 2 Thes. 1. 11. c Phil. 2. 15. d Psal. 138. 8. e 2 Thes. 1. 11. It is a great shame if novv professing Christ vvee bring not forth the fruit of godlinesse seeing vvhen vve vvere in the estate of Nature vve vvere fruitfull to sinne Let carnall Christians be ashamed to read this 1 Now followes the disposition of his outward man 2 For first the soule is renued and then the body restored 3 The regeneration of the body consists in two things 1. A restitution of it to original glory 2. A sanctification of all the members thereof 4 The Christian is like the Angels holy both within and without Gregor Moral lib. 19. Sect. 30. 5 A Christian should be knowne by all the parts of his life Chrisost. in Mat. hom 4. 6 Many Christians now being tryed by the parts of their behauiour will be found counterfait He is a poore man who hath his tongue onely and not his deeds to defend him 7 How an euill life is an argument of an euill heart Mar. hom 15. God should dwell in the Eare as in the doore of his owne Temple The Eare of the wicked is open to Sathan but closed to God What blessings are promised to them who lend their eare to the Lord. a Iob. 33. 16. b Iob. 36. 10. c Esay 6. 10. d Ierem. 6. 10. e Psalm 40. 8. f Esay 50. 4. g Luke 8. 15. The eare is the taster of the soule Let such as delight not to heare the word of the Lord be ashamed 1 Suppose the minde be diuine yet the good in it could not be communicated without an Organ 2 Man first made for God secondarily for man 3 Therefore hath God giuen him a minde by which he hath intelligence with God and bodily organes by which he hath intelligēce with men 4 For by the tongue we giue and by the eare we receiue intelligence 5 The fabrick of mans eare teacheth him to be ready to heare 6 But to heare onely such things as come from God 7 The wicked haue an eare for Sathan but none for the Lord. Psal. 58. 4. Iere. 6. 10. Esay 6. 10. Zach. 7. 11. 8 An eare opened to God is a great grace 9 How the Christian closeth his eare vpon Sathan 10 As he wil not carry sathan in his tongue to lye so not in his eare to receiue a false report 11 The author hearer and reporter of lies compared together 12 The eare is the taster of the soule 13 A Christian mesureth words by their owne weight not by the qualitie of the speaker 14 Great folly to reiect the word of God for the basenesse of the person that speakes it 15 As the eare was the first port of death so is
in time he repent and turne from his euill wayes And wonderfull it is how this shall conuince the wicked man in the houre of death when their conscience shall stand vp before the supreame Iudge and testifie against him in this manner O Lord I haue giuen this man according as thou deputed me warning euery day for his sinnes and hath terrified him for them but hee would not receiue my correction Oh that impenitent men could consider how this despising of Conscience shall be a great augmentation of their iudgement But on the other part to the children of God Conscience of his speciall mercy is giuen for these two vses first it is as a Paedagoge appointed by God to guide his children in the right way Secondly when they goe wrong it is a diuine warner within them which suffers them neyther to eate nor sleepe long in rest till they returne to the Lord by repentance for as Peter was wakened by the crowing of the Cock and made to weepe bitterly for his sinnes so is the crowing and accusing voyce of Conscience to the godly Thus we see how it is a great benefit to Gods children to haue a liuing feeling and wakeing Conscience for eyther it keepes them that they do not euill or that they continue not in it as we may see in Dauid whose Conscience was more troubled for cutting the lap of Sauls garment then Saul was for cutting off the liues of fourescore seruants of the Lord. Wheras on the contrary the Lord in his anger suffers Sathan so to benumbe the conscience of the wicked as if they were burnt with an hot yron whereof it comes to passe that being past feeling they commit iniquitie with greedines Surely a good conscience is mans paradice vpon earth therefore Salomon called it a continuall feast it is the fruit of righteousnesse and euer bringeth out peace and ioy in these three stands the beginning of eternall life But as Sathan enuyed Adam dwelling in his Paradice so doth he enuy euery Christian that dwels in the Paradice of a good Conscience and therefore doth what he can to entise him to sinne that so he may driue him out of it for which cause we haue neede by daily repentance to take away the euill wee haue done and by godly circumspection to eschew his snares in time to come The Censure But now the small regard which is made of a good Conscience proues that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christians name CHAPTER V. Of his Affections And first Of his Loue. The Lords Command LOue ye the Lord al his Saints Psal. 31. 23. for they who loue him shall he as the Sun when he riseth in his might Iudg. 5. 31. If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration yea excommunicated to the death 1. Cor. 16. 22. Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Iohn 2. 15. Hee that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit thereof Eccles. 5. 9. but keepe you your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Iude. 21. A new commandement also I giue vnto you that you loue one another Iohn 13. 34 yea that you serue one another by Loue Gal. 3. and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which you are called in one body and be ye amiable Colos. 3. 15 He that loueth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of euill in him 1. Iohn 2. 10. but hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is Loue 1. Iohn 4. 7. and Loue commeth of God Euery one that loues is borne of God 1. Iohn 4. 7. therefore loue one another without faining with a pure heart and feruently 1. Pet. 1. 22. that your loue may be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. not in word nor in tongue onely but in very deed and in truth 1. Iohn 3. 18. Moreouer loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you for if ye loue them that loue you what reward shall yee haue doe not the Publicanes the same Mat. 5. 44. Finally let all your things be done in Loue. 1. Cor. 16. 14. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord I know that though I speake with the tongue of Angels if I haue not loue I am but as a sounding brasse or tinckling Cymball and though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had no loue I were nothing therefore guide thou mine heart in thy Loue Encrease me also and make me to abound in Loue towards all men Another O God of all patience and consolation grant vnto vs that wee may be all alike minded one toward another according to Christ that with one minde and with one mouth wee may praise thee endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace and so our Loue may yet more and more abound in all knowledge and in all iudgement to the glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command I Loue thee dearly O Lord my God Psal. 18. 1. the desire of my soule is to thy name to the remembrance of thee whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none on earth with thee Psal. 73. 25. Surely as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God Psal. 42. 1. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 143. 6. and waites on thee more then the morning watch waites for the morning Psal. 130. 6. Yea it fainteth O Lord for thy saluation Psal. 119. 81. And as for the Lord Iesus Christ albeit as yet I haue not seene him yet I loue him and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. And as for thy Law except it had beene my delight I should now haue perished in my affliction Psal. 119. 92. for thy promises are sweeter then hony to my mouth Psal. 119. 103. and I loue thy Commandements aboue gold Psal. 119. 127. O how loue I thy Law it is my meditation continually Psal. 119. 97. yea for the loue I beare to thy Law I loue the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honor dwelleth Psal. 26. 8. and I desire nothing more then this one that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy temple Psal. 27. 4. for thy Tabernacles are amiable to mee blessed are they who dwell in thy
liue but vpon his life that is delighteth in sinne which doth breed his owne destruction The third obiect of our Loue is our neighbour where first we are to regard those of our familie least we be found worse then Infidels secondly those that are of the familie of Faith thirdly all men yea euen our enemies in so much as they are the workmanship of God for he loueth his neighbour truely who loue God in his neighbour that is who loueth his neighbour eyther because hee seeth that God is in him or else because he would haue God in him Now as for the measure of our Loue it is not one and alike toward all the obiects of our Loue the right measure of our Loue to God is to loue him without measure at least with all that wee haue with all our heart all our mind and all our strength but the loue of our selues and our neighbour is limited so far forth may wee loue our selues and them as may stand with the loue of God Beatus qui te amat amicum in te inimicū propter te nam solus is nihil charum amittit cui omnia chara sunt in eo qui non amittitur blessed is hee who loues God and his friend in God and his enemie for God onely that man cannot loose any thing which he loueth who loueth nothing but in God who cannot be lost Thus the affection of Loue being ordered by grace is in the soule like a sparkle of heauenly fire which no way can be borne downe but carries vp by course and degree the desires of our heart toward the Lord from whom it came till at length wee be consummate with his Loue. The Censure But now the great number of them who want this Loue proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VI. Of his Hatred The Lords Command YEe who loue the Lord hate that which is euill Psal. 97. 10. for they that call on the name of the Lord should depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 19. and should hate euen the garment that is spotted with the flesh Iude. 23. but thou shal◅ not hate thy brother in thine heart Leuit. 19. 17. for if any man say that he loues God and hates his brother hee is a lyar 1. Iohn 4. And hee that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse vnto this time 1. Ioh. 2. 9. He walketh in darknesse and knowes not whither he goes because that darknes hath blinded his eyes 1. Iohn 2. 11. Yea hee that hates his brother is a man-slayer and ye know that no man-slayer hath eternall lise abiding in him 1. Iohn 3. 15. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command QVicken me O Lord according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keepe the testimonies of thy mouth Deale with thy seruant according to thy mercy and teach me thy statutes I am thy seruant grant me therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies The Christians Practise of this Command I Hate falshood and abhorre lyes Psal. 119 163. I hate vaine inuentions 119. 113. and all false waies 119. 128. I hate the assemblies of the euill Psal. 26. 5. and them that giue themselues to deceitfull vanitie Psal. 31. 6. My soule hateth Idols 2. Sam. 5. 8. and the worke of them that fall away it shall not cleaue to mee Psal. 101. 3. Doe I not hate them O Lord that hate thee and doe I not earnestly contend with those that rise vp against thee surely I hate them with vnfained hatred as if they were mine vtter enemies Psal. 139. 21. THE OBSERVATIONS AS by nature mans heart is emptied of all holy Loue so it is filled with a sinfull hatred a monstrous euill offensiue to God to our neighbour yea and to our selues Naturally Man hates the Lord according to that which our Sauiour saith hee that doth euill hateth the light the euill Conscience of the wicked abhorreth the Lord who is that first and great light from whom all others haue that light which they haue wishing that eyther there were not a God at all or else that he were like them He hates in like manner good men euen for that good which is in them and that with such a raging malice that no band of Nature can restraine it thus Caine hated his brother Abel and why onely because his works were good Rahel hated her Sister Leah and why onely because shee was fruitfull her selfe being barren and Ioseph also was hated of his owne brethren for no other cause but for that his earthly Father loued him and his heauenly Father had blessed him with the gift of Reuelation or Prophecie aboue them O cursed roote of bitternesse which doth cause man to hate his owne and that onely for the good that is in them O greatest euill so directly contrary to the greatest good God is so good that of euery euill hee worketh good to his owne and hatred is so euill that the good things of God become vnto it a matter of greater euill Thus is man who was made to the similitude of God become an incarnate diuell or as Augustine cals him Secundus Diabolus inferior onely to Sathan in two respects For whereas Sathan being now very neere sixe thousand yeares olde hath the subtiltie of his Nature wherein also he doth exceed man helped by long experience to doe wickedly Man being of shorter continuance cannot equall him Againe man is clogged with a body which is a great impediment to the perfection and accomplishment of that which his Spirit conceiueth it being farre otherwise with the actions of the bodie which require the circumstances of place and persons then with the conceptions of the minde which without any such thing are perfected Otherwayes if the wickednesse of mans heart brake out as it is conceiued if euery hatefull thought brake out into murther and euery vncleane lust into a carnall act O what a world of wickednesse should then be discouered in man then should it be manifest that Man for similitude of Natures were but an incarnate Diuell as I haue said As the graces of the Spirit keepe one fellowship so disordered affections which vnder their proper name in effect are but vices goe together like the linkes of one chaine For Hatred comes of euill parents Pride begets Anger Anger breeds Enuy and Enuy brings out Hatred If any man loue not the daughter suffoca matrem non erit filia let him suffocate and slay the mother the daughter shall not be Anger is festuca in occulo but if it benourished fit grandis trabes ira enim inveterata fit odium of a mote in the eye of our Conscience it becomes a beame for inveterate anger turneth into Hatred Against this euill wee are to embrace the wholesome counsell of the holy Ghost Let
our sinnes and our infirmities these two a godly man feareth continually the one because by them hee hath fallen from God the other least they should procure a new diuorcement betweene him and the Lord whom his soule loueth And this feare is so necessary to keepe vs within the compasse of godlinesse that if any man be without it hoc ipsum vehementius timere debeat quod non timeat he ought so much the more to feare because he is without feare I haue learned said Bernard by experience that for obtaining and retaining of grace it is very profitable that these three feares succeed by course in the soule of man vt timeas pro accepta gratia amplius pro amissa longe plus pro recuperata If thou haue receiued grace feare thou procure it not to be taken from thee if againe in thy sense thou finde it to be lost feare much more because thy keeper hath left thee and hee is gone from thee that sustained thee And last when againe it is restored vnto thee feare most of all least againe thou procure by thy sinnes that it should be taken from thee Now the obiects of our feare without vs are men of sundry ranckes whom vnder God wee are commanded to feare among whom the first place belongs to the King The second to our naturall Parents Leuit. 19. Let euery man feare his Father and his Mother where wee are to obserue that the infirmities and imperfections of our Parents must no way be the matter of our sport farre lesse of our disdaine if wee feare God and looke to be blessed of God with Iapheth and Sem wee must reuerence them and couer their nakednesse otherwise the contempt and mockry of Parents euen where they deserue it shall bring vpon children the curse of Cham. The third belongs to our spirituall Fathers to whom also wee owe feare and reuerence in the Lord according to that were yee not afraid to speake against my Seruant And the fourth is to al men among whom we should liue of a pure conuersation with feare for if they be prophane they are Sathans snares and wee are to feare least liuing among them wee be tempted to euill by them if they be godly they are the Lords holy ones and we should also feare to offend them Now as our Feare should be set vpon the right obiects so should it be rightly ordered The iudgements of God are not so to be feared that we distrust his mercies nor our sinnes so to be feared that wee misbelieue his promises neither men so to be feared as if they were not vnder God nor shadowes so to be feared as if we had not a most sure word to which wee should take heede and to one of these sorts are to be referred all feares forbidden in holy Scripture The wicked eyther are without Feare their prosperitie encreasing carelesse securitie because they haue no changes they feare not God and againe because I hold my tongue and that of a long time therefore thou fearest mee not And this securitie endeth alway in a most horrible and confused feare or else if they haue any feare it is distemperate and out of order For there is a vaine and blinde feare whereby they feare when there is no cause Psal. 13. and this is the fruit of an euill conscience yet euen the godly are not exempted from these sorts of blinde feares because they are regenerate in a part onely but at length these feares in them are banished and chased away by the true feare of God Againe there is in them a carnall feare the obiect whereof is man this is a feare in extremitie when man is so feared that God is offended of it speaks Salomon The feare of man brings a snare Prou. 29. 25. And from this feare also the godly are not fully exempted this feare made Abraham deny his wife it made Iacob afraid of Esau notwithstanding that God had twise comforted him it made Samuel feare to annoint Dauid least Saul should slay him it made Ionas decline from the calling of God and it made Peter deny his Maister but it is certaine that in the godly the true feare and loue of God at length doth ouercome it Beside this there is in them a seruile feare by which they feare God for his iudgements onely for the most prophane mockers among them are afraid when the Lord shewes himselfe angry as is euident in Pharaoh and this Feare is neuer alone in the godly but conioyned as I said with a feare of God for his mercy which at length shall ouercome and cast out all feare of his iudgements But in the wicked seruile feare encreaseth alwaies vntill it end in desperate feare as we may see in Saul who feared Dauid because hee saw that God was with him and became alwayes his enemie O most miserable and vnhappy condition to hate a man because God loues him to be enemie vnto him because God is with him for as Gods loue towards his owne can neuer end so matter of feare and perturbation to the wicked can neuer be lacking the end whereof can not be hurt to the godly but desperate destruction to themselues As it was vnto Saul so let all thy enemies perish O Lord. And this feare is also in damned Diuels but godly men neuer fall into it For this cursed feare is the daughter of Infidelitie the sister of Hatred the mother of Disobedience and Despaire Timor tristis inutilis qui veniam quia non quaerit non consequitur a sad and vnprofitable feare which neuer gets mercie because it cannot seeke it Hic timor cum infidelitatis filius sit salutaris non est this feare being the childe of distrust cannot be profitable vnto saluation Of all this it is euident that the wicked who cast off the feare of God are not for all that with out feare yea rather as is threatned if thou wilt not feare this great and fearefull name The Lord thy God the Lord shall giue thee a trembling heart and thou shalt feare continually Merito certe omnia timet qui vnum non timet it stands with Gods iust iudgements that hee should feare all things who feares not one to wit The Lord his God The Soueraigne remedie therefore against all disordered feare is the true feare of God if there be any wickednesse in thine hand put if from thee and let not euill dwell in thy tabernacle so shalt thou lift vp thy face without spot and thou shalt be safe without feare This holy feare of God is the beginning of wisdome Pro. 1. 7. yea it is the end of all Eccl. 12 It is Custos innocentiae said Cyprian It is Anchora cordis the anchor of the heart said Gregory which keepes it vncarryed away by the waues of raging tentation vbi timor Dei
in whom it rests Viuificat Anima viuificatur if that life by which the soule liueth relinquish it that is if the help and comfort of Gods blessed Spirit forsake it how can it be but the soule must also relinquish the body And yet both these wayes it pleaseth the Lord to exercise his children in this life first by desertion wherein sense of mercy and spirituall strength vnto good is with-drawne from them and this is vnto them as a lingring disease the fruit whereof is first to humble them for their former sinnes secondly to make them esteeme more of the presence of God when he grants it vnto them But the other is worse when not onely hee forsaketh them but also as it were doth pursue them with his wrath this is like vnto a fearefull consumption which if it continued would vndoe them Infernus enim quidam animae rea conscentia est for an euil conscience is a certaine infernall prison of the soule And with this accusing and tormenting conscience it pleaseth God also to exercise his children first to worke in them a conformitie with Christ in spirituall sufferings secondly to teach them by experience the bitternesse of that wrath to come that they may flye from it And thirdly to learne them some knowledge of that incomprehensible loue Christ carryed toward them who for their sakes dranke out the dregs of that cup the drops whereof are so intollerable vnto them The first of these the wicked know not they were neuer comforted with his presence and how can they be grieued with his absence but the second they shall know how euer for a time their consciences being burnt as it were with a hote iron are without feeling of sinne and no way troubled for it yet shall it at length waken them and trouble them with a gnawing worme that neuer shall dye The Censure Now the great number of them who being lodened with sinne were neuer troubled in consciscience for sinne proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER XII Of his Patience The Lords Command HEe that is slow to wrath is of great wisedome and he that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a Citie Prouerb 16. possesse therfore your soules in patience Luke 21. 19. and let your patient minde be knowne to all men Phil. 4. 5. for yee haue great need of patience that after yee haue done the good will of God yee may receiue the promise Heb. 10. 36. Render not euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should be the heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3. 9. And indeed if yee be railed on for the name of Christ blessed are ye for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified 1 Pet. 4 14. If therefore yee suffer not as murtherers or euill doers he not ashamed ver 16. Say not thou I will recompence euill but wait on the Lord and he shall saue thee Prou. 20. 22. Be patient and settle your heart Iam. 5. 7. for the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladnesse Prou. 10. 28. The Lord is a God of iudgement and they are blessed that wait for him Esay 30. 18. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command LOrd encrease thy graces toward me so that I be not destitute of any gift waiting for the appearance of my Lord Iesus Christ Lord confirme to the end that I may be blamelesse in that day and may walke worthy of thee pleasing thee in all things and may be strengthened with all might through thy glorious power to all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse The Christians Practise of this Command I Will waite on the Lord Zeph. 3. 8. and my soule shall keepe silence vnto my God for of him commeth my saluation Psal. 62. I will approue my selfe vnto him in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses 2. Cor. 6. 4. submitting my selfe vnto the will of my God and in all things giuing thanks to him through Iesus Christ. 1. Thes. 5. 18. THE OBSERVATIONS THE Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ is compared by S. Paul to a mirror wherein wee behold the glorie of God with open face and by which wee are transformed into the similitude of his Image for so many as are the Sons of God by regeneration to them he communicates his Image by his word and spirit His goodnesse is extended ouer all his creatures and he illuminateth euery one that comes into the world for euery man by nature hath in him as much light as furnisheth to him some principles of good and euill to make him inexcusable in all the euill that hee doth But as for his owne Children hee markes them from the rest of the world by his owne image and this is it wherein we should chiefly try our selues whether wee be the workmanship of God by regeneration as we are his creatures by the first creation or not and this tryall is to be made by our similitude and conformity with him As other affections are reformed in the regeneration so also is our Patience Concerning it three things are to be considered first the nature of Patience secondly the necessitie thirdly the vtilitie thereof Patience as saith the Apostle is a grace very needefull for vs to sustaine vs in the doing of Gods will and in the expectation of his promises Heb. 10. From this is borrowed that description of Augustines Patience is a grace of the Spirit flowing from faith by which we suffer euill things willingly because wee will not forsake those good things by which we may come to better The euils which with Patience wee must suffer are not the euils of sin for it is not Patience but effeminate feeblenesse to suffer it but the euill of affliction Againe the good which wee will not forsake is as saith the Apostle the doing of the good will of God the better things which God hath promised and wee doc hope hereafter to obtayne The second is the necessitie of Patience In two respects Patience is most necessarie first the good which God hath promised and wee hope for is suspended and delayed for a time which time though in regard of the dispenser it be short because hee knowes when hee will giue it yet to the expectant it is very long therfore haue we need with Patience to wait for it Next because of the present manifold euils wherewith in this life we are exercised We liue in the company of the wicked who are vnto vs as the Cananits wer to Israel pricks in our side and thornes in our eyes Neither will the Lord haue them separated from vs but the popple must grow with the good Wheat till the
feare and confidence consists not it is otherwise in the Christian. 2 As a Rocke in the Sea beaten with the waues of euery winde so is a christian in the world 3 The confidence refuge of a Christian in such troubles as come from God immediately Hosea 6. 1. Iob. 4. 4 The confidence of a Christian in such troubles as come by men Matth. 27. 5 Hee knowes the harts of men are in the hands of God 6 The confidence of a Christian in such troubles as come by Sathan 7 The confidence of worldlings is eyther in themselues Luke 18. 13. 8 Or in others without them 9 How in trouble outward and second meaâ—… are to be vsed 10 Miserable are the wicked whose confidence is not in God The matter of a Christian mans ioy is 1 The Lord our God 2 Our owne saluation 3 The prosperitie of the Church 4 Sufferings with Christ. 5 All the gifts of God The Christians ioy is tempered with feare a Psal. 89. 16. b Psal. 119. 77. c Psal. 51. 6. d Rom. 15. 13. 1 The Christian reioyceth first in God and that saluation conquered for him by the Crosse of Christ. 2 What a ioy the Christian hath in the word of God And in the house of God 3 How the Christian reioyces in well doing albeit hee should suffer euill for it The welfare of Gods Church is also a ioy to the Christian. The conuersion of a sinner reioyceth the Christian. Hee hath ioy in all Gods gifts as in the tokens of his loue 1 Man by his fall lost not the affections but the holinesse of them 2 Neyther doth Christs grace take away affections but onely rectifies them 3 The nature of ioy Psal. 89. 16. Basil. de grat Deo agendis 4 Ioy is eyther naturall or spirituall 5 The obiects of naturall ioy are Gods gifts abused Sathans bâ—…its disguised 6 How Gods gifts are abused by the wicked 7 Abuse of Gods gifts punished in the wicked 8 Naturall men haue their ioy in that which is their destruction 9 How they reioyce in the baites of Sathan disguised Gregor Moral lib. 20. Serm. 8. 10 They are like birds eating meat vnder the fowlers net 11 Their ioy compared to the burning of a Candle 12 Three properties of a Christans ioy it is 1. Solid 2. Internall 3. Eternall 13 Obiects of a Christians ioy are first God 14 Then Gods benefits principall 15 And secondarie Mourners for sin are blessed and marked of God To worldlings sinne is a ioy correction a griefe to the christian by the contrary sinne is a griefe correction a ioy a Esay 66. 1. b Psal. 51. 10. c Ierem. 9. 1. d Esay 38. 15. e Psal. 126. 5. The life of a Christian is fraughted with heauinesse that 1. For his owne sinnes 2. For his absence from the Lord. 3. For the sinnes and abhominations committed by others 4 For the trouble of the Church 5 For euery one that is in trouble 1 Our ioy in this life not without griefe 1 Pet. 1. 5. 6. 2 Comfort is sometime scant euen in the heart of the Christian. 3 Causes of griefe arising from our selues are threefold 4 A man so long as he is in his sinnes thinkes them no cause of griefe 5 An example hereof in Dauid 2. Sam. 11. 25. 6 Another in Paul 7 When God looses a man from sin he binds him to an hatred of sinne Why the memory of sinne remaineth when the guilt thereof is remoued 8 Persian Kings could suffer no mourners in their presence but it is not so with God 9 The Lord liketh our mourning countenance best Cant. 2. 14 10 The Christians tentations are a griefe to him 11 And his manifold crosses 12 And the troubles of Gods Church Nehem. 2. 3. 13 And the long delay of that promised Kingdome Aug. de sanct serm 45. Psal. 56. 14. Ioy and griefe agree not in worldlings it is otherwise in Christians Macar hom 15 Let them mark this who do think their tentations singular and that none of Gods children wer troubled euer so sore as they a Psal. 77. 7. b Esay 63. 15. c Ierem. 15. 18. d Psal. 13. 2. e Deut. 4. 31. f Esay 42. 3. g Iob. 5. 11. h Iob. 13. 24. i Lam. 1. 20. k Esay 57. 16. l Psal. 6. 2. m Ierem. 10. 24. n Iob. 7. 20. o Psal. 51. 9. p Psal. 51. 12. Euery tentation hath an issue Comfort against spiritual desertions Gods mercy to his Children is sure euerlasting 1 The greatest griefe is griefe of Conscience Prou. 19. 2 The health of conscience consists in two things 3 Where-from the disease of conscience proceeds to wit 1 When God forsakes it and takes away the sense of mercy then is the soule sore troubled 4 2. But when hee pursues it with a sense of his wrath then it is worse troubled 5 Trouble of minde distempers the whole body Psal. 32. Bern. in paruis serm 48. August in Ioan. tract 19. 6 The first of these spirituall troubles compared to a lingring disease 7 The second to a fearefull consumption Bern. in assump Mariae serm 4. 8 For three causes doth the Lord exercise his Children with these inward sufferings 9 The wicked are not grieued with the absence of God because they neuer felt the comforts of his presence The praise of Patience What neede wee haue of Patience The cause should be good for which we suffer The fruit of Patience a Psal. 115. 14. b 1 Cor. 1. 7. c Colos. 1. 10. d Colos. 1. 11. The christian waiteth on the Lord whereas the worldling runs about seeking reliefe and rest in other things but can neuer finde it 1 The Gospel a mirror wherein we see the similitude of Gods Image and are transformed into it 2 The light and goodnesse of God is extended vnto all men 3 But his Image is communicated to his children onely How wee may know whether we be Gods workman ship by the new creation or no. 4 Patience is reformed also in our regeneration 5 A description of the Nature of Patience Hebrewes 10. 6 Patience suffers not the euils of sinne but the euils of affliction 7 Patience necessary for two causes 1. Because the good that God hath pro misâ—… dis not presently performed 8 2. Because of the present euils wherwith now wee are exercised 9 No peace between the elect and reprobate But in this discord the reprobate are alwayes the persecuters 10 As a rocke in the sea so is a Christian in the earth 11 The principall praise of Patience 12 By Faith we possesse Christ by Loue our neighbour by Patience our selues 13 Patience preserues the other Graces of the Spirit Tertul. de patien 14 It mittigates euill and makes heauy crosses easie August Marc. Epist. 5. August de Patien chap. 2. 15 Three waies chiefly is our Patience impugned by Sathan Bern. in coâ—…uers Pauli 16 Troubles comming from euill men should not commoue vs and why 2. Sam. 16. 12. 17 Wicked men are but