of which when they awake they shall be admitted and receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first where of is in this world before we die and it is then when we beginne to repent and beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off all sinne originall and actuall death frees vs from all worldly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie and soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlaâ—â—ing glorie in heauen Our third meditation is that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunction betweene Christ euery beleeuer and that not onley in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall rise at the last day in body to glorie by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied branches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued quickened beeing made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in Christ and that is by faith laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noe Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercy of God by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ And our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed dutie may be learned that looke as the children of Israel beeing stung with fierie serpents and that vnto death were healed by looking vp to the brasen serpent erected by Moses so when we are stung with sinne and death we must euer remember by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to fixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and confidence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are ful of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people intending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe and the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the sentence of death in themselues that they might not trust in themselues but in God From these examples it followes that they which desire with comfort to beare the pangs of death must die by faith that is they must set before their eies the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and depend vpon it wrapping as it were and infolding themselues in it as in a close and warme garment that will keepe them safe and sure against the winde and weather of temptation The second Practise in time of death is to die in obedience which is nothing else but willingly readily and ioyfully without murmuring to submit ourselues to Gods will in bearing the paines of death A most worthie president of this obedience we haue in our Sauiour Christ when he said vnto his father Not my will but thy will be done thereby submitting his will to his Fathers will touching the death which he then suffered And this his example at the time of his departure must be a rule of direction vnto vs vpon the like occasion True it is that obedience to God in death is against corrupt nature and therefore our dutie is the more to invre our selues to the performing of it and that which the blessed Apostle said of himselfe I die daily ought to be continually our resolution and practise If we shall inquire howe this may be done the answer is when God layeth afflictions vpon vs in our life time then by indeauouring to beare them with patience meeknes and lowlinesse For euery affliction is as it were a petty death and if we doe in it subiect our selues to the hand of God we shal the better obey him in the great death of all and thus doing whensoeuer God striketh vs with death we shall with comfort endure the same The Third particular Affliction is Satanicall molestation whereby both persons places of mansioÌ„ or abode are either possessed or otherwise molested by the malice of the Deuill Touching this affliction the Question of coÌ„science is How such persons as are possessed or feare possession or else indure molestations by the Deuill in their houses may haue their minds quieted and staied and consequently in that case be remedied And here 2. things are generally to be considered in way of answer First it is to be remembred that possession is known by two signes The one is when the deuill is euideÌ„tly present either in the whole body or in soÌ„e part of it
will and therefore no maruell though we be impatient Answ. When crosses doe come from men God vseth them as instruments to execute his iudgements vpon vs and in this worke God is the cheife doer and they are as tooles in the hand of the workeman And the Lord inflicteth them vpon vs by men to trie our patience vnder the crosse Ioseph though he knewe well the badde dealing of his brethren towards him yet he looked not to them alone but to an higher cause namely the Lord himselfe who executed his owne good will by them God saith he disposed it to good And againe God did send me before you into Egypt for your preseruation The Second ground is the commandement of God touching the crosse and obedience vnto him therein This commandement is expressed Luk. 9. 23. where we are commanded to take vp our crosse euery day and follow Christ. Abraham was commanded with his own hands to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac and to this coÌ„mandement though otherwise a great crosse vnto him he addresseth himselfe to yeeld obedience And in the prophecie of Micah the Church saith Shee will beare the wrath of the Lord that is shee will performe obedience to him in the crosse because shee had sinned against him And S. Peter saith that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble therefore humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God And this beeing the commandement of God that we should yeild obedience to him in euery affliction we ought to be no lesse carefull to obey it then any one commandement of the morall lawe The Third ground is that God will be present with his seruants in their afflictions Vpon this ground Dauid comforts himselfe because God had promised to heare him to be with him in trouble and to deliuer him And in another place though I should walke in the shaddowe of death I would feare none ill for thou art with me c. Nowe that we may the better vnderstand this doctrine we are to consider what be the Ends or Effects of Gods beeing with vs in aâ—fliction whereby he testifieth his presence and they are three The first is to worke our deliuerance from the crosse Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee This promise must not be vnderstood simply but with an exception so farre forth as it shall be for our good For all promises of temporall deliuerance are conditionall and must be conceiued with this limitation of the crosse and chastisement if God please to impose it Some may say how if God will not deliuer vs but leaue vs in the affliction what comfort shall we then haue Answ. In the second place therefore we must remember that God will temper and moderate our afflictions so as we may be able to beare them Habbakuk praieth vnto God in the behalfe of the Church that he would in wrath remember mercie And Paul saith that the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will giue an issue with the temptation Thirdly put the case that God doeth not moderate our afflictions but suffer them to remaine vpon vs not onely for some time of our life but to the very death yet then will be testifie his holy presence another way namely by giuing the partie distressed power and strength to beare his affliction Vnto you it is giuen saith Paul for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake The Fourth ground of comfort in affliction is that euery affliction vpon the seruants of God hath some speciall goodnesse in it Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things worke together for good vnto them that loue God And in regard hereof the crosses which are indured by Gods children are so farre from beeing preiudiciall to their saluation that they are rather helpes and furtherances of the same Now this Goodnes is perceiued two waies First by the fruit and effect of it and then by the qualitie and condition thereof In both which respects afflictions are good Touching the fruits of Afflictions because they are manifold I will reduce them to seauen principall heads I. Afflictions doe make men to see consider their sinnes Iosephs brethren for twentie yeares together were little or not at all troubled for their wickednes in selling their brother yet vpon their affliction in Egypt they beganne to consider what they had done We haue say they verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he be sought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Manasses in the time of his peace gaue himselfe to witchcraft and the worshipping of strange gods but when he was captiue in Babylon then was he brought to the sight of his sinnes and mooued to humble himselfe before God for them II. Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall child while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father and returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperitie he thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnes had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke amendement of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but aftervvard it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth through the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle vve are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to rely wholy on the mercy of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fiâ—t is Inuocation For afflictions make vs to crie hartelie and feruently vnto god to bringe our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our
to his dying day Our light afflictioÌ„ saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternal waight of glory And elswhere he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Ro. 8. 18. Saint Peter tels them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioice though now for a season they were in heauinesse through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God with-holdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot seperate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde The Second kind of afflictioÌ„ is bodily temporarie Death which consisteth in the seperation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helpes in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine ende and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome In which places is remembred a notably dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and afore-hand number his daies And this is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must indeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to knowe in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time wil come when we all must encounter with this strong and powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these meanes are the duties of inuocation and true repentance We must therefore be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweete certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our minds may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of newe obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequeÌ„tly euen in death to preuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen afore-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happinesse in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ. Touching this spirituall ioy and comfort in the holy Ghost these Questions of Conscience are mooued First how may we in this life haue and nourish in our hearts a true tast of eternall happinesse and of the ioyes of the world to come Ans. First by a serious consideration of the euills that doe hinder or preiudice our happines and they are principally foure One is the Miserie of our liues in respect of sinne and the consequenâ—s thereof For there is no man in the world be he neuer so righteous that can truly say of himselfe I am cleane from my sinne Prou. 20. 9. Yea euen the regenerate that haue receiued grace to beleeue to â—urne vnto God and to liue according to the Spirit doe finde by experience corruption and rebellion in their minds wills and affections which daily affordeth matter of sinning against God and on the other side hindreth and quencheth all the good motions of the Spirit that are in them Againe such is the irreconciliable malice of Satan that he taketh vantage of mans corruption and neglecteth no time or opportunitie to intrappe the children of God in the snares of his temptations And hence it is that man by reason of his owne corruption and the wicked suggestions of the Deuill is at continuall strife with himselfe hath daily occasion of sorrow worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling wading as it were euen while he liueth in a sea of many miseries The second euill is the Vanitie of all things that are in the world For whether we consider the world it selfe or the things therein contained done or suffered there is nothing so sure and steadie whereunto man hauing attained can possibly rest fully satisfied and contented or which in the ende will not prooue to be most vaine vanitie And the truth hereof appeareth in the experience of Salomon himselfe who beeing king ouer Israel wanted neither authoritie nor abilitie opportunitie to take knowledge and triall of all worldly things in all estates and conditions And hauing euen of set purpose carefully and earnestly searched into them all at length he concludes that the issue of all was vnprofitable vanitie and vexation of minde as we may read in his Ecclesiastes The third euill is the Changeable condition of our life in this world whereby it comes to passe that we are alway in a fleeting and
vnderstanding with other endowmeÌ„ts both of nature and grace the Lord had inriched him withall so doe they carrie with theÌ„ the sweet sauour of pietie and sanctification wherewith he approued his heart vnto god his life vnto meÌ„ Wherin also vpoÌ„ occasion he hath propounded and explained sundrie notable rules of directioÌ„ resolution of the conscience as wil appeare to the view of the learned and well-aduised reader To let passe all the rest this present worke doth affoard very sufficient testimonie of his knowledge and dexteritie in that kind attained vnto not without great paines much obseruation and long experience A labour which commendeth it selfe vnto the Church of God in two respects principally One because his grounds and principles whereupon he giues direction are drawne either directly or by iust consequeÌ„ce out of the writteÌ„ word so are of greater force to giue satisfaction to the mind either doubting or distressed The other for that it is deliuered with such perspicuitie and disposed in such order and Methode as fitteth best for the vnderstanding and memorie of him that shall peruse it Now this whole treatise of the Questions I haue made bold to present vnto your Worship and to publish abroad vnder your patronage and protection as one to whome they doe iustly beloÌ„g First because God who honoureth those that honour him hath adorned you not onely with ciuill authoritie and dignitie in the Commonwealth but with the honourable name of a Friend to the Church of God a thing directly confirmed by your vnfained loue of the truth and your continuall fauours to the teachers of the same the Ministers and dispensers of the Gospel Secondly because as the Author of these Cases was himself in many respects bound vnto you while he liued so his wife and children for his sake haue receiued much kindnes at your hands since his death a manifest proofe of the truth and sinceritie of your affection towardes him in the Lord. And in the last place it was my desire by setting forth this and the other two parts that shall follow vnder your name to giue some testimonie of dutie to your Worship presuming that as you loued the Author so you wil be pleased to patronize the worke and fauourably to interpret of the paines and good intention of the publisher And so ceasing your further trouble I humbly take my leaue and commend your Worship to the grace and fauour of God in Christ. From Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge Iun. 28. 1604. Your W. in all dutie to command Tho. Pickering To the godly and well affected Reader whosoeuer IT was not my purpose Christian Reader at the first to haue sent abroad onely one part of the Cases of Conscience without the rest but that I was mooued thereunto partly vpon the importunitie of some of the Authors friends and partly because I desired to satisfie thy expectation in a thing which I perswade my selfe hath beene long expected Upon which two motiues I haue now commended vnto thee this first part promising by the grace of God ere it be long to adde the second and the third so farre as the Author proceeded in this Treatise before his death And although I could haue wished this labour had beene vndertaken by others better able to performe it then my selfe yet beeing well acquainted with the copie which is mine owne and knowing it to haue bin perused by the Author himselfe before his death I was the more incouraged to bestow my paines for thy good in that behalfe If in reading thereof thou finde either any thing amisse or thy selfe not fully satisfied in the particulars then remember that the Author himselfe is gone who might haue brought the worke to perfection if God had pleased to prolong his daies vpon the earth And withall consider that it were better for thee to accept of these his labours as they are now imparted to thee then by the suppressing of them to be depriued of so great a benefit And thus hoping of thy kinde acceptance of my paines for thy behoofe I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace Iune 28. 1604. T. P. Faults escaped in the printing After page 38. read for 27 29. Places false quoted correct thus Read pag. 60. for Iam. 2. 20. Iam. 2. 10. p. 70. for Col. 3. 26 Col. 3. 3 4. Read pag. 8. lin 24. for actonis actions p. 12. 25. for ptesent present p. 29. for yets o yet so p. 37. 22. for it a it is a. p. 38 4. for bonds bosâ—ds p. 49. 9. come to the answer p. 74. 5. for of sence offence p. 92. 3. for conforting comforting p. 80. peâ—ult for vaine veine p. 82. 1. for finnâ— sinne p. 105. 1. for print present p. â—ad 10. thorgh but once p. 108. 6. which shall be laid c. p. 152. 17. for yncleate vncleate p. 154. 19. Marke the words p. 157. 1. for mighe might p. 160. 12. for apprenhendeth apprehendeth p. 161. 22. for consceence conscience p. 162. 1. for diuihe diuine p. 165. 17. for decre deare p. 169. 24. for faults falles The Contents of the Booke I. The Grounds or preambles foure 1. Priuate confession pag 5. 2. The degrees of Goodnesse in things and actions 6. 3. The Nature and Differences of Sinne. 9. 4. The Subiection and power of Conscience 43. II. The Questions of Conscience touching Man simply considered in himselfe three I. What man must doe that â—e may come into Gods fauour and be saued Answer is by performance of foure Duties 1. Humiliation before God 50. 2. Faith in Christ. 55. 3. Repentance 57. 4. Newe-Obedience 59. II. How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation 65. Answered by 5. teâ—â—s of Scripture 1. Rom. 8. 16. 65. 2. Psal. 15. 66. 3. The 1. epist. of Iohn 68. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 19. 74. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 75. III. How a man beeing in Distresse of mindâ— may be comforted releeued 76. Here. Generally â—oâ—ching all distresses is shewed 1. What is Distresse of minde â—7 2. The Originall and kinds of distresses 77 78. 3. The generall remedie of theâ— all 79. Specially the Distresses are fiue I. The Distresse arising of the Diuine Tentation with the examples occasions effects and Remedies 95. c. II. The Distresses arising of outward Afflictions 106. These are three 1. Deferring of deliuerance 117. 2. Bodily and Temporall death 126. 3. Satanicall molestation of persons and places of â—bode 140. III. The Distresse of minde arising of the Tentation of Blasphemies with the meanes danger and cure thereof 148. IV. The Distresse of minde arising from a mans owne sinnes with the degrees and Remedie thereof 158. V. The Distresse of minde arising from a mans owne bodie partly by Melancholie partly by strange alterations in the bodie with the degrees effects and Remedies 173 c. FINIS Isaiah 50. 4. The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned that I should knowe to minister a word in
vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuously but of set malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sinne against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Now follow other differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of the Law sinne is twofold either of commission or of omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherein some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking of the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of commission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie and abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner and measure thereof Thus the heathen men failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to common good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts void of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in all the duties of the law For they doe the good things the law commandeth as loue God and their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the law requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with them in the rigour of his iustice and examine them by the strict rule of the Law he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance and manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnes that ought to be in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sinnes of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe ofter offend then by sinnes committed and the least omission is enough to condemne vs i◠it should be exacted at our hands The next differēce of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous and in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and call downe for speedie vēgeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundrie exāples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abel whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmercifull dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech 16. and of this the Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha was great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppressiō indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongful withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them thē into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue eare vn to the cries of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in themselues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience and long sufferance vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporall punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punnish and as we may say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of Toleration the first is Originall sinne or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration for it is not in our conuersion quite abolished but remaines more or lesse molesting and tempting vs till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how of the offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for
all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed but pardoned wheÌ„ there is repentance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther and adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentaÌ„ce that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarks who may not altogether be excused yet they were not condemned therefore neither were they saued without repentance for this sinne but God in mercie accepted a generall repentance for the same And the like is the case of all the Elect in regard of their secret and hidden faults for vnlesse God should accept of a generall repentance for vnknowne sinnes few or none at all should be saued And herein doth the endlesse mercie of God notably appeare that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repentaÌ„ce wheÌ„ we repent though not in particular as we ought to doe Neuertheles this must not incorage or imboldeÌ„ any maÌ„ to liue in his sinnes without turning vnto God For vnles we repent in particular of all the sinnes we know not only our knowne offences but euen our secret sinnes shall condemne vs. Many sinnes are coÌ„mitted by men which afterwards in processe of time be quite forgotten Others are coÌ„mitted which notwithstanding are not known whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can we offend often yet when we offend we perceiue it not and all these in the regenerate through the mercie of God are sinnes of Toleration in respect of particular repeÌ„tance The third kind of sinnes of Toleration are certain particular facts of men reprooued in Scripture and yet neuer punished Such was the fact of Zipporah in circuÌ„cising her child in the presence of her husband he beeing able to haue done it himselfe and shee hauing no calling to doe that which shee did For though the haÌ„d of God was against him yet was he not sick as some would excuse the matter neither is there any such thing in the text but it is rather to be thought that she her selfe circuÌ„cised her sonne in hast to preuent her husband for the deede was done in some indignation and shee cast the foreskin at his feete And yet because this fact was some manner of obedience in that the thing was done which God required though not in that manner that he required God accepted the same staied his haÌ„d from killing Moses Thus God accepted of Achabs humilitie though it were in hypocrisie because it was a shew of obedience and for that deferred a temporall punishment till the daies of his posteritie God sent lyons to destroy the Assyrians that dwelt in Samatia for their Idolatry yet 〈◊〉 soone as they had learned to feare the Lord after the manner of the God of Israel though they mingled the same with their own Idolatrie God for that halfe obedience suffered them to dwell in peace The Sixt distinction of Sinnes may be this Some are sinnes against God some against men This distinction is grounded vpon a place in Samuel If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead for him Sinnes against God are such as are directly and immediately committed against the Maiestie of God Such are Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Petiurie Profanation of the Sabbaoth and all the breaches of the first table Sinnes against men are iniuries hurts losses and damages whereby our neighbour is in his dignitie life chastitie wealth good name or any other way iustly offended or by vs hindred And such actions must be considered two waies First as they are iniuries hurts done vnto our neighbour and secondly as they are breaches of Gods law forbidding vs so to doe and in this second respect they are called sinnes because sinne is properly against God and therefore by sinnes against men we are to vnderstand iniuries losses or damages done vnto them In this sense must that place in Matthew be expounded If thy brother sinne against thee c. The seauenth difference of sinnes is noted by S. Paul where he saith Euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne bodie In which place sinnes are distinguished into those that are without the bodie and those that are against a mans owne bodie Sinnes without the bodie are such sinnes as a man committeth his bodie being the instrument of the sinne but not the thing abused Such are Murther Theft Drunkennesse for in the committing of these sinnes the bodie is but a helper and onely a remote instrumentall cause and the thing abused is without the bodie For example in drunkennes the thing abused by the drunkard is wine or strong drinke in theft another mans goods in murther the instrument whereby the fact is committed The bodie indeede conferres his helpe to these things but the iniurie is directed to the creatures of God to the bodie and goods of our neighbour And such are all sinnes adulterie onely excepted Sinnes against the bodie are those in which it selfe is not onely the instrument but the thing abused too Such a sinne is Adulterie only and those that are of that kind properly against the bodie first because the bodie of the sinner is both a furthering cause of the sinne and also that thing which he abuseth against his owne selfe Secondly by this offence he doth not onely hinder but loose the right power and proprietie of his bodie in that he makes it the member of an harlot And lastly though other sinnes in their kind doe bring a shame and dishonour vpon the bodie yet there is none that sitteth so nigh or leaueth a blot so deepely imprinted in it as doth the sinne of vncleannes The eight distinction of sinnes is grounded vpon Pauls exhortation to Timothie Communicate not with other mens sinnes Sinnes are either Other mens sinnes or CoÌ„munication with other mens sinnes This distinction is the rather to be knowne and remembred because it serues to extenuate or aggrauate sinnes committed Communication with sinne is done sundrie waies first by counsell thus Caiphas sinned when he gaue counsell to put Christ to death Secondly by commandement so Dauid sinned in the muâ—tner of Vrias Thirdly by consent or assistaÌ„ce Rom. 1. 31. Thus Saul sinned in keeeping the garments of them that stoned Steuen Act. 22. 20. Fourthly by prouocation thus they sinne that prouoke others to sinne and hereof Paul speaketh when he saith Fathers must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6. 4. Fiftly by negligence when men are called to reprooue sinne and doe not Sixtly by flatterie when men sooth vp others in sinne Seauenthly by winking at sinnes or passing them ouer by slight reproofe Eph. 5. 11. Thus Eli sinned in
doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sinne men must not consider the vnlawfulnesse thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnant thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inflamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said again that the nature of Sinne stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of duty prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sinne for substance hath sundrie steppes and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another for example in the seauenth commandement when God forbiddes the committing of Adulterie he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Nowe it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubred trueth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater The second way to aggrauate sinne is by addition of sinne to sinne and that is done sundry waies first by committing one sinne in the necke of another as Dauid sinned when he added murther to adulterie Secondly by doubling and multiplying of sinne that is by falling often into the same sinne Thirdly by lying in sinne without repentance And here it must be remembred that men of yeares liuing in the Church are not simply condemned for their particular sinnes but for their continuance and residence in them Sinnes committed make men worthie of damnation but liuing and abiding in them without repentance is the thing that brings damnation For as in the militant Church men are excommunicate not so much for their offence as for their obstinacie so shall it be in the Church triumphant the kingdome of heauen shall be barred against men not so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therein without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the Church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sinâ— and that beeing any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser 4. waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actuall sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tick led with some delight therein For a bad motioÌ„ cast into the minde by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sinne in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into action or execution Sinne in perfection when men are growne to a custome and habit in sinne vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie coÌ„demnation Now of these degrees the first is the least and the last is the greatest One and the same sinne is lesser in tentation then in conception and lesâ—e in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sundry other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the maine sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sinnes of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streams of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sins before named with their seuerall branches and infinit many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to intreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs froÌ„ our sins yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercy in Christ appreheÌ„ded by faith our hearts shal be purified then to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortall man is not guiltie of one or more sins but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstaÌ„d his faults saith Dauid Now the alowaÌ„ce of sin being death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needs be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate litle cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsely to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to knowe either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of
word when we know meditate vpon the commandements and promises of God This rule is of speciall vse For therfore doe men hatch breed euill thoughts in their hearts because they are not takeÌ„ vp with holy meditations hence it is that the heart of man is made euen a pray vnto the deuill because the word of God is not lodged therein ExcelleÌ„t was the practise of Dauid in this case who kept the word of God in his heart that he mighe not sinne against him The second rule of the keeping of the heart is to establish our thoughts by counsell It is the wisemans aduise in so many words Prou. 20. 18. wherin he would teach vs that it is the property of a worldly wise man in matters of waight not to trust to his own wit but to follow the direction and counsel of wise and skilful men And if this be a sound course in matters of the world much more ought it to be taken in the maine matters of religion and conscience concerning the heart and soule of man And therfore by the law of proportioÌ„ it giues vs direction not once to thinke or conceiue so much as a thought but vpon aduice and direction taken at God and his word Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my delight and my counsellers And what benefit had he by taking such a course surely by the word of God which was his continuall meditation he gat vnderstaÌ„ding he became wiser theÌ„ the ancient it made him to hate al the waies of falshood it kept him from declining from God either to the right hand or to the left The same rule must be practized of vs in the vse of our senses our speeches and actions and then shall the heart be kept cleane and free from these temptations And seeing this temptation is so dangerous fearefull as hath beene said and doeth ostâ—â— befall men our dutie is to make conscience of practising the foresaid rules continually And thus much concerning the third kinde of distresse of conscience The Fourth Distresse of mind is that which ariseth from a mans owne sinnes or rather from some one special sinne committed And this kind of tentation is twofold For either it is more violent and lesse common or lesse violent and more common The violent Distresse of minde shewes it selfe by feares and terrors of the conscience by doubtings of the mercie of God by lamentable and fearefull complaints made to others Nowe Question is mooued Howe this violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured Answ. That it may be cured by the blessing of God three things must be done First that particular sinne must be knowne which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth froÌ„ some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c but the violent distresse commeth from some actuall and odious sinne or sins done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinnes against the third sixt and seauenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret these sinnes are the more horrour goeth with them Secondly the particular sinne being known Inquiry must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort and vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue comfort he cannot be releiued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually ordinarily must not go alone but be mingled teÌ„pered with some terrors of the Law that being thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Nowe put the case that the afflicted apprenhendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of god due to the same and in this fit puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first grouÌ„d of possibilitie of pardoÌ„ is That the mercy of god is infinite yea ouer al his works Psal. 145. 9. That the death of Christis of infinite price merit and value before God That God is muchin sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not only a price but a couÌ„terprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the Holy Ghost for that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because the partie offending neither doth nor can apply the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains words My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then thy sinnes The mercie of God was very great to Manasses and to Salomon and to many others though they were great offenders The second ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth consceence It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe