take great heede of this for what knowest thou wretched man whether euer thou shalt come out of the same againe Thou hast not Repentance in thine owne hand yea what knowest thou whether this bee not the first steppe that thou steppest on to finall Apostalie Thirdly Holding faith and a good Conscience In which words the Apostle doth exhort Timothy to stand manfully against all lets and impediments and being called to the ministery to fight a good fight id est to bee vigilant and diligent in his office vigilant to watch against all enemies diligent to expell them And not without cause doth he thus stirre vp Timothy for the office of the ministery is a kinde of warfare in which Sathan Hereticks Schismaticks lewde-liuers and false brethren doe in hostile manner oppose the Church of God Against all which the Ministers who are the Ancient bearers and Captaines must oppose themselues Now that he may the better make resistance and performe the office of his Ministery with ioy the Apostle sheweth with what armour it is fit that he should bee furnished viz. Faith and a good Conscience Faith that is to say wholsome doctrine which cap. 3. 9. he calleth the mistery of Faith the mistery of godlinesse that is the doctrine of the Gospell which must bee kept in a pure Conscience And certainely those two are wonderfull requisite in a Minister Faith and a good Conscience nor are they of lesse consequence for euery Christian. I can compare them to nothing so well as to a precious pearle and a rich carquenet both must bee regarded Faith the doctrine of the Gospell the forme of wholsome words a rich pearle an incomparable treasure better than thousands of gold and siluer wherfore how much ought we to feare lest it should bee taken from vs For what is this wholsome doctrine but like the starre that led the wisemen to Christ which when they lost into what by paths were they driuen and how much trouble ere they found it againe So here keepe the patterne of wholsome words and it will guide you in the right way suffering you to decline neyther to the right hand nor to the left neyther to suspition nor to prophanenesse neyther to Schismes and Heresies nor to Atheisme and Epicurisme This is the precious pearle The rich Carquenet is a good Conscience a pure Conscience in this must we keepe Faith else it will bee lost For whence commeth it that so many continually doe reiect the truth and fall into wicked sects and damnable heresies but because they were not carefull to keepe the sound doctrine in a pure Conscience and therefore God iustly punished their hypocriticall dealing with this iudgement sending them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies who delighted not in the Truth Two fearefull examples doth Paul here alleadge of two men who casting away the Carquenet lost also the Pearle putting away a good Conscience as concerning Faith made shipwrack id est were quite depriued of it For saith Beza they who keep not a good Conscience doe also by little and little loose the gift of vnderstanding Wherefore loe here another excellent meanes to preuent Apostasie Hold Faith depart not from it for whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne keepe a good Conscience vnspotted vndefiled transgresse not against that keepe the forme of godlinesse and deny not the power thereof As we professe to know God so in workes deny him not for what is the end of the Commandement but loue out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith vnfayned But amongst all the parts of holy Scripture there is not any one booke so well furnished with variety of exhortation tending to stirre men vp to perseuerance and to take off reuolting as the Epistle to the Hebrews wherein the Author doth hoc agere in a manner ayme at nothing else wherefore whatsoeuer prescripts of Phisick I haue else to giue shall thence be deducted Fourthly Let there be no fornicatour nor Prophane person c. The words of Paul prescribing a caueat to take heede of this our sinne id est neyther in the second table nor in the first giue way to any grosse sinne and namely not to these whereby the Spirit might bee grieued and by which that Communion of Saints that ought to be in the Church might be violated Three reasons I suppose may be giuen why Paul instanceth rather in Fornication for the second Table than any other sinne First Our bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and fornication is a sinne against a mans owne body by this then should the habitation of the holy Ghost be defiled his Temple prophaned yea and himselfe driuen forth by our vncleanenesse and pollution Secondly Fornication is a sinne of a pleasing nature to voluptuous persons and they who place happinesse in pleasure doe most easily yeelde to this sin and hauing once yeelded it is so clammy that like pitch or birdlime it sticketh and cleaueth to them and so cleaueth that it rather brings them to renounce the Gospell and the doctrine of it then to giue ouer this filthinesse and vncleanenesse Thirdly Fornication found in any member of the Church is such a sinne as may not be tolerated in the congregation without manifest danger of infection so that in necessity the Congregation must proceede to excommunication as Paul prescribeth by which the party delinquent is deliuered vp to Sathan who is ready presently to possesse him with a roote of bitternesse against God his truth and the professors of it for these causes I take it doth hee instance in Fornication and the like might bee said for prophanenesse The summe is this Harbour no sinne wilfully and by name not this for it is a poyson to the Soule and infection to a Christian profession Fiftly Keepe the profession of our hope without wauering Another excellent Antidote prescribed by our Apostle as we haue hope in heauen and haue beene called to the hope of the Gospell and thereupon haue professed the same before men so must wee hold it fast without wauering not doubting of it or calling it into question after that we haue beene perswaded of it For he that hauing once beleeued the truth of the Gospell and professed his beleefe doth afterwards begin to question it and dispute against it doth iustly deserue to be giuen vp to a Reprobate sense that as hee would not hold fast when he had time and opportunity so now he should for euer loose the hope of happinesse manifested in the Gospell Siztly Prouoke one another to loue and good workes exhorting one another id est in season out of season publiquely in the Church priuately from house to house in all places at all times be ready to stirre vp one another to constancy and perseuerance aedifying one another in that most holy Faith And certainly not without cause doth St. Paul praescribe this as a meanes to preuent Apostasie for good
wisheth Grace mercie and peace from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. COurteous Reader before thou enter vpon this Discourse either to read or to censure I haue to admonish thee of two things First for the manner of writing thou maist easily see it to bee fitted for the Pulpit And indeed so it was that hauing diuerse yeeres since deliuered some few out of this text to mine Auditory I did lately vpon warning giuen take it once againe in hand and alter change correct and enlarge it till I brought it to this quantitie in which it is so preparing it for a more noble Audience Then finding it be ouerlong to be rehearsed at once I was constrained againe to Epitomize it Here therefore hast thou and that is the second thing whereof I aduertise thee at large the whole body of that Discourse whose Epitome was rehearsed in publique So that if any thing seemed to them that heard mee eyther obscure or too slightly passed ouer in the deliuery here may they helpe themselues to vnderstand my meaning For the matter I shall not neede to tell thee that it is needfull in respect of the times wherein the words of our Sauiour are seene fulfilled For because iniquitie doth abound the loue of many waxeth cold And how many are there daily who either fall backe to Popery and Aegyptianpalpable superstition or else turne open rebels by Atheisme And well may we thinke that when the Sonne of man commeth he will scarce finde faith vpon earth Who is there therefore except that vnprofitable seruant that hid his Talent in a Napkin but will be willing to set to his helping hand if not to stay all yet to preserue some from Apostasie Hence commeth it that now lately there haue beene more Sermons and Tractates publisht concerning this sinne of Apostasie within these few yeeres than were in many ages heretofore So that now it might seeme as superfluous for an after-commer to deale in this subiect as to take in hand new Arguments for Popery All which haue bin so often vrged by Schoole-men alledged by Catholikes re-assumed by Popish Priests painted ouer by Iesuits that a man might sooner hope for holesome meate to be made of Cole-worts twise or thrise sodden than to find a new and not here-to fore answered Argument So here Yet since the gifts of men are diuers albeit they proceed from the same spirit what hindreth but that still men may bee doing and doe well since the end of their Action is the glory of God Concerning this present Tractate what it hath not to be found in the former thou thy selfe good Reader vpon tryall wilt easily perceiue In reading of which if thou be such a one who knowest me not It is well goe on and try the spirits If such who doest know mee yet doe me the curtesie to withdraw thy selfe from considering my meane-nesse and looke onely vpon the cause Consider the waight of Reason which I haue alledged For if thou shouldest either like the worse of this in respect of mee or esteeme better of another in respect of his person not regarding what force of Argument we doe either of vs alledge thou maist easily erre as who indeed doest pinne the truth of God vpon the sleeue of man To conclude then if thou be judicious reade censure and correct I giue thee free libertie For I will not my selfe be tyed to this that I haue deliuered if I see better reason to evince it than is brought to confirme it But if thou be one who either doest or justly maist suspect thy iudgement reade but leaue censuring to others Howsoeuer it bee whosoeuer thou art conceiue thus of mee that my desire was to haue deliuered the Truth and nothing but the Truth So wilt thou I hope commend me and my labours to the blessing of God in thy prayers And cause mee to rest Thine in the Lord the Lords vnworthy seruant in the Ministery T. B. To the deuoute Readers which desire to keepe Faith and a good Conscience to the end Grace and Peace and strength against Temptations by IESVS CHRIST MARVAILE not deere Christians and courteous Readers that so many learned diuines and holy minded men bestow so much paines and spend so long time in so sad and vnpleasant a subiect as this is searching and desirous to define what the impardonable sinne against the holy Ghost should be For euen as the best and most approued Phisitians doe more busie themselues in studying those maladies which are most incurable rather then those for which euery emperick hath a medecine in readinesse and cach one amongst them proueth himselfe in his skill if hee haue sound out eyther some especiall Antidote to preuent or some singular remedy if not perfectly to cure yet to ease and aswage the tormenting paines of such desperat disseases as aflict men most as well with the feare of imminent death as with the sence of present dolours Euen so for as much as all heede is to be giuen and all diligence carefully vsed that no man if it be possible dash vpon this Rocke nor fall into so deuouring a deepe many students in diuinitie enflamed with zeale care and loue vnto mens saluation refuse no paines nor think any labour grieuous by night or day if they may be so happie as to giue warning betimes and so preuent any mans relapse or falling away And for as much as many true hearted Christians vpon a tendernesse of Conscience through Satans illusions are often troubled with a feare of hauing offended in this kinde And others againe in a continuall securitie forsaking their first loue reuolt and fall off by little and little from the practise of sincere Piety taking the high way to Epicurisme and denyall of their profession and so come neere and into great daunger of finall relapse at lest if not of an hatred also and despight of that holy truth which they once professed therefore good men willing to comfort the one with solid euidence of Gods word and to reclaime and saue the other from the perill of so irrecouerable a fall doe labour in this sad subiect that by an exact deciphering of that mortall sinne both might finde fit instruction whilest the one may see how farre they are from it and the other perceiue how daungerously they hasten towards it Now as men are diuersly affected some with feare and some with presumption as I haue shewed so likewise we may finde very great yea too much variety of opinion amongst writers concerning this sinne some supposing it to be so rarely and seldome admitted as scarce three examples or foure can be produced since the beginning of the World others make it so frequent and vsuall as almost all that finally fall from their Faith and holy profession are supposed by them to sinne in this kinde Againe some are of opinion that only God can discerne who they be that sinke and are drowned in this gulfe as if he had not reuealed
of mens soules And to the end that all true holy-minded Christians may better keepe watch and ward against Satans sleights and subtleties this one secret is worthy obseruing To take great heede continually by all meanes to nourish and increase the peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost For as these are the last and principall graces men attaine vnto by the preaching of the Gospell so are they the first which such as fall away doe commonly loose whereupon the blessed Apostle with very great reason encouraging the Philippians against imminent troubles assureth them that the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be a guard or Garison to their hearts and to their minds implying that peace with God and ioy in the holy Ghost are present rewards of holinesse effects of true Faith and Repentance earnest pennies of the rewarde to come and therefore principall encouragements vnto Constancie and Perseuerance in all well dâ—eing wherefore in a word this is it I would say that our aduersary the Deuill will especially labour and vse his whole cunning to bereaue men eyther of these very Graces themselues or of the sence of them which is easily done by drawing them into wilfull sinnes which defile the Conscience and disturbe the peace therof Vpon the losse of the reward as labourers and souldiers doe more negligently applie themselues when they are doubtfull of their pay so men grow lesse carefull of holy duties and doe not so much delight in them why But euen because by the defiling of their Consciences they doe not finde their wonted comfort in such exercises So the meanes of renewing their Repentance dis-vsed or lesse frequented by neglect of the meanes the heart growes into hardnesse sinne into custome and disquietnesse of Conscience into a â—umbdnesse or non-sense then must needes both Faith and Hope faile the losse whereof that it might be lesse felt Satan offereth carnall delights in sensualitie and pleasures then God and the world to come beginne to be forgotten sinceritie and strictnesse of Life beginne to be intollerable Loosenesse and liberty plausible admonitions odious all manner of lewdenesse iustifiable Gods word hated and messengers persecuted and how little differeth this fearefull reuolt from the sinne against the holy Ghost The effect whereof and iust punishment can be none other but finall despayre in the man and horrible blasphemies against God and his Christ with a despighting of his spirit of Grace and so at last euerlasting torments in hell fire Behold then both the ladder as I may say whereby menascend and the rope whereby they fall or descend into this Dungeon men climbe and attaine to some taste and smack of the powers of the world to come which I call peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost by these steppes First their mind and vnderstanding by the preaching of the word is enlightened with the knowledge of the Mysterie of Christ. Secondly the will and reason consenteth Thirdly the heart imbraceth and applieth vnto a measure of Faith and of Repentance Fourthly the affections beginne to frame into obedience Fiftly the life and conuersation is fashioned to the outward forme of Godlinesse Sixtly the Conscience is at peace and the inward man ioyeth Now the manner of relapse or descent is downe the same way Ioy and peace of Conscience are lost through some wilfull sinne Secondly the life and conuersation growes worse and worse Thirdly the affections are altered from delight in holinesse and loosed from obedience Fourthly Faith fayleth and Repentance giuen euer Fiftly the benefit by Christ despised Sixtly a great decay of knowledg followeth through the contempt of the meanes and so the man is giuen vp vnto a Reprobate sense whereby God and goodnesse and all their worshippers despighted and persecuted As euery one therefore loueth his soule and longeth for saluation in Christ and delighteth in the assurance thereof so let him beware and take heed of defiling and disquieting his coscâ—ence with wilfull sins or if he be fallen by Satan circuÌ„uented let him giue way and diligent heed to the word for his recouery by repentance let him in no case suffer himself to be transported from the company and fellowship of faithfull admonishers let him vse the helpe of their prayers vnto God for him let him abandon carnall companions and worldly vanities and delights to the end that he may more humble his soule before God let him euen force himselfe vnto spirituall and heauenly meditation and other godly exercises of Religion and if not withstanding all this his heart should still incline to despaire let him not be ashamed to bewray and confesse vnto some one or two whom he dares trust and thinketh able by his or their counsell and godlinesse to helpe into what temptation hee is fallen that he may not beare the brunt of the assault alone And whatsoeuer befaileth let him not flie to carnall delights or worldly myrth and vanitie for remedy which brings a forgetfulnesse of this guiltinesse and so a secure benummednesse of Conscience to his vtter vndoeing rather then a true cure and helpe for his dangerous disease vse only those meanes which may recouer true peace of Conscience with God and the battaile is sought and the field wonne For very often times as by euil Chyrurgerie acurable wound groweth to a gangren euen so the wound of Conscience which might haue beene to the increase of Grace and better certaintie of saluation by forsaking the true and right cure becommeth desperat carnaeâ—itie incurable security But now for as much as many are in feare of hauing committed this sinne which indeede haue not but through Satans policies to disquiet their Consciences are illuded and afrighted It shall bee good to consider for their comforts these short positions and Maximâ—s found certaine and most true by the Scripture by the iudgement of learned writers by â—â—â—ly experience of those that haue to deale with afflicted Consciences First that such as feare least they haue thus sinned are vndoubtedly as yet free from this sin or from falling â—â—â—o it so long as that feare remayneth in them Secondly that such as are sorry for their offences towards God are farre off from this souâ—e offence Thirdly that who so hath a desire to be reconciled to God and could wish himselfe pardoned shall surely obtaine pardon if he seeke it at Gods hand according to his word Fourthly that whosoeuer would not that another should fall into his wretched plight and condition hath â—ome portion of loue both to God and man left in him and therefore is not vtterly fallen from Grace nay more Fiftly whosoeuer hateth not all other whom he thinketh not to be in his owne damnable case is not come to the height and perfection of this sinne and therefore Sixtly whosoeuer taketh pleasure and delight in the company of any of Gods men and seruants may through their endeauour by Gods grace be reduced and recouered Seuenthly If any place
Sinne grounded vpon malice These are parts of that sinne wee seeke for and Ergo I passe them over Now for the last couple viz. Desperation and Presumption These cannot be that sinne which we seeke for As for Desperation how many poore soules haue there beene heretofore who through the sense of GODS wrath and anger against sinne whereof their guiltie conscience did accuse them haue for a time cast off all hope of pardon fallen into despaire as if God had forgotten to be gracious and had shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure concluding plainely with Dauid This is my death and yet afterward remembring the yeeres of the right hand of the most high haue recollected themselues gathered strength and regained comfort But what neede I Scripture or experience or the consent of Orthodoxall Writers to proue this point if our Adversaries will stand to their words Thus then I set mine Argument The sinne against the holy Ghost is a sinne vnto death and irremissible this is in confesso amongst all and shall God willing be further confirmed when I come to the second maine point In the meane space I assume Praesumption is not to death but remissible wherefore I conclude that Presumption is not the sinne against the holy Ghost and consequently neitheir can Desperation bee because contraries are alwayes to be referred to the same head The assumption I prooue out of the words of their owne Authors He that shall vpon hope of a Iubilee to come willingly and purposely fall into a sinne reserued may notwithstanding be absolved Neither will their common Euasion serue the turne to say It is but one Doctors opinion and therefore they are not bound to receiue it For these are chiefe men Pillars of their Church Navarre the great Casâ—ist Cordâ—bensis and Bellarmine If they refuse the judgement of these men who hereafter will step forth to maintaine the Romane Church and Papall dignitie Thus is it plaine I hope and euident that hitherto we haue not found out that sinne which wee seeke for The schoole-men and their followers though learned wise graue judicious yet haue in this point fayled come short and are not to be maintained Marcus Caeâ—â—us hauing a better veine in obiecting then in answering in vrging then in defending is by Cicero said to haue Bonam dextram malam vero sinistram A good right hand but not so good a left one allâ—ding to this that the right hand holds the sword to strike the lefâ— the backler to defend The saying of Cicero may perhaps by some and that deseruedly be to mee applyed who hitherto haue spent the time rather in confutation then confirmation which least it be I now come to the vse of my left hand and will tye my selfe close to it in the Explanation and confirmation of that definition which as I take it doth most happily most properly most perfectly set forth what this sinne is which wee seeke for what the sinne against the holy Ghost is the which I describe to be A generall Apostasie and revolt of a man wilfully fallen from the truth knowne even to a malicious persecuting and blaspheming of the same In the which before I come to particulars I note in generall that it is a sinne not so much against the person of the spirit as against the worke of the spirit For which we haue a cloud of witnesses A whole day would not suffice to take their Examination Let Beza speake for the rest It is called the sinne against the holy Ghost not as the spirit is a person in the sacred and euer blessed Trinitie for neither is the dignity of the spirit greater then of the father or the sonne they being in glory coequall in maiestie coeternall which would follow were the sinne against the person Nor is it possible to offend any one person of this Tri-vnitie but the iniurie doth redound to them all but in respect of his proper and peculiar worke in vs. The which here is not so much the act of Faith and Repentance cast off by Obstinacie and Impenitencie nor of Hope and Feare reiected by Desperation Presumption as of the illumination of the minde and vnderstanding and the convincing of the Conscience and affections This is that worke of the spirit which this sinne opposeth and opposing is sealed vp to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne against the holy Ghost a sinne vnto death and irremissible Now for perticulars Where that we may let nothing of any moment passe from vs vn-examined I will ranke the wordes of the former definition vnto three heads This Apostasie is a Motion though a bad one in which as in all other Motions wee may obserue first The Terminus a quo from whence Secondly The Terminus ad quem whethor Thirdly The motion it selfe 1. Terminus a quo from whence id est Truth Knowne 2. Terminus ad quem whether Persecuting Blaspheming Malicious 3. The Motion Apostasie Generall Wilfull THe first word in the Terme from whence they fall is the Truth For this marke Beza speaking of this our subiect sayth that This Sinne doth directly and immediately respect the first Table not the second Bucanus seemeth to contradict this Hinc colligo Hence sayth he I gather that the sinne against the spirit is not any transgression of the morall Law neither vniuersall nor particular whether proceeding from ignorance or infirmitie or malice against the Law of God This difference is not so great but an easie reconciliation will suffice For either Beza meanes no more then this that it is directly and immediately against God as the breaches of the first Table not mediately as the breaches of the second Or else he enlargeth the bounds of the Law including vnder it the knowledge of the Mediatour which Bucan perhaps excludeth And this I am the rather induced to beleeue in that Beza a little afterwards reckoning vp particular lapses and sinnes against the first Table which sayth he cannot be this sinne mentioneth Dubitationam de Christo doubting of Christ. And certainely I fully beleeue that this sinne against the holy Ghost doth necessarily suppose the knowledge of the Mediatour for it seemeth impossible that the creature should vnrecoverably fall from the Creatour vntill he haue reiected also the helpe of the Mediatour offered to him So that by Truth in my definition I vnderstand not with the Novatians any naturall morall or civill truth wherof certain knowledge is obtained no nor any supernatural truth in Scripture reuealed but the supernaturall Truth of the Gospell that euerlasting Word of Truth to witnesse which Christ came into the world In which respect Christ calls himselfe the Truth viz. because he is the matter and argument of the Gospell This point besides that which Aquinas doth helpe vs with who maketh Apostasie to be Species a kind of Infidelitie which is contrary to faith faith I say required
as the proper Object of this sinne Resp Indeed this is a materiall poynt for except we find him fayling in this we shall doe him wrong We must therefore obserue that the knowledge of the Messiah was then contained in types and shadowes and he then that did renounce and oppugne the certaine and vndoubted type of Christ did also oppose Christ himselfe Euen as he that receiueth the Sacrament vnworthily is guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Now it is euident that a Dauid was a type of Christ and his kingdome a type of the kingdome of Christ. And the outward saluatio which the people did receiue from Dauid was a type of the spirituall saluation performed by the Messiah Yea all the hope of deliuerance was to be expected according to the Lords ordinance from that family Yea which is more the faithfull also did know so much Lam. 4. 20. Moreouer it is worth the noting that after the anoynting of Dauid Saul of himselfe did obtaine no notable victory but eyther Dauid was the principall as in the battell with Goliah or the sole Agent as when he was Sauls Captaine Yea once in the time of his troubles he saued Keilah and chased the Philistims For else Saul fought no battell till the last which he lost Indeed it is mentioned that Saul went against the Philistims at what time he was vpon the poynt to take Dauid but there is no mention made of Sauls preuailing against them Further it may seeme that by a common fame and speech of the people Dauid was accounted the King from whom the Philistims had heard it and thereupon reported to Achish is not this Dauid the King of the Land And certainely it is not vnlikely but that the best men did depend vpon him as their King and therefore when Keilah is in danger they come to him not to Saul Neither was this vnknowne to Saul who by his owne confession knew that Dauid should be King and that the kingdome of Israell should be established in his hand yea he prophecieth of his preuailing and prosperous affaires and therefore exacteth an oath of Dauid that he would not destroy his seed after him nor abolish his name out of his fathers house So that all this being laid together it is manifest I hope that Saul cannot wash his hands of this crime nor proue himselfe innocent in this fact but must suffer himselfe to bee ranked with Iudas Iulian and other wretched Apostata's The blessed Apostle St. Iames speaking of them who to the naked and destitute of dayly foode doe say Depart in peace and worme your selues and fill your bellies and yet giue them not those things that are needefull to the body censureth the coldnesse of their charity thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What heleth it what doth it profit And not vndeseruedly for what end is there of Gods counsell if there be no ability of performance This censure of the Apostle might perhaps bee applied to this mine admonition to take heede of Apostasie as if I did exhort men to warme themselues and fill their bellies and yet giue them not those things that are needefull to the body id est to practise those things which may preserue men from this Recidiuation and yet prescribe no meanes set downe no preseruatiues Wherfore to satisfie the hungry and thirsty soule in some measure euen in this point I now come to the preseruatiues which being practised are effectuall to preuent this consumption this disease incurable For how soeuer this sinne be of that deadly nature that like to some violent poyson it being once receiued there is no remedy no helpe against death Yet there is a Mithridatum an Antidote a Preseruatiue which if it carefully be obserued and practised will preserue as that the body so this the soule from being infected with this deadly venome The ingredients that serue for this Mithridatum are many and to be gathered out of diuerse gardens But I will content my selfe only with the Garden of the sacred Scripture which is sufficient and contayneth in it many seuerall graue exhortations like salutiferous hearbs purposely intended by the holy Ghost for this confection First Remember Lots wife the words of our Sauiour to his Apostles exhorting to perseuerance the only vertue contrary this our vice vsing thereto the example of a woman who hauing as it were put her hand to the Plough looked back and so became vnfit for the kingdome of God hauing escaped from the filthinesse of Sodom and now trauelling towards Zoar a place of safety looked back and became a pillar of Salt and her example hung vpon records for a perpetuall warning to all shrinkers throughout all generations Lots wife is memorable First in her sinne shee looked back no doubt saith Caluin being tickled with some euill desire and affection she did not leaue Sodome willingly Secondly In her strange and wonderfull transformation presently suddenly was she turned into a pillar of Salt In respect of both these remember Lots wife A great sinne Recidiuation Apostasie A great punishment present vengeance Remember the sinne to shun it Remember the punishment to feare it Our Sauiour setteth forth the punishment of such as looke back viz. They are vnfit for the kingdome of God St. Paul something more roundly It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God For that ground which hauing drunke in the rayne that falleth vpon it beareth nothing but Bryars and Thornes is reiected and is nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. Secondly Grieue not the holy spirit of God c. as did the Israelites in the Wildernesse fourtie yeeres least the Lord sweare against you also in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest First The spirit of God is the seale of our Redemption therefore grieue him not neyther by neglecting assurance when thou mayst haue it To day if ye will heare harden not your hearts to day while it is called to day heare his voice nor in wilfull doubting of that assurance recorded in the word This spirit which is the seale of our Redemption is the spirit of God therefore grieue him not Of God our Creator whose glory we are to set forth Of God our Redeemer who hath enlarged our feete out of the snares of Satan Of God the Iudge and auenger of all those who shall vexe his spirit Thirdly The spirit of God is an holy spirit Holy in his essence Holy in his operation therefore grieue him not neyther by neglecting the duties of holinesse in hearing the word For what knowest thou O man whether euer thou shalt heare it more And perhaps thou mightst at that time haue hard that that might haue done thee good for euer Not by resisting or at lest not listening to the good motions which the spirit doth put into thine heart much lesse by wilfull falling into any sin O