pride and hautinesse of minde which is a priuie euill and hardly will be beaten into the head of them that are infected therwith But sure it is that we wold neuer be so grieued for the losse of a thing if we did not too much desire it and too immoderately vse it whilst wee had it Iohn 12 42. Which sinne of haughtines the Lord seeing in his children that they are more humbled with the losseof worldly credit then with the sence of their sinnes and the losse of their glory â—ee striketh them with the wante of that thing which is most precious vnto them because they made no conscience of that honor which is most precious vnto him Wherefore this is the best remedie rather to be grieued that we feele not our sinnes to be pardoned with God then that we are knowne to be sinners amongst men and that we be ready to shame our selues that God may haue the glory acknowledging shame and confusion and the whole hell of temptations to be due vnto vs and glory praise compassion to be only the Lords For this is a speciall marke of the child of God by temptations rightly humbled when he is ready to shame himselfe for his sin that he may glorifie God in his mercy 3 Vnto one that thought himselfe to haue â—inned against the holy Ghost he saide Sathans temptations follow our affections For if we lightly account of sinne he bleares our eyes still with Gods mercies if we beginne to make a conscience of sinne he loadeth vs with the iudgements of God being as ready now to aggrauate the sinne more then it is in it selfe as before he woulde extenuate it to make it seeme lesse then it was Howbeit said he to the man thus afflicted I will saye vnto you as Samuel saide to the people after they had confessed themselues to haue sinned against God with a great sinne True it is said Samuel not flattering them in their iniquities Ye haue sinned greatly notwithstanding if ye will feare the Lord and serue him and heare his voice and not disobey the word of the Lorde ye shall follow the Lord your God But if ye will not obey the voyce of the Lorde but disobeye the Lordes mouth then shall the hand of the Lord be vpon you 1. Sam. 12.14 So I will not lessen your sine but I say you haue sinned with a great sinnne before the Lord in that you made a mocke of the worde which you knew yet if you turne to the Lord in feare and serue him your sinne is remissible howsoeuer Sathan chargeth your conscence that you haue done euill against your owne knowledge For although euery sinne against the holy Ghost is against a mans conscience knowledge yet euery sinne against our knowledge and conscience is not against the holy Ghost For then Dauid and Peter had sinned against the holy Ghost for they sinned after the holy Ghost was come vpon them which is not true as may appeare by their godly repentance ensuing Some sins are against knowledge but of humane frailty some are against knowledge of a rebellious obstinacy These last are the persecutions of the spirit of God as he is the power of God Those first are not so precisely against the holy ghost but against God the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost the one which may be repented of is remissible the other which is without repentance is irremissible wherfore in that you quake and are affraid least this sin be in you would reioice in God if it were not in you If you purpose to leaue your former sins in trueth henceforth turne vnto the Lord I dare assure you that as yet you are free from this sinne 4 Vnto one afflicted in mind he gaue this coÌ„fort First if you haue knowledge be thankful for it desire the lord to giue you faith if you haue faith which vndoubtedly you may haue though not rightly discerning your selfe you presently perceiue it not you must wait on the Lord for feeling of it And though it may be you shal tarry the lords leasure long yet surely he wil giue it you in time In the meane time assure your self that the greatest faith is when there is least feeling Because it is easy for euery one in glorious feelings ioies vnspeakable to beleue but when a man feeling no sensible coÌ„fort in the Lord can notwithstanding beleeue in the Lord by saith wait on him this mans faith is very great 5 He gaue this aduise to one against the deadnes of the mind that ouertaketh the godly first search the cause whether it be for some euill thing done or for some good thing not done so leauing some means of saluatioÌ„ vnused whether for some sin seene but not repented of or some sin repented of but not souÌ„dly or for vnthankfulnes Secondly vse the remedy please not your selfe in it but rouse vp your selfe as froÌ„ a sluÌ„ber which willingly you would shake from you cal to mind the special greatest mercy of God vse the means Thirdlie in the meanes offer your selfe to God waiting â—umbly patiently for the time of deliuerance neither esteming to much or to little of your afflictions 6 To one that coÌ„plained of the hardnes of his hart he said You must wait for coÌ„fort know that you can now no more iudge of your selfe than a man sleeping can iudge of thinges which he did waking or a man wandring in the darke can discerne of bright colours For as the one may whilest he was waking doe exccellent things and yet nowe neyther himselfe knoweth of them nor any other can espie them in him the other may be enuironed with fresh and flourishing colours yet for want of light can haue no vse of his eies nor pleasure in the obiects so you haue done great good things whilst god gaue you a waking heart to put them in practise and the light of his spirit to discerne his graces in you though now you haue neyther the sight nor sence of them And this is the thing that deceiueth and disquieteth many they look for that discerning of theÌ„selues wheÌ„ the graces of God are more cold which they had when gods spirit wrought in the swetest fullest measure in them And because there is some intermission of the work of their new birth they thinke there is a â—lat amission in theÌ„ of the spirit of God But as it is a token of a mind to presumpteous infatuated in time of a dead security to perswade our selues still of that safety in hauing those graces which somtimes we had so it is a signe of a minde abiect too much dispairing to thinke that because we haue not in present feelings these ioyes glorious vnspeakable which we haue had therfore we neuer had theÌ„ heretofore or that we shall neuer haue theÌ„ again hereafter 8 He saide to a godly Christian much inuaying against our vnbeleefe I doe not now suspect
raging is the strength of sin Neither for all this must we cease to sorrowe for our sins nor dispaire on the other side although our sorrow bee but small For if we be sorrowfull for the hardnes of our hearts if we can be grieued for that we are no more grieued for our sins if we can but sigh and groone because we feele our iniquities it is so much a greater comfort vnto vs as it is a greater testimony that our heartes are not altogether hardened so that if we feele â—orrowe indeede although wee weepe not yet we may gather comfort considering that this sorrow is for sinne with a loue and hunger after righteousnes yea if our assaults be distrust pride arrogancy ambition enuie concupiscence as whoâ—e as the fyre in the furnace all our daies and though Sathan layeth out oyle in great measure out of measure that it is the wonderfull mercy of the Lorde that we stand and though our prayers be dull and full of wearisomenes if the striuing and strayning of our selues to goodnesse be so hard that we knowe not whether we striue for feare of punishment or for loue of so good a Father yet if we feele this in our selues that we would faine loue the Lord and be better and beeing wearied and tyred with our sinnes long gladly to enioye the peace of righteousnes and desire to please God in a simple obedience of faith then let vs comfort our selues there is no time to late to repent in For he commeth quickly to Christ although in the houâ—e of death that commeth willingly and in a desire of a better life howsoeuer sinne and Sathan at that time would especially perswade him For as the humming Bee hauing lost her sting in an other doth still notwithstanding make a fearfull and grieuous noyse by her often buzzing about vs but is nothing able to hurt vs so sin death hauing lost their stings in Christ Iesus do not cease at all euen in the height of the parching heat of our consciences to make a murmuring and with furious stormes of temptations to terrifie vs and our consciences albeit they can neuer sting vs. Wherfore if Sathan charge our consciences with sin if we can feele the things a little before mentioned in our consciences let vs bid him not tell vs what we haue beene but what we woulde be For such we are by imputation as we be in affection and he is now no sinner who for the loue he beareth to righteousnes would be no sinner Such as we be in desire and purpose such we be in reckoning and account with God who giueth that true desire and holy purpose to none but to his children whom he iustifieth Neyther vndoubtedly can the giltines of sinne breake the peace of our conscience seeing it is the worke of an other who hath commended vs as righteous before God and saued vs. It must indeed be confessed that our owne works wil do nothing in the matter of iustification which from Christ in Christ is freely giuen vnto vs it must be granted that in our selues we are weaker then that we can resist the least sinne so farre of is it that we can encounter with the law sinne death hell and Sathan and yet in Christ we are more then conquerers ouer them all When the law accuseth thee because thou hast not obserued it send it to Christ say there is a man that hath fulfilled the law to him I cleaue he hath fulfilled it for me and hath giuen the fulfilling of it vnto mee I haue nothing to do with thee I haue another law which striketh thee down euen the law of liberty which through Christ hath set me free For my conscience which henceforth serueth the law of grace is a glorious prince to triumph ouer thee If sin come and would haue thee by the throat send it to Christ say as much as thou maist do against him so much right thou shalt haue against me For I am in him he in me wherfore O sin I am righteous through my Christ which is a condemning sin to condemne thee which art a condemned sinner If death creepe vpon thee attempt to deuoure thee say vnto it Christ hath ouercome thee opened to me the gates of euerlasting life thou wouldest haue killed him with the sting of sin but the same being of no force thy purpose O death hath failed and he being my life is become thy death If Sathan sommon thee to answer for thy debts send him also to Christ and say that the wife is not suable but the husband enter thine action against Christ mine husband and he will make thee a sufficient answere who then shall condemne vs or what iudge shall daunt vs syth God is our iudge and accquited vs and Christ was condemned iustifieth vs he is our iudge that willeth not the death of a sinner he is our man of law who to excuse vs suffered himselfe to be accused for vs. O gluttonous hell where is thy defence O cruell sin where is thy tyrannous power O rauening death where is thy bloody sting O roaring Lion why doest thou freete and foame Christ my lawe fighteth against thee O lawe and is my liberty Sinne against thee O sinne and is my righteousnes Christ against thee O diuell and is my sauiour Death against thee O death is my life Thou diddest desire to paue my way to the burning lake of damned soules but contrarie to thy will thou art constrained to lift vp the ladder wherby I must ascend into the new Ierusalem Wherfore if we shal finde our selues forsaken of God so as we perceiue nothing but matter of dispaire let vs still hold our owne in the certainty of our faith stay our selues sith Christ is giuen vs of God that he might extinguish sin triumph ouer the law vanquish death ouercome the diuell and destroy hell for our onely comfort and consolation But peraduenture some will say my faith is weake and colde and my conscience is as a â—laming lampe and burning furnace I feare the Lorde will still pursue mee with his wrathfull indignation Thou doest well to feare but feare and sinne not For feare which subdueth the securitie of the flesh is in all most requisite in that the weaker we are in our selues the stronger we are in God But that feare is dangerous which hindereth the certainty of faith in that it incourageth our enemy more fearcely to set vpoÌ„ vs when we comming into the campe will cast away our armour especially which should defend vs. Comfort thy selfe the Lord will not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake the brused reede he looketh not on the quantitie but on the qualitie of our faith For as a good mother doth not reiect hir childe because through some infirmitie it is weake feeble and not able to go alone but rather doth pitie and supporte it least peraduenture it should fal recompenseth that with more motherly affection
sinnes then they lefte of mocking were pricked in their harts Where first we may note the power of Gods word which onely is able to touch our consciences for sinne For neither the diuersitie of tongues nor other giftes of the holy Ghost coulde pricke their â—eartes as being able onely to cast them into an admiration What more forcible thinge then to cause a goâ—ly sorrow theÌ„ to haue our conscience pricked What so able to pricke our conscience as the worde of GOD Indeede many feele sorrowe and are inwardly pricked but because therewith is not ioyned the power of Gods word They be either sencelesâ—e as blocks or in their feeling they are murmurers This commeth vnto vs by the dignitie of GOD his worde in that no wonders from heauen no miracles on earth can touch our heartes and worke in vs any fruite without the same For though the Lorde shoulde shewe vnto vs al the wonders from heauen which he shewed on the olde worlde and on Sodome although hee shoulde lay all the plagues vpon vs which he laide on Pharaoh and on the Aegyptians without the word of God we should be as vnprofitable beholders as euer were the Sodomites should become as hardeharted as euer were Pharaoh the Aegyptians so that no iudgement from heauen no trouble from earth can humble vs noe blessing from aboue no benefite from beneath can profite vs vntil the worde of GOD commeth which teacheth the olde way to forsake it the newe way to enter into it and the perfecte way to continue in it And thus much for the generall scope of this doctrine Now more particularly we may obserue in this first part three things First the power of the worde to pricke our conscience Secondly that this pricke must not cause in vs a more rebelling againste the worde or ministers thereof but rather a greater reuerence to them both Thirdly such prickes must prepare vs to a greater desire to profit For the first wee must knowe that this is the beginning of repentance and this is the enteâ—ie to godlines euen to conceiue a sorrow for our sinnes and so bee wounded with a feeling of our euils For as long as men are secure it is not possible that they should seriously apply their minde vnto doctrine neither without the knowledge and feeling of our sinnes can wee hartily longe for Christ. To this agree the lawe the Prophets and the Apostles The lawe because in all their sacrifices wherein Christ was prefigured was manifested also vnder darke signes the contrition of hart and acknowledging their vnworthinesse The Prophets as Dauid and Esay Dauid in the fourth psalme and fiâ—t verse â—ayeth Tremble and sinne not where the Prophet sheweth that this is an effectuall thing to trew repentance to quake and tremble for feare of Gods iudgements That wee may then truly examine our selues wee must feare and humble our selues because before trouble terrour and quaking at the iudgementes of GOD we will neuer be brought to offer our selues to Christ alone In the Psal. 51. Vers. 18.19 the Prophet like wise sheweth that no sacrifice is acceptable to God without a contrite heart that is neither prayer neither almes-giuing neitheir praise or thanksgiuing vnlesse we bringing an humble and contrite spirit with vs cast our selues downe before his iudgement seate and sue for mercy in Christ. And here marke that he saith the sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit c. where he vsing the plurall number sheweth that the sacrifices of repentance which must not be one but many are humblenes of spirite and contrition of hearte For the affliction of the soule contrition of the minde doe so cast vs downe wounded with our sinnes humbled with a feeling of Gods wrath as that it maketh vs to acknowledge that we are nothing of our selues and to seeke for our saluation wholly at the mercie of God Noe maruaile then if by this means we being confounded and ashamed of our selues and staying our selues on the only promises of God doe confesse our owne nakednes and wreatchednes why the Prophet should say that the Lord is pleased with this sacrifice as with the sacrifice of sacrifices The Prophet Esai cap 40. V. 6.7.8 saith All flesh is grasse the beautie therof as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth the flower falleth when the breath of the Lord falleth vpon it where the Prophet painting out man in his proper couliers and driuing him to seeke our saluation not in himselfe but in Christ describeth the outward part of man to be as grasse and by the flower of grasse he sheweth his gifts of minde being vnregenerate as wisdoÌ„e memorie knowledge and vnderstaÌ„ding So that when Gods spirit doth but breath on vs all our wisdome all our knowledge riches and authoritie fall before the presence of the Lord of hosts neither can we remaine but only by the word of God whereby wee are borne againe Wherefore the considering meditating of our traÌ„sitory estate driuâ—th vs to a contrition humblenes of spirit Besides the Lord God saith Esai whom the heauens cannot containe nor the earth hold wil come and dwell with a lowly poore and troubled spirit and which standeth in awe of his word God doth not accept our sacrifices which are offered without trembling at his word no more then if we should kill a man choke a dog or offer swines flesh which was counted an abhominable thing among the Iews or praise the thing that is vnright Lastly to this accordeth the Gospel and the Apostles Our sauiour Christ Mat. 9.13 saith I came not to cal the righteous but sinners to repentance not euerie sinner but that sinner which condeÌ„neth sinne in him is weary and laden with his sinnes Mat. 11.28 Mat. 21.32 our Sauiour Christ preferreth the harlotts Publicans before the Pharises for they being pricked for their sins conuicted did sorrow heard Iohn preaching vnto them So then Christ giueth reliefe to those that want righteousnes to theÌ„ that feele themselues sinners ease to them which are burthened lightto them which are in darknes life to them which are dead saluation to them which condeÌ„ne theÌ„selues 1. Cor. 14. the Apostle declareth how the Corrinthians were moued with straÌ„ge tongues but yet had not in admiration the word Besides he sheweth by comparing the gifte of tongues prophecying together that if an Infidell or vnlearned man should come and heare them speake with strange tongues he would say they were out of the witts but if he should heare them speake the word of god plainly he wold be rebuked of all meÌ„ iudged of all men so the secrete of his heart shold be mad manifest he wold fal down on his and worshippe God and say plainely when he feeleth his sinnes they rifle mine hearte they shewe my secret sinnes doubtlesse this is Gods doing God is in them I will follow this religion Wherefore in this appeareth the power of the
TVVO TREATIses of the comforting of an afflicted conscience written by M. Richard Greenham with certaine Epistles of the same argument Heereunto are added two Sermons with certaine graue and wise counsells and answeres of the same Author and argument Imprinted at London by Richard Bradocke for Robert Dexter and are to be solde at the signe of the Brasen Serpent in Paules Churchyard 1598. To the right worshipfull S. Drue Drurie Knight H. C. wisheth increase of all heauenlie vertues IT hath been the coÌ„tinual practise Right worshipfull of the most faithfull stewards dispencers of the misteries of God not only to spende the time of their pilgrimage inplanting and watering those partes of Gods vineyarde wherewithall it hath pleased him to charge them for the present but also as much as in them lay to helpe and set forward the growth of them euen vnto the day of their perfection Amongst many other our present author M. Richard Greenham may bet set with the forwardest in this ranke A man into whose praises if I should enter I should eyther be iniurious to his desert or tedious especially vnto you in whose memory he doth yet most liuely remaine But amongst many excellent gifts which were so plentyfully powred out vpon this man of God not any one did more shine either to the glory of God or his coÌ„mendation amoÌ„gst men then that especial gift he had to the raising vp of the coÌ„sciences of those who froÌ„â—he sense of their infirmitieswere discouraged cast down And left this extraordinary gift should with his dâ—cease die in the graue with him he left in writing vnto vs among many things somthing also of that argument which after his death with more speed then diligeÌ„ce was sent vnto the presse The same now being brought vnto me to be prepared for the second impression the coÌ„mon good of those who froÌ„ these holy labours might raise vnto them selues a souerayne coÌ„fort for their oppressed consciences as also the reuerent regard I had vnto the blessed memory of the deceased Author incouraged or rather inforced me to looke more carefully vnto it and finding the former edition very defectiue to indeauour the correction of it which is thus as you see obtained the volume thus far increased by such written coppies of the like argumeÌ„t as were ministred vnto me All which I am imboldened to present vnto your W. fauour protection partly for the vnfained loue you bare vnto the roote froÌ„ whence they sprang partly also for that interest you had in them by the former dedication May it please your worship therfore to accept theÌ„ as the poore remainder of that hope which in the Authors life time promised more vnto vs then the Lorde hath thougt vs worthy to enioy Thus coÌ„mending your W. and yours to the tuition of the almighty I humbly take my leaue Your worships in all duty to commande H. C. To the Reader OVR life saith the Apostle is a warfare euery day we are more or lesse to incouÌ„ter with our aduersary And therfore is the Church of God vpoÌ„ earth called Militant because the meÌ„bers therof are prest soldgiers staÌ„ding continually vpon their garde knowinge that their enemy is an olde wily Serpent and a fierce rauenous Lion coÌ„tinually seeking whom he may deuoure But amongst many snares he hath laide to intrappe the soule of man eyther presuming too much of himselfe or derogating too much from the graces of the spiritt in him this is not the meanest that he laboureth to deuide the kingdome against it selfe and to vse men as his instrumentes for their owne destruction For well he knowes that where cumming in his owne likenes he should seeme odious and be valiently resisted there masked vnder a vayle of humilitie he may more secretly incroch vpoÌ„ the fearful spirit if the Lord doth not put the bitt into his mouth to curbe him with he may at length display his banners in the heart But we haue a valiant leader let vs sticke vnto him euen Iesus Christ the righteous who is a Serpent also lift vp in the wildernes to cure all whose hearts are scorched with the venemous heat of the firie serpent who is a Lion of the Tribe of Iuda â—â—mightie prince and the king of peace who shall subdue all thinges vnder him that he may be all in all I might here enter into a large discourse but in this argumeÌ„t this present booke is so copious as I doubt gentle Reader whether thou shalt finde any want much lesse of that which I am able to afforde thee Onely it had beene to be wished the Author of these Treatises had himselfe suruiued to the publishing of them that the same might haue come more full perfect into thy handes But since it hath pleased the Lord for cause best knowne vnto himselfe to bereaue his Church in this land of so excelleÌ„t a piller there remaneth nothing for vs but to submit ourselues vnto his prouidence to take vp that coÌ„plaint of Elisha for Elias when he was takeÌ„ froÌ„ him into heauen My Father my Father the Charet of Israell the horsemen therof But to returne vnto our selues thou art to be intreated courteous reader to take in good part these few things at this time to make thine vse of them till some other the only true coppies wherof are yet in the hands of his friends may be obtained of them Amongst which there are many things of diuers argumeÌ„ts worthy thy knowledge of good profit vnto the direction of a Christian life Of which I haue thought good to set down vnto thee a briefe catolog that thou maist know that as our Authors labours in the ministery of the gospell were exceeding great in that part of the Church which was coÌ„mitted vnto him so as he might he was not vnmindfull of posterity but carefull to leaue a remembrance of himselfe in some profitable instructions for those that should come after Farewell Thine in the Lord. H. C. 1 A large Treatise of the Sabboth 2 A Catechisme 3 A Treatise of contract 4 Of the resurrection of the dead 5 Of the last iudgement 6 Of zeale 7 Of humlity and honour 8 Of anger 9 Of murmuring 10 Of a good name 11 Of lying 12 Of the necessity of the word preached 13 Of keeping the heart aboue all thinges 14 Of the kingdome of heauen compared vnto a pearle 15 Of the comming of the holy Ghost 16 Of reioycing in the Crosse of Christ. 17 A great number of graue and wise counsels and answers gathered by Master Iohn Hopkins and others that attended him for that purpose An Epigrame to the Reader THE thirstie soule that fainteth in the way Or hunger-bit for heauenly foode doth long The wearied Hart that panteth all she way Oppressed with feares home-bread griefs among The blinded eye that hunt's the shining ray Or minde enthralde through Satans wily wrong Let hither fare for comfort in their neede For smothered flames a
but becommeth eternall For euen the heathen men thought that death was the end of all misery the perswasion whereof made them beeing in some misery to make an ende of themselues and hasten their owne death as Sathan doth make many now a daies to doe who are ignorant of the hell which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this worlde whatsoeuer Howebeit a tormented conscience if before it was begun is now continued or if it was not before now beginneth and neuer endeth world without ende For though true it is that sicknes pouerty imprisonmeÌ„t or banishmeÌ„t haue ended their term in death yet a wouÌ„ded hart which was teÌ„poral in this life is nowe eternall after this life that which before death was in hope recouerable is after death made vncurable vnrecouerable It is good therefore to consider if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull how much more grieuous it is to susteine it in hell where that is infinite which here is finit where that is vnmesurable which here is mesurable where is the sea of sorow wherof this is but a drop where is the flame of that fire wherof this is lesse then a sparke But to shut vp this argument Some there haue beene who through out all their life time haue been free from all other troubles so as either they felt them not at all or else in very small measure and by that meanes neuer knewe what outward trouble meant As for example some men there haue beene who for sicknesse neuer knewe there headeach for pouertie neuer knewe what want meant who for discredite were neuer euill spoken of who euer put farre from them the euill daye of the Lorde who made a league with death as it were a couenant with hell who thought they could crucifie euery crosse rather thaÌ„ come vnderany crosse yet they could neuer escape a wounded conscience either in this life or in the life to come True it is that Gods Children by faith repentance do often escape it but the wicked and such as are borne vnto it as to their sure inheritance the more they flie from it the more it pursueth them If we haue transgressed the Ciuil Lawes the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted if a man haue committed some capitall offence by flying his Country he may escape the Magistrates handes but our consciences telling vs that we haue sinned against God what bribe shall we offer or whether shall wee flie whether shall wee goe from his spirit or whether shall we goe from his presence If we ascend into heauen is not he there If wee lie downe in hell is hee not there If we flie to the vtmost parts of the sea is he not there also There needeth no apparitor to summon vs there needes no Bayly arraunt to fetch vs there needes noe accuser to giue in against vs sinne will arrest vs and lieth at the Doore our owne Conscience will impannell a Quest against vs our owne heartes will giue in sufficient Euidence and our owne iniquitie will plead vs to be guiltie to our owne faces Thus we se both by the experience of theÌ„ that haue suffered the wound of the spirit and by the comparinge of it with other euils what a waight most grieuous and burden intollerable it is to haue a tormented conscience Now let vs shew how we may preuent by what meanes Gods children falling into some degrees of it for if it rage in extremity it is an euill vnrecouerable may safely and quietly be deliuered from it And here a iust complaint is to be taken vp it is a wonder to be marked if we may wonder at Gods works that we se many so carefull watchfull to auoide oâ—her troubles and so few or none take any paines to escape the trouble of minde which is so grieuous We se men louing health and loathing sicknes in diet temperat in sleepe moderate in Phisicke expert skilful to purge to auoide such corrupt humors which in time may breed though presently they do not bring forth some daÌ„gerous sicknes yet to auoid the diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleep no man abridgeth his diet no man prepareth Phisicke for it no man knoweth when to be ful and when to be emptie how to want and how to abound Others carried away with the loue of riches very â—ly to fall into pouerty will not sticke to rise early to take sleep lately to fare hardly to teare taw their flesh in labour by land by water in faire foule wether by rocks and by sands from farre and from neare and yet to fall into Spirituall decaies to auoid the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines as though saluation and peace of minde were not a thing worthy the labouring for Some ambitiously hunting after honor not easily digesting reproaches behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepely but are actiue in euery attempt by loue by counsell by prudence prowesse by wit by practise by labor learning by cuÌ„ning diligence to become famous to shun a ciuill reproach yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angelles to fall before the heauens and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of Conscience we make none account as they who neyther vse any means to obtaine the one nor auoide those occasions which may bring the other Others vnwilling to come within the reach and daunger of the Lawe that they may escape imprisonment of bodye or confiscation of goodes will be painefull in penall statutes skilfull in euery branch of the ciuill law and especially wil labour to keepe themselues from treasons murthers fellonies and such like offences deseruing the punishment of death yet wheÌ„ the Lord God threatneth the seazure both of soule and body the attaching of our spirits the confiscating of our consciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation for the breach of his CoÌ„maundements no man searcheth his eternall Lawe noe man careth for the Gospell neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorsement from the Lord neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs. And to reach our Complaint one degree father Behold the more we seek outward pleasures and to auoide the inward trouble of minde the more we hast and runne into it suddainely plunge our selues in a wonded spirite ere we be aware VVho posteth more to become rich who hopeth lesse to be come poore than the marchant man who aduentureth great treasures who hazardeth his goods who putteth in ieoperdie his life and yet sodenly he either rusheth vpon the rocke of hardnesse of heart or else is swallowed vp of the gulph of a desparing minde from which afterwards he cannot be deliuered with a ship ful of golde Woful profe hath confirmed how some men wholly set on
worde in that it citeth and sommoneth our consciences before the tribunall of God and woundeth vs with a liuely feeling of Gods iudgement that he who before thorough securitie did despise sounde doctrine may now be constreained to giue the glory vnto God This appeareth more plainely Heb. 4.12 where it is saide that the word of God is liuelie mâ—ghty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword it pearceth thought froÌ„ thought all holinesse shall seme hypocrisie all our righteousnes shall seeme as a defiled cloath we shall finde with Paul that in vs that is in our flesh dwelleth no righteousnes For mens consciences are coulde neither are they touched and displeased with their euils so long as they be in ignorance but when the worde of God pearceth into the vttermost corners of their consciences and telleth them that they haue to doe with the Lorde they are thoroughlye touched and beginne to feare and entering into themselues examining their conscience they come to the knowledge of that which before they had forgotten We can neuer bee offered to God without his spirite Iohn 16.8 For he reprooueth the world of sinne and awaketh our consciences that those sins which before were hid should be made manifest Dauid did lye an whole yeâ—re without this pricke of conscience and thought that all was well vntill Nathan came neither did he finde comfort of conscience vntill he had thus beene pricked Iosephes brethren were thirteene yeares and neuer remembred their sinnes vntill after such time the Lorde laide it before them The Prophet Dauid Psal. 32 which he intituled a Psalme of instruction concerning the free remission of sinnes â—eacheth how wee shall finde the same For many perswade themselues that their sinnes are forgiuen when they be not He also sheweth that vntill trouble of minde did driue him to GOD he founde no comfort Manâ—sses which did eate the breade of sorrow and did drinke the water of griefe vntill he had lamented and sorrowed felt no rest nor peace The woman of Samaria Iohn 4. was pleasant and iested with our Sauiour Christ vntill hir sinnes were opened and then shee beganne to answere with more reuerence For vntill shee was willed to call hir husbande shee thought all was safe but after that he had tolde hir that shee had plaide the adulteresse shee acknowledged him that hee was a Prophet Wherefore wee may see by this which hath beene spoken that the word of God onely pricketh our consciences as plainly may here appeare by the Iewes who cared not for the Apostles nor made any conscience vntill their hearts were pricked In the second place we must note that they were rightly pricked For many often times are pricked which kicke against the pricke and hauing their consciences galled by the word they murmur eyther against the preacher of the word or against the word itselfe Here then is the difference betweene the godly and the wicked the one is pricked and is made more carefull in a godly conscience the other more hardened then before But this is a godly sorrowe when we loue the man that rebuketh vs and reuerence the word the more being by it reprooued in our conscience Doe we loue him then that rebuketh vs then we heare profitably Let vs examine our selues in this sort I see God hath wounded me by him he is the instrument whereby God doth humble me I will therfore loue him Contrary if we be often touched amende not we are in danger of Gods wrath Many indeed are pricked with pouerty many with sicknes some with other like afflictioÌ„s but few with their sins which is the cause of their pouerty sicknes and other afflictions Let vs then learne a willingnesse to offer our selues to be taught and to be pricked for sinne as these men were The wicked also are pricked somtimes for sinne but it is rather for feare of punishment then for conscience to displease God as were Caine and Iudas Some men are pricked and to put away their sorrow they will goe sleepe they will go play they will goe sport they wil get to merie company and passe away the time and so as they terme it they will purge driue away the rage of melancholy they neuer goe to any Preacher to aske of the Lord or at the mouth of his spirite They neuer respect to prayer nor seeke any comforte in the word of GOD. But to put away sorrow on this sort is to call it againe and to feele it more freshly either in the hower of death or in hell Contrariwise if our sorrow doth driue vs to praier or to the worde of God it is good As for the wicked and prophaine worldlinges though as the wise man saith Ecclesiact 11. hee spende all his daies without any euill yet his darknes wilbe greater then the light his sorrowe greater then his pleasure his losse greater then his gaine his trouble greater then his vanitie in hell Let vs not then so carnally shake off this godly sorrow For the worde will send vs often an vnquiet spirite that wee may seeke to be quiet in Christ. To examine our selues herein Haue wee heard the worde of God were we pricked by it then haue wee profited haue we not been pricked thereby then as yet are we not a sacrifice for the Lord. For as was saide before Christ comforteth them that are troubled he helpeth them that doubt he caseth them which are in distresse he setteth their feete in the way of peace and gladnes that haue long beene in darkenes and sorrow Haue ye not beene sorrowfull will ye learne a salue for this sore be sorrowfull that ye were not sorrowfull be pricked in your hearts because you were not more pricked Haue we heard the word Let vs examin our selues if our knowledge be the beter If our affectioÌ„s be the holier As hauing heard the expositioÌ„ of the law of God do we feare God do we know how to loue God do we pray to God do we worship God in our soules in our bodies more carfully in greater coÌ„science theÌ„ we haue don hertofore Are we not now as profaine carelesse stil in giuing the right worship to the true God as before we were to superstitious in seruing Angels SaÌ„ts other false Gods nether sorrowing for our idolatry nor careing for true religioÌ„ haue we not blasphemed profaned the name of god in vnreuereÌ„t hearing his word in vnprofitable talking of his works abusing his owne maiesty with swearing and cursing as much as we euer did before Haue we kept holie the saboth or haue we not prophaned it by open neglect of the worde by playing sporting drinking and other vanities doe we not still send forth our seruantes to dispatch our busines on that day as if it were the market day when they may do such thinges most lawfully Are not parentes hous-holders and gouernours as slacke in prouoking obedience and children seruantes and subiectes as flow