hath not said that all men without exception shal be saved by Christs death albeit he saith Christ died for all but Salvation is promised to all onely under the Condition of Repenting and Beleeving in Christ that dyed I call them conditions not for which GOD ordained men to life but conditions to which they were ordained by which as by the fittest way man being a reasonable and voluntary agent God might glorifie himselfe in bringing them to eternall life Wherefore notwithstanding Christs infinite merit whereby he satisfied for mankinde and notwithstanding the universalitie of the offer of salvation to all to whom the Gospell is preached both Scripture and experience shew that not all nor yet the most shall be saved and that because the number of them which repent and unfainedly beleeve whereby they make particular and actuall application of Christ and his merits to themselves are fewest For of those many that are called few are chosen Wherfore let none ignorantly dreame of an absolute universall redemption as many simple people do Not yet let any think that because of the large extent of Christs Redēption they may be saved when they wil. For thogh Christ bee said to suffer to take away the sinnes of the whole world yet the Scripture saith that the whole world of unbeleevers and of ungodly men shall perish eternally Many wil yeeld that they must have faith and repentance and that they must be ingrafted into Christ and become new creatures else they cannot looke to be saved but they thinke they are all this already whence followeth quiet of Conscience Whereas when it commeth to the tryall their faith and repentance are sound not to be sound As shall thus appeare They thinke they have faith nay more they presume further that they have true faith and that they are truly religious and in state of grace It is not enough for a man to seeme to himselfe to bee religious for he may deceive his owne heart a close hypocrite may thinke himselfe to be something when yet he is nothing deceiving himselfe as no doubt the foolish Virgins did But many will think that they have good reason to judge that they have true faith c. and that 1 Because they beleeve the whole Scripture to bee the good Word of God 2 They beleeve not onely that there is a GOD but that Iesus Christis the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world yea according to the letter they beleeve all the Articles of the Christian faith 3 They thinke they are beleevers because they have beene Baptized and have given their names unto Christ they professe the onely true Religion they have the very true forme of godlinesse in all the externall exercises of Religion so that it may be said of many of them as it was said of the lewes They seeke God daily and delight to know his waies as a Nation that did righteousnesse c. Whereas if they beleeve no more nor no better they may know that their faith is onely an historicall and generall faith or onely a temporary faith at the best necessary indeed to Salvation but not sufficient to save The Devils beleeve as much as the first and very hypocrites may and doe professe and doe as much as the second and third The Apostle Paul having to doe with hypocriticall Iewes who because of the Sacraments and forme of knowledge and profession though without practice did nourish in themselves a vaine perswasion that they should be saved he removeth this false ground of their hope thus saying He is not a Iew which is one outwardly but he is a Iew which is one inwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but that which is of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose prayse is not of men but of God In like manner Saint Peter doth give all Christians to know that that Baptisme which is only a putting away of the filth of the flesh doth not save but that Baptisme which giveth proofe that the heart is sprinkled from an evill conscience as well as the body washed with pure water shewing it selfe by the answer which a good conscience maketh in beleeving in truth consenting unto and imbracing the new Covenant whereof Baptisme is a seale of which anciently men of yeares made profession when they were Baptized Neither is it any thing worth to have the forme of godlinesse in profession when the power thereof is denyed by an evill conversation as you may see by the exceptions which God taketh against the Iewes albeit they seemed to love Sacrifices and Sacraments Prayers Fastings and Sermons For howsoever such as these are most apt to claime an interest in Christ yet so long as their faith is not a particular faith drawing with it affiance sole reliance on Christ for Saluation declaring its truth and life by indevouring to performe the new Covenant on their part by new obedience in an endeavour unto all manner of good workes Our Saviour professeth that hee knoweth them not but biddeth them depart from him because they were workers of iniquity But secondly many of these presume that their faith is a lively saving faith that because as they thinke they have repented and are become new creatures And all because they have had such an inlightning as by nature man cannot attaine unto nay the Word hath affected them much and somwhat altered them from what they were namely 1 when they were hearing a Sermon or when Gods rod was over them they have mourned wept and shewed some kinde of humiliation 2 At the hearing of Gods precious promises in the Gospel in the glad tydings of Salvation they have felt a taste of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come And 3 they finde that they doe not commit many of those sinnes which they were wont to commit and that they doe many good duties towards GOD and man which they were wont not to doe 4 They desire that Gods people should pray for them 5 They desire to dye the death of the righteous and to goe to heaven when they dye And 6 which is more some can say that sometimes they have wished that they could leave sinne and that they had grace to doe well Besides 7 They see that the best of them that truly feare God both Ministers and others are well perswaded of them But what of all this These men as neere as they come yet going no farther are farre from Salvation For the Common gifts of Gods Spirit given unto men in the Ministery of the Gospell may elevate a man higher and carry him farther towards heaven than nature art or meere humane industry can doe and yet if the saving graces of the same Spirit be not added hee will be left farre short of
hony enough from any one neither would Salomon have tryed so many conclusions if the enioyment of anie creature could have made him happy Would you know the cause why so many like Ixion make love to shadowes and leave the substance or that I may speake in a better phrase forsake the fountaine of living water and dig to themselves broken Cisternes that will hold no water Briefly it is because man who in his pride would have seene as much as God is now become so blinde that hee seeth not himselfe For if men knew either the disposition of their soules by Creation or the distemper of their soules by corruption they would easily escape this delusion 1. The soule is a spirituall substance whose originall is from God and therefore its rest must be in God as the Rivers runne into the Sea and as every body rests in its center The noblest faculties are abased not improved abused not imployed vexed not satisfied when they are yoaked and subiected to these in eriour obiects as when Nebuchadnezzar fedde amongst beasts Or when as they that were brought up in Scarlet embraced the dung Or as when Servants rode on horse-backe and Masters walked like Servants on the ground Or as when 70. Kings like dogges did eate bread under Adoni-bezeks table Or as when Sampson made the Philistims merry with his eyes put out 2. Consider the soule as it is now in this state of corruption nothing can now content it but that which can cure it The soule is full of sinne which is the most painefull sicknesse hence the Prophet compares wicked men to the raging waves of the Sea that is never at rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt what will you doe to comfort him that is heart-sicke Bring him the choisest delicates Hee cannot relish them Compasse him about with merry company and musicke It 's tedious and troublesome to him bring him to a better Chamber lay him in an easier bed all will not satisfie him Bring the Physician to him then he conceives hope let the Physician cure him of his distemper and then hee will eat courser meat with a better stomacke and sleepe on a harder bed in a worse chamber with a more quiet and contented heart Iust so it is with a guilty Conscience though hee is not alwayes sensible of it What comfort can his friends give him when God is his enemie What delight can hee take in his stately buildings or frequent visits who may expect even this night to have his soule fetcht away from him and to be cast into hell amongst Devils What is a golden chaine about a Leprous person or the richest apparell upon a dead carkasse Or what comfort will a costly banquet yeeld to a condemned malefactor who is now going to execution Surely no more than Adam found when hee had sinned in the Garden or then Hamon had when Assuerus frowned on him in the banquet On the other side Let a man bee in peace with God and in a sweet communion enioy the influence of heavenly graces and comforts in his soule he can rejoyce in tribulation sing in prison solace himselfe in death and comfort his soule against principalities and powers tribulation and anguish height and depth things present and things to come This true happinesse which all men desire but most misse it by mistaking the readie way conducing to it is the subiect matter of this Booke Here you shall learne the right way of peace How a man may doe every dayes duty conscionably and beare every dayes crosse comfortably receive it thankefully and read it carefully But this course is too strict In bodily distempers we account that Physician the wisest and best who regards more the health than the will of his patient The â—â—rpenter squares his worke by the Rule not the Rule by his worke Oh miserable man what an Antipathy against truth is in this cursed corrupted nature which had rather perish by false principles then be saved by receiving and obeying the truth But secondly as it 's strict so it 's necessary and in that case strictnesse doth not blunt but sharpen the edge of industry to dutie Therefore saith our Saviour strive to enter in at the straight gate that is therefore strive to enter because the gate is straight Bradford well compared the way of Religion to a narrow Bridge over a large and deepe River from which the least turning awry is dangerous Wee see into what a Gulfe of miserie Adam plunged himselfe and his posterity by stepping aside from Gods way Therefore forget not these Rules of the Apostle Walke circumspectly and make straight steppes to your feet lest that which is halting be turned out of the way But many of Gods children attaine not to this strictnesse yet are saved It 's true though all Gods children travell to one Countrey yet not with equall agility and speed they all shoote at one marke yet not with the same dexterity strength Some difference there is in the outward action none in their inward intention some inequality there is in the event none in the affection in degrees there is some disparity none in truth and uprightnesse All that are regenerate are alike strict in these five things at least First they have but one path one way wherein they all walke Secondly they have but one rule to guide them in that way which they all follow Thirdly All their eyes are upon this rule so as they are not willingly ignorant of any truth Nor doe they suppresse or detaine any knowne truth in unrighteousnesse but they stand in the waies and aske for the old way which is the good way Fourthly They all desire and endevour to obey every truth not onely to walke in all the Commandements of God without reproofe before men but also in all things to live honestly and uprightly before God Fiâ—tly If they fall by occasion as a member may by accident bee disioynted yet they are in paine tâ—â— they be set right againe if they stumble through infirmity as sheepe may slip into a puddle yet they will not lye downe and wallow in the mire which is the property of Swine if they are sometimes drawne aside by violent temptations or step aside by mistake yet they will not walke on in the Counsaile of the wicked nor shall any way of wickednesse that is a constant or daily course in any one sinne bee found in them They are so far from perverting the straight wayes of God that is Speaking evill of that is good that they will iustifie God in condemning themselves and subscribe to the righteousnesse of his Word praying that their wayes might be directed to keepe his statutes To conclude Laying aside all cavils beg of God a teacheable dâ—sposition and make thy best profit of the labours of this faithfull servant
going to bed at nighâ— my meaning is not to urge thâ—… as necessary as if it were sinneâ— omit any of these particulars bâ—… except better come in place 〈…〉 most coÌ„venient Wherfore taâ—… these Cautions First as I said if other pertiâ—ent more profitable thoughts â—ffer not themselves or if you be â—…rren of other holy meditatiâ—ns use these Secondly the bare similitudes â—nd allusions with all such reâ—emblances which are free not â—ommanded by God but in our â—…oyce to take up from things â—atural artificiall to put vs in â—…ind of spirituall things and to â—…eare our judgements therein â—ust beused with puttinga wide â—ifference betweene them and â—hofe which are Sacramentall â—or the SacrameÌ„ts besides their â—aturall aptnesse to signifie what â—hey doe represent they have diâ—ine institution from GOD whereby to the beleever they â—re through Gods Spirit effectuâ—ll not onely outwardly to signiâ—ie exhibit seale but inwardâ—y to apply and confer the thing signified these not so yet as â—elps to your memory and understanding these are of singular use For our Saviour in his speeches while hee lived upon the earth and in his writings in the holy Scripture is frequent in the use of them as you may observe in the manifold parables and similitudes in the Gospell CHAP. III. Of beginning the day well walking with God SECTION I. VVHen you are thus awake and are risen out of your bed that you may walke with GOD the remainder of the day It will be needfull that you first renew your peace with God and then keepe it by doing those workes of pietie equitie mercy and sobrietie which any way may concerne you that day For how can two walke together safeâ—y especially a weake one with him that is strong except they be agreed And how can any walke with God if hee be not holy in â—ll his conversation You have as much cause to beware of him and to obey his voice and not provoke him who goeth before you in the wildernesse of this world to guide and bring you to his heavenly kingdome as the Israelites had to beware of him who went before them to keepe them in the way and to conduct them unto the earthly Canaan the place which he had promised and prepared for them It was for this that Iosuah told the people that except they would feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and put away their strange gods they could net serve God they could not walke with him For he is saith he a holy God he is a iealous God hee will not forgive your transgressions nor your sinnes For this cause if unavoydable necessity hinder not Begin the day with solemne prayer and thanksgiving Before which that these duties may bee the better performed it wil be convenient if you have time that you prepare your selfe by meditation the matter whereof should be an enquiry into your present estate how all things stand betweene God and you How you have carried your selfe since you last prayed and renewed your peace with God what sinnes you have committed what graces benefits you want what fresh favours God hath bestowed on you since last you gave him his Tribute of thankes and how much prayse and thanks you doe owe to him also for continuance of the old Thinke also what imployments you shall have that day Consider likewise what ground and warrant you have to approach to the Throne of Grace to aske â—ardon and to aske and expect â—avour and helpe of God Vpon â—hese considerations rightly proâ—ecuted you must worke your â—eart to a resolution through Gods grace to reforme whatsoever you find to be amisse And that you will flie unto and only relie upon Gods mercy in Christ that you will acknowledge him in all things and that you will now seeke grace and helpe of him whereby you may walke as in his sight in all well-pleasing all that day To further you herein doe thus First lay a peremptory charge upon your conscience to deale unpartially plainely and fully in this examination and judging of your selfe Secondly you should be so well acquainted with the summe and meaning of the Law that you may bee able to carry in your head a Catalogue or Table of the principal duties and vices required and forbidden in each Commandement whereby you may try your obedience past and may set before you a rule of your life for time to come Thirdly lest the calling to minde the multitude and greatnesse of your sinnes by the Law should make you despaire of Gods favour you should be so well exercised in the Articles of the Christian faith and in the principall promises and precepts of the Gospell that you may be able also quickly to cal them to mind for the strengthening of your faith and hope in God The patterne of wholesome words should be familiar unto you for these purposes All this need not take up much time you will finde it to bee time well redeemed For first by such preparation you shall keepe your selfe from that rude and rash thrusting yourselfe into Gods holy presence whereof â—ou are warned in the Scripâ—ures Eccles 5. 1 2. Secondly when by this meanes â—ou have well humbled softeâ—ed seasoned and set streight your heart to God-ward so that you can say you regard no iniquity in your heart and when hereby you have called your thoughts in from stragling and have gotten composednesse of minde and inward strength of soule without which the arrow of prayer can never flye home to the marke then you may approach unto Gods speciall presence with more faith and boldnesse you shall be more able to utter before him apt confessions lawfull requests and due thankesgivings more understandingly more distinctly more humbly more devoutly more feelingly more fervently and with more assurance of a gracious hearing all which are requisite in prayer then possibly you could ever be able to doe without such preparation Thirdly this due preparation to prayer doth not only fit you to pray but is an excellent furtherer of a godly life For it maketh the conscience tender and watchfull over you by the daily exercise of the knowledge of the precepts and threats of the Law and of the precepts and promises of the Gospell And it being enforced to examine accuse judge and passe sentence yea to doe a kind of execution upon you for your sinne smiting your heart and wounding it selfe with godly feare griefe and shame a worke to which the coÌ„science is loth to come till it must needs wherefore to prevent all this trouble vexation and smart it will rather give all diligence in other acts which are more pleasing namely it will direct you in the wayes of God check and warne â—ou before-hand lest you should sinne to the end that when you come to examine your selfe againe it might finde matter not of grieving and tormenting but of reioycing comforting your heart
till their turne be to be thought upon and till the more excellent and more needfull be dispatched 3. If thoughts of the world will impudently intrude themselves and will not be kept out rebuke them sharply give them no hearing but dishearten them and rebuke the porter and keeper of the doore of your heart smite wound and checke your conscience because it did not checke and restraine them 4. In all lawfull businesse inure yourselfe hoc agere fully and sufficiently to intend that one thing which you have in hand for the present and at all times restraine wandring thoughts as much as may be Let your Reason get such power over Phantasie that you may bee able to thinke of what you please when you please You will say to a sickle brain this is hard if not impossible To this I answer If you wold not nourish and entertaine evill flying unseasonable thoughts when they arise and would as oft as they offer themselves be much displeased with them and with your selfe for them then in time you shall finde it possible and not exceeding hard to think of what good things you would and not of what evill things you would not 5. Lastly when the time and turne of thinking and doing of your worldly businessesis come then thinke thereof sufficiently and to good purpose for then they will be the lâ—sse troublesome in thrusting themselves in out of place because it is known that in their place they shall be fully regarded Idlenesse and improvidence about these things puts a man into streights many times and into distempers about his worldly businesse more then cls needs or would be You would also know when your thoughts of successe in your worldly affaires are distractions in your preparation to prayer together with a remedy against them To thinke that if you be not provident and diligent in your calling and that if God doe not blesse your diligence you may doe the works of your calling in vaine and that you may looke for ill successe thus to thinke is lawfull and usefull For it will raise up in you a resolution to be provident diligent and when you haue done all you can these thoughts also will quicken you to prayer unto God for successe But if your thoughts of thriving or not thriving be other then these and doe bring forth other effects namely if desire of successe drive you to thinke of using unlawful meanes from doubting that you cannot so soon or so certainly or not at all speed by the onely use of lawfull if it make you full of anxietie and feare that though you use what good meanes you can all will be in vaine if you be yet doubtfull and take thought about what you shall eate what you shall drink and what you shall put on or how you yours shall live another day then your thoughts about successe in worldly busines are worldly and distractfull I shall let this sinne with its remedy appeare morefully when I shall write against taking care in any thing cap. 13. Yet for the present know All the fruit you shall reape through eating up your heart with feare and distrust doubting of successe will be nothing else but a farther degree of vexation of heart For all the carking in the world cannot bring good successe Besides nothing provoketh the Lord to give ill successe sooner then when you shall nourish distrustfull care Secondly consider the ability and faithfulnesse of GOD who hath taken care of the successe of your labour upon him commanding you not to care but to cast all the care on him If you would rest upon this you might be secure of good successe in â—our outward state even according to your desire or else God will more then recompence the want thereof by causing you to thrive and to haue good successe in spirituall things which is much better which you should desire much more 4. A fourth caution to be observed in your preparation to prayer and in prayer is Be not sleight and formall herein which is when cursorily and out of an overt custome you only cal your sins your duties Gods favours and his promises unto a bare and fruitlesse remembrance For if the heart be not withall affected with anger feare griefe and shame for sinne And if it be not affected with ioy and with an acknowledgement of being beholding to God for his favours Moreover if it be not affected with hope and confidence in God at the remembrance of his blessed promises And if withall the heart be not gained to a renowed resolution for to reforme what is faulty and to cry earnestly to God for grace and mercy and for the time to come to endevour to live a godly life all your preparation is nothing Nay this slight and fruitlesse ealâ—ing of vice and vertue to rememâ—rance and no more is a great â—…holdner and strengthner of sinne â—nd a great weakner and quencher â—f the Spirit For sinnes are like to â—dle vagrants and lawlesse subâ—ects If Officers call such before â—hem and either say nothing to â—hem or onely give them threatâ—ing words but doe not make â—hem smart they grow ten times â—ore bold more insolent and â—wlesse Good thoughts are like â—â— dutifull servants and loyall â—â—bjects such as are ready to â—ome at every cal offer themâ—â—lves to be imployed in all good services now if such be not cherished in their readinesse they like Davids people returne dis-heartned and their edge to future readinesse is taken off Besides this cursorie performing of holy duties is the high way to an habit of hypocrisie that cursed Marre-good 5. My last caution is that if in your meditations and in your prayers you finde a dulnesse and want of spiritualnesse I would haue you to be humbled in the sense of your impotency and infirmity yet Be not discouraged nor yet give them over but rather betake your selfe to these duties with more diligence earnestnesse When you want water your Plumpe being dry you by powring in a little water and by much labour in plumping can fetch water so by much labouring the heart in preparation and by prayer you may recover the gift of prayer And as when your fire is out you by laying on fuell and by blowing the sparke remaining doe kindle it so by meditation whereby you must stirre up the grace that is in you and by the breath of prayer you may revive and inflame the spirit of grace and prayer in you Yet if you finde that you have not time to prepare by meditation or hauing time if you finde a confusion distraction in your meditation then it wil be best to breake through all lets without further preparation fal upon the duty of prayer onely with premeditation of God to whom and of Christ by whom through the Spirit you must pray If for all this you doe not satisfie your selfe in these holy exercises yet give them not over
Civill observed for the good of the Common-weale For choise hath beene oft made of Wednesdayes and Fridayes both in and out of Lent for to be kept for Religious Fasts which needed not to haue been if the Fasts kept before upon those daies had beene judged to be Religious Yet they have their lawfull use so farre forth as they conduce to their civill end and are freed from Popish abuse and superstition And I doe advise you and all good Subjects according as it will stand with your health for to observe them The Fast which I mentioned in the end of the former Chapt. of which I am to treat in this is a Religious Fast Which is A sanctifying a day to the Lord by a willing abstinence from me atâ— and drinke and from delights worldly labours that the whole man may be more thorowly humbled before God and more feruent in prayer This Fast hath two parts the one outward the chastening the body the other inward the afflicting of the soule under which are contained all those Religious acts which concerne the setting of the hart straight to Godward and the seeking helpe of God for those things for which the Fast is intended Take Fasting strictly for bodily abstinence so it is an indifferent thing and is no part of Gods worship But take it as it is joyned with the inward part and is referred to a religious end being a profession of an extraordinary humiliation and a great furtherance to a mans spirituall reasonable service of God giving a stronger and speedier wing to prayer which must alwaies goe with it so it is more then an ordinary worship It hath the name from the outward part it being most sensible But hath its excellency and efficacy from the inward it being that for which the outward is observed It is called Publicke when a whole State or when any one publike Congregation doth fast Private when one alone one family or some few together do fast God commanded a set Fast to be observed yearely of the Iewes By which they forbearing onely the Sacrifices and publike Solemnities did learn to keepe the private according as they had cause Publike and private haue their warrant from the new Testament as well as from the Old Which sheweth that religious Fasts were not peculiar to the Iewes but are a Christian dutie belonging to all fitly qualified for them In the times of the government of Iudges and Kings before the Captivitie and of the Rulers of the Iewes after the Captiuitie we have manifold examples of private Fasts and examples commandement for publike Our Lord and Saviour said that his Disciples after his departure from them should fast giveth direction unto all touching priuate fasts The Apostle speaketh of the husbands and wiues abstaining from the marriage bed that they might giue themselvs to fasting and prayer And wee haue the practise of the Apostles againe and again for publike fasts All which prove fasting to be a Christian duty The case of a mans selfe of others yea of the Church and Common-wealth may be such that ordinary humiliation and prayer will not suffice For as there were some Divels that could not be cast out but by fasting and prayer so it may be that such hardnesse of heart may be grown upon a man or some sinfull lusts â—ay have gotten so much streÌ„gth â—at they will not be subdued â—ome evils private and publike â—hich cannot be prevented or â—â—moved some speciall graces â—â—d blessings which shall not be â—â—tained or continued but by â—â—e most importunate seeking of â—od by Fasting and Prayer Fasting is contrary to that fulâ—…sse of bread which maketh â—…th body and soule more prone â—…vice and indisposed to religiâ—…s duties through drowsinesse â—…head heavinesse of heart dulâ—…sse and deadnesse of spirit â—…ow these being removed and â—…e pamprednesse and pride of 〈…〉 flesh taken down by fasting 〈…〉 body will be brought into â—…jection to the soule and both â—…dy and soule to the will of â—…d more readily then otherâ—…e they would be A day of Fast is a great furâ—…rance to the soule for the better performing of holy duties such as Meditation Reading and Hearing the Word Prayer Examining Iudging and Reforming a mans selfe both because his spirits are better disposed when he is fasting to serious and sad devotion by reason of so large a time wherein the minde is taken wholly off froÌ„ the thoughts cares and pleasures of this life he may be more intent more wholly taken vp in seeking of God Fasting is an open profession of guiltinesse before God and an expression of sorrow and humiliation it being a reall acknowledgement of mans unworthinesse even of the common necessaries of this present life But it is not enough that the body be chastned if that the souls be not withall afflicted because 1 it is else but a meere bodily exercise which profiteth little nay it is but an by pocriticall fast abhorred condemned of God frustrating a chiefe end of the outward fast which is that the soule may be afflicted Afflicting the soule worketh Repentance another chiefe end and companion of Fasting For godly sorrow causeth repentance never to be repented of When the soule is afflicted and heavie laden with sinne then a man will readily and earnestly seeke after God even as the sick will to the Physitian for Physicke and as a condemned man to the King for a Pardon In their affliction saith God they will seeke me diligently If this be true of the outward then much more of inward affliction The afflicted soule is a fit obiect of Gods mercy to him doth God looke that is poore and of a contrite spirit that trembleth at his word yea the bowels of his fatherly compassion are troubled for him that is troubled and ashamed for his sin Moreover upon a day of humiliation if a man deale sincerely this affliction of his soule driveth him quite out of himselfe to seeke helpe of God in Christ and maketh him endevour to bring his soule into such good frame that hee may truely say that he doth noâ— regard iniquity in his heart and haâ— his unfained purpose is and endevour shall be to keep a good â—onscience toward God and man 〈…〉 Whence followeth boldnesse and assurance that God will be found of him and that in Gods owne time and in the best manner he shall have all his holy desires fulfilled All whom lawfull Authority enjoyneth are to keepe a publik Fast so farre as health will permit These onely may keepe a private Fast Such as are of understanding els how can they search out their wayes judge theÌ„selves or pray In publike Fasts if Authoritie thinke fit little children may be caused to fast that the Parents and others of understanding may as by objects of misery be stirred up to a
from the marriage-bed and the like Thirdly Abstaine from all worldly labour as upon a Sabbath day for worldly busines the cares thereof doe as well as worldly delights distract the thoughts and hinder humble devotion and a ceasing there-from giveth a full opportunitie to holy imployments the whole day Therfore the Iewes were commanded to sanctifie a fast And that yearely Fast called the day of Atonement was upon perill of their lives to be kept by a forbearance of all manner of worke Now albeit the Ceremonials of that day are abolished in Christ yet forbearing worke as well as meate and drinke being of the substance of a Fast doth remaine to bee observed in all such as may properly be called Religious Fasts Thus much for the outward fast you must be as strict in observing the inward Begin the day with prayer according as I directed you to doe every day but with more than ordinary preparation with fervency and faith praying for Gods special grace to enable you to sanctifie a fast that day according to the Commandement Then apply your selfe to the maine worke of the day which hath these parts 1 unfained Humiliation 2 Reformation together with Reconciliation and 3 earnest Invocation The soule is then humbled the heart rent and truly afflicted when a man is become vile in his owne eyes through conscience of his owne unworthinesse and when his heart is full of compunction and anguish through feare of Gods displeasure with godly sorrow and holy shame in himselfe and anger against himselfe for sinne These affections stirred doe much afflict the heart To attaine this deepe humiliation know that it is to be wrought partly by awakening your Conscience through a sight of the Law and apprehension of Gods just judgements due to you for the breach of it which wil break your heart and partly by the Gospell raising up your heart to an apprehension and admiration of the love of God to you in Christ which will melt your heart and cause you the more kindely to grieve and to loath your selfe for sin and withall to conceive hope of mercy whence wil follow reconciliation reformation and holy calling upon God by prayer To worke this Humiliation there must be First Examination to find out your sinne Secondly a Accusation of your selfe with due aggravation of your sinne Thirdly Iudging and passing sentence against your selfe for sinne Sinne is the transgression of the Law and revealed will of God Wherefore for the better search and finding out of your sinne you must set before youthe glasse of the Law for your Light and Rule And if you have not learned or cannot beare in minde the heads of the manifold duties commanded or vices forbidden then get some Catalogue or Table wherein the same are set downe to your hand which you may reade with pausing and due consideration staying your thoughts most upon those particular sinnes whereof you finde your selfe most guiltie If of those many that are you doe not meete with one more fit for this purpose or which you shall like better then use this Examinatorie Table in manner as Followeth But expect not herein an enumeration of all particular sinnes which is beyond my skill nor yet of all the heads of duties or kindes of sinnes which would require a volumne but of those which are principall and most common yet hereby if your Conscience be awake it will be occasioned to bring to your thoughts those other not mentioned in the Table if you bee thereof guiltie The first Table of the Law concerneth duties of love and pietie to God the performance whereof tendeth immediately to the glory of God and mediately to the salvation and good of man The first Commandement concerneth the setting up of the onely true God to your selfe to bee your God Examining your selfe by this and so in the other Commandements thinke thus with your selfe Doe I know and acknowledge the onely true GOD to be such a one as hee hath revealed himselfe in his Word works namely One onely Infinite Immateriall Immutable Incomprehensible Spirit and Everlasting Lord God having beeing and All-sufficiencie in and from himselfe One who is simply full of all perfections and uncapable of the least defect being Wisedome Goodnesse Omnipotencie Love Truth Mercy Iustice Holinesse and whatsoever is originally and of it selfe Excellent The only Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords of whom through whom and to whom are all things The Father Sonne and holy Ghost God blessed for ever Amen Doe I Beleeve his Word in all things related commanded promised and threatned therein and that his holy and wise Providence is in all things Have I Him and his Word in continuall remembrance Doe I esteeme and exalt God in my heart above all so that it doth humbly adore him at the very mention and thought of him making my selfe to be nothing in mine owne eyes yea esteeming all creatures to bee nothing in comparison of him Have I given religious worship to him onely Have I beleeved in him and in him onely Have I sworne by him as there hath beene cause and by him alone Have I prayed onely unto him and have I sought to him and to obtaine helpe of him only by such meanes as he hath appointed giving the glory and thanks of my being and well-being and of al other things which are good unto him Is my Conscience so convinced of the truth Authority of God that it holdeth it selfe absolutely bound to obey him in all things that it doth incite to that which is good restrain from that which is evill encourage me in well-doing and check me when I doe ill Is my will resolved upon absolute and unfained obedience to doe whatsoever God commandeth to forbeare whatsoeuer hee forbiddeth to subscribe to whatsoever he doth as well done and have I borne patiently all which either by himselfe or by any of his creatures hee hath inflicted upon me Have mine affections beene so for God that I have loved him with al my heart loving nothing more than him nothing equally to him Doe I hate every thing that is contrary to him Hath my Confidence beene onely in him and my expectation of good from him Have my desires beene to him and for him longing above all things to have communion with him Hath it beene my greatest feare to offend him or to be severed from him Hath it beene my greatest griefe and shame that I have sinned against him Have I reioyced in God as in my chiefe Good Hath mine anger risen against whatsoever I saw crosse to his glory Have I beene zealous for God And have I made him the utmost end of all mine actions Hath my whole outward man as tongue senses and all other active powers of my body been readie to professe the true God and to yeeld obedience to his will Or contrariwise Am I not guilty of denying of God in word in workes or at least in heart
goodnesse and shal continue in your sinne thereby provoking the eyes of his glory is a terrible and revengefull God who if you still erre in heart and will not walke in his waies hath sworne in his wrath that you shall not enter into his Rest who in his wrath is a consuming fire and is ready and able to destroy body and soule in the eternall vengeance of Hell fire Fistly Consider sinne in the evill effects of it namely it brought a curse upon the whole Creation for mans sake whereby the â—…reatures are become defective â—nd unserviceable nay hurtfull 〈…〉 you from your sinnes come 〈…〉 manner of diseases and crosses â—â—at ever befell you This your â—…ne untill it be repented and â—…rdoned maketh you hatefull 〈…〉 God separateth between you â—…d God causing him to withâ—â—ld good things from you and 〈…〉 inflict evill upon you even in â—is life It defileth the whole â—…an and every renewed act of â—…ne doth strengthen the body 〈…〉 sinne and worketh a decay of â—…ace in you though you be reâ—â—nerate And if it be grosse if it 〈…〉 not benumme and feare your â—â—nscience yet it will wound it â—â—d break the peace thereof if it â—…ender vexing it as motes do â—…ur eye or thornes your feet â—…sing terrors and doubtings of â—…vation God withdrawing his â—our and loving countenance â—…m you And if you be nor in Christ it will in the end bring upon you everlasting damnation Sixtly Consider the ransome 〈…〉 sinne who paid it and what waâ— paid consider Christ Iesus who he was and what he did and suffered to take away your sinne He the onely sonne of God very God did lay downe and veile 〈…〉 glory for â—rime yea came dowâ— and left heaven to dwell in the Tabernacle of humane flesh taking upon him the estate of servant was poore despised 〈…〉 men persecuted from the cratâ— to the crosse made to shed teaâ— abundantly yea so tormenteâ— with the sense of Gods wrath foâ— your sinne that for very anguiâ— he did sweat as it were dropâ— bloud He was accused condemned spit upon mockt buffetteâ— and scourged by wicked meâ— made to beare his owne crosse till oh oppressed and afflicted soule for very faintnes he could beaâ— it no longer Then he was hanged amongst theeves dying the most accursed death And which to him was more then all the rest hee in his humane apprehension was forsaken of God crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now you may be assured that if the iustice of God could have beene satisfied and your sinne expiated and done away by a lesser price Iesus Christ his onely Son should never have beene caused â—o poure out his soule a sacrifice for your sinne This looking by the eyes of your faith upon Christ whom you have pierced will at once shew you the greatnes and hatefulnes of your sin which required such â—n infinite ransome and the infinite love of God and Christ to you-ward euen when you were his enemie in providing for you a sure remedie which will free you from both guilt and power of this sinne The thoughts hereof will if any thing will even melt the heart into godly sorrow for sinne and withall give hope in the use of the means of mercy and forgiuenesse That the former Aggravations may bee more pressing observe these directions You must consider sinne in the particulars one after another for generalls leave no impressions Therefore David cryeth out of his bloudy sinne in particular You must iudge the least sinne to be damnable untill it bee pardoned and repented in particular if knowne unto you at least in generall if not knowne The greater any sinne is the greater you must judge the guilt and punishment to be Sinnes committed long since unrepented and the punishments deserved but deferred are to bee judged to bee as neare lying at the doore dogging you at the heeles as if committed at the present so that you may looke for Gods hand to be upon you this present moment they like the bloud of Abell or sinnes of Sodom cry as loud to God for vengeance now as the first day they were committed nay louder because they are aggravated by * impenitencie and by the abuse of Gods long suffering Your humiliation must in your endevour proportion your guilt of sinne the greater guilt the greater humiliation Know therefore that sinnes against God of the first Table considered in equal comparison are greater than those of the second The more grace hath beene offered by the Gospell and the more meanes any have had to know God and his will the greater is their sinne if they be ignorant and disobedient The number of sinnes according as they are multiplied doe increase the guilt and punishment The more bonds are broken in sinning as committing it against the Law of God of Nature and Nations against Conscience promises and vowes the greater the sinne and punishment All these things knowne and considered now iudge your selfe passe a condemnatorie sentence against your selfe whence will through the grace of God follow affliction of soule Now you will see that you are base and vile and that you may justly feare Gods iudgements Now you will see cause to be grieved ashamed yea even confounded in your selfe and to conceive an holy indignation against your selfe You will now thinke thus Ah that I should be so foolish so brutish so mad to coÌ„mit this to commit these sinnes think of particulars to breake so holy a Law to offend grieve and provoke so good and so great a Maiestie so ill to requite him so little to feare him vile wretch that I am that I should commit not onely sinnes of common frailty but grosse sinnes many and oft against knowledge conscience c. but still minde particulars Iesus Christ my Sauiour shed his precious bloud for me to redeeme mee from my vaine conversation and doe I yet againe and againe transgresse oh miserable man that I am What am I in my selfe at best but a lumpe of sinne and durt not worthy to be loved worthy to be destroyed one that may justly look to have mine heart hardned or my coÌ„science terrified and that if God be not infinitely merciful he should powre upon me all his plagues Wherfore remembring my doings that they are not good but abhominably evill I doe loath my selfe for mine abhominations and doe abhorre my selfe and repent as in sackcloth and ashes Now set upon the worke of Reformation and of Reconciliation Generall if you finde there be neede Particular as you finde there is neede It is not enough to search out and consider your wayes nor yet to lament them if withall you doe not turne againe unto the Lord and turne your feet unto his Testimonies and withall seeke grace and forgivenesse The Gospell openeth a
and take the first opportunity to ask the meaning of some or other whose lips should preserve knowledge Let no colourable pretence keepe you from diligent reading of Gods Booke for hereby you shall be better prepared to heare the Word preached For it layeth a ground-worke to preaching making way to a better understanding thereof and to â—…ter â—eeping it in memory â— also to enaâ—le you to try the Spirits and Doctrines delivered even to try all things and to keepe what is good 1. In reading mens writings reade the best or at least those by which you can profit most 2. Reade a good booke thorowly and with due consideration 3. Reject not hastily any thing you reade because of the mean opinion you have of the authoâ— Beleeve not every thing yoâ— reade because of the great opinâ— on you have of him that wrote it But in all bookes of faith and manners try all things by the Scriptures Receive nothing upon the bare testimony or judgement of any man any further then hee can confirme it by the Canon of the word or by evidence of reason or by undoubted experience alwayes provided that what you call reason and experience be according unto not against the Word If the meanest speake according to it then receive and regard it but if the most judicious in your esteeme yea if he were an Angell of GOD should speake or write otherwise refuse and reject it Thus much for privat reading Onely take this Caution You must not thinke it to be sufficient that you read the Scriptures and other good Bookes at home in private when you shall by so doing neglect the hearing of the Word read and preached in publike For God hath not appointed that reading alone or preaching alone or prayer or Sacraments should singly and alone save any man where all or more then one of them may be had but he requireth the joynt use of them all in their place and time And in this variety of means of salvation God hath in his holy wisedome ordained them to be such that the excellency and sufficiencie of the one shall nâ—t in its right use keepe any from but leade him unto a due performance of the other each serving to make the other more effectuall to produce their common effect namely the Salvation of mans soule Indeed when a man is necessarily hindred by persecution sicknesse or otherwise that he cannot heare the Word preached then God doth blesse reading with an humble honest heart without hearing the Word preached But where hearing the Word preached is either contemned or neglected for reading sake or for prayer sake or for any other good private dutie there no man can looke to bee blessed in his reading or in any other private dutie but cursed rather Witnesse the evill effects which by experience we see doe issue thence viz. Selfe-conceitednesse Singularity in some dangerous opinions many times a rending away from the Church by Schisme yea too oft a falling away into damnable Heresies and Apostacie SECTION 3. Of meditation VVHen you are alone then also is a fit season for you to be taken up in holy meditation For according to a mans meditations such is the man The liberall man deviseth liberall things the Churle the contrary The godly man studieth how to please God the wicked how to please himselfe In meditation the minde or reason of the soule stayeth it selfe upon some thing conceived or thought upon for the better understanding thereof and for the better application of it to a mans selfe for use In meditating a right the mind of man exerciseth two kind of acts the one direct upon the thing meditated the other reflect upon himselfe the person meditating The first is an act of the contemplative part of the undâ—rstanding the second is an act of Conscience The end of the first is to enlighten the mind with knowledge the end of the second is to fil the heart with goodnesse The first serveth I speake of morall actions to finde out the rule whereby you may know more clearely distinctly what is truth what is falshood what is good what is bad whom you should obey what manner of person you should be and what you should doe and the like The second serveth to direct you how to make a right and profitable application of your selfe and of your actions to the Rule In this latter are these two acts First an examination whether you and your actions bee according to the Rule or whether you come short or are severed from it giving true judgment of you according as it doth finde you The second is a perswasive and commanding act charging the soule in every faculty understanding will affections yea the whole man to reforme and conforme themselves to the Rule that is to the will of God if that you finde your selfe not to be according to it which is done by confessing the fault to God with remorse praying for forgivenes returning to God by repentance reforming the fault through new obedience This must be the resolution of the soule And all this a man must charge upon his soule peremptorily commanding himselfe to endevour the doing of them When you meditate joyne all these three acts else you shall never bring your meditation unto a profitable issue For if you onely muse and studie to finde out what is true what is false what is good what is bad you may gaine much knowledge of the head but little goodnesse to your heart If you onely apply to your selfe that wheron you have mused and no more you may by finding your selfe to bee a transgressour lay guilt upon your conscience and terrour upon your heart without fruit or comfort but if to these two you lay a charge upon your selfe to follow GODS counsell touching what you should beleeve doe when you have offended him if you with all bring your heart to a resolution through GODS grace to be such an one as you ought to be and to live such a life for hereafter as you ought to live then unto science you shall adde conscience and to knowledge you shall joyne practice and shall fill your selfe full of comfort Observe Davids meditations you shall finde they come to this issue His thoughts of God and of his wayes made him turne his feete unto Gods testimonies The meditation of Gods benefits made him resolve to take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord and to pay his vowes When he considered what God had done for him and thence inferred what he should be to God againe he saith to his soule My soule and all that is in mee prayse his holy Name When hee in his meditation found that it was his fault to have his soule disquieted in him through distrust he chargeth it to wait on GOD and raiseth up himselfe unto confidence I will meditate on thy precepts saith
worldly griefe must be avoided in all sorts of crosses For by it you repine against GOD fret against men and doe make your selfe unfit for naturall civill and spiritual duties and if it be continued it worketh death The best remedy against worldly sorrow for any crosse is to turn it into godly sorrow for sin which is the cause of the crosse This will cause repentance to salvation never to be repented of and will drive you to Christ in whom if you beleeve you shall have joy and comfort even such ioy unspeakeable which will dispell and drie up both this and all other griefes whatsoever For godly sorrow doth alwaies in due time end in spirituall joy SECTION 2. Of bearing all crosses patiently IN the third place I told you that you must beare all your afflictions and crosses patiently By Patience I doe not meane a Stoicall sensclesnesse or blockish stupiditie like that of Isachar Nor yet a counterseit patience like Esau's and Absaloms Nor a meere civill and morall patience which wise Heathen to free themselves from vexation and for-vaine-glorie and other ends attained unto Nor yet a prophane patience of men insensible of GODS hishonour Nor a patience-perforce when the sufferer is meerely passive But a Christ an holy patience wherein you must be sensible of Gods hand and when you cannot but feele an unwillingnesse in nature to beare it yet for conscience to Gods Commandement you doe submit to his will and that voluntarily with an active patience causing your selfe to be willing to beare it so long as God shall please like the patience of Christ Not my will but thine be done The excellencie of Christs suffering was not in that he suffered but in that he was obedient in his suffering He was obedient to the death So likewise no mans suffering is acceptable if he be not active and obedient in suffering This Patience is a grace of the Spirit of God wrought in the heart and will of man through beleeving and applying the Commandement and promises of God to himselfe whereby for conscience sake towards God he doth submit his will to Gods will willing quietly to beare without bitternesse and vexation all the labours changes and evill occurrents which shall be fall him in the whole course of his life whether from God immediately or from man as also to wait quietly for all such good things which God hath promised but yet are delayed and unfulfilled To induce you to get and to shew forth this holy Patience know that you have need of it and that in these respects 1. You are but halfe a Christian you are imperfect in your parts you want a principall part if you want patience thus S. Iames argueth implying that hee that will be entire and want nothing to make him a Christian man he must have patience This passive obedience is greater than active it is more rare and more difficult to obey in suffering than to obey in doing 2. You have not a sure possession of your soule without patience In your patience possesse yee your soules saith our Saviour A man without patience is not his own man hee hath not power nor rule over his owne spirit nor yet of his own body The tongue hand and feet of an impatient man will not bee held in by reason But he that is patient enjoyeth himselfe and hath rule over his spirit no crosse can put him out of possession of himselfe Thirdly There are so many oppositions and lets in your race and growth of Christianity that without patience to suffer and to wait you cannot possibly bring forth good fruit to God nor hold out your profession of Christianitie to the end but shall give off before you have enjoyed the promise Therefore you are bid to runne with patience the race which is set before you And the good ground is said to bring forth fruie with patience And the faithfull are said through Faith and Patience to inherite the Promises Fourthly Patience worketh experience without which no man can be an expert Christian this experieÌ„ce being of the greatest use to confirme a Christian soule in greatest difficulties This be said of the necessitie together with the benefit of patience that you may love it and may desire to have and shew it By what meanes you may attaine it followeth First you must be after a sort impatient and must spend your passion on your lusts which war in your members fall out with them mortifie them for nothing maketh a man impatient so much as his lusts doe both because they wil never be satisfied it is death to a man to be crossed in them and because the fulfilling of lusts doth cause a guilty conscience whence followeth impatience troublesome vexation upon every occasion like unto the raging Sea which with every wind dothâ—ome and rage and cast up nothing but filth and dirt And as Saint Iames saith Whence are warres and brawlings So I say of all other fruits of impatiencie But from your lusts that warre in your members Take away the causes of impatiency then you have made a good way for patience Secondly Lay a good soundation of patience you must be humble and low in your owne eyes through an appreâ—eÌ„sion that you are lesse then the least of GODS mercies and that your greatest punishments are lesse than your iniquities have deserved As any man hath abounded in humility so hath â—ee abounded in patience witnesse the examples of Abraham Moses Iob David and others Thirdly Store your heart with faith hope and love all these and either of these do calm â—he heart and keepe it â—eadie For besides that they quiet the heart in the maine giving assurance of Gods love in Christ For being iusâ—â—fied by faith we have peace with God reiâ—yce in hope whence joy and patience in tribulation And who can be impatient with him whom hee loveth with all his heart and strength These graces also doe furnish a man with an ability of spiritual reasoning and disputing with a disquieted soule whereby it may be quieted in any particular disquietment Wherefore the fourth meane of patience is to doe as Davâ— did whensoever you finde your heart begin to boyle and to be impatient you must before passion hath got the bit in the teeth and carried you out of your selfe into height of impatience aske your soule what is the matter and why it is so disquieted within you This do seriously and your heart will quickly represent to your thoughts such and such crosse or crosses stretched out upon the tenters of manifold aggravations All which you must answer by the spirituall reasoning of your faith grounded on the word of God whereby you may quiet your heart and put it to siâ—ence Whatsoever the affliction be that may trouble you you may â—e furnished with reasons why you
fruit and from love and feare of God and from conscience of the Commandement to doe the will of GOD. Not onely feare of wrath and hope of reward causeth him to abstaine from evill and doe good but chiefly love of God and conscience of duty Now if you would know when you obey out of conscience of the Commandement and from love of Christ consider 1. whether your heart and minde stand ready prest to obey every of Gods Cōmandements which you know as well as any and that because the same God which hath given one hath given all If yea then you obey out of Conscience 2. Consider what you doe or would doe when Christ and his true Religion and his Commandements goe alone and are severed from all outward credit pleasure and profit Doe you or will you then cleave to Christ and to the Commandement Then love of Christ feare of God and conscience of the commandement was and is the true cause of your wel-doing especially if you will and indev our all this when that all these are by the world cloathed with perill contempt 3. Consider whether you can goe on in the strict course of godlinesse alone and whether you resolve todoe it though you shall have no company but all or most goe in the way of sinne and withall perswade thereunto When you wil walke with God alone without ether company this sheweth that your walking with God is for his sake So walked Noah and Eliah as he thought But the cause of an hypocrites well-doing is onely goodnesse of nature or good education or meere civility or some common gifts of the spirit also selfe-love slavish feare onely or the like See this in Ahabs repentance in Iehu his zeale and Ioash his goodnesse Ahabs humiliation was only from a slavish feare of punishment The zeale of Iehu was only from earthly ioy and carnall policy for had it beene in zeale for God he would as well have put downe the Calves at Dan and Bethel as to stay the Priests of Baal And the goodnes of Ioash it was chiefly for Iehoiada's sake whom he reverenced and to whom he held himselfe beholding for his kingdome and not for Gods sake For the Scripture saith that after Iehoiadans death his Princes sollicited him and hee yeelded and fell to Idolatry and added this also he commanded Zechariah the High Priest Iehoiada's sonne to be slaine because hee in the name of the Lord reproved him for his sinne Secondly the upright mans actions as they come from a good beginning so they are directed to a good end he propoundeth the pleasing of God and the glory of his Name as the direct chiefe and utmost end not as if a man might not have respect to himselfe and to his neighbour also propounding to himselfe his owne and his neighbours good as one end of his actions somtimes but these must not bee propounded either onely or chiefly or as the farthest and utmost marke but onely as they are subordinate to these chiefe ends and doe lye directly in the way to procure Gods glory For so farre forth as a mans health and well-fare both of body and soule lyeth directly in the way to glorifie God hee may in that respect ayme at them in his actions Our Saviour Christ in an inferiour and secondary respect aymed at his owne glory and at the salvation of man in the worke of mans redemption When he said Glorifie thy Son and prayed that his Church might be glorified here he had respect unto himselfe and unto man But when he said that thy Sonne may glorifie thee here he made Gods glory his utmost end and the only marke which for it selfe hee aymed at The upright mans ayme at his owne and at his neighbours goods is not for themselves as if his desire ended there but in reference to GOD the chiefe Good and the highest end of all things Indeed such is GODS wisedome and goodnes that he hath set before man evill and good Evill that followeth upon displeasing and dishonouring him by sinne that man might feare and avoyd sinne Good and recompēce of reward that followeth upon faith and indevour to obey that he might hope and be better induced to beleeve and obey This GOD did knowing that man hath need of all reasonable helps to affright him from evill and to allure him to good Now God having set these before man man may and ought for these good purposes to set them before himselfe Yet the upright man standeth so straight and onely to God that so farre as he knoweth his owne heart he thus resolved that if there were no feare of punishment nor hope of reward if there were neither Heaven or Hell he would indevour to please and glorifie GOD even out of that duty hee oweth to him and out of that high and awful estimation which he hath of Gods Soveraigntie and from that entire love which hee beareth unto him He that ordinarily in doing of common and earthly businesse though they concerne his owne good hath a will to doe them with an heavenly mind and to an heavenly end principally certainly hee standeth well and uprightly resolved albeit intemptations and feares he doth not alwayes feele the said resolution But the hypocrite not so hee onely or chiefly aymeth at himselfe and in his aime serveth himselfe in all that he doth If he looke to GODS will and glory as sometimes he wil pretend he maketh that but the by and not the main he seeketh Gods will and glory not for it selfe but for himselfe not for Gods sake but for his owne Thus did Iehu Sixthly An upright man may know hee is upright by the effects that follow upon his well-doing First his chiefe inquiry is and hee doth observe what good commeth by it and what glory God hath had or may have rather then what earthly credit and benefit hee hath gotten to himselfe Or if this latter thrust in it selfe before the other as it will oft-times in the best he is greatly displeased with himselfe for it The hypocrit not so all that he harkeneth after is pleased with after hee hath done a good deed is what applause it hath amongst men c. Secondly when an upright man hath done a prayse-worthy action he is not puft up with pride and high conceit of his owne worth glorying in himselfe but hee is humbly thankefull unto God Thankefull that God hath enabled him to doe any thing with which he will be wel-pleased and accept as well done Humble and low in his eyes because of the manifold failings in that good worke and because he hath done it no better and because whatsoever good hee did it was by the grace and power of God not by any power of his own Thus David shewed his uprightnesse in that solemne thanksgiving when hee said But who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer
exercises of Religion and the company of those that be religious ignorantly judging all of that Religion to be such Besides Hypocrisie is high treason against God for it is a guilding over and setting the Kings stampe upon base mettall It is tempting and mocking of God to his face A sinne so abominable that his holy justice cannot indure it Fourthly Gods judgements on such hypocrites are manifold For this cause God giveth them over to beleeve lyes even Popery or any other damnable error or heresie Hence it is that God giveth them over many times to fall from good in seeming to evill in profession and thence from evill to worse even unto finall Apostasie And at last when God taketh away an Hypocrites soule he is sure not onely to lose his Hope which addeth much to his Hell but to be made to feele that which he would not feare being ranked with those Sinners which shal be punished with the greatest severity in the eternall vengeance of Hell-five For after that an hypocrite hath played the civill and religious man for a while upon the Stage of this World his last Act when his life is ended is to be in deed and to act to the life the part of an incarnate and tormented Devill He shall have his portion with the Divell and his Angels When feare hath surprised the Hypocrites who shall dwell with devouring fire Who shall dwell with everlasting burning Saith the Prophet Happy were it for them if this warning might fright them out of this their sinne Consider likewise that Hypocrisie doth much harme even there where it doth not raigne and that more or lesse according as it is more or lesse mortified For first it bringeth the soule into a generall consumption of grace no sinne more Secondly it blindeth the minde and insensibly hardeneth the heart no sinne more Thirdly it maketh a man slight and overt in the best actions Fourthly it causeth fearefull declinations and falling backe Fifthly it deprives a man of peace of Conscience in such sort that a spirituall Physician can hardly fasten any hope or comfort upon him on whose Conscience doth lye the guilt of hypocrisie yea hardly upon him that doth but feare he is guilty For he putteth off al the remembrances of his good affections and actions saying all that I did was but in hypocrisie Sixthly and lastly Besides that it bringeth many temporall iudgements it causeth that a man loseth many of his good workes done in Hypocrisie though through Gods mercie hee lose not himselfe which not losing himselfe is because he is found in Christ Christs Spirit of uprightnesse raigning in him Now to induce you to love Vprightnesse and to labour to be upright Consider the good which accompanieth uprightnesse First temporall and outward but secondly and chiefly that which is spirituall eternall and inward Vprightnesse hath the promises of this life It is a meanes to keepe off Iudgements or in due time to remove them If affliction like a darke night overspread the upright for their correction and tryall for a time yet light is sowne for them and in due time will arise unto them The upright caÌ„not want health wealth friends or any thing that can be good for them Moreover this uprightnesse doth not onely provide well for a mans selfe but if any thing can leave a blessing and a good portion to his Children and to his Childrens Children Vprightnes will The holy Ghost saith the generation of the upright shall be blessed The spirituall blessings which belong to the upright are manifold The upright man is Gods faverite even his delight Hee is hereby assured of his Salvation For although an upright man may fall into many grievous sinnes yet presumptuous sinnes shall not reigne over him he shall be kept from the great transgression he shal never sinne the sinne unto death Yea hee shall be kept from the dominion of every sinne By uprightnes a man is strengthened in the inward man it being that Girdle that buckleth and holdeth together the maine peeces of the complete armor Nay it is that which giveth proofe to every piece of that armour it strengthneth the backe and loynes yea the very heart of him that is begirt with it Hee that is upright is sure to haue his prayers heard and to be made able to profit by the Word of God and by all his holy Ordinances Doe not my words saith God doe good to him that walketh uprightly The upright mans services to God in prayer hearing receiving Sacraments c. though performed with much weakenesse and imperfections shal through Christ bee accepted of God Nay where there is not power the will of an upright man is taken for the deed and where there is power and deed both even there the uprightnesse and readines of the will is taken for more than the deed according to that commendation of them who were said not onely to doe but to be willing a yeare agoe For many do good things which yet doe them not with an upright will and ready minde 6 The upright man hath alwayes matter â—f boldnesse before men He can make an Apologie and Defence for himselfe against the slanders of wicked men and against the accusations of Satan who are ready upon every slight occasion to hiâ— him in the teeth and say he is an hypocrite and that all which he doth is but in hypocrisie but hee can gave all them thelyâ— that charge him with dissimulation or hypocrisie He knoweth more of his hypocrisie than they can tell him he findeth fault with it and accuseth himselfe for it more than they can doe yet this he can say hee alloweth it not he hateth it and his hart is upright towards God He careth not though adversariâ—t write a booke against him Iob 19. 2â— 24 25. He hath his defence if men will receive it they may if not he dareth to appeale to Heaven For his Record is on high Hee hath alwayes a witnesse both within him and in Heaven for him 7. Vprightnesse is an excellent Preventer and Curer of despaire arising from accusations of Conscience even of a wounded Spirit of which Salomon saith Who can beare it For either it keepeth it off Iob 27 5 6. Or if it be wounded this Vprightnesse in beleeving and in willing to reforme and obey is a most soveraigne meanes to cure and quiet it or at least it will allay the extremitie of it Not but that an upright man may have trouble of minde and that in some extremitie but he may thanke himselfe for it because he will not see acknowledge that Vprightnesse which he hath and doth not apply it nor cherish it which if he wold doe there is nothing would answer the accusations of his accusing Conscience nor bring more feeling comfort to the soule soo ner or better than this will 8
agreement of the powers faculties of man within themselves and of freedome from assaults and molestations either of Sathan from without or from lusts within is not absolute but admitteth of severall degrâ—… the life to come this latter 〈…〉 shall be perfect for then all beleevers shall be perfectly freed from all trouble of Conscience from all molestation of temptations their victory shall be compleat But in this life their Peace is but imperfect It is true for Substance but is more or lesse â—s the light they have received is more cleare or more dimme and as grace in them is more strong or more weake For although mans Iustification is absolute and admitteth not of more or lesse yet the assurance of it whereby a man hath peace of Conscience is more or lesse according to the measure of his â—leare sight and evidence of his â—aith Hence it is that the deare children of God have interruptions and intermissions in their peace having some times much peace some times little or no peace according as they have in â—…ssions in their assurance oâ— Gods favour Thus it was with David and Asaph sometimes his heart was quiet and his soule was glad in assurance that his soule should rest in Hope at other times his soule was cast down and disquieted in him thinking that he was cast out of God sight fearing that God would shew no more fauour Yea he was so perplexed that hee did almost faint and his eyes failed with waiting for God For sith the best assurance of beleevers is exercised with Combating against doubting their truest and best peace must needes be assaulted with disquiet And as it is with a Ship at anchor so is the most stable peace of a Christian in this life who hath his Hope as an anchor of his soule sure and stedfast who though he cannot make utter Ship wracke yet hee may be grievously tossed and affrighted with the waves and billowes of manifold temptations feares Likewise though peace of Sanctification be true yet it must needs be more or lesse according as any man groweth or decreaseth in holinesse and as God shall please to give restraint tospirituall enemies or power to subdue them more or lesse Now the whole peace of God both in him to man from him manifested and wrought in man doth passe all understanding and serveth to keep the heart minde of him that walketh with GOD and resteth on him through Christ This Peace is it which you must seeke for and imbrace in beleeving and if you would have true comfort and tranquillity in your minde laborespecially to get and keepe the peace of a good Conscience which seemeth to be the peace that is chiefly though not onely intended in this Text. SECTION 2. Concerning the excellencie of the Peace of God THat you may be induced to doe your best to obtain this Peace Consider the excellency of it you may conceive much of it by that which hath beene said in the opening of that Scripture and by shewing the nature of the Peace considering likewise the object author and use of it But that you may better perceive that this Peace of God for worth and use passeth all understanding Take these reasons in particular First That must needs be an excellent Peace which GOD will please to take into his holy Title calling himselfe God of Peace calling Christ the Prince of Peace Secondly That peace must needes bee of infinite value passing all understanding for which Christ gave himselfe paying the price of his owne most precious bloud for it 3. Thirdly This peace cannot but passe all Understanding because the cause from whence it commeth namely Christs love and the effect which it worketh namely ioy in the holy Ghost doe as the Apostles affirme passe knowledge and are unspeakeable 4. Fourthly This peace was that first congratulation wherewith the holy Angels saluted the Church at Christs birth giving her joy in her new borne Husband and Saviour And it was that speciall legacy which Christ â—esus did bequeath to his Church â—aving that as the best token of his love to it a little before his Death Saying My peace I â—ave with you 5. Fifthly This peace is one of the principall parts of the kingdome of GOD which consisteth as the Apostle saith of Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy in the holy Ghost 6. Sixthly By as much as the evils and mischiefes that come to a man by having God to be his enemie which draweth upon him Gods Wrath iustice Power and all Gods creatures to be against him And by as much as the â—â—â— vousnesse and intollerable anguish of a wounded Spirit passeth Vnderstanding by so much the Peace of GOD which freeth him from all these must of necessity passe all Vnderstanding Now that it is a fearefull thing to have God to be an Enemie it is said He is a consuming fire and it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God It appeares likewise by Christs compassion and griefe for Ierusalem who neglected the time of making and accepting of peace with God for he Wept over it and said If thou hadst knowne even thou atleast in this thy day the things which belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eies But what it is to have GOD to be an Enemy is seene most fully by Christs trouble and griefe in his Passion and Agony in the garden and in the Extremitie of his conflict with Gods wrath on the Crosse when God shewed himselfe to be an Enemie and did for mans sin powre on him the fiercenesse of his wrath It made him though he was God being man to sweat for very anguish as it were drops of bloud and to cry If it be possible let this cup passe and My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Moreover If you doe observe the complaints of such distressed soules that have had terrour of Conscience if you have not had experience thereof in your selfe how that they were at their wits end pricked at heart as it were with the point of a speare oâ— sting of a Serpent pained like men whose bones are broken and out of ioynt making them to rore and to consume their spirits for very heavinesse then you will say that peace of conscience doth passe all understanding Seventhly When God and a mans owne conscience is for him and Gods grace in some good measure hath subdued sinne and Satan in him this draweth with it assurance that all other things whose peace are worth having are also at peace with him For if God be for us who can be against us This peace must of necessitie bring with it all things which will make us happie even all things which pertain to life godlinesse and glory Lastly adde this that as the worth and sense of peace of God is unutterable and
unconceivable so the time of it is indeterminable it is everlasting and hath no end Consider this with the former and it cannot be denyed but that the peace of God doth every way passe understanding CHAP. XV. Touching the removing of presumption an impediment to Peace IF you would enjoy this happy Peace you must first remove and avoyd the impediments Secondly you must use all helps and furtherances which serve to procure and keepe it I reduce the impediments unto two heads First A false opinion and hope that all is well with a man and that all shall be well with him in point of his Salvation when yet indeed God is not reconciled to him Hence will follow a quietnesse of heart somewhat like to peace of Conscience which yet is but a false peace Secondly Causelesse doubting and false feare that a mans estate touching his salvation is not good albeit God be indeed at peace with him Hence followeth trouble and anguish of heart some-what like unto that of Hellish despaire disturbing his true peace Either of these doe hinder peace The first hindereth the having The second hindereth the feeling and comfortable enioying of peace It hath beene an old device of Satan when he would keepe any man from that which is true to obtrude upon him that which shall seeme to be true but is false Thus he did in the first calling of the Iewes and to mee is more than probable will doe at their second calling When hee saw they had an expectation of the true Christ he to divert and seduce them from the true Christ setteth up false Christs Even so in the matter of peace If he can so delude men that they shall content themselves with a false Peace hee knoweth that they will never seeke for that which is true It is a common practice with the Devill to endevour to make all that are not in state of grace to presume that they are Also such is his cunning and malice that when any man is in the state of grace he will cast all the doubts and perils hee can to make that estate doubtfull and discomfortable to vexe and to wearie him if hee cannot drive him to despaire knowing that if he could drive him into hold him in utter despaire he were as certainly in his power as if hee did presume Now the Heart of man so farre as it is Vnsanctified being deceitfull above all things is most apt to yeeld to Satan in both these cases Whence it is that there are very many which bragge of much peace and yet have least of it And many feare they have no peace who yet have much of it Wherfore the Rule is Beleeve not either your deceitfull heart or the Devill when they tel you either that you are in state of salvation or in state of damnation But beleeve the Scripture what it saith in either You may know when these perswasions come from your deceitfull heart or from the Devil thus First If the meanes to perswade you to either be from false grounds or from misapplication of true grounds Secondly If the conclusions inferred from either perswasion be to keep you in a sinful course and to keep you or to drive you from God as to make you think that you need not be so strict in godlinesse or that now it is in vaine or to late too turne seek unto GOD then it is from Satan and from a deceived heart and you must not beleeve them But if these perswasions be from a right applicatioÌ„ of true grounds and doe produce these good effects to drive you to God in prayse or prayer and unto a care to please God they are from his gracious Spirit The false Peace and evill quiet Conscience doth arise from these three causes First from Grosse ignorance of the danger wherein a man lyeth because of sinne whence followeth a blind Conscience Secondly from Groundlesse security and presumption that all shall be well with him not withstanding that hee knoweth hee hath sinned and knoweth that sinne is damnable whence hee hath a deluded Conscience Thirdly from Obstinacy through delight and custome in sin whence commeth senslesnesse of Conscience which is a seared Conscience Wheresoever any of these evils raigne albeit God hath said there is no peace to the wicked that is no true peace yet such feare no evill but promise to themselves peace and safetie like those of whom the Prophet spake who had made a covenant with death and with Hell were at an agreement Yea though they heare all the Curses against Sinners which are in Gods booke denounced against them yet will blesse themselves in their owne heart and say they shall have peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their hearts But whosoever is thus quiet in himselfe through a false peace it is a signe that the strong man keepeth the house and that he continuing in this fooles Paradise is not farre from sodaine and fearefull destruction from the Almighty Whosoever therefore would have true peace of GOD must beware of these three impediments First Hee must know and be throughly convinced that by nature by reason of Adams first transgression which is justly imputed to him and because of his owne inherent wickednesse of concupiscence and of actuall sinnes of omission and commission both inthought word and deed he is in state of sinne and condemnation having God for his enemie yea is an heire of wrath and of eternall vengeance of Hâ—lâ— fire According to that of the Apostle All have sinned and are become guiltie before GOD and have come short of the glorie of God Ignorance of danger may give quiet to the mind for a time but it can give no safetie Is not he foolishly secure that maketh himselfe merry in a ruinous house not knowing his danger untill it fall upon him Whereas if he had known it he should have had more feare and disquiet but should haue beene in lesse perill Secondly let no man presume upon weake and false grounds that he shal escape the vengeance of hell or attaine to the joyes of heaven Now how weakely and vainely many doe ground their hopes and from thence their peace shall appeare by that which followeth 1. Some thinke that because God made them surely hee will not damne them True if they should have continued good as hee made them God made the Devil good yea an excellent creature yet who knoweth not that he shall be damned If God spared not his holy Angels after that they became sinfull shall man thinke that hee will spare him A sinfull man shall be judged at the last day not according to what he was by Gods first making but as hee shall bee found marred and made naught by the Devill and by his owne lusts When Iudah became a people of no understanding it is said He that made them will shew
â—ffer of grace as it is for the Blackmoore to change his skin or â—he Leopard his spots It cannot be denyed but that God is free and if he please may open a doore of hope and gate of mercy unto the most obstinate sinner who hath deferred his repentance to his old age wherefore if such a one finde his heart â—o bee broken with remorse for his other sinnes and is troubled inconscience for this his sinne if not accepting of Gods grace when it was offered I wish him to humble himselfe before God and conceive hope For God hath promised pardon to the penitent whensoever they repent And though no man can repent when he wil yet such a one may hope that God is now giving him repentance in that he hath touched his heart and made it to be burdened with sinne Yet for all this hope which I give to such a man know that it is rare and very seldome to be found that those that continued to despise grace untill their age did ever repent but God left them justly to perish in their impenitency because they despised the means of grace the season in which he did call them to repentance and did offer them his grace whereby they might repent GOD dealeth with all sinners ordinarily as hee said he would doe and as he did to Iudah Because I would have purged thee saith he that is I tooke the onely course to purge thee and bring thee to repentance and thou wast not purged therefore thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury torest on thee Thus I have endevoured to discover and remove the false grounds and misapplication of true grounds whereby the Conscience is deluded and brought into a dangerous quiet and false peace In the third place he that would not be gulled with a false peace in stead of a true must beware of obstinacie delight and senslesnesse of sinne For this seares the Conscience as with an hot iron Now a seared conscience is quiet with a false peace not because there is no danger but because it doth not feele it Great care must be had therefore lest the Conscience be seared being made thicke skinned brawny and senslesse for then it doth altogether or for the most part forbeare to checke or accuse for sinne be it never so hainoâ—s This searednesse is caused by a witting and customary living in any sinne but especially by living in any grosse sinne or in the allowance and delight in any knowne sinne also by allowed hypocrisie and dissimulation in any thing and by doing any thing contrary to the cleare light of nature planted in a mans own brest and head or contrary to the cleare light of grace shining in the motions of the Spirit in the checks of conscience and in the instructions of the Word Keepe therefore the conscience tender by all meanes 1 By hearkning readily to the voyce of the Word 2 By a carefull survay of your wayes dayly 3 By keeping the conscience soft with godly sorrow for sinne 4 By harkening to the voyce of conscience admonishing checking for sinne Either of these three kinds of conscience viz. the blind presumptuous and seared conscience will admit of a kinde of peace or truce rather for a while while it sleepeth but what God said of Cains sinne must bee conceived of all sinne If thou doest not well sinne lyeth at the doore And upon what termes soever it bee that it lie stil and trouble not the Conscience for a time yet it will awake in its time and then by as much as it did admit of some peace and quiet it will grow more turbulent mad and furious and if God give not repentance this false peace endeth for the most part either in reprobate minde or a desperate end even in this life besides the hellish horrors in that which is to come Now to the end that no man should quiet his hart in this false and dangerous peace whether it proceed from the aforementioned causes or from any other â— would advise him to try his Peace whether it bee not false by these infallible markes First is any man at peace with Gods enemies allowing himselfe â—n the love of those things or persons which hate God and which are hated of God such as are the world and the things of the world whereby he denyeth the power of godlinesse living wittingly and delighting in any evil company or in any grosse sin as vaine or false swearing open prophanation of the Sabbath Malice Adultery Theft Lying or in any of those mentioned 2 Tim. 3 2 3. or in any knowne sinne â—ith allowance The holy Ghost saith of such that the love of God is not in them therefore the peace of God is not in them and whosoever maketh himselfe a friend to his lusts and to the world maketh himselfe an enemy of Gods As any man is at peace with the flesh the world and the Devill hâ— is not at true peace with God noâ— God with him If any such expecâ— peace and should aske is it peace answer may be made like to thaâ— which Iehu made both to thâ— servants and king of Israel Whaâ— have you to doe with peace Whaâ— peace so long as your notorious sinne and rebellions wherein you delight are so many For he that careth not to keepe a good conscience towards GOD and towards men cannot have true peace of conscience For there is no true peace but in a good conscience Secondly Is any man not at peace but at warre rather with GODS friends and with the things which God loveth being out of love with spiritual and conscionable prayer hearing the Word good company of Gods people and the like if any man despise the things God commandeth and loveth certainly God and he are two and whatsoever his forme of godlinesse be GOD holdeth him to be yet in state of perdition For whosoever saith he knoweth GOD but yet loveth not and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar And if any man love not his brother whatsoever shew of peace and friendship is betwixt God him I am sure God saith hee that doth noâ— righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loveth not his brother he is a childe of the Devill and therfore hath no true peace with God Thirdly He whose quiet of heart and Conscience is from false peace is willing to take it for granted that his peace is sound and good and cannot abide to looke and to enquire into his peace to try whether it be true and whether it be well grounded or no being as it seemeth afraid lest stirring the mud and filth that lyeth in the bottom of his heart he should disquiet it And for this cause it is that such a one cannot endure a searching Ministry nor wil like that Minister which will dive and rake into the
Conscience by laying the heart and Conscience open to the light and touchstone of the Word Thus I have shewed you what is a first and maine impediment to be remoued viz. presumption and false hope if you would have true peace for false hopes breed onely false peace CHAP. XVI Touching false feares SECTION 1. THe second head to which I reduced impedimēts to true peace is false feare for if you doubt feare or despaire of your estate without cause it wil much disturbe and hinder your peace There is an holy feare and despaire wrought in man when GOD first convineeth his heart and conscience of sinne whereupon through sense of GODS wrath and heavy displeasure together with a sense of his owne disabilitie in himselfe to satisfie and appease Gods wrath he is in great perplexity being out of all hope to obtaine GODS favoua or to escape the vengeance of Hell by any thing which he of himselfe can doe or procure This is wrought more or lesse in every man of yeares before conversion as in those which were pricked at heart at Peters Sermon and in Saint Paul himselfe and in the Iaylor This is a good necessary feare serving to prepare a man to his conversion For in Gods order of working he first sendeth the Spirit of bondage to feare before he sendeth the Spirit of Adoption to enable a man to cry Abba Father This feare and trouble of Conscience rising from it is good and as the Needle to the thred maketh way unto true peace Moreover after that a man is converted though he have no cause to feare damnation yet he hath much matter of feare by as much as hee is yet subject unto many evils both of sinne and paine as lest hee offend GOD and cause his angry countenance and his judgements also lest he should fall backe from some degrees of grace received and lest he fall into some dangerous sin and so lose his evidence of heaven and comforts of the Spirit Wherefore we are commanded to worke out our Salvation with feare and trembling and to passe the whole time of our soiourning here in feare This feare while it keepeth due measure causeth a man to bee circumspect and watchfull lest he fall it spurreth him on forward to repent and quickens him to aske pardon and grace to recover when he is fallen yea an excellent means to prevent trouble and to procure peace of Conscience But the feare of which I am to speake and which because it disturbeth true peace is to be removed is a groundlesse and causelesse feare that a man is not in state of grace albeit hee hath given his name to Christ and hath not onely given good hope to others but if he would see it hath cause to conceive good hope that hee is indeed in the state of Grace This feare may rise either from Naturall distempers Satan joyning with them Or from Spirituall temptations rising from causelesse doubts By natural distempers I meane a disposition to frenfie or height of Melancholy in which states of body the spirits are corrupted through superabundance of choler and melancholy whereby first the braine where all notions and conceits of things to be understood are framed is distempered and the power of Imagination corrupted whence arise strange fancies doubts and fearfull thonghts Then secondly by reason of the intercourse of the spirits between the head and the heart the heart is distempered and filled with griefe despaire and horror through manifold feares of danger yea of damnation especially when Satan doth convey himselfe into those humours which as hee easily can so he readily will doe if GOD permit Where there is trouble of this sort it usually bringeth forth strange and violent effects both in body and minde and that in him that is regonerate as well as in him that is unregenerate Yea so farre that which is fearefull to thinke even those who when they were fully themselves did truly feare God have in the fits of their distemper through impotency of their use of reason through the Devils forcible instigation had thoughts and attempts of laying violent hands upon themselves and others whom they have dearely loved And when they have not well known what they have done or said have beene heard to breake out into oathes cursing and blasphemous speeches against GOD and his Word who were never heard to doe the like before These troubles may be knowne from true trouble of Conscience by the strangenesse unreasonablenesse absurditie and senselesnesse of their conceits in other things as to think they have no heart and to say they cannot doe that which indeed they doe and a thousand other odde conceits which standers by see to be most false Whereby any man may see that the root of this disturbance is in the Phantasie and not in the heart Albeit both the regenerate and unregenerate according as they are in a like degree distempered are in most things alike yet in this they differ Some beames of holinesse will glance forth now and then in the regenerate which doth not in the unregenerate especially in the intermissions of their fits Their desires will be found to be different and if they both recover the one returneth to his wonted course of holines with increase the other except God worke with the affliction to conversion continueth in his accustomed wickednesse It pleaseth God that for the most part his owne children who are thus distempered have the strength of their Melancholy worne out and subdued before they dye at which time they have somesense of Gods favor to their comfort But if their disease continue it is possible that they may die raving and in seeming if you judge by their speeches despairing which is not to be imputed unto them but to their disease or unto Satan working by the disease if they gave good testimony of holinesse in former times When these troubles are meerly from bodily distempers though they be not troubles of conscience yet they make a man uncapable of the sense of peace of conscience Therfore whosoever would enjoy the benefit of the peace of his conscience must doe what in him lyeth to preuent or remove these distempers And because they grow for the most part from naturall causes therefore naturall as well as spirituall remedies must be used 1. Take heed of all such things as feed those humors of Choler and Melancholy which must be learned of experienced men and of skilfull Physicians and when need is take Physicke 2. Avoyd all unnecessary solitarinesse and as much as may be keep company with such as truly feare God especially with those who are wise full of chearefulnesse and of joy in the Lord. 3. Forbeare all such things as stirre up these humours as over-carefull study and musing too much upon any thing likewise all sudden and violent passions of anger immoderate griefe c. 4. Shun Idlenesse and according to
kinde of the sinne if you wel observe it it being a wilfull and malicious refusing of pardon upon such tearmes as the Gospell doth offer it scorning to be beholding unto God for it You may perceive what it is by this description The sinne against the holy Ghost is an utter wilfull and spitefull reiecting of the Gospell of Salvation by Christ together with an advised and absolute falling away from the profession of it so farre that against former knowledge and conscience a man doth maliciously oppose and blaspheme the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ordinances of the Gospel and motions of the Spirit in them having resisted reiected and utterly quenched all those common and more inward gifts and motions wrought upon their hearts and affections which sometimes were intertained by them in so much that out of hatred of the Spirit of life in Christ they crucifie to themselves a-fresh the Sonne of God and doe put him both in his Ordinances of Religion and in his members to open shame â—reading underfoot the Sonne of God counting the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing doing despight to the spirit of grace If you shall heedfu'ly looke into these places of the Scripture which speake of this sinne and withall doe observe the opposition which the Apostle maketh betweene sinning against the Law and sinning against the Gospell you shall clearely finde out the nature of this sinne But to resolve you of this doubt if you be not overcome with Melancholy for then you will answer you know not what which is to be pittied rather than regarded I would aske you that thinke you have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost these Questions Doth it grieve you that you have committed it Could you wish that you had not committed it If it were to be committed would you not forbeare if you could choose Would you take your selfe beholding to God if hee would make you partakers of the bloud and Spirit of his Sonne thereby to pardon and purge your sinne and to give you grace to repent Nay are you troubled that you cannot bring your heart unto a sense of desire of pardon and grace If you can say yea then albeit the sinne or sinnes which trouble you may be some fearefull sinne of which you must be exhorted speedily to repent yet certainly it is not the sinne against the holy Ghost It is not that unpardonable sinne it is not that sinne unto death For he that committeth this sinne cannot relent neither will he be beholding to GOD for pardon and grace by Christs bloud and spirit he cannot desire to repent But he is given over in Gods just judgement unto such a reprobacy of minde pollution and deadnesse of conscience perversnesse and rebellion of will and to such an height of hatred and malice that he is so blasphemously despitâ—fully bent against the Spirit of holinesse that â—t much pleaseth him rather than any way troubles him that hee hath so maliciously and blasphemously rejected or fallen from persecuted and spoken blasphemously against the good way of Salvation by Christ and against â—he gracious operations of the Spirit and against the members â—f Christ although he was once convinced clearly that this is the â—nely way of Salvation and that those graces and gifts were from God that they were the deare children of God whom he doth â—â—w despight Others if not the same object â—â—us God will certainely conâ—â—mne them because S. Iohn â—â—th said if their hearts condemne â—em God is greater than their â—arts hence they in ferre God will condemn them much more For they say their hearts doe condemne them There is a double judgement by the heart and conscience It â—â—â—gâ—â—h a mans state or person â—â—â—theâ—â—e be in state of grace â—â—â—â—â—â—o Also it judgeth a mans â—…lar actions whether they be good oâ— no. I take it that thâ—i place of Iohn is not to be understood of judging or condemning the person For God in his finall judgement doth not judge according to what a mans weaâ— and erroneous conscience judgeth for so it cannot choose buâ— be more or lesse in this life making it the square of his judgement to condemne or absolve any For many a man in his presumption iustifieth himselfe iâ— this life when yet God will condemne him in the world to comâ— and many a distressed soule liâ—â— the Prodigall and humble Puâ—â— liâ—an coÌ„demneth himselfe wheâ— yet God will absolve him For a man may have peace with God yet God for reasons best known to his wisedome doth not presently speake peace to his conscience as it was with David in which case man doth judge otherwise of his estate than God doth This place is to be understood of iudging of particular actions namely whether a man love his brother not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth according to the exhortation ver 18. Which if his Conscience could testifie for him then it might assure his heart before God and give it boldnesse to pray unto him in confidence to receive whatsoever hee did aske according to his will But if his owne conscience could condemne him of not loving his brother in deed and truth then God who is greater thaÌ„ his hart but wherein greater greater in knowing mans heart and the truth of his love knowing all things must needs condemn him therein much more Even as Peter in the question whether hee loveth Christ or no he appeales to Christs omniscience whereby he proveth his love towards him saying Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This is the full scope of the place Yet this I must needs say that the holy Ghost hath instanced in such an act namely of hearty loving the brethren which is an infallible signe of being in state of grace whereby except in case of extreame melancholy or phrensie and in the brunt of a violent temptation a man may judge whether at that present he be translated from death to life yea or â—o If any shall think the place to be understood of judging the person he must distinguish between that judgement which the heart doth give rightly and de iure and that which it giveth erroneously But suppose that you trying your selves by this your hearts doe condemne you of not loving the brethren can you conclude hence that you shall be finally damned God forbid All that you can inferre is this you cannot have boldnesse to pray unto him untill you love them nor can you assure your selves that you shal have your petitioÌ„s granted And the worst you can conclude is that now for the present you are not in state of grace or at the least you want proofe of being in state of grace You must then use all Gods meanes of being ingrafted into Christ and must love the children of GOD that you may have proofe thereof Did Paul love
is not of it selfe so strong nor so constant nor so infallible as the certainty of Faith and Adherence is For sense and reason since the fall even in the regenerate though they will lay some foundation in the Rules of Faith to proceed by yet erring in or misapplying the rule are weake variable and their conclusions are not so certaine as those of pure Faith Because Faith buildeth onely upon Diuine Testimonie concluding without reasoning or disputing yea many times against reasoning So that notwithstanding the excellent and needfull use of Assurance and certainty of Evidence it is Faith and the certainty of Adherence whereby even in feares and doubts a man cleaveth fast to the promises and is that which we must trust unto and is the Cable wee must hold by lest we make ship wracke of all when wee are assaulted with our greatest temptatioÌ„s for then many times our Assurance leaveth us to the mercy of the winds and Seas as Marriners speake If you have Faith though you have little or no feeling you are yet sure enough of Salvation indeede though not in your owne apprehension When both can be had it is best for then you have most strength and most comfort giving you chearefulnesse in all your troubles but that certainty of Faith and cleaving to the naked word and promise is that to which you must trust See this in the examples of most faithfull men for when they have beene put to it it was this that upheld them and in this was their faith commended Abraham against all present sense and reason even against hope beleeved in hope both in the matter of receiving a sonne and in going about to offer him againe unto God in Sacrifice He denyed sense and reason he considered not the unlikelihoods and seeming impossibilities in the iudgement of reason that ever he should have a seed hee being old and Sarah being old and barren or having a seed that he should be saved by that seed sith hee was to kill him in Sacrifice He onely considered the Almighty power faithfulnesse and soveraigntie of him that had promised he knew it was his dutie to obey and to waite and so let all the businesse thereabout to rest on Gods promise For this his faith is commended and hee is said to be strong in faith Iob and David or Asaph shewed most strength of Faith when they had little or no feeling of Gods favour but the contrary rather Iob had little feeling of Gods favour when for paine of body hee said wherefore doe I take my flesh in my teeth and in anguish of soule he said Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemie Yet then this certainty of faith which made him cleave unto GOD made him to hold fast and say in the same Chapter Though hee slay mee yet I will trust in him When David said to GOD Why hast thou forgotten mee His Assurance was weake yet even then his Faith discovered it selfe when he saith to his soule Why art thou disquieted within mee Hope in God who is the health of my countenance and my God You see then that the excellencie of Faith lyeth not in your feeling but as the Psalmist speaketh by experience in cleaving close unto the promise and relying on God for it upon his bare word For he saith It is good for mee to draw neere to God I have put my trust in the Lord God this was it which secretly upheld him and kept him in possession when as you may see in that Psalme his Evidences and Assurance was to seek Wherefore Beleeve Gods promises made to you in Christ and â—est on him even when you want â—oy and feeling comfort For â—aving Faith you are sure of heaven though you be not so fully â—ssured of it as you desire It will â—e your greatest commendation when you will be dutifull servants and children at GODS Commandement though you have not present wages when you wil take Gods word for that Those are bad servants and children which cannot go on chearfully in doing their Master or Fathers will except they may receive the promised wages 〈◊〉 least in good part aforehand Oâ— every day or except they may have atleast a good part of the promised inheritance presently and in hand Feeling of comfort is part of a Christians wages and inheritance to be received at the good pleasure of God that freely giveth it rather than a Christian duty To comfort and stay ourselves on God in distresse is a duty but this joyous sense and feeling of Gods favour is a gracious favour of God towards us not a duty of ours toward God It is from too much distrust in God and too much self-respect when wee have no heart to goe about his worke except we be full of feeling of his favour Hee is the best child or servant that will obey out of love duty and conscience and will trust on God and wait on him for his wages and recompence Though want of apprehension of Gods favour and of feeling of comfort may be accounted a great misery yet it is not to be judged a proofe of no grace or of no true Faith Thirdly when you say you cannot feele that you have faith or hope you meane as in deede many good soules doe you cannot finde and perceive that these graces bee in you in truth which if you did you would not doubt of your salvation My answer is If faith and hope be in you then if you would judiciously enquire into your selves and feele for them you may finde and feele them and know that you have them For as certainly as he that seeth bodily may know that he seeth so he that hath the spirituall sight of Faith may know that he hath Faith Wherfore try and feele for your Faith and you shall finde whether it be in you yea or no. For this cause 1 Try whether you ever had the necessary Antecedents and Preparatives which ordinarily make way for the seed of Faith to take deepe root 2 Consider the nature of saving Faith and whether it hath wrought in you accordingly 3 Consider some consequents and certaine effects thereof First hath the Law shut you up in your owne apprehension under the curse so that you have beene afraid of Hell And hath the Spirit also convinced you of sin by the Gospell to the wounding of your conscience and to the working of true humiliation causing the heart to relent and to desire to know how to be saved and if after this you have denied your selfe and received and rested on Christ according to the nature of true Faith as followeth then you have Faith If you doubt you were never sufficiently humbled then reade Chap. 16. Sect. 6. Secondly Consider rightly the nature and proper acts of Faith lest you conceive that to be faith which is not and that to be no faith which is You may know wherein true saving Faith consists by
joy and comfort if you would feele for them Amongst many I will reckon these First you may know you have Faith by your feeling and opposing of the contrary if you feele a fight and conflict betweene beleeving and doubting fearâ— and distrust and in that combat you take part with beleeving hope and confidence or at least desire heartily that these should prevaile and are grieved at heart when the other get the better If you feele this doe not say you haue no feeling Doe not say you have no faith This conflict and desire to have faith gaue proofe that the man in the Gospel who came to Christ to cure his child had faith I beleeve Lord saith hee Lord helpe my unbeliefe Doe not say as I have heard many this man could say I beleeve but we cannot say so I tell you if you can heartily say Lord helpe my unbeliefe I am sure any of you may say I beleeve For whence is this feeling of unbeliefe and desire to beleeve but from Faith Secondly You may know you have Faith I speake still to an afflicted soule which dareth not sinne wittingly for that you wil not part with that Faith which you have upon any termes I will aske you that have given hope to others that you doe beleeve that yet doubt you have not truth of faith hope in God only these questions and as your heart can answer them so you may judge Will you part with that faith and hope which you call none for any price Would you change present states with those that presume they have a strong Faith whose consciences do not trouble them but are at quiet though they live in all manner of wickednesse Or at best are meerely civilly honest Nay would you if it were possible forgoe all that faith and hope and other graces of the Spirit which you call none at all and returne to that former state wherein you were in the dayes of your vanity before you did indevor to leave sinne and to will to indevour to settle to Religion in earnest Would you lay any other foundation to build upon then what you have already layd Or is there any person or thing wheron you desire to rest for Salvation and direction besides Christ Iesus If you can answer no but can say with Peter To whom shall wee goe Christ onely hath the words of eternall life you know no other foundation â—o lay then what you have laid and have willed and desired to lay it right you resolve never to pull downe what you have built thogh it be but a little It is your griefe that you build no faster upon it By this answer you may see that your conscience before you are aware doth witnesse for you and will make you confesse that you have some true faith and hope in GOD or at least hope that you have For let men say what they will to the conttary they alwaies thinke they have those things which by no meanes they can be brought to part with Thirdly If you would have feeling and proofe of your faith and Iustification feele for it in the most certaine effect which is the exercise of your Sanctification Doe you feele your selves loaden and burthened with sinne Doe you feele your hearts â—ke with sorrow for sinne And with all do you feele your selves to be altered from what you were Doe you now beare good will to Gods Word and Ordinances And doe you desire the pure word of God that you may grow in grace by it Doe you affect Gods people therefore because you thinke they feare God Is it your desire to approve your selves to God in holy obedience And is it your trouble that you cannot doe it Then certainly you have Faith you have an effectuall Faith For what are all these but the very Pulse breath and motions of faith If you feele grace to be in you it is a better feeling then feeling of comfort for grace in men of understanding is never severed from effectuall Faith but comfort many times is for that may rise from Presumption and false Faith Grace onely from the Spirit and from true Faith SECTION 6. A removall of feares rising from doubting of Sanctification IT is granted by all that if they be truly Sanctified then they know that they have Faith anâ— are iustified But many feare they are not Sanctified and that foâ— these seeming reasons First some feare they are noâ— Sanctified because they doe noâ— remember that ever they fâ—â— those wounds and terrours of conscience which are first wroughâ— in men to make way to Conveâ—sion as it was in them who weâ—â— priâ—â—â— aâ— heart at Peters Seâ—… mon and in S. Paul and the Iaylor Or if they felt aâ—â— terrâ—… they feare they we but certaine flashes and for runners of Hellish â—â—â—ments liâ—â— those of Cain and Iudas As it is in the naturall birth with the mother so it is in the spirituall birth with the childe There is no birth without some travell and paine but not all alike Thus it is in the new birth with all that are come to yeares of discretion Some haue so much griefe feare horror that it is intolerable and leaveth so deepe an impression that it can never be forgotten others have some true sense of griefe and feare but nothing to the former in comparison which may easily be forgotten There are causes why some have or at least feele some more some lesse 1. Some have committed more grosse and more hainous sinnes than other therefore they have more cause and neede to have mâ—re terrour and heart-breaking than others 2. God doth set some apart for greater imployments than others such as will require a man of great trust and experience wherefore GOD to prepare them doth exercise such with greatest tryals for their deepe humiliation and for their more speedy and full reformation that all necessary graces might bee more deeply and more firmely rooted in them 3. Some have beene religiously brought up from their infancie whereby as they were kept from grosse sinnes so their sinnes were subdued by little and little without any sensible impression of horror Grace and comfort being instilled into them almost insensibly 4. Some by naturals constitution and temper of body are more fearefull and more sensible of anguish than others which may cause that although they may bee alike wounded in conscience for sinne yet they may not feele it all alike 5. There may be the like feare and terror wrought in the conscience for sinne in one as well as another yet it may not leave the like lasting sense and impression in the memory of the one which it doth in the other Because God may shew himselfe gracious in discovering a remedy and giving comfort to one sooner than to the other As two men may be in perill of their lives by enemies the one as soone as hee seeth his danger seeth an impregnable
Castle to steppe into or an Army of friends to rescue him this mans feare is quickly over and forgotten The other doth not onely see great danger but is surprized by his enemies is taken and carried captive and is a long time in cruell bondage and feare of his life til at length he is redeemed out of their hand Such a feare as this can never be forgotten You may evidently know whether you had sufficient griefe and feare in your first conversion by these signes Had you ever such and so much griefe for sin that it made you to dislike sinne and to dislike your selfe for it and to bee weary and heavie laden with it so as to make you heartily confesse your sinnes unto GOD and to aske of him mercie and forgivenesse Hath it made you to looke better to your wayes and more carefull to please God Then be sure it was a competent and sufficient griefe because it was a godly sorrow to repentance never to be repented of Againe are you now grieved and troubled when you fall into particular sinnes then you may be certaine that there was a time when you were sufficiently grieved and humbled in your Conversion For this latter griefe is but putting that griefe into further act whereof you received an Habit in your first Conversion If you can for the present find any proofes of Conversion it should not trouble you though you know not when or by whom or how you were converted any more then thus that you know that God hath wrought it by his Word and Spirit When any field bringeth forth a croppe of good corne this proveth that it was sufficiently plowed For GOD doth never sow untill the fallow ground of mens hearts is sufficiently broken up Now as for those of you which remember that you have had terrors of conscience and it may bee ever and anon feele them still who feare that these were not beginnings of Conversion but rather beginnings of Desperation and Hellish torments you should know that there is great difference betweene these and those Those feares and horrours which are onely flashes and beginnings of hellish torment are wrought onely by the Law and spirit of bondage giving not so much as a secret hope of Salvation But those feares which make way unto and which are the beginnings of Conversion are indeed first wrought by the Law also yet not onely for the Gospell hath at last some stroke in them partly to melt the heart broken by the Law partly to support the heart causing it by some little glimpse of light to conceive possibilitie of remedy Compare the terrors of Cain and Iudas with those of the men prickt at Peters Sermon with S. Pauls and the Iaylors and you shall see both this and the following differences 2. The former terrours and troubles are caused either onely for feare of Hell and fierce wrath of God but not for sinne or if at all for sinne it is onely in respect of the punishment These tending to conversion are also caused through feare of Hell but not onely The heart of one thus troubled aketh because of his finne and that not onely because it deserveth hell but because by it he hath offended and dishonoured God 3. Those who are troubled in the first sort do continue head-strong and obstinate retaining their wonted hatred against God and against such as feare GOD as also their love to wickednes onely it may bee they smoother and bite in their ranckor through the spirit of restraint that for the time it doth not appeare But in the other will appeare some alteration towards goodnesse As whatsoever their opinions and speeches were of Gods peoples before now they begin to think better of them of their waies So did they in the Acts before they were prickt at heart they did scoffe at the Apostles and derided Gods gifts in them but afterwards said men and brethren they conceived reverently of them and spake reverently to them See the like in Paul in his readinesse to doe whatsoever Christ should enjoyne him The Iaylour also in this case quickly became well affected to Paul and Silas 4. The former sort when they are troubled with horror of conscience flie from God and seeke no remedie but such as is worldly and carnall as jollitie company-keeping musicke and other earthly delights as in building and in their lands and livings according as their owne corrupt hearts and as carnall men will advise them whereby sometimes they stupifie and deaden the Conscience and lay it asleepe for a time Thus Cain and Saul allaied their distempered spirits And if they have some godly friends which shall bring them to Gods Ministers or doe themselves minister to them the instructions of the Word this is tedious and irkesome to them they cannot rellish these means nor take any satisfaction in theÌ„ But the other are willing to secke to God by seeking to his Ministers to whom God hath given the tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to the soule that is wearie and though they cannot presently receive comfort wil not utterly reject them except in case of Melancholicke distemper which must not bee imputed to them but to their disease And in application of the remedy as there were two parts of the griefe so they must find remedies for both or they cannot be fully satisfied First they were troubled with griefe for feare of Hell for taking away whereof the bloud of Christ is applyed together with Gods promise of forgivenesse to him that beleeveth and a commandement to beleeve all this is applied to take away the guilt and punishment of sinne Secondly they were troubled for sinne whereby they had dishonored and displeased God now unlesse also they feele in some measure the grace of Christs Spirit healing the wound of sinne and subduing the power of it and enabling them at least to will and strive to please God they cannot be satisfied As it was with David though God had said by the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sinne that is forgiven it yet he had no comfort untill God had created in him a cleane heart and renewed a right spirit within him Whereas if feare of Hell be off it is all that the former sort care for 5. As for the first sort it may be while they were afraid to be damned they had some restraint of sinne and it may be made some proffers tending to reformation but when their terrours are over and forgotten then like the dogge they returne to their vomit and like the sowe that was washed to their wallowing in the mire of their wonted ungodlinesse But as for them whose terrours were preparations to Conversion when they obtaine peace of Conscience they are exceeding thankefull for it and are made by it more feaâ—efull to offend And although they may and oft doe fall into some particular sinne or sinnes for which
your selves against blasphemous and vile thoughts and temptations In the second place When you are thus armed whensoever these blasphemous and fearefull thoughts rise in you or are cast into you Take heed of two extremities First doe not contemne them so as to set light by them for this giveth strength to sinne and advantage to Satan Secondly Be not discouraged nor yet faint through despaire of being rid of them in due time or of withstanding them in the meane time For then Satan hath his end and his will of you But carry your selves in a middle course Plod not too much on them dispute not too much in your selfe with them presume not of your owne strength but by lifting up of your hearts in prayer call in GOD Sayd to resist and withstand them present some pregnant Scripture to your mind such as is direct against them whereby you may with an holy detestation resist them according to CHRISTS example with It is written Now when you have done all this then if it bee possible thinke on them no more Thirdly Indevour at all times to make Conscience in the whole course of your life of your thoughts even of the least thoughts of euill yea of all thoughts and this will be a good meanes to keepe out all evill thoughts If it cannot prevaile thus farre yet you shall have this benefit by it when your heart can tell you that you would in every thing please God and that you make conscience of lesse sinfull thoughts than those vile ones with which you are troubled then you may be sure that you may be and are Gods children and are sanctified notwithstanding those blasphemous thoughts and Devilish temptations Againe Some doubt they are not sanctified because they have fallen into some of those grosse sinnes yea it may be into worse then those which they committed in their state of unregeneracie I answer such You are in very ill case if you doe not belye your selves and if so you are in ill case because you belye your selves I advise you that have thus sinned in either to repent speedily and to aske forgivenesse God by his Spirit doth as wel cal you to it as he did Israel saying Returne to the Lord thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take with you words and turne unto the Lord and say unto him take away all our iniquitie and receive us graciously then will God answer I will heale your back-sliding I will love you freely You say that you are backeslidden suppose it were so he saith I will heale your backsliding c. reade Ier. 3. 12. 13. Mic. 7. 18. 19. You must not doubt but that grosse sinnes committed after a man is effectually called are pardonable It is the Devils policie to cast these doubts into your heads wholly to take you up by shutting out all hope of grace and mercie that you might have no thoughts of returning and seeking unto God for mercie But beleeve him not he is a Lyar. For it may befall one that is in state of grace to commit the same grosse sinnes after Conversion which he did before if not greater than the same Did not David by his adultery and murther exceed all the sinnes that ever he committed before his Conversion Did not Salomon worse in his old age then even in his yonger dayes Did Peter commit any sinne before his conversion like that of denying and for swearing his Master Why were the fals of these Worthies written but for examples to us on whom the ends of the earth are come First That every one that standeth should take heede left he fall Secondly That if any be fallen into any sinne by any occasion that he might rise again as they did and that they may not despaire of mercy No man though converted hath any assurance except hee himself be in special sort watch full and except hee have speciall assistance of Gods grace to be preserved from any sinne except that against the holy Ghost But if he be watchful over his waies and doe improove the grace of God in him after Conversion seeking unto God for increase of grace then he as well as the Apostle Paul may be kept from such grosse sinnes as are of the foulest nature otherwise not Indeede they that are borne of God have received the most sweet annointing of the Spirit the seed of grace which ever remaineth in them Whence it is that they sinne otherwise in state of regeneracie then they did in state of unregeneracie in so much that the Scripture of truth notwithstanding the regenerates particular grosse sinnes saith that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not not that they are free from the act and guilt of sinne for in many things wee sinne all saith Saint Iames but because they sinne not with full consent They are not servants to sinne They doe not make a trade of sinne as they did in their unregeneracie Neither doe they sinne the sinne unto death which all unregenerate men may and some do yet for all this it may and oft doth come to passe that partly from Satans malice and power and partly from the remaines of corrupt nature partly from Gods iust iudgements on many because they stood not on their watch or because they were presumptuous of their owne strength or because they were over-censorious and unmercifull to them that had fallen that true converted soules may fall into some particular grosse sinne or sinnes for matter greater then ever before Conversion Others yet complaine and say they feare they have never repented they feele that they cannot repent for they cannot grieve as they ought They can poure out flouds of teares more then enough for crosses but many times they cannot shead one teare for sinne They do nothing as they ought to doe They live in their sinnes still How then can they bee said to have repented and to be sanctified If by doing as you ought you meane perfectly well in every point and circumstance of the Law never any meere man did thus If you could so doe as you ought What need have you of CHRIST to supply your defects and to redeeme you But if by doing as you ought you meane a doing according as God now qualifying the rigour of the Law by the graciousnesse of the Gospell doth require of you and in Christ will accept of you namely to will and endevour in truth to doe the whole will of God then if you will desire and endevour to mourne for sinne to repent and obey as you should you may truly bee said to doe as you ought and as you should And in this case whatsoever is wanting to the perfection of deed Faith in Christ Iesus who kept the lawfully and as he ought for you doth supply the defect thereof For the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in all though not fully by any which walke not after the
spirit of spirituall ioy Where it doth testifie that you are Gods children there it will give you new harts causing you to desire and endevour to live like Gods children in reverent feare and love leading you in the right way checking you and calling you backe out of the way of sinne stirring you up to prayer with sighes desires and inward groanes at least making you to coÌ„fesse your sinnes and to aske and hope for pardon in the name of CHRIST And will still be putting you on to live like obedient children giving you no quietif you doe not Thus much of the first and principall meanes of getting true peace and comfort Secondly If you would have the invaluable Iewell of pâ—ace then abstaine as much as is possible from the act of all grosse and from all presumptuous sins and from the allowance of any sinne For the more sin the more guilt and the lesse sin the lesse guilt Now the lesse guilt lyeth upon the Conscience the more peace of Conscience the more guilt the lesse peace Thirdly When you fall into sinne for who liveth and sinneth not then with all speed affect your heart with godly sorrow for it cause it to be a burden and a load and wearinesse to the Conscience but withall affect your heart wiâ—h hope of mercy forgivenes and grace through Christ. Then with all humble submission you must seeke unto GOD the God of peace but come to him by Christ Iesus the Prince of peace upon whom lay the chastisement of your peace Aske mercy and forgivenesse Aske repentance grace and new obedience Beleeve in Christ If you doe all this then you come unto Christ and unto God by Christ according to his Commandement and you have his sure promise that you shall have rest to your soules This doe for in Christ onely can you have peace This true application of CHRISTS bloud and satisfaction will so sprinkle the Conscience from the guilt of sinne that there shall remaine no more Conscience for sinne that is no more guilt which shall draw upon you the wrath of God and eternall punishment for sinne whence must needs follow peace of Conscience because the Conscience hath nothing to accuse you of guiltinesse being washed off by Christs bloud As soone as David after his foule sinnes could come thus to God his heart had ease But when you have thus gotten a good and cleare Conscience take heede of defiling it againe or giving it any matter of unrest Be as tender in keeping your Conscience unspotted and unwounded as you are of the apple of your eye Sin not against knowledge and Conscience and in any case smother not the good checks and watchwards of your Conscience For if being washed you doe againe defile it this will cause new trouble of heart and you must againe apply your selves to this last prescribed remedy In the fourth place CHRIST having taken upon him the burden of your sinnes which was intollerable you must take upon you and submit unto the yoke of Christs service which is light and easie You must indevour to doe whatsoever hee hath commanded in his Word and Gospell following his steppes in all his imitable actions in all humility and meekenesse in all spirituall and heavenly mindednesse When you can thus subject your selves to Christ in holinesse you shall have peace For the holy Ghost saith the worke of righteousnesse is peace and againe saith To be spiritually minded is peace that is bringeth with it peace I comprehend CHRISTS yoke of the Gospell in these three Faith Hope and Love As these three be in you and abound in the same degrees shall peace be in you and shall abound Having Faith in Christ saith the Apostle we have peace with God It is God that justifieth who shall lay any thing to your charge For justifying Faith is the ground and spring from which onely sound and true comfort doth flow Hope will make you wait and expect with patience for the accomplishment of GODS sure promises whereby it will hold you as steady and as sure from wracke of soule as any Anchor can hold a ship God doth therefore give hope that it may be as an Anchor sure and stedfast Though while you are in the Sea of this world it doth not keepe you so quiet but that you may bee in part tossed and disquieted with the waves and billowes of feare and doubt to try the goodnesse of your vessell and strength of your Anchor and tacklings Yet you shall be sure not to make shipwracke of Faith and a good Conscience if you shall lay hold upon this hope set before you And as for Love They that love the Lord shall have peace you must therefore love God love his ordinances and his people Love God with all your heart Love your neighbours as your selves love Gods Commandements For great peace shall they have saith the Prophet that love Gods Law and nothing shall offend them Whosoever doe thus take up Christs yoke and follow him shall find rest to their soules and peace shall be upon them as upon the Israel of God Fiftly If you would have peace use all good meanes whereby you may bee oft put in remembrance of the exhortations and consolations of God They in the Hebrewes were therefore out of quiet and readie to faint in their minds both because they forgat the exhortation which said My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord c. And because they forgat the consolation which saith Whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth The principall meanes of being put in minde of GODS consolations are these following 1. You must be much Conversant in Scriptures by reading hearing and meditating thereon For they were all written to that end that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures you might have hope The Scriptures of God they are the very Wells and Breasts of consolation and Salvation The Law discovers sinne and by its threats against you and by relating judgements executed upon others doth drive you to Christ The promises of the Gospell made to you and the signification of the accomplishment thereof to others doe settle and confirme you in Christ whereby your heart is filled with joy and consolations The Gospell is called the Gospell of peace and the Ministers of the Gospell are said to bring glad tydings of this peace â—t is the bright shining light in the Gospel which will guide your feet in the way of peace 2. Be much in good Company especially in theirs who are full of ioy and peace in beleeving whose example and counsell will mind you of joy and comfort and will be of excellent use unto you to establish you in peace Sixtly and lastly Acquaint your selfe with God touching the course he useth to take with his children in bringing them to glory Acquaint your selfe with God
arise d Deut. 29 1â—â— e Ier. 44. 16 17. f Isa 57. 21. g 1 The. 5 3 h Isa 28. 15 Deu. 29. 19 i Lu. 11. 21 k 1 The. 5. â— Deu 29. 20 l Rom. 5. 2 * Rom. 7. 18 Ps â—1 3. 5. m Eph. 2. 3. Rom. 3. 19 23. Grounds of falle hopes discovered removed Presumption that God will save a man because he made him removed n Mat. â—5 41 o Iude 6. p Isa 27. 11 Presumption of escaping hell because they think they have it in this life removed q Isa 9. 13. r Prov. 27. 22 s Isa 1. 5. Isa 5. 12 13 14 Amos 6. to 13 Presumption they shall ever well because hither to they have escaped evill removed o Ps 10 11 Psal 55 6 19 Eccl 8 11. p Ps â— 11 13 Psal 50. 21 Psal 10. 6 * 2 Pet. 3. 9 Rom. 2. 4 5. 6 q 2 Pet. 2. 9 r Psa 55. 19 s Psal 50. 21 22 * Presumption of being in Gods favour because they prosper in this life â—emoved Eccl. 9. 1 2 t Psa 17. 14 u Ps 69. 22 * Pro. 1. 32 Presumption that they shall be saved because as great sinners as they have been saved removed * Luk. 18. 11 a Luk. 15. 7 b 2 Cor. 10 12 c 2 Cor. 10 18 d Iam. 3. 2. e Exod. 14 20 f Luk. 18. 10 11 presumption of salvation by popes pardons pennance and merit of workes removed Colo. 2. 18 h Col. 2. 19 Luk. 17. 9 10 Presumption of salvation because GOD is merciful removed k Rom 9. 18 l Rom. 9. 13 m Rom. 9. 22 23 n Isa 27. 11 o Psal 59. 5 p Psal 50. 17 22 q Iude 4. r Heb. 3. 10 11 Presumption from uniuersall redemption removed * Ioh 1. 2â— Å¿ 1 Tim. 2. 6 Answ Ioh. 3. 16. â—on 1. 12. t Mat. 28. 19 Mar. 16. 15 u Mat 3. 2. 7 8. Mar. 1. 15. Act. 17. 30. x Ioh. 3. 16 a 〈…〉 b Mat. 13 â—1 c Aâ—â— 13. 48 1 ch 3. 8. Act. 13. 4â— d Mat. 20. 16 e Ioh. 1. â—9 f 1 Ioh. 2. 2 g 2 Pet. 2. 5 g Iude 14. 15 Presumption of salvation upon concest their faith and repentance is good wheÌ„ it is not removed Reasonson which many falsely think they have faith Answ a Iam. 1. 26 b Gal 6. 3 c Mat. 25 â— â—1 Reply Luk. 13. 26 * Isa 58. 1. Answ a Iam. 2. 29 b Rom. 2. 28 29 c 1 Pet. 3. 21 d Heb. 10. 22 e 1 Pet. 3. 21 f â— Tim. 3. 5 * Isai 1. 11 Isa 58. 3 4 Ezek. 33. 31 32 g Isa 58. 3. g Luk. 13. 26 h Luk. 1 3. 27 Reply Answ i Act. 24. 25. k 1 Kin. 21 21. 27 29. l Psal 78. 34. m Mat. 13. 20 21 22. n Heb. 6. 4 5 6. o Mar. 6. 20 a Heb. 10. 26. 29. 2 Pet. 2. â—0 b Mat. 12. 43 44 45. c 2 Pet. 2. 22 d Ex. 12. 32 e Act. 8. 24. f Num. 23. 10 g Num. 24. 13 h Num. 22. 34. i Pro. 13. 4 k Ioh. 6. 60 l Psa 55. 14 m Mat. 26. 22 What true coÌ„version and repentance is p Eph. 4. 22 23 24. Rom. 12. 2 q 2 Kin. 10 r Col. 3. 1. 2 Presumption of repentance here after s Psa 73. 19 t Pro. 29. 1 u Heb. 3. 13 15. 19 a Rom. 2. 5 Rom. 2. 5 b Ier. 13. 23 Hos 2. 15 c Ezek. 18 21. 22 d Ezek. 24. 13. e 1 Tim 4. 2 Causes of a seared conscience to be avoyded f 1 Tim. 4. 8 g Rom. 1. 27 Iude 10. Ephe. 4. 18 19 h Heb. 10. 26 Meanes to keepe the conscience tender Gen. 4. 7. u Rom. 1. 21. to 29. u Mat. 27. 5. Signes of false hope and peace a 1 Ioh. 2. 15. b Iam. 4. 4. 2 Kin. 9. 19 22. * Heb. 13. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 2 4. * Ioh. 3. 10 2 Chro 36 16 Act. 7. 54. Needfull feare before conversion a Act. 2. 37 b Act. 9. 9. c Act. 16. 29 * Rom 8. 15 Holy and good feare after conversion d Phi. 2. 12 e 1 Pet. 1. 17. Causelesse feare The kinds of causelesse feare Strange effects of feare rising from natural distempers DiffereÌ„ce betweene trouble rising from bodily distemper and that of trouble of conscience Some difference betweene regenerate and unregenerate in these distempers The best meanes to quiet the heart in bodily distempers Diffrence betweene those fears which rise chiefly froÌ„ Melancholy and those which are chiefly from trouble of conscience The grouÌ„d of false feares a Gen. 4. 14 Feare of punishmeÌ„t must be turned into trouble for sinne b Ps 51. 4 5 c Ezek. 36. 31. When the soule is troubled for sin fly to GOD for mercy and grace in Christ Reply Answ Reasons proving that sinne cannot be nupardonable because of the greatnesse therof f 1 Pet. 1. 19 g Act. 20. 28 Exod. 34. 6. Reply Answ Hos 14. 4. Isa 43. 25. Ezek. 36. 25 26. 32. * Ezek. 36. 37 Reply Answ a 2 Pet. 3. 9. 15. Reply Answ Reply Answ Reply Answ b Mic. 7. 19 Reply Answ Psa 118. 1. Mat. 6. 11. h Luk 17. 4 Mat. 18. 22 Reply Answ Isa 1 16. Ier. 4. 14. Psa 85. 8. Isa 1. 18. Sinnes before and after conversion pardonable i Gen. 9. 21 k Gen. 19 33 l Mat. 26. 47 * 2 Chron. 33. 6. 10 12 13 m 1 Kin. 15 5 n 1 Tim. 1. 15 16 o 1 Tim. 1. 15 16 p Isa 53. 5. q Luk 5. 32 r 1 Ioh. 2. 1 s Col. 3. 13 t Mat. 19. 26 u Gen. 18. 14. x Mar. 9. 23 Reply a Isa 1. â—9 * Rom. 7. 20 b Isa 43. 25. c Micah 7. 18 19. Rev. 14. 5. d Ier. 50. 20 e Mat. â— 5 f Ioh. 11. 4â— g Mar. 5. 4. Ezek. 18 21 2â— Ezek. 36. 25. to 33. k Isa 55. 7. Answ No man hath signs of election til effectuall calling l 2 Pet 1. 5. 10 No man can know certainely in this life that he is a Reprobate m Luk. 23. 42 43 In what order a Christian should ascend to the knowledge of his Election n Gen. 1. 31 o Eccl. 7. 29 Gen 3. 15. Gen. 17. 1. 2. 11. Rom. 4. 11. Ier 31. 31. 32. p Phil. 2. 6 7 8 9 10 11. Ioh. 3. 16 q Rom. 3. 26 r Ephe. 4. 8 s 2 Cor. 5. 20 2 Pet. 1. 5. 10 11 t Rom. 11. 33. Eph. 1. 3. 5 6. Feare of sinning against the holy Ghost removed Answ a 1 Kin. 15. 5 2 Sam. 11. 4. 6. 10. 15. 25. b Heb. 10. 28. d 1 Tim. 1 13 e 2 Chron. 16. 10 1 King 11. 4 5 6 Heb. 10. 28 29 f Luk. 23. 34 g Math. 26 69 70 74 Why called sin against the holy Ghost Why unpardonable * Ad extra A description of the sin against the holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4 5 6. i Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29 k Mat. 12. 24. 31 32. k Marke 3 28 29 30. k Luk. 12. 10. k
which is the most proper and most pleasing worke of a sanctified conscience He that knoweth that he himselfe must and none for him be at much paines to make himselfe whole and cleane when hee is wounded and defiled will take the more heed lest he wound and defile himselfe Fourthly this due preparation to prayer taken up in good part with examining judging and reforming your selfe doth prevent Gods iudging of you for when you iudge your selfe you shall not be iudged of the Lord saith the Apostle Being rightly prepared you must draw neare into Gods speciall presence falling low at his footstoole representing him to your thoughts in the apprehension of one who is in himselfe and of himselfe the onely heavenly all-knowing and All-mighty Maiesty and Deity now become your loving and mercifull Father through Christ his Sonne your Lord. Then you must powre out your soule before him in confessing your sinnes and in making your desires through the spirit knowne unto him in the name of Christ for your selfe and others in all lawfull petitions and supplications with thankesgiving And all this with understanding with the intention and full bent of the soule with servor and expectation of being heard in due time and measure and in the best manner The rule and boundary to you for all things required in prayer is the Lords Prayer If you would have reasons to perswade you to this dutie of prayer and would have further information touching the fore-pointed-at particular requisites in prayer I refer you to that which I have already * published upon the Lords Prayer And touching the chiefe impedients to prayer with their removals I referre you to the Epistle of my loving and reverend friend Master D r. Sibbs written before the said Treatise SECTION 2. Cautions and advertisements about Prayer UNto the Directions both for preparation to prayer and concerning prayer it selfe take these Cautions First if it may be Omit neither the one nor the other and let them be the first worke after you are up But if that cannot be because of some necessary let yet performe them so soone as you can and as well as you can though you can doe neither either so soone or so well as you would yet omit them not altogether Breake thorow all seeming necessities which will daily cast in themselves to hinder and thrust out these duties The Devill knowing that nothing doth undermine overthrow his kingdome more than these duly performed knowing also that this spiritual performance of them is tedious to corrupt nature hee will thrust upon you seeming necessities so many and so oft that if you bee not watchfull to gaine and to take time breaking thorow all such lets as are not truly necessary you shall oft-times by the circumvention of the flesh and of the Devill be brought to an omission of Preparation or Prayer or both Vpon which will follow like occasions together with a pronenesse to the like neglect and a greater indisposition to these duties afterward Secondly lay not too great a taske upon your selfe in this preparation to prayer I meane so much as will take up more time than the workes of your calling and other needfull affaires will permit but contrive and husband your time so that every lawfull busines may have his owne time God hath subordinated the works of your generall and particular calling in such sort that ordinarily the one shall not drive out the other If through taking too much time in preparation to prayer and in prayer either of them grow necessarily tedious burthensome Satan will circumvent you by this meanes causing you out of a true wearinesse of too much even before you are aware to omit them altogether Thirdly whereas when you prepare your selfe to pray and when you doe pray it is lawfull to thinke of your worldly businesse to the end that you might pray for direction and for good successe therein for you may aske your daily bread you must take heede when you thinke on these things that your thoughts be not worldly through distempers and distractions about the same For these will abate your spiritualnes and strength in praier and will shut the eares of God against your prayer I remember you desired mee to shew you the signes and remedies of distempers and distractions about worldly things in your preparations to prayer By distempers I meane inordinate trouble about the meanes and by distractions I meane a vexing trouble about successe You may know that your mind is disteÌ„pered with world linesse euen in thinking on â—wfull businesse when you preâ—re your selfe to praier by these â—â—rkes First when except in case of â—â—cessitie in their apparent danâ—r your worldly affaires are â—st in your thoughts to bee the â—atter of your meditation For â—oughts how to hallow Gods â—me and how his kingdome may â—â—e and how you may doe his â—ll should ordinarily be in your â—inde before those that conâ—rne your daily bread 2. When they interpose themslves interrupt and iustle out â—ose good thoughts whereon you â—ere thinking before before â—at you have thought of them â—fficiently 3. When your thoughts of â—orldly businesse are with greaâ—r intention of minde than the â—oughts of things spirituall and â—eavenly 4. When they last longer than â—ch as immediately concern the glory of God and the good of your soule or hold you too long upon them 5. You shall know it by the ends which you propound to your selfe in your thoughts of worldly businesse Are the ends you propound onely or chiefly that you may prevent povertie or that you may have wherewith to satisfie your naturall desires If you propound not other and more spirituall ends your thoughts of them at that time are worldly but if your thoghts of your worldly businesse be to the end that you may lay them to the rule of Gods Word that you may not offend him in your labour and care about them or that you might crave Gods direction and blessing upon your said care and labour you being spiritual in thoughts of worldly businesse then your thoughts of lawfull businesse are not distempered with worldlinesse To remedie these distempered thoughts First get a sound and cleare iudgement to discerne of what is good what is bad also what is best and what is least good preferring things spirituall heavenly and eternal incomparably before those which are corporall earthly and temporary Make those best things your Treasure then your heart will bee chiefly set and your thoughts will chiefly run on them and will be moderate in thinking of those things which are lesse needfull 2. Doe as a wise Counsellor at Law and as a Master of Requests who must heare many Clients and receive and speed many Petitions Consider whose turne it is and what is the most important sute and dispatch them first Let thoughts of worldly busines be shut out and made stand at doore