corruptions But death at once with a most happy paricide as I may terme it kils both it selfe our last foe and sinne its mother our first foe and sorrow its sister our daily foe That one pang which puls away the soule from the body doth also pull away sinne both from the soule and the body O most desireable pang and worthy to be thirsted after more then any earthly thing Iob when his body was full of botches could say with much vehemency of passion Why dyed I not from the wombe why gaue I not vp the ghost when I came out of the belly then should I haue lyen still and beene quiet I should haue slept then had I been at rest Hee could in elegancy of speech commend death and say There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together and heare not the voyce of the oppressour yea hee saith that a miserable man would long for it and dig for it more then for hid treasures and would reioyce exceedingly and be glad if he could find it This impatiency of life is no way worthy commendation it sauours too much of selfe loue to be good and allowable But if out of an holy impatiency of sinne wee could as feelingly take vp speeches of a like nature O how truly might it witnesse with vs that we did hate sinne that we were enemies to the lusts of our hearts that our corruptions were to vs as imprisonment sicknesse paine captiuity and so that wee were sure of our part in Christs goodnesse who comes to preach liberty vnto the captiues Verily our soules are as full of hotches many of them as Iobs body and it will hardly bee better with many of vs so long as we abide in these earthly tabernacles were we as full of spirituall life as hee of naturall and our soules as truly indued with holinesse as his body with sense we should complaine of this burthen with much bitternesse and say O that I could tell where to seeke death O that I might finde the graue and come to those quiet regions where worldlinesse and pride and wrath shall no more torment mee and where my will shall be no more carryed away with any fleshly perturbation I confesse that this is the least part of the good that death bringeth vnto the Saints that it doth vtterly dismisse them from the seruitude of the flesh but were we so thorowly spirituall as we should be this would seeme of so great worth with vs as wee would preferre it before all that the world counts delightfull The Bridegroome would rather go to his graue then to his bride-chamber the traueller would rather lye downe in his bed of earth then in a bed of downe and euery man would bee of Salomons minde and count the day of death better then the day of birth I confesse that wee must so farre resigne our willes to Gods will as with all contentednesse of minde to weare out the dayes of our apprentiship and pilgrimage For so long as God hath any seruice for vs to doe any where though the place and company be full of troublesomnesse yet should wee force our willes to doe him seruice with our owne disquietment but yet a vertuous desire of being separated from this vnhappy condition of life wherein wee shall neuer fully be separated from the sinne that cleaueth so fast would be very commendable and very profitable The gavvdes of this vvorld vvould not so easily beguile vs the cumbers of this vvorld vvould not so frettingly gawle vs if wee did dis-sweeten the one with making our selues to taste the bitternesse of our sinne and dis-imbitter the other with feeling the far greater bitternesse of that which is as farre more harmefull then it as lead is heauier then corke Then should wee proue our selues to bee men and women of a discerning spirit that can know of things what is good what is bad and of bad things what is more what is lesse bad Then should we shew our selues to approch neere that height of grace which the blessed Apostle had who in relating of bonds imprisonment hunger thirst nakednesse whipping stocking shipwrack and daily dying neuer bursts forth into lamentations but rather recounts with ioy that which was so painfull to suffer and seemeth to bee glad of life for nothing else but that by suffering more of those troubles hee might doe more seruice to the Church and honour to Christ but when he hath occasion to declare his sinfulnesse the body of death the law of his members the rebellion of his flesh then onely is heard bewailing and crying out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body Let therefore the feeling of sinne make our desires so earnest after full freedome from it that we may for this cause euen breathe after death when there are none other aduersities to distaste the comforts of this life vnto vs that by it wee shall be set at liberty from the diuels tentations the worlds affrightments allurements but specially from the corrupt lusts which we both doe and whilest we lodge in this dungeon shall carry about with vs. And let each of vs say often to himselfe O that I were parted from husband and wife from children from friends from lands and goods and from this world and all that in this world is counted worth hauing so that I might also bee parted from my corruptions and neuer more hereafter stand in need of pruning Fasting and prayer will purge the Word and Sacraments will cleanse and all Gods ordinances and all our Christian indeuours will helpe to lop off these disordered passions that are within vs. But this is alone a cleansing in part a paring off some euill and leauing much behind onely the last blow of death will make a full riddance of all that is euill in vs and after that blow giuen there shall nothing remaine behinde that may call for any more purging This is the soueraigne medicine that will consummate the cure of our diseased soules which till then shall neuer bee deliuered from all diseases though wee bee in Christ as the Vine and haue God the Father for our Husbandman O then Lord send thou this last enemy which may doe mee more good then all the former friends I meet with can doe euen worke a dissolution of my soule from my body and of my sinne from them both Let it come Lord let it come speedily doe thou hasten it in due season and take away all sinne by taking away this life of nature to make way for a farre more excellent life of glory Desire of death is then only warrantable when a desire of Gods full presence and of sinnes perfect absence be the causes mouing that desire CHAP. IX Containing the third vse of the poynt viz. an exhortation and direction how to keepe downe our corruptions whilest wee liue Vse 3 BVt as wee should moderately wish for death We
goe with you and it shall come to passe if hee be in the Land I will search him throughout all the thousands of Iudah This was maliciously spoken by an enuious Prince against his faithfull subiect and sonne But well were it with vs if wee could all make vse of his words in the pursuit of our hidden guile and follow it as close as euer Saul did follow Dauid euen to seeke and search and spy out all its lurking places and neuer cease seeking till we haue found it nor fighting till we haue vanquished it as one of the most dangerous of all our spirituall enemies the very soule of the body of death and that that giueth life to all the rest I beseech the liuing God for thee Reader that he will please to sanctifie as other meanes so these my weake indeuours if thou please to make vse of them to helpe thee against this pestilent fault And I craue thy prayers for mee also that my selfe may be able to practise what I haue taught theē and that wofull thing befall me not which Paul speaketh of vpon another occasion that hauing preached to others I my selfe should be a reprobate For this hatefull and banefull vice the worst of vices doth sometimes step into the Pulpit also and causeth euen Ministers to condemne themselues in iudging others because they that iudge doe the same things and because they lay heauy burthens vpon other mens shoulders and themselues resuse to touch them that is to say are very earnest exactors of good duties and very slow performers But from this most mischieuous mischiefe the good Lord vouchsafe to deliuer me and thee and all his people with which prayer because I cannot make a better I commend thee and my selfe to God and rest A well-willer to thy soules happinesse WILLIAM WHATELY THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Shewing the order of the words and poynts to bee handled pag. 1 CHAP. II. Shewing the certaine destruction of Hypocrites and the degrees and meanes thereof pag. 4 CHAP. III. Shewing the reasons of the destruction of Hypocrites pag. 9 CHAP. III. Containing the first vse of the poynt viz. The magnifying of Gods Iustice pag. 19 CHAP. IIII. Containing a second vse of the poynt viz. A terrour vnto all dissemblers pag. 27 CHAP. V. Containing the third vse viz. An exhortation to the Hypocrite to come out of his hypocrisie pag. 37 CHAP. VI. Containing the second Doctrine viz. That the best branches haue need of pruning pag. 64 CHAP. VII Containing the first vse of the poynt for the refutation of two errours viz. The merit of works and the conceit of perfection in this life pag. 73 CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death pag. 78 CHAP. IX Containing the third vse of the poynt viz. An exhortation and direction how to keepe downe our corruptions whilest we liue pag. 84 CHAP. X. Containing the fourth and last vse of the poynt viz. A consolation to the people of God against their vnallowed sinnes pag. 99 CHAP. XI Containing the third poynt of doctrine that God will prune the fruitfull branches that is helpe true Christians against their corruptions pag. 104 CHAP. XII Shewing the meanes and manner of the Lords pruning pag. 109 CHAP. XIII The first vse of the poynt to shew their misery that are not pruned pag. 120 CHAP. XIIII The second vse of the poynt to comfort them that are pruned pag. 124 CHAP. XV. Containing the third vse of the poynt to incourage the Saints in striuing against sin because the Lord will help thē in this labor and they shal surely preuaile pag. 129 CHAP. XVI Containing the fourth poynt of doctrine that the people of God must increase in fruitfulnesse pag. 132 CHAP. XVII Containing the first vse of the last poynt viz. A terrour to them that grow worse pag. 137 CHAP. XVIII Containing an exhortation to all true Christians to increase in goodnes directions for that purpose pag. 143 CHAP. XIX Containing a comfort to them that haue growne and doe grow in goodnesse pag. 162 GODS HVSBANDRY TENDING CHIEFLY TO THE REFORMING OF AN Hypocrite and making him true-hearted Iohn 15.2 Euery branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and euery branch that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring foorth more fruit CHAP. I. Shewing the order of the words and points to be handled COncerning the subiect of Gods Husbandry wee haue already spoken namely of the branches of the Vine in which wee haue considered a distribution of them into their seuerall kinds and a distinction of them by their speciall differences of fruitlesse and fruitfull Let vs now proceed to declare the parts of Gods Husbandry which are diuers according to the diuerse nature of the branches For the vnfruitfull branch the hypocrite he carries himselfe towards it as beseemeth a good husband he cuts it off that is to say he doth by little and little separate him from Iesus Christ and from the benefits of Christ with whom hee seemed once to bee vnited Causing that he loseth the good things he seemed to haue and so by falling off from those appearances of goodnesse which were in him hee discouereth himselfe to haue but counterfeited till proceeding to greater sinfulnesse at last eternall death doe ouerwhelme him But for the fruitfull branch the vpright-hearted Christian the Lords dealing with him is farre otherwise hee is alone purged or pruned The hypocrite is himselfe taken off from the Vine the true Christian hath onely something taken off from him that he may very well spare being pared about to the remoouall of that that by continuing vpon him would haue done him much hurt You all know what the naturall pruning is viz. the cutting off from the branches such vnprofitable and ouergrowing twists leaues or the like as doe no way benefit the branch but hurt it rather in causing the fruit thereof to be lesser and scanter then it might be The thing signified heereby is the subduing of the corruptions of Gods seruants viz. their pride passion selfe-loue earthly-mindednesse voluptuousnesse and the like disorders which if they were not mortified they would runne all out into a faire shew of profession not at all fructifying in an holy conuersation but when these corruptions are taken away by diuers needefull meanes as the Lord himselfe knowes the fittest meanes for he is but an ill Vine-dresser that wanteth his pruning instruments then is that end obtained which God intendeth and then follows that effect wherein themselues reioyce viz. they bring foorth more fruit They become more rich in the worke of the Lord more plentifull in all godlinesse and righteousnesse and in all excellent seruices to God and man They doe more good they liue more profitably and seruiceably and are euery way more abundant in all the fruits of the Spirit ioy peace loue righteousnesse temperance meekenesse goodnesse and the rest then euer else they would haue beene And thus
indeed true members of Christ seeing that the Lord hath pleased to make you knowne for such by doing that for you which hee doth performe for all true Christians and onely for them I confesse that there is a kinde of cleansing A kind of cleansing may befall an vnsanctified man which is not from Gods sanctifying Spirit such as hath bin found euen in Heathen men without the Church and without Christ This is such a leauing of some one or other outward grosse sin as ariseth from age or misery or other like naturall causes the heart in the generall disposition still remaining the same for a mans owne rod may so beate him as the common Prouerbe speaketh that he may be forced from those euill practices which once he followed as the vnthrifty man after he hath wasted his estate almost to the bottome and perceiueth penury comming against him may so farre returne to himselfe as to cease to bee riotous and the theese that hath beene frighted once or twice with the narrow escape of hanging may cease to giue himselfe ouer to theeuery and the man whose age and bodily decay doth not serue the turne to performe his vnchaste pleasures may cease to follow harlots and so in other like particulars This departing from a few outward acts of euill the heart remaining still impoysoned with the wonted inward disorders or other as bad is not the cleansing which the Lord doth afford to the true branches of the Vine neither may any man intitle himselfe to the comfort wee haue in hand from such a maimed kind of reformation But if any man doe finde himselfe cleansed in soule from the loue and liking of all known euils proportionably that what by the Word what by afflictions or such like meanes hee hath been made to take notice of more corruptions in himselfe then euer before he thought to haue beene there and seeing the same to detest them and abhorre himselfe for them before God crauing his strength and power to reforme them and by crauing strength hath obtained at Gods hands though not a totall release from these corruptions yet a great decay of them and a farre greater ability to leaue them then in former time Let these men reioyce in the liuing God and take this worke of his Spirit in them for an assured proofe of their being truly ingraffed into the body of Christ Those that doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit they shall liue those that are crucified together with Christ shall raigne with him and hauing beene made conformable to his death shall also be made conformable to his glory Wherefore as Samson fed on the honey which he found in the carkase of the Lion that hee had slaine so let all Gods people feede vpon the comfort which growes vnto them from the sinnes that they haue ouercome For doubtlesse nothing is more auailable to increase the worke of mortification then with ioy to looke vpon the good beginnings thereof and comfortably to behold the dying of sinne that a man may say to himselfe Loe now mine inward and spirituall enemies are smitten downe before me and become like foes that are put to flight and many of them slaine in the chase When a man lookes into himselfe and comparing himselfe with himselfe findes that by Gods grace such and such euils doe lesse preuaile within him then they were wont yea that now the least motions of them are more hatefull to him then formerly some grosse outward faultings therein and that the inclinations of that kind which hee feeleth in himselfe are either fewer or weaker or both that hee sooner spyeth more heartily and inwardly lamenteth and condemneth more carefully and diligently resisteth and opposeth them at least is much more humbled and abased to himselfe by meanes of them then formerly This is to be pruned and this is a true signe of a liuely branch in the true Vine Christ Iesus Neither let the people of God take lesse comfort in this pruning because it is not totall nor all at once but if they finde it to goe forward though slowly and by small degrees and to haue been attained by their spirituall industry in the vse of spirituall meanes now let them clap their hands and triumph in God saying Through God I haue done valiantly for he hath troden downe mine enemies that rose vp against me We must not suffer our selues to be so much vexed with the remainders of our corruptions as to depriue the Lord of the glory and our owne soules of the comfort which wee might reape from the beginning of their ouerthrow but must make our selues exceeding glad of this their first falling before vs that so we may more assuredly conclude as they doe concerning Haman when he began to fall before Mordecai that he should not preuaile but should surely fall quite before him When wee obserue the fruits of our faith as meanes to confirme our faith and the good workes of Gods grace as arguments to assure vs that wee are receiued into the state of grace this is an excellent meanes to make these fruits of faith and workes of grace to grow stronger and stronger in vs. An heart cheered vp in beholding and acknowledging the goodnesse of God that hath in some measure blessed his indeuour against sinne shall bee greatly furthered in this spirituall combate It animates souldiers to fight when as Ionathan speaketh concerning Sauls souldiers they eate the spoyle of their enemies but when they doe keepe themselues fasting as it were like as Saul did his souldiers pretending thereby to make them more eager in following the chase this makes them to be faint and weary and so doth very much hinder the slaughter of the foe Wherefore ye Christian souldiers that haue fought manfully vnder Christ your Lord with the weapons of the Word and Prayer and the like and haue found that your holy meditations and prayers haue diminished the force of your corruptions in some good measure eate you the spoyle of your spirituall enemies comfort your selues in the sence of this good worke and with great contentment of spirit conclude for your selues that you are true branches because the Husbandman doth bestow the paynes of pruning vpon you CHAP. XV. Containing the third vse of the poynt to incourage the Saints in striuing against sinne because the Lord will helpe them in this labour and they shall surely preuaile BVt this poynt doth yeeld likewise a third vse Vse 3 Incouragement to proceed in resisting of sinne to animate the people of God to a resolute opposing of all their corruptions because loe the God of heauen is ready at hand to cut off those euils which they are hewing at A man is sure of successe in the worke of mortification if he want not diligence to labour in that worke The flesh must downe corruptions shall tumble the Spirit shall bee victorious stronger is he that is in vs then he which is in the world and certainly the grace
that liueth in the Church out of these naturall desires that are inseparably vnited to his reasonablenesse doth incline himselfe in some things to yeeld to the Doctrine of Religion that so he may serue his owne turne in fulfilling his owne desires this is false goodnesse goodnesse alone to the eye it is called goodnesse as a false shilling is called a shilling because it looketh like a shilling hauing the same stampe and a little filuer at top though in ths middest it be nothing but brasse or some such base and vnworthy matter If a man I say be moued for his owne credit or ease sake yea or for his owne faluation sake to be willing to do some good that God in his word commandeth and to forbeare some euill in the same Word condemned and not to be willing to doe all good commanded and auoyde all euill forbidden this is but guilefull hollow imperfect dissembled goodnesse so esteemed by men and so appearing to them that can looke alone vpon the bark and outer rinde of things not so appearing to the pure eyes of God nor so accounted in his true iudgement that searcheth into the marrow and pith and depth of all things For God himselfe is the chiefe good and in a manner the onely good neither is any thing good but by participation from him and so that goodnesse which is not as it were deriued from him as from the originall of it nor directed to him as to the scope and end of it because it hath nothing to doe with him therefore indeede is not goodnesse whatsoeuer shew it may carrie to the world So that as true goodnesse is will to bee good in all things for Gods sake so is false goodnesse a will to seeme good in some things for ones owne sake Ease may moue a man to doe some good and auoyde some euill so may credit so may profit Now if any of these things doe chiefly and principally worke vpon our wills as the motiues and ends of our actions then is that goodnesse but hypocrisie and seeming goodnesse and that man who liuing in the visible Church suffers this vice of being induced but to some good things not all and withdrawne but from some euill not all for his owne credite profit ease or the like cause not Gods sake onely or principally to sway and beare rule in him he is an hypocrite Hypocrisie ruleth where it is not seene and lamented But when and in whom doth this vice preuaile may some man say I answere euen then and in that man where and in whom it is not seene opposed resisted by the spirituall weapons of frequent confessions hearty petitions earnest lamentations and diligent application of the word of God against it for to beate it downe for all vices must be distinguished into two kindes some are more fleshly and grosse as I may terme them that doe follow the temperature of the body and their strength and weakenesse doth much what depend vpon the constitution thereof such are wrath and choller gluttony and filthinesse and diuers other like Now it is not of necessitie that these vices bee actually in all the corrupt generation of Adam alone they are in euerie one as I may terme it virtually so that if the same soule were put into another body whose temperature would fit the turne of those vices it would be as plentifull in them as any other man is or as it selfe is in any other vice Now there are other vices of a more spirituall nature as I may terme it I meane more immediatly and principally flowing from the corruption of reason and of will and from the natiue defilement of the soule in its chiefe faculties such as are pride vnbeliefe forgetfulnesse of GOD vnconscionablenesse and by name this hypocrisie And these last kind of vices are in all men indifferently since the first sinne of Adam by whom all became dead in sinnes and trespasses though it must not bee denyed that in some they grow more head-strong than in others and doe more manifestly and violently shew themselues according as they are more or lesse nourished with meanes and occasions and as it were soyled with helpes and opportunities fit for them And as for all these vices there doe they preuayle and there they must be called predominant where they are not obserued bewailed acknowledged oppugned and that by spirituall weapons and that constantly For it is most vndeniable that whersoeuer any vice is there it ruleth vnlesse it be mortified and crucified by the spirit that is by spirituall means and ordinances faithfully vsed wherewith Gods Spirit faileth not to worke and it is as certaine that this grand member or lim rather of the body of death which we all bring into the world with vs I mean hypocrisie is in euery man wherefore it hath dominion in him vnlesse it be as was formerly spokē discerned and oppugned And therefore also it is great reason that such one should receiue his name from hypocrisie be intituled an hypocrite And so I would think An hypocrite is a professor of Christianitie that doth not see and resist his hypocrisie an hypocrite maybe fitly called a professor of religion that doth not see bewaile and fight against his owne hypocrisie that is his aptnes to make a shew of goodnes by doing onely some things that are commanded and auoyding onely some things that are forbidden for his owne sake not indeuouring to doe and auoyd all such things for Gods sake Not the hauing but the not oppugning of hypocrisy makes an hypocrite And this thing is worthy to be diligently marked that I spake of the predominancie of vice because it is of maruellous great vse for the true triall of our felues according to those things that afterwards shall be set downe for that purpose For not euery one that feeleth in himselfe some of these signes and effects of hypocrisie that shall be named is by and by an hypocrite but he that hath them in him and takes no care to find them out or if hee must needes find them out continueth not to make warre against them by prayers and teares the sword of the spirit and the like weapons of our Christian warfare And of the description of an hypocrite hitherto I goe forwards to shew you the sorts or kinds of hypocrites for well may wee say that a notable difference in degrees may giue iust occasion of distributing the things so differing into diuers kinds as the Scripture diuideth the heauenly Bodies into the greater light for the day and the lesser light to rule the night CHAP. IIII. Of the diuers sorts of Hypocrites AND of hypocrites within the Church Of hypocrites there are two kinds the grosse hypocrite and the close hypocrite we shal find two kinds the greater hypocrite the lesser hypocrite the grosse hypocrite the close hypocrite both well called hypocrites because in both that vice preuayleth and yet the one distinguished from
euen so a man that hath long been taken for a good Christan is very backward to see and confesse that all his Christianitie was in formes and that he is not the man hee was taken for but an errand dissembler For why the heart of man is loath either to perceiue himselfe so wretched as he cannot but confesse himselfe to be in case he be but an hypocrite or else to take the paines which hee must needs take to make his estate better for doubtlesse it cannot but proue a painefull piece of worke to weede out a vice so deepely settled and so farre ouer-spreading But brethren vntill hypocrisie be plainely discerned it can neuer be reformed neyther this nor any other vice will cuer be conquered if it be not espied He shall for euer remaine an hypocrite that being so will not confesse himselfe so to be For when a man is ignorant of his vnhappinesse he will neuer set himselfe with all diligence to redresse it and certainely sinne will neuer be ouercome without striuing against it This and this alone is the true cause of our earnest plainnesse in this matter Wee would shew you your disease that you might in time seeke remedy and not perish by it Wee would lay open your sores that you might procure a playster and not be destroyed for want of healing And therefore returning againe to the matter we were about we doe now certifie euery person amongst you in whom that vniuersall care of knowing and accomplishing the whole will of God in each point of it and that out of the loue he beareth to him and for the honour and glory of his holy name that he I say in whom this care is not to be found though hee haue liued neuer so honestly to the world though he come to the Church neuer so duly though hee haue bin constant in frequenting Sermons though he haue beene very kinde to the Ministers of Gods Word though hee haue prayed many times with great feeling though he haue fits of great sorrow for diuers sinnes though he repeate Sermons and pray in his family though he haue obtained great credit amongst godly men and goe in the name of a most worthy Christian yet for all this and more than this if more may be without the fore-named generall endeauour is but a flat hypocrite a ranke dissembler a cousener of the world a beguiler of himselfe a whited sepulcher a picture of a Christian and not a Christian indeede This is thy case whatsoeuer thou hast heretofore deemed this and none other is thy condition if thou beest destitute of that fruitfulnesse which hath been plainely described vnto thee Open thine eyes now and see thy wretchednesse now suffer thy soule to bee wrought vpon and begin to seele thy misery that thou mayest be capable of helpe CHAP. XVIII Containing the third vse THirdly We must labour to be fruitfull let all men be now exhorted to get this fruitfulnesse by which they may approoue themselues to bee the true members of IESVS CHRIST Men do many times delight to norish in their Orchyards trees that beare no fruit onely for the comfort of their shade in hot seasons It is not so with God he likes not any tree that can doe nothing else but yeeld a shaddow if you will finde fauour in his sight you must be trees of righteousnesse you must be trees that yeeld some good fruit and be not wholly barren Learne I beseech you not to satisfie your selues with shewes with formalities with bare leaues but shew your faith by the fruites and let the grapes and figgs that may bee gathered of you testifie for you before God and your owne consciences that you be trees of Gods owne planting Content not your selues with a forme of religion applaude not your selues in your hearing and receiuing in your talking and seeming and your outward good dealing but O let your liues your whole liues and the tenour of all your whole conuersation be vniformerly constantly and in all things conformeable to the doctrine and example of our Lord Iesus Christ walke as he hath walked and hath commanded you to walke Let me vrge vpon you the words of Iohn Baptist to the Pharisies men that went for as deuoute holy and religious persons in their times till Christ the heart-searcher came to deale with them as any of you likely can be taken now begin not saith he to say with your selues we haue Abraham to our father but bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life Satisfie not your selues in hauing Abraham for your father I meane in the externall formalities of religion but looke to the course of your liues and see that it be such as may beseeme repentance Why will you loose your labour why will you die O house of Israel why will you rest your selues in that that will not profit Labour now to leade a godly conuersation in Christ Iesus let the common streame and current of your actions fauour of the holinesse of that Word of God which you say you beleeue and of the vertues of that Lord Iesus Christ in whom you say you place your confidence Assure your selues you shall neuer attaine the benefits of Christs death and resurrection vnlesse you shew forth the power of both in your liues that is to say vnlesse the serious consideration of the loue and goodnesse of God shewed in these two and of the hatefulnesse and filthinesse of sinne manifested in the former of them doe leaue so deepe an impression in your soules that here-hence you grow both resolute and able in some degree to cast away all the former lusts of your ignorance and now to turne your feete into the pathes of righteousnesse to fight against all the corrupt lusts of your hearts to labour to forbeare all wicked actions to endeauor to plant in your soules all vertues and to be abundant in religious mercifull iust temperate and all other godly actions that you may shew forth the vertues of him that hath translated you from darkenesse to light and be holy in all good conuersation euen as hee is holy Vrge and presse your selues therefore to this fruitfulnesse and make the constant carriage of your whole man inward and outward euen depose for you that yon are truly ingraffed into the true vine This fruitfulnesse shall arise for you in the day of tentation as it did for Iob and inable you to stand for your vprightnesse against all accusations of men and diuels and against all feares and doubtings of your owne hearts When a man is cast into the fornace ot aduersitie then will the leaues be blowne off as in the winter they be from trees then if the grapes of a good conuersation doe not lye by him to witnesse that he was a true branch in Christs body nothing will remaine for him but horror and amazement and a fearefull expectation of vengeance to befall him for all his shewes Be you therefore prepared for the day of triall which
but from gracious acceptation of them in that blood by dipping wherein the spots of them are done away For there is I thinke none of vs which denyeth but that God accepting our workes as perfect in Christ doth reward vs for them as if they were perfect but seeing the reward becomes due in Christ and not by the workes themselues wee thinke it a foolish pride to maintaine the stately name of merit of workes when wee are faine to beg the reward for anothers sake and cannot chalenge it simply for the workes sake Thus this truth inforceth them after much turning and winding in effect to confesse it though the truth is they would not haue it seeme so for feare of a sore losse that might follow thence vnto their Clergies kitchin and manger I meane their liuing and pompe But let them passe There is a second errour of heretickes 2. Of perfection of holinesse in this life dreamed of by the ancient Puritans so they may well be called no lesse dangerous yea verily I suppose much more dangerous then the former of old condemned vnder the name of Puritans from a conceited and imaginary purity or absolute freedome from all sinne whereof they boasted and now as the speech goes reuiued in some parts of this Land This is that the Saints of God in this life may attaine to such perfection as not at all to commit any sinne with such gay fancies they please to seed themselues and their seduced followers Now it is most certaine that these men are the most abominable and dissembling hypocrites in all the world or else the most besotted and benummed spirits for their owne whole carriage and continuall experience doth confute them euen to themselues and yet they will not see themselues confuted If euer any of you meet with any foolish Hypocrite offering to tel you a tale of such perfection that he hopes to get or that he hath gottē or that may be gotten by any in this life as neuer to sinne any more neuer any more to need repentance doe no more but turne him to Saint Iohns Epistle and tell him that he that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Bid him consult with Salomon againe who propoundeth the question as of a thing impossible Who can say his heart is pure and tell him againe that the same Salomon knew what he said when he said that there is a generation which is pure in their owne eyes but are not cleansed from their filthinesse and tell him that those branches in Christ which need no pruning are sure like a branch ouerladen with Grapes through the conceit of their much fruitfulnesse broken off from him for he saith that euery one remaining in him needeth and receiueth pruning which were not needfull if he were faultlesse And so leaue the fond deceiued and selfe-conceited Hypocrite vnto himselfe and haue no more to doe with him For either he speaketh altogether against his owne heart or else his heart is nought worth as Salomon saith of the wicked yea more hope is there of the saluation of the most desperate sinner aliue then of such an one For Christ alwayes 〈◊〉 the full empty away and pronounceth a 〈◊〉 vpon these spiritually rich persons Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes saith Salomon there is more hope of a foole then of him Surely he is wise in his owne eyes that thinketh he hath no sinne wherefore we can haue little hope of him This errour is so contrary to all the feeling and sense of all Gods Saints who are faine still to say with Dauid Lord who can know his errors as that a man would maruel how any man in whom there was euer any knowledge of the Word and any shew and beginning of goodnesse should bee so farre seduced and drawne away as to entertaine such an opinion But the cause is manifest hypocrisie is alwayes accompanied with pride and the growth of hypocrisie breeds also a growth of pride and pride swels out the eyes that a man cannot see the cleerest truthes And thus haue we briefly discouered vnto you these errours to rectifie your iudgements For if the words of Christ be true these opinions that are directly opposite vnto the truth contained in them must needs be false Now heare some other vses to rectifie your practice also CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death Vse 2 SEE heere 〈◊〉 how great cause wee haue to follow the Apostle Paul We should long for the time of our dissolution when we shall be perfectly freed from sinne and to long that wee were once dissolned and perfectly vnited vnto Christ that as hee prayes for vs being where he is and seeing his glory we might be perfectly like him in a spotlesse purity and holinesse Impatient folkes are many times so tormented with worldly crosses made so troublesome vnto them alone by their owne folly and pride whereby they neglect to see God and to stoope vnto him in crosses that they are euen altogether weary of their liues because of them and our of a kind of stomackfull sullennesse against God as once Ionas or else a feeble sinking vnder the burthen of misery as once Eliah they euen thinke with themselues I would I were dead and are bold to trouble God with that vnsauoury petition of making an end of their daies that they may be rid of their crosses which they haue neither patience enough to beare for the present nor hope enough to looke for a good issue out of for the time to come But my brethren consider Haue you not other and worse things to be weary of then crosses and for which if for any thing to be weary of life also as of a burthen which you long to be remoued from off your shoulders Hast thou not pride passion worldlinesse ambition lust enuie vaine-glory blindnesse hollownesse deadnesse of heart and a thousand more besides these corruptions within thee which giue thee farre iuster cause of panting for the period of thy dayes and wishing that thy life heere might bee but short then the frowardnesse of a yoke fellow the stubbornnesse of a child the meannesse of thine estate the falsenesse of thy friends the power and fury of thine enemies or any other crosse if any be worse then these Ah wee haue not sufficiently informed our selues of the loathsomnesse of sin neither are we sufficiently heauie laden with the sense thereof if the cumbersomnesse of this doe not cause vs euen in the time of our greatest immunity from other miseries to couet our departure hence If sicknesses make men cry for death because they be terrible to the body how should not the sicknesses of the soule make vs much rather to seeke for it seeing wee shall not cease to suffer the fits of this disease till death be sent to seuer our soules from our bodies and both from our
or to any other vnlawfull some liberty not to be condemned as wicked will yet so confirme and strengthen certaine peculiar distempers of some mans soule more then of others that the inioying of such contents will proue exceeding mischieuous and doe him an hundred times more harme then the content thereof can be worth vnto him Bee we therefore as wary and cautelous for our spirituall health as for our naturall Let vs set bounds to our selues euen in the vse of our lawfull liberty in things indifferent and not please our senses and fancies to the wounding and hurting of our soules Now brethren these are the most needfull directions for the ouermastering of the euils of our inward man which I thought fit to commend vnto you He that will follow them shall finde a sensible decay of the body of death he shall find the flesh more and more subdued vnto the Spirit hee shall finde himselfe able to preuaile against those passions and lusts that he had sometimes thought impossible to bee preuailed against he shall be kept from many grosse faults and many dangerous our-strayings and shall far lesse frequently and lesse violently be foyled of his spirituall enemy then without them it will prooue or seeme possible Yea in thus pruning himselfe he shall saue the Husbandman a labour of pruning and keepe himselfe at ease from many burthensome crosses that must needs come vpon him otherwise Consider therefore of thine owne infirmity consider that thou art in part alone sanctified consider that sinne is not quite and cleane taken from thy soule but alone deposed from that tyrannicall dominion which once it did exercise ouer thy soule consider that Satan watcheth all aduantages to catch thee in a snare and to bring thee backe againe to folly and because thou art not fully perfect bee content to deuoure the paines of helping thy selfe against thine imperfections which if thou wilt not be perswaded to doe know that thou shalt euen inforce the Lord to compell thee as it were by foule meanes to the doing of that without which hee doth well know that thou canst not bee safe namely of fighting against the fleshly lusts that fight against thy soule CHAP. X. Containing the fourth and last vse of the poynt viz. a consolation to the people of God against their vnallowed finnes BVt moreouer Vse 4 this poynt wee haue spoken of Comfort to Gods people against the sinnes which they feele and disallow though it seeme at first hearing to be altogether vncomfortable doth yet affoord a sure and needfull comfort vnto the seruants of God that haue wisedome to apply it the right way For why it followes hence necessarily that the branches in this Vine should not be appalled nor out of heart because they are continually troubled with the feeling of many things amisse which it were farre more desireable to haue lopped off then continue vpon them Heere is cause not of not being humbled but of not being discouraged in the senfe and feeling of our manifold corruptions For it is sure a man may be a lining and a fruitfull branch and yet stand in great need of much pruning It doth often arise in the hearts of the truest of Gods people as an argument against their truth that they haue so many sinnes still stirring in them and that they doe daily transgresse so many waies and oftentimes in very high degrees and grosse kinds Now if we had well consulted with the Saints of God that liued in former times and of whose liues the holy Scriptures doe giue vs a map or abridgement we should easily perceiue that there were no force at all in this argument vnlesse in so speaking we will offend against the generation of Gods children as the Psalmist speaketh in another case For what reason were strong and good against me or any of you that now liue the same had been also firme and strong against many of those that were members of the Church in former times and if the Scriptures doe assure vs of their being dearly beloued of God and surely ingraffed into Christ euen at the selfe same time when they did complaine of like corruptions to those that wee now doe complaine of then we may safely collect hence that wee also are in Christ and in the fauour of God notwithstanding that wee cannot deny our selues to bee polluted with such euils Wherefore if you will truly conclude of your selues in this behalse whether you be or be not in Christ you must not look so much only to what corruptions you haue as to what you allow For true grace may stand with the hauing of many but not with the allowing of any He that excuseth extenuateth makes light of any sinne at all and thinkes he needs not greatly care for leauing off that because it is so small a matter and because hee is perswaded that there is neuer a man aliue but doth as bad and therefore beares himselfe boldly vpon Gods misapplyed mercy that he shall doe well enough for all that he allowes sinne hee giues it liberty and licence and yeelds himselfe to the dominion of sinne and this man is not a liuing member of Christs body nor a fruitfull branch of this Vine Let him by no meanes beguile himselfe nor suffer any formes of seeming goodnesse that hee hath in other things to make him conceiue well of himselfe he is doubtlesse an halter and Christ Iesus will reiect him at last But he that hath many sinnes sees them acknowledgeth them to God hath his soule troubled at them and desireth rather then his life to be freed of them and becomes exceeding base in his owne feeling because of them still casting himselfe vpon Gods gracious and free fauour in Christ for pardon of them may be and is a fruitfull branch though he haue a thousand sinnes of infirmitie in him yea though he be ouercome of tentation to commit the same sinne againe and againe Let not the diuell abuse any of you to make him lesse carefull of lamenting and opposing and being humbled vnder his sinnes because he heares he may be a good Christian and partake of the benefits of Christ for all them for in so abusing this comfort you shall make your selues vncapable of this comfort because it belongeth alone to those that so haue sinned as they bee troubled vexed and disquieted with it as with the breaking of a leg or arme and do euen make haste to the binding of their soules vp againe by the renewing of their repentance Indeed the Hypocrite if he can once get a conceit fastened in him that though he doe commit such a sinne yet he may goe to heauen well enough for all that he thinketh himself safe and is little careful to oppose or bewaile that sinne which hee conceits will not damne him but the true Christian will be no whit lesse carefull to frame himselfe to mourning for sinne and to take paines against it because he is secured for the matter of
the reasons of it are as cleere as can be not onely from the truth and power of God who is able abundantly to mortifie our sinnes and hath told vs that hee is faithfull and true to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse but also from two other pertinent considerations namely first that their need requireth it secondly that it standeth vpon his honour to performe it For first Reason 1 if the Lord their God should not vndertake the purging and cleansing of them Because else they should perish by the preuailing of sinne their sinnes would totally and finally preuaile against them and they could not possibly but perish If a Garden be not timely weeded it will quickly be so ouer-runne with weeds that there will bee no place left for good and wholesome herbes and flowers to grow therein If a dangerous fote bee not plaistered with conuenient salues it will fester and rankle and rot the ioynt and bring death to the body wherein it bred euen so would sinne also preuaile against the best of Gods seruants to their vtter destruction if hee himselfe did not ioyne to helpe them against it For in truth all their power without the perpetuall assistance of his speciall grace would bee to little purpose for the subduing thereof Either therefore the Lord must purge his people or see them dye for euer for want of purging This latter his tender pity and fatherly compassion his eternall infinite vnspeakable free and vnchangeable loue can neuer indure to see wherefore his wisedome power and goodnesse will set themselues on worke to effect the former euen to purge them that they may be saued And that the rather because in the second place Reason 2 it much importeth his owne honour so to doe It is for Gods honour to perfect the worke be hath begun in them For this is one of those wayes whereby hee is made glorious in all his Saints for that his working in them is so miraculously effectuall as to change blindnesse into sight lamenesse into soundnesse weaknesse into strength and death into life For as a Physiciā hauing vndertaken the cure of some desperat disease wil not for his credit leaue it off bunglingly in the middest halfe whole halfe ill but must perfectly consummate accōplish it to the totall strength of the member ill-affected and person diseased because the glory of a Physiciā doth stand in the multitude of those whom he hath perfectly healed of grieuous maladies So the Lord of heauen and earth hauing begun to heale the sicke yea desperately sicke soules of his poore afflicted and sinfull seruants must euen goe thorow with that hard worke for his glory sake that it may not be said he laid the foundation and was either so weak that he could not or so vnconstant that he would not set vp the roofe and he must winne to himselfe the glory of infinite power and skill in making them euery whit sound as our Sauiour speaketh of one whom himselfe had restored to bodily health It is his honour to shew himselfe strong in their weaknesse true in their falshood wise in their folly good in their badnesse and fuller of excellent ability to redresse their euils then they can be of euils that may need redressing and the glory of glories that hee affecteth to haue in his Church is this that hee turneth Lions into Lambs Woolues into Sheepe and Beares into Kine and Serpents into Sucklings fooles into wise men and sinners into Saints so taking away the most mischieuous violent ouerbearing and but by his strength vnsubduable corruptions of their nature whom he sanctifieth by grace as that he worketh the quite contrary vertuous qualities in them CHAP. XII Shewing the meanes and manner of the Lords pruning NOw hauing sufficiently manifested the present poynt to be true let vs for the better cleering thereof and to make it more easily and plentifully vsefull acquaint you with two necessary poynts about this pruning First The meanes of this pruning by what meanes it is effected and then in what manner For the first the meanes of purging are of two sorts proper Some proper that are fit to bring forth that effect of their owne nature and accidentall that doe not of their owne nature serue for so good a purpose but by Gods wisedome and power are ouer-ruled to the helping forward thereof The proper meanes are also of two kinds principall and instrumentall The principall is the blessed Spirit of God 1. The chiefe Gods holy Spirit for that reason tearmed a Spirit of burning because it serueth to consume the corruptions out of our soules as fire doth the drosse out of the metall The holy Ghost is giuen vnto them that beleeue that they may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit which bestoweth his efficacie vpon them in those spirituall ordinances of his that he hath appoynted they are then said to crucifie their lusts by the Spirit when they doe carefully vse those spirituall weapons wherewith the holy Ghost will neuer faile to cooperate And if there were not a supernaturall operation of the Spirit of Christ Iesus in vs to heale and helpe vs against these euils neuer should we by all our owne indeuours attaine any sound and thorow purging but alone a slight and superficiall washing of the outside And it is of great importance for vs to vnderstand that the holy Ghost is the chiefe worker in this worke without whom it would neuer succeed happily though we should labour therein with all our might both that we may be able with a more abundant thankfulnesse to acknowledge his care of vs and loue to vs in so great and beneficiall a seruice giuing away the whole praise from our selues to him and also that wee may bee ready with more humble carefulnesse to receiue and yeeld our selues vp vnto this heauenly worke of his which can by no meanes be hindred or interrupted but by our not regarding or not submitting our soules vnto it Wee must be strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might His Spirit must cloath vs and come vpon vs through him we must doe valiantly in this spirituall warfare and he must tread downe those lusts that rise vp against vs But this Spirit worketh in 2. The instrumentall the Word of God and by an excellent instrument the Word of God the Law and Gospell read preached heard meditated vpon which therfore we tearme an instrumentall cause of our purging For when as a Christian man doth exercise himselfe in the Word as for example by comming to heare it preached the Spirit of God doth then worke withall to make those speeches effectuall stirring vp and inclining his heart to marke and obserue the corruptions that are discouered vnto him and so to heed the words as to be moued by them So we reade that God cleansed Dauid from his impenitent continuance in his foule sinnes by the wholesome reproofe
of God shall haue the vpper hand and our faith shall bee our victory We are many times little lesse then out of heart because the proceedings doe seeme very slow and well-neere indiscernable But bee not discouraged O ye Christian soules promise your selues victory in this spirituall conflict for the Lord doth fight on your side and you shall conquer In truth we want much of that mortification which we might attaine if out of this confidence we would put forth our selues to the vtmost The diuel labours to make vs beleeue that it wil be to no purpose to resist our lusts wee haue so often resolued to leaue such a fault and cannot yet leaue it we haue thus often resolued against anger lust pride worldlinesse and the like and yet behold the passions and motions of them are stirring and also breake forth againe sure therefore it will neuer be better and it is in vaine to continue striuing about that which cannot bee effected These be the heartlesse and vnbeleeuing conclusions wherewith the diuell and the flesh would dismay vs. But now know thou that these conclusions are false I tell thee the quite contrary in the name of the Lord It shall not be in vaine to striue against sinne the husbandman will prune the branches and shall not hee bee able to bring his workes to passe according to his promise Tell me from thine owne feeling doe not these sins vexe thee more and more and art thou not more and more angry and discontented against thy selfe for them and more and more out of loue with thy selfe because of them if so as sure thou canst not deny but it is so then all is safe this is to be in pruning now the sinne is dying onely doe thou make vse of Gods words to Ioshua fighting against the Canaanites Faint not nor bee discouraged but take to thy selfe a valiant spirit to continue praying against meditating on the Word of God and the death of Christ opposing the first motions of it and vsing all other good wayes that God hath directed thee vnto for the subduing of it and I say vnto thee thou shalt prosper goe vp and fight against these Philistims and the Lord will deliuer them into thine hands Our want of being sufficiently purged doth come from want of sufficient indeuours to purge our selues and this want springeth from a want of faithful assurance of Gods assistance and good successe in our indeuours But now I beseech you all that bee members of Christ set in earnestly and with a good courage and you shall vanquish them you shall more and more preuaile against them till at last you haue quite ouercome them in the ouercomming of the last enemy which is death If wee did labour against sin alone in our owne strength we should finde indeed that vaine is the helpe of man and the labour of flesh and blood in this behalfe but the God of heauen he is the husbandman and hee pruneth The Lord is present with thy prayers to make them effectuall for the killing of thy lusts The Lord is present in his Word to make it a two-edged sword to cut off all carnall affections and to wound the body of death more and more The Lord is present with thine holy meditations to make them effectuall to weaken any of thy sinfull passions Faint not therefore but stir vp thy selfe to worke with God in those holy exercises know that thy successe shall be as often it hath been with Gods people in the naturall battell farre beyond thine expectation And of the matter of Gods Husbandry so farre We must now looke into the end and effect of it for God will neuer misse of his ends though hee often misse of those ends whereto his actions in their owne nature are fitted and which speaking after the manner of men to our capacity he tells vs that he intended This is that they may bring forth more fruit CHAP. XVI Containing the fourth poynt of doctrine that the people of God must increase in fruitfulnesse SO are we come to the last poynt wee intended to speake of Doct. 4 The true Christian must waxe better and better viz. that the true branches of the Vine must labour to increase in fruitfulnesse Euery true Christian man must proceed and goe forward in the fruits of the Spirit growing better and better and more and more abundant in the worke of the Lord. As we looke that a tree the longer it growes in our Orchard the more and more increase it should yeeld vs in like manner should wee behaue our selues towards God The Apostle Peter wisheth vs to long for the sincere milke of the Word that we may grow thereby A Christian is like a young child that sucketh on the brest of his mother who doth to this end receiue that kindly nourishment that he may increase in stature and strength of body Paul aduertizeth the Thessalonians saying I beseech you brethren as you haue receiued of vs how you ought to walke and to please God 1. Thes 4.1 and 10. that yee abound more and more And afterwards concerning brotherly loue We beseech you that you increase more and more And Dauid saith Psalm 92.14 that the trees which are planted in the courts of Gods House doe bring forth fruit in their age and are fat and flourishing But the poynt is without deniall and the reasons of it are more then euident Reason 1 First they are short of perfection They are not yet perfect so long as they liue in this world and therefore must striue forward to perfection Paul himselfe tels the Philippians that he pressed hard towards the marke because he not yet reached it and wisheth as many as are perfect to be so minded In a race a man must neuer cease running till hee touch the goale wee shall neuer touch the goale of perfection till wee haue deliuered vp our soules into the hands of God by death for heere we know but in part and therefore can doe nothing in whole hence it followes that till death we must be still going onward When a man hath attained his full stature he must grow then indeed hee needeth onely nutrition but till then augmentation is requisite for these two motions are very different as you know and his limmes must become greater and stronger yea and will doe so vnlesse diseases hinder Now we be but striplings or rather infants in goodnesse In truth wee are but in the wombe of the Church all the while we walke in this world our death-day will be our birth day and then we shall at once be made full and compleat wherefore till then there must be a continuall addition of grace to that wee haue already receiued Indeed some Christians in comparison of others are called strong men as euen of infants in the wombe some are perfecter then other but simply there is none a full growne man brought to the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of Christ