Kite The sicke men that came not into the water when the Ioh. 5. Angell mooued were not healed It is not with the tydes of Gods grace as in the tydes of water which come certainely at set time so that hee that misses the morning tide may haue the euening tide No it is tide too day and now it is tide Now take it if thou bee wise thou knowest not whether in all thy life time the like grace will be offered thee againe Behold saies our Sauiour I stand at the doore Reuel 3. 20. and knocke if any man will open viz. when I knocke then I will come in else not Thou mayest well feare that because thou wast deafe at Gods call God will bee both dumbe neuer to call thee heereafter againe and also deafe not to heare thee calling on Prou. 1. 28. him 3. Though Gods Grace in outward meanes may stil be offred yethow knowest thou whether he wil giue thee the inwarde grace with the outwarde meanes of grace Nay delayes are dangerous The longer thou puttest off the further off art thou and the more incapable of Repentance For still thou heapest vp sinne vpon sinne and euery new sin is a new stroake with an hammer that driues the naile in further So that Repentance will bee more difficult afterward then now sinne will haue gotten such an interest and confirmed a strength by continuance of time And this is that which the Apostle speakes of Lest your hearts be hardned thorough Hebr. 3. 13. the deceitfulnesse of sinne Wee thinke to shake off our sinnes afterward but the longer they tarry the faster they cleaue A twigge may bee easily bowed but let it grow to a confirmed tree then there is no dealing with it And thus haue we seen with these delayers of Repentance that haue sayd at first It is too soone wee will repent heereafter when their heereafter hath beene come then haue they sayd It is too late the season is past our hearts are so hardned that now we cannot repent Wee must not say to our neighbour that comes for his owne good goe and come againe too morrowe how much lesse to God who comes and craues not for his but our good who if wee doe our endeauour in asking of him will giue that which he askes of vs. If thou deny him too day he will deny to aske of thee too morrow 4. Death is no fit time to beginne to learne Repentance It is absurd for a souldier to seeke his armour when the battle is begunne The Apprentice will not be to learne his trade when his time is going out Repentance should rather be an introduction to Death then Death to Repentance Besides at the time of death the body is so possessed with payns the soule so taken vp with feare of death that a man is altogether vnfitte for so great and waighty a worke as Repentance is yea we see that men vpon their death-beds are not fit to meddle with ordinary matters of the world and shall wee thinke that when we are vnfit for the basest things of the earth that wee can bee fit for the great and weighty businesses of Heauen 5. Repentance at death is seldome sound For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement an horror of hell then from any griefe for sin And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse when they haue recouered haue beene rather woorse then before It is true that true Repentance is neuer too late but late Repentance is seldome true for heere our sinnes rather Poenitentia nunquam sera siserir sed sera raro serta Vae illis qui tunc habuerunt terminum luxuriae cum vitae leaues vs then wee them as Ambrose sayes And as he addes Woe be vnto them whose sinne and life end together Let vs therefore no longer foreslow our Repentance till death sicknesse and old age let God haue the best of our dayes If we reserue the dregges of our dayes for him he will reserue the dregges of the cuppe of his fierce wrath for vs. Let vs account it a greater shame to be to beginne Gods learning in our old age then to bee to beginne any humane learning And yet euen there it is a shameful thing What a shamefull and ridiculous thing were it to see a man with a gray beard goe to the Grammer-schoole or to sit among children learning his Turpis et ridicula res elementarius senex Senec. A. B. C. Repentance is the A. B. C. of religion bee as much ashamed to learne that in thine olde age as thou wouldest be to be amongest children and schoole-boyes CHAP. XVII Of continued and renued Repentance THe second degree I call Continued repentance 2. Continued Repentance which is a going forward in the first repentance thoroughout the whole course of our liues for Repentance is not onely a turning that is but the first degree but it is also a returning A man must neuer giue ouer till he be returned to that estate wherein once he was which is not done till our dying day If yee will seeke seeke returne and Is 21. 12. come After turning our faces to God at our first repentance there must be a daily comming forward to him by this continued Repentance The Popish pennance is confined within the circle of a few daies weekes moneths or yeres according to the priests discretion But the true Repentance of a Christian is a continuall act and a daily exercise for the change of the heart is not wrought in vs perfectly at the first but there must bee proceeding on by degrees The old man must bee crucified by repentance Now crucifying is a lingring death After we are conuerted still wee carry the body of sinne about vs and many infirmities cleaue vnto vs and breake from vs continually As therefore in a a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping and in a beggers coat continuall patching so in our liues continuall repenting repairing of our daily breaches There is matter enough to hold our repentance worke all our life long Many practise repentance by starts now then when the mood and fit comes on them but it must bee a continuall practise For 1. We haue daily infirmities 2. Wee had sin before our birth euen in our conception euen originall sinne which will hang vpon vs till our death 3. After death our sinnes will remaine in regard of the euill sent corrupting others 4. Many were our sinnes before our calling neuer to be forgotten but often with bitternesse to be remembred as Paul did his persecution 5. By neglecting the daily practise of Repentance we shall make the practise of it farre more difficult afterward The house that is daily swept hath but little dust and is easily swept but if it be seldome swept then it askes much scraping rubbing paring and washing the dirt will be growen so hard to the floore So in casting of accounts he that
But without any true reformation for presently after he fell to as bad cruelty against the holy Prophet Micaiah Iudas was grieued for murthering Christ yet no change ensued hee fell to murthering of himselfe The Israelites being threatned by God when as they meditated a returne into Aegypt wept and howled And yet at the same time being commanded not to goe the next way to Canaan but to fetch a compasse about they disobeyed But these men sorrow not aright because they sorrow not as the Corinthians did vnto a transmentation vnto a change of their thoughts and purposes from euill to good It is not possible a man should truely grieue and be displeased for his sins and yet continue in them without a change For as one very well sayes vnlesse sinne be made a wanton it will not stay It likes no grimme entertainement The sad countenance the weeping eyes the frowning forehead dash it quite out of countenance It is not able to stand before them The teares of true Repentance haue a purging and a raising vertue therfore the Prophet exhorting to Repentance sayes Wash yee make yee cleane These teares therefore Is 1. 16. are washing and cleansing teares where they fall they make cleane worke scouring away the filthinesse of our sinnes The abundance of naturall raine maketh the waies fowle that before were faire But contrarily the more abundantly this raine falleth the cleaner and fairer are the wayes of our hearts and fitter for the feet of the Lord to walke in For this is that same preparing of the way Matth. 3. of the Lord which the Baptist requires Worldly sorrow workes a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinckles in the face It turnes youth into olde age and strength into weaknesse and so causeth death But the change of godly sorrow is quite contrary It turnes olde age into youth and a weaknesse and sicknesse into health and strength No distillations of waters heale our bodily diseases so as this water doth our spirituall This salt brine takes away all our raw humours and makes vs sauory meate for the Lord. This raine dissolues the clowds of our iniquities and ô what a pure cleerenesse is there in the heauen of our hearts And therfore iustly may wee suspect their repentance whose sorrow brings not with it this happy change 2. So also may we theirs whose change and alteration proceedes not from godly sorrow and touch of conscience for sinne Let it not suffice vs that in many things wee haue reformed our wayes For so did Herod Iudas and many other temporary beleeuers But alas this reformation was not grounded vpon true humiliation and so at length it came to nought as an vnfounded building And therefore by humiliation first digge wee deepe in our hearts and cast out the rotten and vnsound ground and so build wee Excellent is the counsell of Christ to luke-warme Laodicea be zealous that is reforme the fault of thy luke-warmnesse Reuel 3. but withall he addes and Repent namely of thy lukewarmnesse let the reformation of thy fault be grounded on sound sorrow for it So may I say to the couetous be liberall and repent to the vncleane be chaste and repent to the neglecter of Gods worship frequent the Church and exercises of Religion and repent Many Professours haue made a goodly flourish and of couetous haue turned liberall and of prophane deuout and who so forward as they But when they turned religious they did not heartily repent and repine at their former prophanesse grieuing and grudging at the seruice which formerly they did Sathan They sowed not the seed of their obedience in tears nay with the stony ground they beganne in ioy and therefore end in sorrow Before haruest comes all is withered and they become vnfruitfull They beganne not in humility and therefore end not in glory Nay they beganne in pride and therefore end in shame They beganne in impenitency and therefore end in despaire And thus haue we opened the definition of Repentance CHAP. II. In what order Humiliation is wrought REpentance then consisting of those two parts Humiliation and Reformation let vs speake of them both seuerally And first of Humiliation where consider first the grace it selfe And secondly the contraries to it In the grace it selfe foure things are to be considered 1. The Nature 2. The Measure 3. The Vse and Excellency 4. The Practise 1. For the nature two poynts must bee considered 1. The nature of Humiliation in two things 1. In what order it is wrought 2. What are the qualities and propeties of it being wrought For the former it is thus to be considered 1. The spirit by the shrill trumpet of the Law arouseth the sinners drousie conscience setteth his 1. The order of it sinnes in order before him and presenteth him with that fearefull spectacle of eternall death and condemnation And that so that the poore sinner selfe-conuict and selfe-condemned holding vp his guilty hands before Gods Tribunall and receiuing the sentence of death doth not onely see hell with a wide and gaping mouth ready to deuoure him but euen in a manner feeleth himselfe in hell already the terrours of God fighting against him and the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty sticking in his ribbes so that in this perplexity being brought downe to the very gate of hell and feeling the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience he cries out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Who shall descend into this deepe to Rom. 7. helpe me out of the myre wherein I sticke so fast A man in this case is like a rocke which with some mighty shaking is made to tremble but yet still retaines his hardnesse or as an iron vessell which with some violent stroakes is broken into peeces but these peeces remaine whole and hard and are not yet molten by the fire Now vnto humiliation there is required not onely a broken but also a contrite spirit And Contrition is when all is stamped to very dust and ground as it were to powder so that there is a through dissolution of that which before was firmely hardened and compacted together But the Law of it selfe cannot dissolue and soften the hard heart of man Therefore the sinner though neuer so violently shaken and battred with the thunderbolts of the Law is not as yet truely humbled but onely prepared for and in the way vnto humiliation As when a thing is torne and broken though into great and solide lumps it is neerer to dissolution then when it was whole and entire 2. Therefore the spirit by the hammer of the Law hauing broken vs doth in the next place by the fire of the Gospell melt vs. For the word of God Ierem. 23. 9. is both a hammer breaking the rockes and a fire A hammer in the Law A fire in the Gospell which with the heat of Gods loue in Christ doth melt mollifie and dissolue our hearts
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
more easily feare and tremble at a danger whence comes that opposition betwixt feare and hardnesse of heart as Blessed is that man Prou. 28. 14. that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill and that of the Prophet why hast Is 63. 87. thou hardned our hearts from thy feare Now this feare is of excellent vse in the practise of Repentance for it is as a bridle to order guide and keepe vs in the way whereinto Repentance Prou. 28. 14. turnes our feet Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that in desperate boldnesse hardens his heart shall surely fall into euill Therefore by the force of the opposition he implies that he that feares shall be kept from euill and that heerein his blessednesse consisteth which he more plainly auouches elsewhere The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to Prou 14. auoyd the snares of death for more particularly it thus keeps thus First it makes vs to quake at the very first risings of euill and sinnefull motions in our hearts and so to dash sinne in the shell Tremble sayes Dauid and sinne not Psal 4 4. Secondly when strong and violent tentations assault vs it strengthens vs and withholds our assent for the repenting sinner being now turned to God he alwayes sees God and knowes that God sees him and therefore the awefull reuerence hee carries to his presence restraines him This vpheld Ioseph How can I saith he doe this and sinne against Gen. 39. 9. God This strengthened him against the powerfull and adulterous follicitations of his Mistresse The times was fit his master was absent and the place fit priuate and remote yet though time and place gaue him leaue Gods feare would not so powerfull was it against her powerfull perswasions to folly So Isaac though naturall affection would haue carried him to haue reuersed Iaakobs blessing specially when he was importuned by the howlings of Esau yet hee did not and what was the bridle that held him backe He feared an exceeding great feare Gen. 27. 33. which is mentioned afterward The feare of my father Isaac sayes Iaakob swearing by God whose feare Gen. 31. 42. opened possessing Isaac his father kept him from passing away the blessing to Esau Thirdly it keepes from such sinnes where the feare of man restraines not euen from secret and vnknowen sinnes to the world Thou shalt not saith Leuit. 19. 14. the Lord curse the deafe why what should hinder he cannot heare vs if we doe Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke before the blinde why what should let vs hee cannot see vs if wee doe Marke the words following Thou shalt feare the Lord who both heares thy curses and sees thy stumbling blockes Fourthly In the whole course of our life it makes vs worke out our saluation with fearing and trembling euen reioycing in feare and feasting in feare knowing Phil. 2. Psal 2. Iude 12. that there is then the greatest danger when to our eyes there is the least appearance of it In these and such like respects is this feare so necessary in the practise of repentance for Repentance is a continuall returning towards God and drawing neerer still to him To the which how soeuer that hellish and slauish feare bee a let for it driues a man backe from God and turnes away the face from sinne yet not this louing and filiall feare for it driues from sinne and keepes vs from forsaking God I will put my feare sayes the Lord Ier. 32. 40. in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee Out of this feare arises that notable duety which some Repentants in the more serious exercise of their Repentance in the Scriptures haue practised Namely that entring into Couenant with God binding our selues by solemne oath vnto him This was Dauids practise I haue sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. The same duty we finde practised in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah Now this practise arises out Ezr 10. Neh. 10. of this feare and iealousie which we haue of our deceitfull hearts As when wee feare the faith and honest dealing of men wee will not trust to their bare words but we will haue it vnder their hands and seales The contrary to this feare is bold venturousnesse when we rush desperately into all manner of sinne and in boldnes of face and hardnes of heart worke out our owne damnation Now by this may wee try the truth of our Repentance What doe we feare to sinne when we see sinne following vs doe we runne from it as the chicken seeing the Kite come flies vnder the wings of the hen Art thou now afrayd of an oath Hast thou beene a couetous vsurer a swinish drunkard Eccles 9. 2. an vncleane adulterer a godlesse Sabaoth-breaker And art thou now afrayd of these sinnes tremblest thou at the thoughts of them then hast thou good euidence of the truth of thy Repentance But this giues the most the lie that bragge of their Repentance because as it is sayd of those deceiuers that they feast without all feare feeding themselues So it Iude 12. may be sayd of them that they follow their sinnes with all greedinesse without feare or wit So farre from feare that they doe desire the occasions of sinne and euen harden their hearts against this feare These may well feare that they neuer knew what Repentance meant CHAP. XV. Of three other duties wherein conuersion is practised 5. DVty is Desire That which we feare wee 5. Desire desire to bee freed from and to enioy the contrary So hee that feares death desires life and he that truely feares sinne desires to be freed from sinne and to enioy the presence of God euery day more and more This desire then of Gods grace and his presence to deliuer vs from the cumber and the burden and body of death is another affection of a repentant heart for when by Repentance we are turned to God and see the sweete beauty of his face wee are exceedingly rauished withall and therefore in strong and earnest desires we make towards him faine would we bee at the end of our iourney that we might be with him graspe him with our armes and satiate our selues with his sweetnes Hence it is that the children of God desire death and dissolution with Paul because Phil. 1. 23. till then they cannot be with Christ These desires are so much the stronger because of our infirmity in approaching towards God which is such that we goe but as it were creeping This greeues vs and makes vs desire that wee were rid of these infirmities which so clogge vs and hang as lead at our heeles This makes vs cry with the Church Draw me and we will runne after thee and with Dauid Oh Cant. 1. 3. that my wayes were directed By Repentance indeed Psal 119. 5. we are escaped
because they went on impenitently Rom. 1. in their sinnes with greedinesse This is an heauy and a fearefull iudgement to be giuen vp to the hardnesse of our owne heart Dauid had his choyce of three plagues whether hee would take 2. Sam. 24. but all those three ioyntly are three times easier then this one famine sword and pestilence are mercies to this iudgement Better to bee deliuered vp to the sword famine and pestilence then to an hard heart nay better be deliuered vp to Sathan himselfe then to hardnesse of heart we finde a man deliuered 1. Cor. 5. 5. 1. Cor 2. vp to Sathan and yet he repented and was saued we finde none deliuered or saued that hath beene deliuered vp to the hardnesse of heart Deliuering vp to Sathan is for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit 1 Cor. 5. 5. may be saued but deliuering vp to the hardnesse of heart is for the destruction both of flesh and spirit both of soule and body It is a desperate euill to be deliuered vp to ones owne heart Adulterers by Gods Law should be stoned to death though now mans Law be more fauorable yet God secretly executes his Law vpon impenitent adulterers for he stones them with the heauiest and hardest stone that is euen with a stony heart to which he deliuers all such impure beasts 2. Desperation They that thinke Repentance 2. Desperation is a bitter cup to the which they will not lay their lips shall drinke a cup of Satans owne tempering and shall sucke vp the very lees of it If thou refuse heauenly repentance though shalt with Iudas be forced to a desperate hellish repentance Though sinne may lie a sleepe a while before the doore as with Caine like a drowsie sluggish cur yet at the length it will awaken and barke so hideously and grinne so fearefully in thy face that though thou bee not driuen with Saul to murder thy selfe or with Iudas and Achitophel to hang thy selfe yet shall thy conscience bee no lesse dismayd with desperate feares then theirs were 3. Eternall condemnation The impenitent 3. Eternall damnation Is 4. 4. person shall fall into that bottomelesse pit of fire and brimstone Repentance is called the spirit of burning It is a burning fire that consumes our sinnes if this fire burne not our sinnes Hell fire will burne our soules If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them 2. Cor. 4. 3. that perish saith the Apostle Heereupon our Sauiour threatens those Iewes that they should die in their Ioh. 8. 24. sinnes If they should die in them they should rise in them and if they should rise in them then shold their sinnes rise vp against them and fall heauy vpon them to presse them downe into the lowermost hell This is the sinne which of all others encreases a mans damnation Therefore impenitent sinners are sayd to heape vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. euen the whole heape of all their sinnes and the whole heap of Gods wrath shall be laid vpon them So our Sauiour pronounces an heauy sentence vpon those impenitent cities where he had preached That it should bee easier for Sodom and Gommorrha Matth 11 21. 22. 23. 24. in the day of iudgement then for them Surely they that haue the least paine in hell shall haue but litle cause to bragge of their ease Euen the least sinnes shall haue smart enough what then shall the crying sinnes of the Sodomites haue Sodomy was a monstrous sinne such a sinne that as Chrysostome saies Cogitato quam graue illud sit peccatum et quod ipsam Gehennam etiam ante tempus apparere coegerit Chrys ad Rom. 1. hom 4. it made hell to appeare before the time such a sin as made an hell on earth Such a sinne then as had an hell on earth must needes haue an hell with a witnesse in hell Needes must their damnation be fearefull and easelesse that began so earely And yet the accursed Sodomites shall haue an easier hel then such impenitent persons as reiect Gods mercy in the Gospell Sodom and Gomorrhaes hell shall be an heauen to Bethsaida and Chorazins hell An impenitent person shall thinke himselfe to haue beene an happy man if he had beene one of those accursed Sodomites that once perished with fire and brimstone from heauen and now lie yelling and howling in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone in hell Oh how heauie shall his condition be how vnconceiueable his woe and torment that shall enuy and grinde and gnash his teeth at a cursed and damned Sodomite for his happinesse Oh consider this all yee that forget God lest he teare you in Psal 50. 22. peeces and there be none that can deliuer you Repent and the Kingdome of God is at hand to receiue thee Repent not and the Kingdome of hell is at hand to double-damne and deuoure thee Gratias tibi Domine Iesu MICHAEL and the DRAGON OR CHRIST tempted AND Sathan foyled Penned by the late faithfull Minister of God DANIELL DYKE Bachelour in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I. D. Minister of Gods word HEB. 2. 18. For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1616. THE HISTORIE of Christs temptation recorded by three of the foure EVANGELISTS Matth. 4. 1. THen was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the deuill 2. And when he had fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights he was afterwards hungry 3. Then came to him the Tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread 4. But he answering said It is written Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 5. Then the deuill tooke him vp into the holy Citie and set him on a pinacle of the Temple 6. And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will giue his Angells charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foot against a stone 7. Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Againe the deuill tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them 9. And said vnto him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me 10. Then said Iesus vnto him Auoide Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 11. Then the deuill left him and behold the Angells came and ministred vnto him Mark 1. 12. AND immediately the spirit driues him into the wildernesse 13. And hee was
come vnto it Sometimes hauing laid his net he takes poles and thrusts and driues them along into the net The former way God tempts but onely this latter Sathan The meaning heere then is that Christ was led into the wildernesse to bee tempted that is to be perswaded to euill by Sathan Quest 2 2. Quest How could Christ who was so holy be tempted Answ Hee could not bee tempted inwardly How Christ-being so holy could bee tempted of himselfe being holy but outwardly by another he might So were Adam and Eue. And thus to be tempted that is to be perswaded to sinne by another whether Man or Angell is no sinne but a crosse so there be not the least yeelding to the motion no not in the least ticklings of the affection Sathans temptations against vs doe for the most part taint vs by reason of the simpathy betwixt our corruption and them But in Christ there was an antipathy against sinne as in the stomacke against some meates the which the more wee are vrged to eat of them the more we loath them Whereas in other meats that wee especially loue the very sight of them is perswasion enough to eat of them Christs heart to Sathans tentations was as a stone or brasse wall to an arrow repulsing them backe presently Our hearts are as a butt where they may easily fasten themselues Ours as a barrell of gun-powder to the fire Christs as water and therefore he sayd The Prince of this world is come and hath naught in me Ioh. 14. 3. Doct. Hence I gather that all temptations are not sins Ioh 14. 20. in the tempted for then Christ should haue sinned All temptations are not sinnes in the tempted This may comfort those that beeing vexed with fearefull suggestions of Sathan as to thinke amisse of God himselfe c. doe thereby thinke amisse of themselues as if they were therfore most vile wretches But they must remember that this is no more their sinne if they presently beat it backe then if a man like themselues should wish them to the like Sathan must answer for this himselfe Quest But How we may discerne the temptations of Sathan from those that proceed from our own corruption how shall I know that it is Sathan and not mine owne corruption Answ Temptations against the light of nature euen corrupted nature where there is no bait to entice corruption as for a man to kil his louing and beloued parents where there is no hope of gaine by it no matter of displeasure to prouoke these are meerly from Sathan And so are the blasphcmous thoughts against the Trinity Specially if such temptations come furiously and like the flashings of lightning suddenly wee not imagining how nor vpon what occasion we should conceiue such thoughts and withall haunt vs and will not be driuen away but the more we striue and beat them away the more like flies they come vpon vs and withall be contriued subtilly and artificially this is like the marching of Sathan as hee sayd This is like the marching of Iehu for he marcheth furiously 2. Kin. 2. Kings 9. 9. I thinke neuer doe temptations arise from the flesh but the Diuell interposes himselfe and speaks his good word for them being once set on foote by the flesh Therefore such temptarious called the messengers of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. and Ephes 4. 26. 27. 2. Cor. 12. Eph. 4. 26. 27. wee are sayd in anger to giue place to the Diuell And though commonly the flesh regratifie the Diuell and applaud and set forward his temptations yet it doth so fall out sometimes that the Diuell tempts alone and that so grossely that the very flesh is ashamed of it Quest 3 3. Quest How or in what manner was Christ tempted whether by inward suggestion as we or by Whether Christ was tempted by inward suggestion or by an audible voice an audible voyce the Diuell appearing in a visible shape Ans It is most likely to latter way First because it is sayd Then came the tempter vnto him Secondly because of that desire of his that he would fal down and worship him Yet I hold it not impossible that Christ might be tempted by suggestion For he was tempted before hee was hungry euen during the space of the forty dayes Luc. 4. 2. 3. And it seemes Luc. 4. 2. 3. that those temptations were rather by inward suggestion for that it is sayd Then namely after he was hungry came the tempter to wit in a bodily shape implying that before hee came not so So hee was tempted afterward also but yet nothing is read of any visible apparition Quest. 4 4. Quest Why was Christ tempted 1. Answ That wee might see the horrible rage Why Christ was tempted and senslesse madnesse of the Diuell against God and our saluation For though that before in Iordan and all his former miracles at his birth c. might haue cleared his Godhead to him yet malice blindes him that hee cannot or will not see and makes him to barke against the sunne and to fight against the heauens And so still is it with his wicked instruments 2. That wee should know how fit it is there should be trials of ministers before they enter into their functions 3. That ministers might know who will be their speciall aduersary they must conflict with in their ministry 4. That we might see how fit it is that ministers and men of great callings should be fitted and prepared for the good discharge of them by temptation and by their owne experience might learne to releeue others 2. Cor. 1. 4. 5. To giue vs warning to looke to our selues For if this were done to the greene tree what then shall bee done to the dry If Sathan durst set vpon Christ who was as greene wood and had abundance of moisture to quench the heate of his fire what then will hee doe to vs that are dry and quickly set on fire 6. To ouercome our temptation with his as he did our death with his For as death lost his sting lighting on Christ so also Sathans temptations and the foile he gaue Sathan was for vs. 7. That by suffring that which was the desert of our sinnes his loue towards vs might appeare the more If it were a vexation to the righteous soule of Lot to see and heare the wickednesse of the Sodomites who yet perswaded him not to doe the like how much more to our Lords soule to heare this cursed hell-hound vttering such filthy speeches perswading him to such vngodlinesse See we then in Christ suffring this for vs his loue our desart namely to be thus vexed and molested with Sathan and if we haue ease and deliuerance in tentation thanke we Christs trouble for our ease 8. That there might bee some answering to the Israelites being forty yeeres in the desert in many trials and temptations A day answearing a yeere As there was before in Christs going into Aegypt 9. That our
really and indeede Ans I thinke the Diuell carried his body really and indeed Reasons 1. The literall sense not contraried by the Scripture or the analogy of faith is to be followed Now this is the literall sense and nothing against it Ob. Obiect Yes before it was sayd that Christ was led into the desert to be tempted The desert then was the place of his temptations not the Temple Answ Answ It is sufficient to make good that speech that he was there tempted in the 40. daies and that the first temptation of the three wherein was a preparation to the other following was there perfected 2. If his carriage were onely in vision then either Christ inwardly in his minde knew that it was Sathans iugling and no such matter as it seemed to his sense or else as his outward senses so his minde also was deceiued and he thought it was so indeede as it seemed to his senses If the first then it was no temptation for Christ knew hee was in no danger he knew that hee stood vpon firme ground in the wildernes and so he should but haue abused the Scripture hee alledged for himselfe The latter seemes to offer a far greater disgrace to the mind of Christ in the apprehension of errour for truth then the Diuels carrying of him doth to his body Quest 2 2. Quest Whether was Christ carried by the diuell thorough the aire or went on his feet Ans The word that here Matthew vseth doth not necessarily imply that hee was carried as neither Lukes word that hee went on foot But yet nothing hinders but that Christ might in body be thus carried by Sathan as he was afterward apprehended bound and crucified by that cursed crue And as he gaue them death it selfe power ouer his body so might he the diuell Christ came in the state of humiliation stood in our steed He could haue confounded the diuell and haue smitten him as he did those officers Ioh. 18. but as there so here he willingly Ioh. 18. yeelded himselfe And since he yeelded his body to be set on the pinacle by the diuell why not Doct. Sathan his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods childrē Luke 13. also to be carried Sathan and so his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods children As he had ouer Iob in his vlcers ouer his children in their death ouer Mary Magdalen that was possessed ouer that daughter of Abraham Luc. 13. for to this the best are subiect yet so that Satan is restrained curbed by God so that he cannot do what he would And this greeuous affliction is sweetned and sanctified to Gods children so that the more power hee hath ouer their bodies the lesse hee shall haue ouer their soules Yea his possession of the body is turned to bee a meanes of his dispossession out of the soule In which regard it is sayd Numb 23. 22. 23. There is no sorcery against Iaakob nor south-saying against Israel because God was an Vnicorne to take Num. 23. 22. 23. away the poyson and venome and sting of it as he doth of all other afflictions yea and of death it selfe to his Israel Waters when the Vnicorns horn hath been in them are no longer poisonable but healthfull A waspe when his sting is out cannot be hurtfull in stinging but may be profitable in his buzzing to awaken vs So are all these outward afflictions euen witching and possessing by Sathan So that that which Christ sayd of the Diuels instruments they can kill the body but not the soule the same may we say of Sathan himselfe concerning his possession He may possesse the bodies but the soules of Gods children he cannot Here he had some power ouer the blessed body of our head Iesus Christ but not the least power ouer his soule In the wicked his special power is ouer their soules When he was sent to Ahab he was sent to go and be a lying spirit to deceiue him But when he was sent to Iob it 1. Reg. 22. it was but to afflict his body with vlcers Againe this power which he hath ouer the bodies of Gods children that we now speake of is such as that they are meerely patients as in Christ in this place Otherwise for Christ to haue gone and idlely without cause to haue endangered himselfe on the pinnacle had beene to tempt God But now it is the Diuels sinne not his So in those that are possessed all those forced and violent motions though not onely vaine and idle but euen horribly sinnefull as when hee speakes railingly on God his truth and his children these are all the Diuels owne sinnes And therefore he desired not to possesse Iob because his intent was to draw Iob himselfe to blaspheme But now wicked men though they are free vsually from this possessiue power of Sathan yet Sathan hath a farre greater power in the voluntary motions of their bodies such a power as that they shall bee agents in that they doe and guilty of sinne Hee carries them not against their will as heere our Sauiour to the top of a pinnacle nor as him in the Gospell into the fire and water hee offers not that violence to their bodies but he carries them willingly and driues them as free horses that neede onely the shaking of the hand to the tauerne to the stewes to the theater to this or that euill company He makes them abuse their eyes to wantonnesse their mouthes to filthinesse and he makes their feete swift to shed blood So that as Paul beeing guided by the good Spirit of God could say I liue not but Christ liues in mee Gal. Gal. 2. 20. 2. So they wee liue not but the Diuell liues in vs. This possession of soule and body together is the more fearefull and yet the more ordinary and yet no maruell made of it because it is not discerned The place whither he is carried Ierusalem is called the holy City because of the Temple and Gods worship there though otherwise there were horrible abuses in doctrine discipline and manners Doct. Mans wickednesse cannot ouercome nor ouerthrow Gods goodnesse Against such it makes first Mans wickednesse cannot ouerthrow Gods goodnesse with whom a little euill either in whole Churches or in particular men preuailes more to make them speake euill of them then much good can doe to make them speake well of them It is the sinne of the Brownists Secondly it is a comfort for Gods children If there bee an altar for God in the heart though the suburbes of the city bee filthy and as Golgotha yet God will account of thee by his and not by thine owne Though thy wheate bee mixed with much chaffe thy wine with much water yet God giues the denomination from the better part Lastly it is instruction for vs all what account to make of such places where the meanes of sanctification are Such are holy places to them should
we resort as they Acts 2. 9. 10. 11. did to Ierusalem The Papists pilgrimages thither are absurd because the Acts 2. 9. 10. 11 holinesse is not inherent in the ground and the wals but was only in regard of the worship of God which then was there in speciall manner and now failing it is no longer the holy city The second point is the setting of Christ vpon the pinnacle of the temple Some difference there is amongst Interpreters what it should be It matters not greatly All agree in this that it was a very dangerous place Doct. Marke heere what aduantage there is in places for temptations Sathan had before the aduantage of the place in the desert giuen him by our Lord and Sathan many times takes the aduantage of the place for his temptations heere hee takes it himselfe As heere hee tooke the opportunity of this place and the danger thereof for Christ to stand long vpon it to vrge this temptation of this Cast thy selfe down so doth he still against vs for the better enforcing his temptations against vs. Some places are as dangerous for our soules as the pinnacle of the temple was for the body And when once hee hath gotten vs vpon these pinnacles then it is hard if wee cast not our selues downe As when Peter was in Caiaphas his hall then was he set as it were on the pinnacle of the Temple and how fearefull a fall caught hee So in Ioseph learning in Pharaohs court to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Quest May we not then dwell in such places Ans As for the body we may not bee venturous to goe vpon high steepe and dangerous places without a calling but hauing a calling wee may as Masons and Carpenters doe So for the soule when God cals vs to such places as he did Ioseph Obadiah Nehemiah then we may dwell therin but if no calling take heede then and let Peters example teach vs the danger of Caiaphas his hall Wee that can scarse stand in the firme ground neuer trust wee our feete in slippery ground vnlesse God guide and leade vs into it Thus much of the fitting of the temptation 2. The vttering of his temptation The vttering of it followeth And he sayd vnto him If thou bee the sonne of God Cast thy selfe downe for it is written c. In which words two things to be considered First the sinne whereto he tempts Secondly the arguments whereby he tempts That whereto he tempts is to Cast himselfe downe 1. The sinne whereto he tempteth headlong from the top of the pinnacle Where obserue Doctrin 1 That the Diuell in temptation hath no enforcing power though hee haue a perswading sleight It The Diuell in temptation hath no enforcing power but onley a perswading sleight rests in vs to giue assent Therefore he sayes heere Cast thy selfe downe For indeed else we should not sinne Many fondly excuse themselues and their sinnes by the Diuell but the Diuell could not make thee sinne except thou wert willing And hee hath no power to constraine thy will The Diuell is the father of thy sinne but thine owne concupiscence is the mother And what could the father doe without this mother Euery man is tempted when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and is entised Iam. 1. 14. Iam. 1. 14. Doct. 2 That the Diuels power is limited Hee can bring Christ and set him on the pinnacle hee cannot The Diuels power is limited throw him downe He is a finite creature and cannot doe all things And in those things hee can doe such as was this to throw downe a man standing on the pinnacle of the Temple for euen a childe might haue done this he is curbed and restrained by God So the Lyon 1. King 13. killed the Prophet but 1. King 13. neither touched the asse whereon hee rode nor yet the dead carkasse Three notable evidences of Sathans limited power may we finde in that one history of the man possessed in the region of the Gadarens Luk. 8. 27. First Luk. 8. 27. in that he begges leaue to enter into the swine He that afterwards boasts of that all the world was his and all the kingdomes thereof hath not power so much as ouer a vile swine Secondly we see that as soone as he enters into the swine hee presently carries them headlong into the sea why did hee not so to the man possessed Surely not for any loue hee bare to him more then to the swine for he is a deadly hater of man-kinde He would as willingly haue drowned the man as he did the swine had not God limited him Thirdly his name was Legion there was a whole Legion of Diuels in him Now a Legion in the warres containes aboue six thousand footmen Veget. lib. 2. cap. 6. seauen hundred horse men Now though whole a legion of diuels such an army and host of them in one poore man yet were not able to destroy him nor to do with him as they did with the swine Thus it is also in the rage of Sathans instruments against the Church the spirituall bodie of Christ God suffers his Church to be in their hands as Christs body in Sathans to bee placed as it were on the top of the pinnacle to bee in great danger and as with Dauid but an haires breadth betweene him and death yet then Gods snaffle is put into their mouthes and his hooke into their nostrils as into Esaus and Labans in Iaakobs cause Pilates brag therefore against Christ Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee Ioh. 19. 10. And Labans to Iaakob Gen. 31. 29. I am able Ioh. 19. 10. Gen. 31. 29. to doe you hurt they were but vaine crakes Sathan himselfe was faine to say to God in Iobs cause stretch out thine hand Vse Heere is comfort then in greatest dangers Doth God take care for oxen saith Paul so may wee say Doth God take care for swine Are wee not much better then they Though the knife bee in the enemies handes ready to cut the throate of Isaac lying bound on the altar yet their hands shall sooner wither with Ieroboams then doe the deede Euen then God will work our deliuerance euen by themselues as heere the Diuell doth not onely not throw Christ downe but carries him safe away from this so tickle and dangerous a place But in the action it selfe of casting downe himselfe It had beene a great sinne in Christ to cast down himself it may be asked what sinne was in it Answ Reason 1 1. There was a manifest hazarding yea throwing away his life against the sixt commandement Life is a most precious gift of God and it ought not to be made so little of as to bee aduentured at Sathans pleasure This is a sinne that Sathan tempts still vnto and often preuailes to offer violence vnto their owne bodies by throwing downe themselues from high places by running to the water to the
hunger and that idle glory that comes from the stinking breath of foolish men which were the instruments of Sathans former temptations which yet would fall downe before this temptation of stable honours rule and riches Thus must it be with vs in the whole course of our life Euery day must we looke for shrewder trials then others And the last in death shall be the extreamest As Nebuchadnezzars so the ouen of his fiery temptations shall then be heated seauen times hotter then euer before Then he will towse vs indeede Before in comparison he did but play and dally Onely one nation of the Aegyptians was against the Israelites at their first comming out of Aegypt but at the end of their iourney at their entrance into Canaan there were seauen against them The last combat is the sharpest Therefore prepare specially there for defence where Sathan specially prepares for offence Doct. 2 2. Obserue the fetch of Sathan and so of his instruments first to worke vpon the affections and by The Diuell seeketh to deceiue the vnderstanding by working first vpon the affection them to fit and prepare the vnderstanding for deceit For heere first he speakes to our Sauiours eies and by this sight presented to the eye would tickle his affections and then he comes and speakes to the eare and in those his speeches first he flatters with faire promises before hee tels him what hee desires of him Thus at the first he set first vpon Eue and the Apostle noted in the false apostles 2. Tim. 3. that they crept into silly women first that were carried more by affection then by iudgement So Simon Magus had his Helena and Apelles his Philumena and other heretiques their seuerall women whom first of all they animated with the spirit of their error This is that Tertullian obserued of them that they doe perswade before they teach whereas the truth doth not teach by perswading but perswades by teaching This must teach vs to looke to our affections for by these may des he woes the mistresse These are our Eues whereby he deceiues vs. Doct. 3 3. Heere we see how the Diuell labours to abuse our senses specially our eyes that by these windowes The Diuell laboureth to abuse our eies that by those windowes death may enter into our soules death may enter into our soules According to the prouerbe hee comes to the sea by the riuer to the heart by the eye Our eyes are his spokesmen to our heart What poyson is there almost that hee doth not conuey into our soules by this passage for couetousnesse and desire of the world witnes this present temptation that of Achan in seeing the Babylonish garment and that of Ahab in seeing Naboths vineyard and coueting after them Whereupon couetousnesse is called the lust of the eies 1. Ioh. 1. Ioh 2. Gen. 3. 2. for intemperance of appetite witnesse Eue Gen. 3. she saw the fruit was pleasant For adultery Dauid Putiphars wife and innumerable moe Plato deriues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lusting and looking in Greek differ but in one vowell For drunkennesse that of Salomon Prou. 23. Looke not on the wine c. for enuy that Prou. 23. Matth. 20. Is thine eye euill because I am good Hence that note that God hath made the eye the sense of Matth. 20. sorrow because such a sense of sinne Vse It must make vs pray as did Dauid Psal 119. 37. Turne away mine eyes from vanity and because it is Psal 119. 37. so deceitfull a sense to binde it to the Lord with Iobs couenant Iob. 31. 1. wee must mortifie our eye Iob. 31. 1. which is that plucking of it out namely out of olde Adam and setting it into the new man But for this purpose wee must with all diligence keepe our hearts Prou. 4. for the eye poysons the heart beeing first Prou. 4. 23. poysoned by it The riuers runne into the sea but they came first from it This is the reason here why Christs eyes were not caught because he had a pure heart Let vs labour in our measure for such hearts and eyes as Christ had Take heed of hauing Lots wiues eye casting a longing looke after Sodome but get that same oculum irretortum and this same Stoicall eye of our Sauiour that wee may see eye-pleasing and tempting obiects and not be mooued and set a gogge as the Disciples Luc. 21. with the beauty of the Temple and as he with the beauty of Luc. 21. a young boy to whom it was answered that the Praetor must haue continent eyes as well as hands Heere surely there is good vse of that Stoicall apathie Cicer. offic l. 1. But alas if Christs case had beene ours our eies would haue saued Sathans lips a labor They would haue bitten presently vpon so sweet a bait Doct. 4 4. Heere by comparing this temptation with the former wee see which are the two most speciall The temptations on the right hand are more dangerous then those of the left hand temptations of Sathan One on the left hand by aduersity the other on the right hand by prosperity Called Rom. 8. 39. height and depth But yet withall that this of prosperity abundance is the most dangerous and therefore comes heere in the last place For this is that wherwith if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued Many that keep on their cloathes in the winde vnbutton themselues in the sunne The thorny ground is not ouercome with the scorching of the sunne in persecution as the stony but with the thornes of wordlinesse in times of peace and ease Iudas Demas Alexander the coppersmith and others both of olde and latter times that acquited themselues in some sort in the triall of the crosse were yet heere fearefully foiled Dauid not foiled with lust whilest he wandred in the wildernesse many Bathshebaes would not haue ouercome him then Vse 1 Vse 1. To such as are in this estate of prosperity to looke to themselues they stand on slippery ground Prosperity to religion is as the Iuie to the oake it quickely eates out the heart of it The security and prophanesse of these times the daughters of our peace and prosperity shew as much Vse 2. To such as are in aduersity to be patient yea thankefull God in pitty keepes them from riches and abundance least it should choake them For they are thornes Matth 13. Hee sees that thy weake braine would not beare such strong drinke Matth. 13. nor thy weake stomacke digest such hard meat Vse 3. To such as haue stood out in the lesser temptations that they yet presume not For many are like to cold snakes in aduersity which then doe no hurt the cold stupefies them but let the heate warme them and then they will discouer themselues Therefore wee must labour to approoue our selues also in this temptation on the right hand Good gold is purged in the fire