A like symptomes in both How shall wee then discerne the good from the bad Conscience Surely thus The bad Conscience and quiet is that whose tranquilitie or calme is contracted either of a benummednesse Consuetâ—do peccandi tollit sensum peccati and Cawle growne ouer it through long custome in sinne or from a profound ignorance of the nature of sinne and of the Law of God or from a prophane contempt of sauing knowledge and the meanes thereof and the like such are said by the Prophet to bee at ease setled vpon their lees Ier. 48.11 not poured from vessell to vessell but the good Conscience and quiet is that whose peace after trouble for sinne as a calme after a storme floweth from no other Fountaine but the mercie of God in Christ apprehended by Faith for the pardon of the sinnes of the belieuing penitent sinner as the Apostle concludeth Therefore being iustified by Faith Rom. 5.1 we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Hee that wants this Conscience flowing from Faith which layeth one hand on the Sacrifice Christ saying Lord be mercifull and so repentance laying the other hand on sinne saying To me a sinner can neuer goe home iustified his Conscience wants the true peace And this peace and quiet of a good Conscience is further setled by a firme purpose of pleasing God in all good duties for the time to come As the same Apostle saith Pray for vs for we trust wee haue a good Conscience in all things Heb. 13.18 willing to liue honestly So that the good Conscience looks both waies both backwards finding true peace in Christs righteousnes by Gods mercie imputed and by Faith apprehended and applyed for the pardon of sinne past and forwards with a sincere purpose of reformation and conformitie to the Word of God for the time to come willing resoluing and indeuouring to liue honestly This is the good Conscience and quiet Again the bad Conscience and vnquiet is that which being strucke with the sting of sinne either with Iudas and Achitophel runs to the halter as if that were the next way to heale it or by diuersion seekes to put it off as Cain fals a building of Cities and following his pleasures if so he may charme the Serpents biting or skin ouer the wound or weare out the skarre and ruthfull remembrance or still the hideous cry of his horrid murther or by this kind of Dictamne cause the mortall Arrow sticking in his side to loosen away But the good Conscience and troubled is that which for sinne being humbled and vpon repentance through Faith hearing The Lord hath put away thy sinne yet as a woman with her after-birth is exercised with grieuous conflicts afterwards It was Dauids case after his absolution pronounced by the Prophet from God whereupon hee might and did no doubt for the present find solid and assured comfort Yet how many a bitter storme doth he indure in his soule How many a sharpe fit So that as a man in an Hecticke feuer without intermission hee cryeth out Thy hand is heauy vpon me day and night And Ps. 32. Ps. 38. There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger nor any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head as an heauy burthen they are too heauy for me All his penitentiall Psalmes breathe nothing else but groanes and sighes from a troubled Spirit Yet all the while hee possessed a good Conscience though the fruition thereof was for a time to his greater humiliation and exercise of his Faith denied and suspended from him Holy Paul in that perillous Nauigation though hee was comforted by the Angel with a promise of safetie for his owne life and theirs which sayled with him yet arriued not at the Port without great difficultie and with the losse of the lading and wracke of the Ship So Gods Child as Dauid though vpon repentance for sinne hee haue his Pardon sealed and life secured yet so hideous are the stormes of renued remorse for sinne which still lye beating vpon his brittle Barke that hee must suffer much dammage temporall before hee can vpon the Planke of redubled repentance waft and worke himselfe to reach the calme and comfortable Hauen of Melita This is that Conscience that troubled Conscience of the Conflicts and Comforts whereof wee are here to speake For as for the afflicted bad Conscience as of all such as liue in a knowne sinne without repentance and now and then are troubled with some fearefull qualmes comming ouer their stomacks while they seeke to haue not the cause which is sinne but the effect onely remoued Wee purpose not to bee troubled with such In such cases let the Adulterer repent and beccome continent the Drunkard repent and become sober the oppressing Vsurer repent and restore and become liberall to the poore and so in the rest Otherwise neuer let them looke for any true comfort and peace of Conscience Yet for their better instruction such also may reape much helpe by this Treatise to further them in the practise of true repentance thereby to obtaine true peace of Conscience For here we propound and describe the case of a troubled Conscience in the highest degree together with the remedies of it that so no troubled Conscience in any lesse degree or kind might here faile to find comfort in time of need For he that knowes how to cure the greatest wound can the more easily cure the lesse CONFLICTS AND COMFORTS OF CONSCIENCE CHAP. I. The first conflict or triall wherein the conscience of a man regenerate apprehending Gods wrath for sin is perillously shaken IT is the nature of all sinne once committed by guilt to affect the conscience with a fearefull apprehension of Gods wrath both temporall and eternall as due to the sinner It was decreed so in the beginning by an vnchangeable law of God In the day thou eatest thereof Gen. â— thou shalt dye the death And no sooner had Adam transgressed but an horror seased vpon his soule hee heares Gods voyce he feares flyes hides himselfe What 's the matter now Adam where art thou might God well say not in what place but in what case art thou surely the Serpent had left his sting in Adams Conscience Now hee is affrighted with hearing Gods voyce but a farre off as of a Iudge sending forth a Hue Cry or summons to the malefactor to appeare before him whom before he ioyed to behold as a dutifull sonne delighting in the presence of his louing and liberall father Ob. But Adam was afterwards receiued to mercy and that by a new couenant of Grace the old of workes being vtterly forfeited and that in and through Christ the promised seed of the woman Is not then the case of mans Conscience now altered Can the member of Christ the vessell of grace the heire of life eternall bee from henceforth repossessed with any such apprehension as of Gods wrath
case many will doe as with some bodily sickenesse thinking to finde ease by change of ayre especially farr remote from the place where the disease was contracted where the offence was giuen As many hauing made themselues obnoxious to censure and an euil report in England packe away beyond the Seas thinking to expiate all with Irish ayre and so to heale vp the wound But of such the saying is too commonly verified Coelum non animum mutant quitrans mare currunt Mutatio 〈◊〉 non ingenti Aug. They rather change the ayre then their manners For by that meanes they may rather hide then heale rather couer then recouer their hurt rather priuily bury their sinne in the graue where it more and more putrifieth then in the fire of godly zeale burne it openly that so being resolued into the ashes of humiliation and exposed to the view of all it may the more quickly be blowne away and scattered with the breath of better Fame Yea in stead of curing this change of place although ioyned with true repentance yet leaueth a suspicion behind that he carries his sinne with him which if he do the further hee goeth the more places he infecteth whereas on the contrary the onely surest and honestest way to blot out the ill name contracted whither of euill habit or of accident is with a Christian courage and patience not with a shamelesse boldnesse to stay by it there where the offence was giuen and by an euident reformation in time to weare out the ill opinion or report and by his good example or otherwise also by humble acknowledgement where it is requisite to make the best satisfaction hee can to the offended while they who haue reported or reputed thee for a bad or debosht man may with their eyes see the contrary they that haue seene thy fall may behold thy rising againe to preuent them from falling by the example of thy fall or if they haue fallen to â—each them to rise againe by the example of thy repentance I say in this ease he hath â—eed of a mighty courrage and patience supported with humility denying disclaiming himselfe as that conuert-youngman to his late Paâ—amour who meeting her was strange to her and shee saying Knowest thou not me It is I he replyed Aâ— ego non sum ego but I am not 〈◊〉 He must resolue and arme himselfe with an humble meekenesse to abide frumpes frownes or contemptuous affronts now and then Nor can hee expect to worke out the â—oyson of an ill name otherwise but as a strong body haâ—ing ouercome the poyson workes it out with a great deale of patience in loathsome botches or pimples dâ—facing the fairest body for the time Such is the poyson wherewith sinne hath infected a good name it must first bee ouercome with the Antidote of gâ—ace and the preseruaâ—iue of a strong faith in the heart whereby the strength of the poyson is ouercome the conscience now recouering and beginning to enioy peace with God and so wrought out although for along time it may taint the best life and most beautifull actions specially falling into the hands of cruell and vnconscionable Chirurgions who to make a long cure poyson the sore wiâ—h some malignant plaster tempered with the poyson of Aspes vnder the lips which but breathed on the Patient through the Serpents hissing or the foule mouth of Fame of meere enuy keepe vertue from recouering her natiue hue And although hee hath done all that he can vsed the best possible meanes to cleare himselfe yet must hee not rest here or so giue ouer he must not looke to bee so thorowly cured but know that the Cicatrix or scarre will still remaine to the eye of the world which yet may serue both daily to put him in minde of his fall still to repent of it and to preuent the like and admonish others not to bee secure but to auoid shipwrack by their daily beholding such a Sea-marke But yet with these cautions first and last and all a long on the one side let him looke mainly to the sincerity of his heart in the truth of his repentance and thinke hee hath neuer humbled himselfe enough On the other side let him withall looke to his peace with God the peace of his conscience in the pardon of his sin By this meanes deere Christian soule though thou canst not hope of euer quitting thy reputation and credit with all men while thou liuest yet comfort thy selfe that thy name is written in heauen and that thou hast a new name giuen thee of Christ ingrauen in a white stone pure from all blemish or blame such as is built vpon the foundation of Gods Election and made white in the blood of the Lambe whose righteousnesse imputed is the pure linnen of the Saints which shall neuer bee taken from thee And if thou beest a Minister of Christ who hast giuen cause of scandall to thy sacred profession although hereupon thou hast passed the sentence of condemnation vpon thy selfe as vnworthy any more to take the name of Christ into thy mouth which thou hast caused to bee blasphemed yet bee not altogether dismaid but know that those whom God vpon their Repentance receiueth into grace and fauour againe being not left destitute of his gifts and graces hee denyeth not vnto them the priuiledge to be or remaine publike instruments of his seruice as Dauid Peter Salomon And now who fitter to minister a word of comfort to the afflicted conscience then he who hath had such experience in himselfe not only of the grieuous conflicts of sinne but also after many fierce trials temptations and wrastlings with the apprehension of Gods wrath of those vnspeakable comforts of Gods Spirit in the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Who can better then hee giue direction and admonition to the people of God how to beware of the deceitfulnesse of sinne who hath himselfe so dearely bought the experience of hauing beene deceiued by it In conclusion as the Patient hath need of patience vntill the comming of the Lord So let him pray instantly that the Lord would hasten his comming to wipe off all staines from his seruants all teares from their eyes and to cloath both their names and persons with eternall beautie CHAP. XI The sixt Conflict With the Enemies of the truth IT goes hard with the poore seruant of Christ when hee hath giuen cause of offence to the enemies of the truth whether they be without or within the Church open or priuate profest Papists or prophane Protestants For if the Angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner surely the Angels of darkenes and wicked persons enemies of the truth reioyce at the fal or least slip of one that beareth Christs Image Yea it is meate and drinke vnto them They do so hunger after this waiting for the halting of the godly man that rather then faile they will inuent how to fasten slanders cast aspersions euen
heart trow you after that his sinne to heare the enumeration of Gods many fauours and benefits towards him mentioned by Nathan to him 2 Sam. 12 7 8. as in the person of God Enough of it selfe to wring from Dauid's gaulled and grieued heart a confession with teares I haue sinned against the Lord. Answ. True it is we haue no sweeter nor stronger tyes to serue and obey God then his benefites towards vs which as they are moe in numâ—er as he that hath fewest hath so many more then euer hee deserued or more excellent in their nature So when at any time wee sinne against this our liberall Benefactour all those benefits stand vp as witnesses against vs vpbrayding vs with extreme ingratitude and vnkindnesse as in the former example of Dauid And consequently in the Soules humiliation for sin Gods benefits comming into remembrance doe so accumulate and heape themselues vpon the Soule that as Tarpeia T. Liuius Lib. 1. the Romane Damosell was pressed to death with those Iewels cast vpon her which the Sabines wore on their left armes the price contracted for betraying to them the Capitoll of Rome shee is now pressed downe beyond all measure That speech Et tu Brute vttered by Caesar to Brutus might haue beene a sharper Dart to pierce Brutus his vnkind heart then his Poinado was to stabbe Caesar. When Ioseph was tempted by his wanton Mistrisse to folly with her Gen. 39 he answers her what obligations of fidelity his Master had layd vpon him in that he had intrusted him with all his goods taking no account of him and should hee not bee faithfull not to violate that one Iewell which alone hee had reserued to himselfe So that if Gods many benefits he hath trusted vs withall if the liberall allowance of all the Trees in the Garden will not cannot as they should restraine vs from the one and onely forbidden fruit of sinne as certainly they would Gen. 2â— if wee tooke but heed in any temptation to set Gods innumerable and inestimable blessings towards vs before our eyes which would make vs say as Ioseph How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God But alas wee are too forgetfull Surely then if we doe sinne all the other Trees in the Garden will be readie to fall vpon vs and presse vs downe not affording vs so much as their shaddow to hide vs if possible from the wrath of Gods angry countenance Math. 9. much lesse to refresh vs therewith Yet in the midst of the presse of Gods benefits wherewith the Soule is now oppressed Faith with her finger touching vpon and pointing vnto that euerliuing Fountaine of the grace and mercie of God in Christ formerly experienced finds cure for the issue of the bleeding Conscience euen then when it seemes to be quite spent and cast behind Christ. So that I say not Math. 16 23. that to the afflicted Conscience the memorie of Gods temporall benefits will bring comfort no nor simply of those Spirituall mercies on our Soules formerly felt sith all of them may iustly vpbraid vs for our vngratious vsing of them But least the Soule in this conflict of the apprehension of Gods wrath deserued should bee swallowed vp her readie way is to haue recourse to the stabilitie of Gods loue mercie and grace in Christ towards vs which hauing once and often formerly felt and inioyed we may recollect our Faith and rest assured that wayting with patience a while the Cloud will passe ouer and the Sun-shine of Gods fauour will returne vpon vs. And thus wee may reckon Gods promises and our spirituall experiences of his mercies as two preseruatiues more Onely this must bee remembred withall that the more experience we haue had of Gods fauours the more it ought to driue vs to a greater measure of repentance which will follow fitly here as a fourth Preseruatiue The fourth preseruatiue then of the Conscience from perishing vnder the apprehension of Gods wrath 2 Cor. 7.10 is godly sorrow so called 1. because it is a spirituall grace gift of God 2. because as it commeth from God so it goeth tendeth vnto and endeth in God sorrowing not so much that his iustice is prouoked as his mercy abused and his glory prophaned by our sinnes Herein it is opposite to worldly sorrow which as it springeth from a guilty conscience conuicted by the euidence of Gods law reflected vpon it So it respecteth onely the worldly estate of a man that he may still inioy the same and preuent temporall iudgements 1 King 21. This worldly sorrow was in wicked Ahab and so may bee in all Reprobates But the godly sorrow is so farre from regarding the punishment deserued that if the godly Penitent had it put to his choyce hee would rather suffer the very torments of hell then to haue committed the least sin against God This is true godly sorrow which chusing rather to dye the death and to fry in hell then to sinne against God hereby it becomes a strong antidote against despaire For what power can euen the flames of hell fire haue ouer that soule which is so drenched in the flood of this godly sorrow one drop whereof that poore Diues had not to coole his tongue So that to despise hell torments in comparison of sinne this giues a Supersede as to Despaire and seales to the penitent soule a Quietus est from all feares For how shall he now be any whit appalled with the apprehension of Gods wrath that willingly would rather suffer his wrath in hell 2 Cor. 11 31. Filiusi staroum â—aâ—hrymaruÌ„ perire non potest as Ambrose comforted Monica Augst mother weeping that he was a Manicheâ— then by sin incurre it on earth Thus iudging ourselues wee shall not be iudged Impossible it is that a sonne of this sorrow should perish Had that seuentimes heated furnace any power at all somuch as to scinge the outer garments of those three noble Confessors while they preferred the suffering in that flame before they would once bow to the Tyrants Idol such a conflict is godly sorrow Againe as godly sorrow looks primarily to Gods glorie so secondarily it reflects vpon the soules speciall good namely saluation For godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to bee repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 But as for any temporall end or corporall benefit or the sauing of this present life godly sorrow takes the least care The difference in this point betweene godly and worldly sorrow is liuely set forth in those two Theeues crucified with Christ which two Theeues on each hand of Christ were a Type of all mankind of the Elect on Christs right hand and of the Reprobate on the left All were Theeues in Adam's fall And to redeeme effectually all his Elect Christ is numbred crucified with for Theeues Now the one of these Theeues belieuing confessing Christ vpon the Crosse what was the thing he aymed at His temporall life A
the height of my holy calling the deeper I must bee plunged in the verie gulfe of griefe and humiliation for the same Considering that as great a Sacrifice was offered for the Priest's sinne alone Leui. 4.3 14. as for the whole Congregation though each sinned alike in the same kind Dauid Salomon Peter all smarted for their sinne And who would buy sinne at so deare a rate as they payd for it But yet they found mercie and fauour at Gods hand This was their comfort And their example is my comfort also For why should any man beholding such examples of Gods super-abundant mercy in pardoning sinnes of highest nature hee hauing sinned not by the patronage of their example but by the imprudence of his own impotent passions Why say I should any man out of a comfortlesse deiection shut himselfe out from all hope of Gods mercie as an abiect or out-cast and not rather with the hand of Faith and repentance which neuer knew how to be repulsed knocke at that gate of Grace which so easily was opened to them yea which of its owne accord more readily then that yron gate did to Peter will open to euerie faithfull penitent sinner Yea for this cause for our sakes are those examples written and left as euerlasting monuments that no Adulterer no Idolater no denyer of Christ should despaire of mercie vpon repentance And though these examples are written for all yet are they most proper for Gods Ministers when they are humbled for any sinne or offence against God or his people least the checke of their holy calling might altogether amate them and leaue them comfortlesse and so expose them as a prey to the Destroyer But blessed be God who hath prouided such Treacle made of the Mummy of his dead Saints to cure his liuing ones of the Serpents mortall Sting Yet the while I ascribe no more to these examples but as excellent adiuuants to faith it being the principall instrument whereby the Soule in her deepest thirst as with a bucket drawes the waters of comfort out of the Wells of Saluation the head Fountaine whereof is Christ. In this Poole of Bethesda in this Fountaine set open for Israel whosoeuer are washed are cured of all their maladies So that if the Adulteresse had neuer an example of a penitent Mary Magdalen Acts. nor the Abiurer of Christ a penitent Peter nor the Coniurer of those penitent Magitians nor the Persecuter of Christ in his Members of a penitent Paul nor the Idolater of a penitent Salomon or Manasses nor the Sacrilegious person of a penitent Achan If an Extortioner or cunning Cauiller had neuer an example of a penitent Zacheus making restitution nor a whole sinfull State of a penitent Niniueh nor the cowardly or sleepie Minister of a penitent Ionah nor the Theefe of that penitent on the Crosse Yet if all all kind of sinners looke but vpon Christ with the eye of sauing Faith vpon him they shall find all their iniquities layd all their burthens borne all their debts discharged all their bills cancelled all their stripes healled Those stung with the fiery flying Serpents some more Num. 21. some lesse all mortally some in the head some in the feet some in the eies some in the hands some in the brest or else-where yet all that looked on the brazen Serpent liued So all sinners stung by the old fierie flying Serpent some after one manner or measure some after another but all mortally the least sting of sinne wounding to death whether it bee in the eye of lust or in the feet of affections or in the hand of action or in the head of inuention or in the brest of conception or the like none liue but such as with the eye of a liuing Faith look vpon Christ Ioh. 3.14 15. lifted vp vpon the Pole of his Crosse. There thou mayest see all thy sinnes nayled all punished in thy Sauiour no lim of his body was free no one facultie of his Soule vntormented to satisfie and heale all thy wounds which sinne hath made in any member of thy body in any facultie of thy Soule or in all together Yet I say out of the super-abundancie of Gods care that no meanes should be wanting vnto his Saints to preserue them from perishing it hath pleased him to leaue vnto vs the most notable examples of his mercie to his dearest and greatest of his Saints offending for the help of our weake Faith in Christ that no temptation no not sin it selfe armed with all the power of Hell should be able to pull vs out of his hand The seuenth Preseruatiue to comfort the Conscience in the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne is the exercise of outward afflictions which falling vpon Gods Child after his sinne committed they are the tokens of our heauenly Fathers loue who leaueth vs not to our selues to follow our follies but mercifully chastizeth vs to our betterment So the Lord saith If my Children forsake my Law Psal. 89. and walke not in my Iudgments c. Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neuerthelesse my louing kindnesse will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Lo heere a speciall marke of Gods fatherly loue to his Children in correcting them with his Rod. Thus God dealt with Dauid when after hee had pardoned his sinne yet he spares not to lay load of afflictions vpon him Supplicia peccatoruÌ„ post remissioneÌ„ certamina esse exercitationesque iâ—storum Aug de Peccat mer. remiss li. â— c. 33 Not that afflictions are penall satisfactions for sinne but paternall corrections and medicinall applycations and exemplarie instructions and admonitions euen to warne the vngodly also For if God spare not his owne Child How shall the rebellious Seruant escape Yet out of this eater came meat out of this strong and bitter came sweetnesse vnto Dauid's Soule Psa. 23. For he saith Thy rod and thy staffe comfort mee as well the rod of thy correction as the staffe of supportation and protection comfort me Hast thou sinned then and doth God by and by not deferre to correct thee Be so farre from imputing this to the anger of God towards thee as rather hence gather assurance that this affliction is from the verie bowels of a louing and wise Father who will not pamper thee in thy childish folly but will humble thee to doe thee good at thy later end that thou mayst glorifie him in that quiet fruit of righteousnesse which affliction bringeth forth in all those who are his true-bred Children Aug. de serbis Domini ser. 37. Magnae misericordiae est nequitiae impunitatem non relinquere ne cogatur in extremo Gehennae damnare modò flagello dignatur castigare It is Gods great mercie not to leaue sinne vnpunished and that hee vouchsafeth now to chastise with the whip that hee may not bee compelled to condemne in the extremitie of
his balme but by small drops and as patients newly recouered from a strong feuer diets vs with small bits and pittances at a time least by ouerfull a diet the weake stomacke of the soule be ouercome with a surfet and so fall into a relaps Secondly to obserue the strength and ability which God hath left vs I meane of spirituall grace whereby we are assisted in the performance of spirituall duties publike and priuate domesticall or Ministeriall Herein may hee comfort himselfe when vpon his repentance he findeth the graces of Gods spirit no way abated but rather by prayer increased and his zeale to Gods glory and his truth more inflamed now then formerly as being incensed by a kinde of holy indignation and reuenge for his sinne to expose himselfe to the greater malice and obloquy of the world whose malice is doubled against those who are most couragious and zealous for the truth So that when a man obserueth how the Lord prospereth his indeauours and labours with a rich successe of the seruice of Gods people he may with the greater comfort and courage goe on this being a notable euidence of grace of his reconciliation with God of that well of liuing water in his soule springing vp vnto euerlasting life Notwithstanding by the way all along he meete with many rubs and obstacles difficult to incounter with but more difficult to ouercome as will appeare in the insuing Conflicts For being reconciled to God yet the penitent shall finde a world of discomforts or the discomforts of the world to exercise his patience meekenesse and humility Euen as a Ship riding at anchor in the Rode or Harbour hauing escaped the stormes in the main Ocean yet is tumbled and tossed with sundry proud waues and billowes that it hardly findes any steddie rest The second thing is to obserue certaine infallible marks and tokens of grace in the penitent soule and these are besides those reckoned vp by the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.11 first a sincere purpose of heart with prayer to please God in all things hauing respect vnto all his Commandements Ps. 119. Nor are we to rest in a purpose and desire thogh neuer so sincere but to add a most carefull indeuour in the vse of all means tending thereunto as prayer publicke and priuate hearing of the Word reading meditating conferring communicating and the like all singular and necessarie helpes to our Christian obedience being as the Oyle to cause our Lampe to flame forth and withall to be no lesse carefull of auoyding all those meanes and occasions which might lead a man back again to the seruice of sinne least also by comming neere to danger hee tempt God and expose himselfe to Sathans temptations Hast thou fallen by lust Hast thou repented of it abandoned it not onely in resolution but practice of all good meanes Yet if thou fearest not occasions how apt is the new cured wound to be offended Hieron ad Nepotian Nec in praeterita castitate confidas There is no trusting to thy former chastity Nec Dauide sanctior c. Thou art neither holier then Dauid nor stronger then Sampson nor canst thou be wiser then Salomon Hieron regulae c. 4 Cum proximat stipula accendit ignem And he saith of himselfe Creditas experto c. Belieue him that hath had experience c. Much lesse trust we to the facility of repentance if we be ouertaken Hee that once hath knowne truely what repentance is will not readily come into the fire againe They that sin and repent and repent and sinne doe but dally with repentance as they doe with sinne they neuer knew yet what true repentance meant Nec statim nobis poenitentiae remedia blandiantur Hier. reg c. 22. quae sunt infaelicium remedia Cauendum est vulnus quod dolore curatur Nor let vs be readie to flatter our selues with the remedies of repentance which are the remedies of miserable men Beware of the wound which is cured with griefe But on the contrary if being conscious to thy naturall corruptions which way they bend thou art carefull to shun the occasions not onely reioycing for ouercomming them but for not comming into them Though Nulla est laus ita esse integrune vbi nemo est qui aut velit aut conetur corruÌ„pereâ— Cic. Yet Ego arbitror securionis esse coÌ„tineÌ„tiae nescire qd quaeras Hieron this is a sure signe of grace raigning and remaining in thee For though it be a greater glory to ouercome temptation by buckling with it yet it is greater safety not at all to come into it The cold Iron void of motion yet comming where the Load-stone is how quickely is it drawne towards it and affected with it so forcible are disposâ—tions and obiects when they sympathize together Therefore he that best knew our weake temper taught vs to pray first lead vs not into temptation but if led Deliuer vs from the euill And Pray that ye enter not into temptation He is fairely blest that hath hardly escaped shipwrack from amidst the sands and Rockes But hee that dwels safely on Land and neuer tryed the Sea hath he not cause to blesse God for keeping him farre from danger into which many run wilfully some of necessitie In a word he must euer be bewailing his defects and contending after perfection and the more slips or trips or falls he hath taken in the Race the more must he mend his pace So running that hee may attaine the price CHAP. III. Conflict with Gods people offended specially when the faithfull Pastour is afflicted for the least offence giuen by him to his Flocke THIS conflict next to that wherein the Conscience wrastleth with the wrath of God may challeng precedencie of all other in afflicting the soule and plunging it into infinite perplexities For to a faithfull Minister who makes a conscience of his Calling and so of his answerable conuersation to whom nothing in the world is more precious then the Spirituall well-fare of that Flocke committed to his charge what can bee a greater corrosiue then to haue a stumbling blocke cast before his people and that which is most grieuous of all by his owne carelesse procurement How many sentences now stand vp against him Wo bee to that man by whom the offence commeth better a Mill-stone were hanged about his necke and hee cast into the bottome of the Sea then hee should offend one of these Little-ones Whereupon the Conscience inferreth Then what woe is due to me to me a Minister for giuing offence and that not to one alone but to the whole Church of God but specially which most neerely toucheth mee to mine own Flock Againe the Apostle admonisheth Timothy Let no man despise thy youth And A Bishop must bee blame-lesse But the Conscience inferreth I haue been obnoxious both to contempt and blame Againe Ministers must feed their Flockes by the Word by Hospitaltie by Example But the Conscience inferreth I haue beene faultie in the