est This Sinner stinketh and rotteth like Lazarus when hee had Ioh. 11. 39. beene dead foure dayes The Seuenth Degree is 7. the Defence of Sin which is fearefull to thinke vpon At this passe were the Iewes who being reprooued from the Lord for their grosse Idolatry returned this answere Wee haue loued Strangers and Ier. 2. 25. them WIL we follow Thus the Blasphemer alledgeth Ioseph to excuse his swearing the Drunkard Noah the Adulterer Daâ—id the Oppressour Zachee but these wicked men as Gregorie Pastor Cur. 3. pars well aduiseth are to be admonished Vt eis perditio priuata sufficiat That they would hold it sufficient to bee cast awayes themselues and not by their lewd licentious speeches to drawe others with them into the same damnation The Eighth and last Degree 8. is the Boasting of Sinne to the which when a man is come he is in the gall of Act. 8. 23. bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie The triall of Isa 3. 9. his countenance witnesseth against him hee declures his sinne as Sodome he hides it not woe be vnto Ier. 6. 15. his soule for he hath rewarded euil vnto himselfe Is hee a shamed when hee Ier. 8. 12. hath committed euill No he is not ashamed neither can he haue any shame but turneth vnto his race euen Ier. 8. 6. as the Horse that rusheth into the battaile Thus the Tyrant Boasteth that he Psa 52. 1. can doe euill like Lamech Gâ—â— 4. 23. 〈◊〉 Vâ—â—ab the first Bigamist who Vaunted to his wiues that he would slay a man in his wound and a yong man in his heate And thus the vngracious Old man whose thoughts are green though his head be gray delights to bragge of his Sabbathdancings and other vanities of his youth forgetting that such abusing of the whole body with foolish gesticulations and profanation of the Lords Day may truely bee defined to bee Circulus cuius Centrum Diabolus A Circle whose Centre is the Deuil I will end this point with that worthie sentence of Saint Bernard Nihil equè De Conscien exasperat illius tremendi Iudicis Maiestatem quà m peccare securè peccare de vitijs quasi de virtutibus gloriari There is nothing in the world that prouoketh so much to anger the Maiestie of the most dreadful Iudge as first to sinne and then to sin securely at last to glory in the perpetration of it as if wee had performed some notable exploit CHAP. LX. Of the fearefull Estate of those that haue Searednesse of Conscience TO the end the Obstinate Obdurate may be brought to the consideration of the dreadful danger where with he is inuironed like the Hoste of the 2. Kin. 6. 20 Aramites in the midst of Samaria I will stand a little to describe the wofulnesse and forlornenesse of his estate First then the Man that Deut. 28. Leu. 26. hath his Conscience seared is liable to all the plagues that are vnder heauen to hunger to thirst to nakednesse to Famine to Warre to Banishment to Shame to Beggerie to Contempt to Imprisonment to the Pestilence to the Phrensie and to the Botch of Egypt to Abridgement of Life by a sudden and ignominious Death at what time his Soule is like to goe to Hell while his Bodie is deuoured of the Fowles of the Ayre or at the best lyes rotting like a Carrion in the earth til the Day of Iudgement Secondly the Scripture brands him for a Cursed 2. King 9. 34. Man than which what can be imagined more terrible For as the sweetest word in all the World is Come ye Mat. 25. 34. 41. BLESSED so the very bottome of the Violl of GODS wrath is Goe yee CVRSED Thirdly he doth enough to bring a plague vpon his Posteritie to the third and Exod. 20. 5. fourth Generation for oft-times the Curse is intayled to the Children of irreligious Parents the rather because they vsually tread in the by-wayes of their Progenitors Fourthly the Sinner that hath made a league with Hell and with Death is transformed into a Beast and hath lost the name and nature of a Man and therefore in the Dialect of Scripture Psal 10. 9. â— sal 22. 12. Luk. 13. 32. Mat. 3. 7. hee is a Lion a Bull a Fox a Viper and at the best a Nebuchadnezzar turned Dan. 4. 30. out to grasse Fiftly the Word of GOD which is as Fire and as the Ier. 23. 29. Hammer that breaketh the stone which hath beene a powerful instrument of saluation to thousand thousaÌ„d soules that haue heard it as we read of Three thousand Acts 2. 41. that it wanne to the Church at one time cannot preuaile with the flagitious liuer but the more SermoÌ„s he resorts to the worse hee is like a raw and vnbaked Bricke which the more it is washed the fouler it is Sixtly the Sacrament is altogether ineffectuall to him though it bee the Conduit of Grace and the Lauer of the Soule Thus Iudas receiuing the Bread of the Lords Supper at the blessed hand of our Sauiour and yet retayning a Trayterous disposition receiued the Ioh. 13. 27. Sop but withall gaue the Deuill the full possession of himselfe Seuenthly which is enough to make one quake to thinke of it our Sauiour Ioh. 17. 9. Christ hath left it in expresse words that hee will not Pray for him Ieremie Must not Christ Will not Ier. 7. 16. Eightly when in his affliction he prayes howles vpon his Bed hee doth no better than cut off a Dâ—gges Isa 66. 3. necke or offer Swines-bloud or blesse an Idoll Insomuch that the action of Prayer which in the Elect is a singular grace as being the principal fruit of Faith and Bez. Conf. c. 4. Art 16. the most honourable seruice that can be tendred to GOD is in him vnfruitfull and abominable Lastly this Hardnesse of Exod. 7. 3. Heart and high degree of Spirituall desertion is Pharaohs punishmeÌ„t that is the Plague of Plagues the very Master-pocke that eateth out the eye of the Soule CHAP. LXI Of the Fift kind of Euill Conscience which is the Desperate one THe last and worst kind of Conscience is the Desperate the horror wherof but to shadow for who is able to expresse it at life were enough to split the heart of a Christian For First it is an Inward pang a Secret torment and conuulsion which by so much the more is into lerable by how much the lesse it is capable of vent For the wicked is like the raging of the Isai 57. 20. Sea whose waters cast vp mâ—re and dirt being not only tossed with Stormes and Counter-blasts from without but most of all troubled with it owne reciprocall motion Thus the huge and massiue bodie of the Earth is shaken with vapors from within where the most boysterous winds that assault her vpper-face cannot stirre her Secondly he is
Iudging my selfe I shall neuer 1. Cor. 11. 31. be Iudged of the Lord. Againe it is an Axiome in Scripture that They that sow Psa 126. 5. in teares shall reape in ioy Thirdly I find that the godliest men were the greatest weepers as Dauid for one Oculus veâ—uti à Tineis Corrosus est Vatab. in Ps 6. 7. whose eye was worm-eaten with blubbering To the which consenteth S. Augustine when he saith Quantò De Ciu. Dei l. 20. c. 17. quisque est sanctior tantâ— est eius fletus vberior The holier a man is the more plentifull is he in weeping Fourthly the tears that flow from a contrite heart are accepted of God as secret prayers therefore saith S. Ambrose Lachrymae tacitae quodammodo Serm. 46. sunt preces Teares in some sort are close supplications Fiftly the teares of a pensiue sinner reioyce the blessed Saints of Heauen to this end saith Bernard Lachrymae Super Cant. Ser. 68. Peccatorum Deliciae Angelorum The teares of Sâ—nners are the delights of Angels Sixtly the merry sports of Theâ—ters come very farre short of the comfort that goes with teares for so saith S. Augustine Dulciores sunt In Ps 128. lachâ— ymae oâ—antiuÌ„ quà m gauâ—ia Theatrorum More sweet are the tâ—ars of them that pray than the pleasures of Stage-playes Seuenthly it is a signe that he is respected of God whose heart by grace is dissolued into teares Omnis Peccator saith S. Bernard De modo Benè viu Ser. 10. tunc se cognoscit visitari à Domino quando compungitur adlachrymas Then doth the sinner perswade himselfe that hee is visited in mercie of the Lord when his griefe for sinne shewes it selfe in teares Eightly if teares as the same Author testifieth bee miraculously turned into Wine which issue foorth in the feruour of In Epiphan Dom. Ser. 3. Charitie to our neighbour then much more those which the Sacred fire of Gods Spirit hath distilled from true remorse for sinne whereof if we drinke til we scarce know where we are it is but Sobria quaedam Ebrietas A certaine sober kind of Dizzinesse CHAP. XLIIII Of the Seuenth Comfort in trouble of Conscience which is Prayer AS our blessed Sauiour in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications vnto his Father with strong crying Heb. 5. 7. and teares and was also heard in that which he feared so is euery Christian in the terrour and consternation of his minde to inuocate Gods Name with all Faith and Zealousnesse For since Prayer is of such a preuailing nature that it pierceth the heauens and importunes the Lord for succour not suffering him to rest vntill hee haue mercie on the Suppliant how can Isa 62. 7. he want comfort that is sedulous in the vse of it The Prophet Dauid was often wounded grieuously in Conscience and in all his Agonies hee still hath recourse to God by Prayer And this is very obseruable that his Petitions in that case howsoeuer they beginne in griefe yet they end Psal 6. 1. in ioy O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger an heauie entrance yet thus he exulteth in the cloze Away from 8. me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping So when he powreth out this complaint My God my God Ps 22. 1. why hast thou forsaken mee what can bee imagined more sad and rufull yet in the conclusion where hee 23 44. calls vpon the faithfull to congratulate Gods great regard of him doth not the gladnesse more then coun teruaile the sorrow In like manner when he crieth out as for life and death Sauâ— me O Lord for the waters are Ps 69. 1. entred euen to my soule what beginning can bee more passionate yet if wee descend to the latter part it will not much differ from a Song of Triumph It were â—o hard matter to quote sundrie other places to this purpose but these may suffice as a direction to the rest Now the ground of our Ps 50. 15. hope in the Inuocation of Gods name is both a Commandement and a Promise Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee O the vnspeakable solace of Gods children that are not onely inuited but charged to call vpon their heauenly Father in all their necessities with a most gracious assurance to bee heard when they shall aske nay before they aske O the Isa 65. 24. Rom. 8. 15. glorious priuiledge of Spirituall Adoâ—tion which is a lawfull Act not imitating but transcending nature found out of God not for the comfort of a Father that wanteth Children but for the comfort of Children that want a Father It is this that makes vs crie Abba Father It is this that makes vs say Shibboleth Iudg. 12. 6. not Sibboleth it is this that makes vs renew our strength and lift vp our wings as the Eagles Isa 40. 31. Say ye that are the Sons of the liuing God ye that alone can speake the Language of Canaan if euer yee made an holy and feruent prayer and felt not an heauenly reioycing after it And say if ye finde it not true in experience that much prayer much comâ—ort little prayer little comfort no prayer no comfort O it must needs De Inter. Dom. 6. 48. bee so For as S. Bernard well sayth Quando oramus Spiritum sanctum ad nos vocamus As oft as we pray wee call the Holy Ghost vnto vs. But here it must bee remembred that in the anxietie and perplexednesse of our soules wee frame our petitions for their matter and coÌ„tents according to the patterne of the Lords Prayer concluding also vsually therewith our own supplications For as Cyprian De Orat. Dom. noteth Quantò efficacâ—ùs impetramus quod petimus in Christi Nomine si petanâ—us ipsius Oraâ—ionâ— How much sooner shall we obtaine what wee desire in Christs Name if withall we request it in his owne words For it is to bee beleeued that no Saint nor Angel is able to match that Platforme of Prayer whether we regard the Authority of it or the Breuitie or the Perfection or the Method or the Efficacie or the Necessity CHAP. XLV Of the Eighth Comfort in trouble of Conscience which is the Reading of Scripture EXcept thy Law had beene Psal 119. 92. my delighâ— saith Dâ—uid to the Lord I should haue perished in â—y â—ouble where by Law is meant not the Dâ—calogue Caluin Vatab. Molier in Psal 19. onely but the whole Couenant of God S. Paul calleth the Scripture especially the New Testament the Wâ—rd of Life because as it is Phil. 2. 16. VerbuÌ„ Domini the Word of the Lord so it containeth nothing in effect but Verbum DominuÌ„ The Word The Lord. Now where Christ is the Subiect-matter there must needs bee cause of Iubilation Certainely as the Lord is the God of all Comsort 2. Cor. 1. 3. so the Bible
Consider that it is exceeding liable to temptations and is vsually barren in the very disposition to doe good Consider that Listlesnesse and Vnthankefulnesse are neuer seuered but goe hand in hand together Consider that it is the Sister of Doubtfulnesse Consider Bern. De Mod. Bene Viu Ser. 11 that Melancholy is a Black humour and the Seate of the Deuill if it bee not well lookt to Consider that immoderate Sorrow 2. Cor. 7. 10 causeth Death and is the Fore-runner of Despaire Consider it argues a defect of Wisedome sith the wrath of GOD belongs Ephes 5. 6. not to the Elect but to the Children of Disobediâ—nce Consider that as in the Laughing of the wicked the Pro. 14. 13. heart is sorrowfull and the end of that Mirth is Heauinesse so in the sorrow of the Godly the heart should bee lightned because the end of that Heauinesse is Mirth Consider that it prouokes the Lord to anger when one serues him not with Ioyfulnesse and Deu. 28. 47 with a Good heart CHAP. LIIII A short Prayer for Comfort in trouble of Conscience MOst mightie and most glorious GOD the brightnesse of whose countenance the very Angels are not able to behold and before whose wrath none is able to stand how dare I vile and miserable Sinner once offer to speake vnto thee by Prayer who am guiltie in my selfe of so many treacheries and rebellions wherby I haue made my selfe liable to euerlasting vengeance But Lord it is thine infinite goodnesse and tender compassion in Iesus Christ that thus imboldneth mee For though I bee Hell yet thou art Hâ—auen And still thou most kindly offerest thy selfe vnto mee in thy Word and Sacraments and smitest my stony heart with remorse that so I may bee conuerted and liue Yea Gracious Lord thou seest at this present that I lye bleeding in wardly before thee and that my sinnes pursue me vnto Death My belly trembleth my lips shake and rottennesse entreth into my bones for feare of thy Iudgements For O Lord I confesse from the bottome of my heart that in mine owne feeling I am the most notorious Offender that euer beg'd mercie at thy hand or that euer was saued For Christ his sake haue mercie vpon me and speake Peace vnto my Soule O thou that killest and makest aliue bringest downe to the Graue and raysest vp againe forgiue mee my manifold crying sins restore the ioyes that I was wont to find in thee O blessed Father look vpon me in thy Beloued O Iesus Christ one drop one drop of thy bloud to comfort mee O Holy Ghost inspire mee with the sweet motions of grace and giue me a Certificate of mine Election and Saluation Good Father forsake not the worke of thine own hands but glorifie thy name in vouchsafing pitie to me poore wretch who in all humilitie doe craue it further in the name and words of my Sauiour saying Our Father c. CHAP. LV. Of Euill Conscience and first of the Large one HAuing thus copiously discoursed of the nature of Good Conscience and of Trouble of Minde which being sanctified is in the way to it it now remaineth that wee treat of Euill Conscience which hath sundrie kindes or distinctions the first whereof is called Conscientia Dilatata A large or Cheuerill Conscience because it sticketh not at any sinne vnlesse it be notorious and capitall Thus many will sweare deepe and fearefull oathes which yet wil pause in a case of Periurie will digest Fornication but shrinke at Incest will make no bones of Vsury Brokage and such drie murder yet will sit downe and demurre ere they bathe their hands in bloud This Conscience is that which is tearmed Sleepie or Benummed for that it lies still and couches close till the time of Sicknesse Death or other extremitie and then like a wilde Beast it starts vp with fierie eyes is ready to pluck out the throate of the soule Now the causes of this Securitie are Ignorance Passion Harts-ease Imployment which either lull the Conscience asleepe or else crie downe her voice with clamours as the Drummes in the sacrifices to Moloch were wont to drowne the shriekes of the Infants CHAP. LVI Of the Second kinde of Euill Conscience which is Nice or Spiced AGaine there is a Byrdey'd Conscience which starteth backe at the least occasion and maketh more Commandements that Ten. Against this causelesse scrupulositie is bent that sage aduice of Salomon Bee not Ecclesiast 7. 18. thou Iust Ouer-much which speech may seeme strange at the first sight because Iustitia quantò maior tantò Dionys Carthus melior The greater Iustice is the more commendable it is But we must consider that albeit Iustice in it selfe be a vertue where in there is no Excesse directly because the Augmentation is the Completion of it yet in the Exercises and Acts thereof superfluitie may be found So that no doubt it is displeasing to GOD that a man should maceratehimself by watchings fastings and immoderate labour refusing lawful meates refections which serue for the sustentation of life and furtherance of his calling howsoeuer in a certaine strictnesse and morositie hee perswade himselfe that this Austerenesse pleaseth him But we neede not presse this point too farre in this Intemperate Age which is rather pampered to surfet than abridged of Necessaries CHAP. LVII Of the Third kinde of Euilâ— Conscience which is the Peruerse one ANother kinde of Euill Conscience is the Wayward one whose propertie is to straine out a Gnat and swallow a Camell This Mat. 23. 24. was the Conscience of the Pharises who cried out against Mat. 12. 2. the poore hungry Disciples for plucking a few eares of Corne on the Sabbath but could bawke their owne sinnes which were so palpable and shamefull that they deserued to bee hooted at In like sort they tythed Mâ—nt Annise and Mat 23. 23. Cummin but left the weightier matters of the Law as Iudgement Mercie and Fidelitie Not that it was reproueable to regard the smallest documents of the Law but for that they committed a three-fold errour First in the neglecting of greater duties Secondly in placing their hope in these little ones and Thirdly in their superstitious coÌ„mendation of them Of the Successors of these Pharises complained Dionysius In Mat. 23. 23. Carthusianus in his time Tales proh dolor saith he iam penè innumerabiles sunt in Ecclesia Christi Pastores Praelati qui Decimas caetera quae ad eorum commodum pertinent cum omni diligentia exigunt non dantes increpant durè non tam diuino quà m priuato amore inducti si verò subditi peccent in Deum vel se inuicem laedant nil curant vel parùm There are at this day I sâ—eake it with griefe of heart an innumerable This is meant of the Romish Pharises sort of Pastors and Prelates in the Church of Christ who demand their Tithes and other profits with all diligence and strictnesse
and take them vp roundly that denie them not led so much hereto by any loue to God as out of desire to benefit themselues but if they perceiue that the people sinne immediately against GOD or else oppresse and wrong one another they respect that little or nothing at all CHAP. LVIII Of the Fourth kinde of Euill Conscience which is the Cauterized THere is a Conscience worse then all the former which S. Paul calleth 1. Tim. 4. 2. Seared because it is bereft of life and sense and motion as an arme or leg that is cut off from the bodie and burnt with an hot iron This kinde of Conscience is found in none but obstinate Heretickes and hainous Malefactors such as in Scripture are said to be Vines of Sodome and Gomorrah to be Deut 32. 32. fat and grosse and laden with fatnesse to adde drunkennesse Deut. 32. 15. Deut. 29. 19. 1 Kin. 21. Isaiah 5 18 Zeph. 1. 12. Ier. 3. 3. zach 7. 12. to thirst to sell themselues to worke wickednesse to draw sinne with Cart-ropes to be frozen in their dregs to haue Harlots fore-heads and hearts of Adamant These are they that are said by the Schoolemen to be Habituati in malo Accustomed to doe Euill and being Black-moores will not Ier. 13. 23. change their hue though you wash them with Sope and Nitre This hard and irrelenting De Considerat l. 1. Quid est Cor Durum Quod semetipsum non exhorret c. heart is thus described by Saint Bernard An hard heart is that which feares not it selfe because it feeles not it selfe It is that which is not rent with compunction nor softned with pietie nor moued with prayers which yeeldeth not to threats and growes tough with scourges vnthankfull for benefits vnfaithfull in counsels in iudgements cruell in vilenesse impudent vnfearefull of danger vncourteous to the gentle vnreuerent in Gods worship vnmindfull of things past negligent of things present improuident of things to come And that I may winde vp all in one word Ipsum est quod nec Deum timet nec hominem reueretur It is that which feareth neither GOD nor man like the Vnrighteous Luke 8. 2. Iudge decyphered in the Gospell CHAP. LIX Of the Steps and Degrees that lead to this Searednesse of Conscience THere are saith Gregorie In Pasto Cura three principall Staires that descend to the chambers of Death Suggestion Delectation and Consent the first is effected by Satan the second by the Flesh and the third by the Soule Suggestione peccatum agnoscimus Delectatione vincimur Consensu ligamur By Suggestion we take notice of sinne by Delight wee are vanquished by Consent inthralled S. Augustine sometimes Confes 8. 5. makes this Gradation Will Peruerse Desire Custome Tom. 10. Hom. 27. Necessitie and sometimes this Suggestion Delectation Consent Perpetration De Conscien Saint Bernard maketh seuen Descents into Hell Importabile Graue Leue Insensibile Delectabile Desiderabile Defensibile In effect thus much First Sinne is Intolerable then Heauie then Light then Past feeling then Delightfull then Desireable then Iustifiable From all these places and some other of the like nature wee may obserue Eight seueral Degrees which I reckon thus in their order The First is the Suggestion 1. to sinne against which we must arme our selues with watchfulnesse and Gouernement of the Senses For there were two things that vndid DAVID Otium Oculus Idlenesse and his Eye And here we must remember that Suggestion Bern. De Conscien without Ingestion that is A temptation offered without yeelding to it is not Vulnus but Corona no Wound but a Garland The Second Degree is 2. Cogitation which is Ad peccatum dispositiuè in the way to Sinne if it bee not preuented For as Saint Ad Paul Eustoch Ierome writeth the Deuill when he meanes to take vp his lodging is woont to send a Thought before to trie whether hee shall bee welcome or no. So that a wicked thought as the same Father noteth is Primogenita Diaboli Satans Eldest Daughter Now the Thoughts of Man as S. Bernard De Conscien distinguisheth them are either Burdenous such as thrust themselues vpon the minde vnavoidably or Affectuous belonging to the pleasure of the bodie or Obscene as being in the nature of vncleane dregs or Idle as the imagination of Birds flying in the Ayre or Curious tending to the exploration of secrets or Suspicious inclining to sinister interpretation or lastly Distentorie when the reason is stretcht â—o the contemplation of farre-distant Regions or to the speculation of causes or else to worldly negotiations The Third Degree is Delight 3. whereby an euill thought receiued and reâ—ained in the minde inueigleth the will and laies a bait for it And this tickling of the affection if it bee dwelt vpon is a Mortall Sinne euen by the verdict of the Schoole-men themselues Pet. Lomb. l. 2. Dist 24. which must stirre vp euery one to be circumspect in this case to which end tendeth that Historie which Saint Ierome records in the life of Paulus concerning a godly yongman a Souldier of Decius who being at the commandement of the Tyrant laide vpon a fine Downe-bed and tyed downe hand and foot with silken Towels was most dangerously inticed by the kisses and imbracements of a beautifull Harlot and being not able to breake away from her as Ioseph did Gen. 39. 12 from his wanton Mistresse to check himselfe in the occasion of pleasure he bit off his tongue and spit it in her face The Fourth Degree is 4. Consent or Resolution to venter vpon the Action And here the Diuell that Prince of Darknesse bindes a Napkin close to the sinners eye lest he behold the danger ensuing and sets a Skriene betwixt him and Hell-fire that hee may not feele the least heat of it Of this Determination to commit sinne S. Bernard thus De Jnter Dom. c. 19. writeth Solus Consensus reos nos facit etiamsi aliquid impediat ne opera subsequantur Consent alone makes vs guilty before God though the fact intended be neuer accomplisht The fift Degree is Operation 5. which may be called the Birth of sinne For now Iam. 1. 15. Ps 7. 14. the Brat lies wralling in the lap which before was silent In Serm. de vilic Iniq. and concealed Habet opus vocem sitam saith Bernard Euery euill worke hath a kind of voice whether it be done Contra NaturaÌ„ aut Contra Legem aut Contra Consuetudinem Against Nature Law or warrantable Custome The Sixth Degree is Custome 6. in euill which hath brought the profane to such an haunt Vt iam non modò placeat peccatum sed assidue placeat That he doth not now only delight in sinne but doth nothing else but delight in it Thus Consuetudo vertitur in Naturam The Habit is growne to a Necessitie Hic Peccator foetet Hic Bernard Quatriduanus
a Fugitiue and is runne away from GOD who as Saint Augustine In Psal 139 speaketh is not only an Inquisitour but an Inuestigatour doth not only inquire of him but traces him step by step and will finde him out though hee hide himselfe in the top of Carmel Amos 9. 3. nay though hee lay close in the bottome of the Sea yet thence would hee command the Serpent and he should bite him Thirdly the LORD hath Deut. 28. 28 67. smitten him with Madnesse as hee threatned in the Law so that hee knowes not what to doe nor where to rest nor how to passe the time but when it is morning hee wisheth it were night and when it is night he wisheth it were morning and cannot sleep sweetly but starts out of his Bed and is readie to kill himselfe like the Keeper Acts 16. 27 of the Prisoâ— at Philippi Fourthly hee is a Malefactor condemned and adiudged to Death expecting hourely his deserued Execution and therefore liueth in continuall feare and punishment for Timor supplicamentum Id est supplicium De Fug habet sayth TERTVLLIAN Feare hath euer punishment annexed to it Fiftly he is like the man Possessed of the Deuill who Mark 5. 3. had his abiding in the Graues for the most pleasant prospects are to him but Golgothaes Lastly there is a Worme The Heathens shadowed this by the Eagle or Vulture that fed vpon the heart of Prometheus Macrob l. 1. in Som Scip. which lyes gnawing and grabling continually at his heart which shall neuer die neuer leaue tugging no not when hee hath lien thousand thousand yeeres in Hell For the certaintie whereof it hath pleased the Holy Ghost to repeat it three seuerall times within the compasse of fiue Verses in these wordes Where the Mark 9. 44. 46 48. Worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out CHAP. LXII That it is exceeding dangerous for a man in horrour of Conscience to kill himselfe AFter the Arch-enemie of Mankinde the Deuill hath insnared a man many yeeres together in sensualitie and worldlinesse and trailed him along with the vaine conceit of Mercie at last hee presents himselfe in a ghastly shape with kniues and halters in his hand coÌ„tinually vrging him to become his owne Deaths-man that so he may bee rid of his present anguish Against which bloudie temptation the Christian is most carefully to arme himself with the consideration of the danger that will accrew For if Cleombrotus Aug. De Ciu. Dei l. â— did ill to kill himselfe that hee might bee possessed of those ioyes of Heauen which his Master Plato so excellently had described and if Cato haue got him an euerlasting reproch amongst the truely wise by dispatching himselfe in a disdaine to yeeld to Caesar a man of incomparable valour and clemencie and if Lucretia chaste and innocent Lucretia haue wronged her name by the wilfull abridgement of her life in a false supposall of dishonour and if the best commendation that they got was that they did it Aug. De Ciu. Dei l. 1. c. 22. Magnè but not Benè how shall they escape the iudgement of GOD who in the bright sunne-shine of the Gospell doe most cruelly bereaue themselues of the great blessing of this present life which God hath allotted them for their comfort and Repentance Hath not the Lord said Thou shalt not kill without adding the word Neighbour as S. Augustine well De Ciu. Dei l. 1. noteth that thou mightest take heede of admitting the least thought of destroying thy selfe Againe 2. Sam. 17. 23. are not Achitophel and Iudas that strangled Act. 1. 18. themselues left to all posteritie as most fearefull spectacles of GODS vengeance For as for the fact of Sampson it is extraordinarie and more as Saint De Ciu. Dei Austine obserueth Spiritus latenter hoc iusserat The Spirit of God had secretly commanded it Besides the same Father doth peremptorily affirme that for a man to slay himselfe is Detestabile facinuâ— damnabile De Ciu. Dei l. 1. c. 25. A crime that is both Detestable and Damnable Further Mâ—ns Bodie is a Part of the Image of God and all the Three Persons in the Trinity Gen. 1. 26. consulted about the making of it and all the creatures in Heauen and in Earth are not able to make the least haire of ones head Lastly after death Locuâ— salubris De Ciu. Dei l. 1. c. 25. Poenitentiae non datur There is no fitting place for Repentance and therefore O man stay thy hand and commit not that Murder in one instant which thou canst neuer wash out with thy teares in infinite Millions of yeeres CHAP. LXIII Certaine forcible Reasons against Despaire TO the end the Deuill may not sinke downe the soule irrecouerably into Hell the distracted sinner is to know that none in this life are apparantly debarred from hope of forgiuenesse but onely the Reprobate angels Diaboli Enarrat in Psa 54. angeli eius saith S. Austin manifestati sunt nobis quòd ad Ignem aeternum sunt destinati Ipsorum tantùm desperanda est Correctio Concerning the Deuill and his angels most certaine it is that they are Praedestinate to euerlasting fire and we are to despaire of their correction only Againe it must bee well weighed that there is no Offender so hellish and abominable but that the Church of God receiues him into her armes vpon his vnfained Conuersion according to that sweete saying of S. Augustine In quibuscunque Tom. 10. Hom. 27. peccatis non perdit viscera Pia Mater Ecclesia Our Holy Mother the Church doth not forgoe the bowels of her loue in any sinne be it neuer so hainous Of this very mind is the blessed Martyr Cyprian Nec quisquam saith Ad Demetr he aut Peccatis retardetur aut annis quò â—â—inùs veniat ad consequendam salutem Let no man bee kept backe from seeking mercie haue he been neuer so mighty neuer so inueterate a Transgressour In isto adhuc mundâ— manenti nulla Poenitentia sera est so long as a man is in this World Repentance neuer commeth too late â—â— sub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occâ—su pro delict is roges venia confitenti datur ad Immortalâ—tatem sub ipsa morte transitur Though thou haue dâ—ferred the crauing of forgiuenesse euen till thou bee drawing on and in a manner at â—he last gaspe yet if thou then pâ—rforme it sincerely thy sins aâ—e pardoned and thou art pâ—ssed from death to life Which words are not written by this godly Father to bolster vp any man in his presumption but onely to comfort the distressed soule surcharged with his iniquities Moâ—eouer the wounded Sinner is to take notice that to adde Despaire vnto his other wickednesse is with the Amorites to make it Full. For it is the iudgement of Saint Augustine Tom. 10. Hom. 27. that Iudas sinned more grieuously by Despayring than by Betraying Our Sauiour His wordes are these Iudam Traditoren non tam scelus quod conmisit quà m Indulgeniae Desperatio fecit penitùs interire It was not so much the cursed fact of Iudas the Traytour that cast away his soule as the Despairing of the Mercy of God Lastly the Sinne of Despaire is so notorious that some learned men haue thought it to be the Vnpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost because it is Diâ—nys-Carth in Euang. Math. c. 27. Pet. Lomb. l. 2. Dist 43 committed directè contra Diuinitatem Directly against the Godhead videlicet contra Infinitatem Bonitatis Misericordiae Dei that is against the Infinitenes of Gods Goodnesse and Mercie The Lord for his Christs sake confirme vs in the assurance of his fauour by the testimonie of his Spirit and the comfortable fruits of a Sanctified life that after this wearisome pilgrimage we may keepe holy to him an euerlasting Sabbath in the Heauens Amen Deo Gloria Qui primas non potuit habere Sapientiae secundas habeat partes Modestiae Aug. in lib. Retract