that may fall vpon vs as for example Ioseph was sould vnto strangers and imprisoned in Aegypt the men of Zeklag were spoiled of all that they had in their absence with Dauid Abiathar of the house of Eli was cast out by Salomon from being Priest vnto the Lord warre and famine and the anger of Princes yea many inferior causes breed many calamities the only sure way of casting our burden vpon God is to acknowledge the worke of God in our calamity patiently to beare what he laieth vpon vs and heartily to pray vnto him for succour That wee ought to acknowledge Gods worke in our calamity and patiently to beare his pleasure Iob doth teach vs saying Shall we receiue good things at the hand of God and not receiue euill Surely we doe neuer deserue any good at the hand of God and wee doe continually deserue euill what reason then haue we to desire euer to receiue good that we neuer deserue and neuer to receiue euill that we euer deserue Patience therefore in bearing the calamity that God laieth vpon vs doth well become the sonnes of men And that in our calamity wee ought to pray vnto God if wee would haue him to ease vs of our burden is so cleare that wee neede no proofe for it What man is hee religious or profane beleuer or vnbeleuer that doth not in his calamity remember God looke vp to heauen and pray to God the Mariners in the ship whereinto Ionas was entered when he fled from God when the storme vpon the sea was sore and the tempest proued a calamity vnto them so that they threw the wares out of the ship into the sea to lighten the ship for safty of their liues without instruction they could then according to their knowledge of God fall to praier For so it is written The Mariners were affraid and cried euery man vnto his God Though it be not generall with all men being in calamity and misery to beare it patiently yet it is generall with all men in calamity and misery to pray for ease So that a religious man being burdened with any calamity needeth not so much to be taught that it is fit for him to pray as hee needeth to be comforted by being put in hope that God will in due time answer his praier as surely he will if he be called vpon in the name of his beloued sonne For so hath the Lord Iesus assured vs saying Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Let him pray therefore vnto God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus and patiently attend the Lords leisure and in due time he wil haue mercy vpon him This is when any calamity is fallen vpon vs to cast our burden vpon the Lord for our ease If it be the feare of death that is thy burden and perhaps with regard vnto others that shall be in some danger by thy death as wife children seruants and others that haue their education and maintenance vnder thee First the burden of feare of death is made easie to a godly man by many considerations in al which he casâ—…eth his burden vpon the Lord. First hee will consider that it is common to all Adams posteritie Aâ—… Dauid being ready to die saith vnto his sonne Salomon I goe the way of all the earth therefore death ought not to seeme fearefull to thee that is common to all Secondly hee will consider that hee cannot die before the time appoynted of God that gaue him life and assigned from euerlasting the certaine length of it as Iob saith Is there not an appoynted time to man vppon earth And shall any desire longer life then the giuer of life alloweth Or shall any be grieued to resigne his life into the handes of him that gaue it Thirdly hee will consider that the end of life shall bee the end of trouble vnto him that his death shall bring him rest from all troubles as the Spirit of God from heauen hath proclaimed saying ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labor Rest and ease from weary labour is obtained by our death and departure out of this life Fourthly hee will consider that the sting and danger and all bitternesse of death is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ and death vnto the Saints is made the gate of life the Apostle saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Lastly for his ease of feare in the approach of death yea for the filling of his heart with all true comfort in death that he may rather desire and long for then any way feare the houre of his death he will consider that his death shal be the gathering of him vnto Christ his redeemer as the Apostle saith Desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all For while we liue in the world we are absent from the Lord and we walke by faith and not by sight But when we depart this world wee are gathered vnto him to dwel for euer with him And that is performed which hee promised saying Though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe aud receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also By these considerations is the burden of the feare of death made easie to a beleeuer and in all these considerations doth hee cast his burden vpon the Lord for his ease If hee therefore feare his owne death because others shall want him his wife shal be a widow his children shal be fatherlesse his seruants shal be orphanes and many shall misse him that now haue a helper of him and for their sakes rather then for himselfe hee is afraid to die This burthen is to bee cast vppon God by commending them vnto his prouidence who giueth food to al flesh because his mercy indureth for euer and who is the keeper of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And that hee may doe this the more comfortably for the ease of his heart let him remember that the Lord saith All soules are mine both the soule of the father and also the soule of the sonne are mine He that created thee and had a care of thee as the worke of his handes to maintaine thee created also thy wife thy children thy seruants and thy poore friends and therefore hath also a care of them as the worke of his hands to maintaine them And hee that gaue his Sonne for thee to redeeme thee and therefore had a fatherly care for thee to doe all things for thy preseruation and saluation did also giue his Sonne for them to redeeme them and therefore also hath a fatherly care of them to doe all
I haue prouoked him to anger and by his iust sentence I must not liue Also I haue spent the daies of my life on earth so wickedly that I must liue no longer There the earth is ouer-loaden with my transgressions and refuseth to beare the burden of them And as for the life of heauen it were folly and madnes in mee yea it were shameles presumption in me to hope for any fruition of iâ—… I know no other place of life but these two earth where life is mortall and heauen where life is immortall and heauen will not admit me to liue there and the earth hath indured my life too long Therefore I must die This is the sentence of God The Prophet Ezekiel saith The soule that sinneth it shall die And the Apostle Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death Who can controule this iudgement of God who shall open his mouth against it I doe my selfe approue it And therefore I am become my selfe an enemie to mine owne life yea heauen doeth abhor it the earth doeth loath it it must not continue to the offence of God and his Angels to the greefe of the Church and all true members of it And therefore I â—…hat heitherto haue had no care to serue and glorifie God wiâ—…h the continuance of my life will yet at the least and at the last serue and glorifie God with the end of my life intending to be the executioner of Gods holy sentence vpon my selfe So shall I cease to sinne any longer against God As the dead cannot praise him so the dead can not blaspheme him and as they haue no place to doe well so I thinke they haue no place to doe euill and by such course I shall deliuer my selfe from this violent temptation I shall obtaine an end of my feare Doth not Iob say of death and of the graue The prisoners rest together and heare not the voice of the oppressor there are small and great and the seruant is free from his master There shall Ireâ—… hauing put off this heauy burden What greater oppressour can there be then an accusing and condemning conscience And there he saith I shall not heare the voice of the oppressor O place to be desired O sweet graue I long to be laied vp in thee and am I not a seruant and a slaue to sinne is it not now a most cruell and tyrannous master to me and there I shall be freed from his tormenting power This being so iust in regard of God so full of aduantage and ease vnto my selfe it must be done it shall be done and I must doâ—… it yea I wil doe it disswade mee not from so iust and so gainefull a course wherein I am resolued O malice of Satan this is thy voice this is thy counsell in all the former obiections wherein thou hast beene a medler thou hast shewed thy selfe but in this thou exceedest thy selfe Hee that knew thee not before by this obiection may know thee to be as saint Peter calls thee A roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Heereby thou maiest be knowne to be as S. Iohn calls thee the great dungeon that olde serpent called the diuell and Satan which deceiueth all the world In this temptation thou seekest to deuoure but the prey shall be plucked out of thy iawes in this thou thinkest to deceiue but thy dangerous falshood shall be discouered and auoyded The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid shall rescue and deliuer his seely sheepe The Serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse shall bâ—…uise thine head and heale the wound that thou like a fiery serpent hast made The Lord rebuke thee Satan The Lord tread thee downe vnder the feete of this afflicted sinner and that shortly But thou O sorrowfull sinner hearken to the councell of God let not the serpent that deceiued our first parents deceiue thee stoppe thine eare against his lying words and be ready to heare what shall be taught thee in the name of God God saith by the Prophet Heare your soule shal liue Heare that thy soul may liue Thou art vrged to desire deser ued death thou art vrged yeldest with thine owne hands to hasten his death Thy resolution to hasten it seemeth to be grounded vpon these reasons First thou hast wronged and prouoked to anger the Lord of life and therefore deseruest in his iustice to die Secondly thou hast burdened the earth the place of mortall life with thy sinnes and art not worthy to liue any longer vpon the face thereof and then to thinke that thou maiest liue in heauen the place of immortal life thou holdest to be shamlesse presumption Thirdly thou holdest thy life to be loathsome it is so to thy selfe because it is offensiue to God and to his Angels to the church and members thereof Fourthly because thou hast not serued and glorified God by the continuance of thy life thou wilt serue and glorifie him by hastening the end of it Fistly thou hast multiplied sinne all the daies of thy life and thou thinkest that thou shalt cease to sin if once thou be dead Lastly whereas thy life is full of feare sorrow and bitternesse thou thinkest by death to be freede at once from all These are the reasons vpon which thou groundest thy resolution to hasten thy death with thine owne hands they may preuaile as reasons with them whom God hath left in the power of him whom the Lord Iesus calleth a murtherer from the beginning But whosoeuer remaineth in the protection of the Lord and giuer of life to him these allegations cary not the estimation of perswading reasons oâ—… if they beare any such estimation with them yet God wil nâ—…uer suffer them so to preuaile that they shal take effect but he will preuent their execution as â—…e did with the affrited Gaoler of Philippiâ—…â—…hom â—…hom being ready to fall vpâ—… his sword when he perceiued the effects of the earth-quake and feared that his prisoners were â—…led the mercifull GOD preserued him by the voice of Paul My heart trembleth to thinke of this obiection and it breaketh out beyond the bounds of my conceit that thought the precedent obiection to haue beene the height of Sathans malice and of this poore afflicted sinners danger But this exceedeth all height heere is extremity of malice in the tempter heere is extremity of danger in the tempted If the Deuill preuaile in this temptation hee xedeth not to vse any other And if the â—…ner giue place to this temptation it is â—…othing worth to 〈◊〉 and ouer come â—…lother In answering this temptation â—…il first examine the point that he saith â—…is resolued vpon and then the reaâ—…ons vpon which hee groundeth his resolution The thing that he is resolued vpon is â—…o cut the threed of his own life in plain â—…ords he intendeth to kill himselfe In the whole history of the Bible that conâ—…neth the
but thou thy selfe thinkest absurd for others and yet thou thinkest it reason for thy selfe But God himselfe denieth this argumēt to be of any strēgth while he saith or commandeth the prophet in his name to say Say vnto them As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die O yee house of Israel Is not God the Iudge Is it not hee against whom thou saiedst thou hast sinned and deserued death and therefore must die It shall be granted that thou hast sinned It shall be granted that by that sinne thou hast deserued death but where is that must where is that necessity of dying that thou speakest of when God saith it and sweares it by his life who liueth euer that hee desireth not the death of a sinner Thou dreamest of some inexorable seuerity in God and some ineuitable necessity of death in the sinner God saith no to both There is no such seueritie in God Hee is farre from vrging that desires not the death of a sinner And there is no such vnauoidable danger to man while God doth offer him the way of life euen then when he hath by this sinne deserued death saying As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Seest thou not the vanitie of this first Argument where of trueth afforded the premisses for thou hast sinned against god and thy sinne deserueth death But errour danger death and the diuell drew in the conclusion against trueth for there is no necessitie seeing God the Iudge requires no such death As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked and contrary to that conclusion sheweth a way of life to his mind more ag◅eeable to the sinner more safe But that the wicked turne from his way and liue returne this argumēt to the diuel that lent it thee it may be retorted vpon him in full strength For he hath sinned against God and by his sinne deserued death and therefore must die for God desireth the death of wicked angels hauing shut them vp in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day and hath not shewed vnto them any way of life But for thy selfe learne to argue better and frame thy argument so that God may allow of it I haue sinned against God therefore I must repent I must turne from my waies vnto God and learne to walke in his waies And againe my sinne hath deserued death therefore I must turne from my waies that I may liue for God hath sworn◅ that he desires not the death of a sinner but that the sinner turne from his wicked way and liue These Conclusions are inferred according to Gods will who desireth both thy conuersion from thy former sinnes and also thy saluation contrary to the merit of thy sinnes saying Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die Oyee house of Israel These conclusions haue holinesse in them agreeable to all the commandements of God whereas thy former conclusions inuite to murder contrarie to GODS commandements and these conclusions containe life and saluation in them according to all the promises of God whereas thy former conclusions containe death and destruction contrarie to his promises If by thy former sinnes thou hast incurred the iust displeasure of God This manner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shews thee how to recouer his loue and liking and if thy former sinnes haue brought thee into the danger of death this maner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shewes thee how to recouer life and saluation Throw therefore thy foolish reason I haue sinned and therefore must die in the face of him that framed it for thee and remember euer that comfortable speech of God As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue And frame thy Arguments by the direction of this word I haue sinned against God therefore I must turne from my wicked waies And my sinne against God hath deserued death Therefore I must turne from my wicked waies so shal I liue this māer of arguing being as thou seest agreeable to Gods word is both pleasing vnto God and safe for thy selfe Thy second reason grounded as thou thinkest vpon iustice is this I haue loden and ouer charged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it therefore it must bee eased by the remouing of me And forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laied this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it This latter part of thy reason that thou shouldest be the man to remoue the burden that hast beene the man to lay on the burden I hold to be most reasonable he that did the wrong ought to make the mends But let vs agree of the true burden that hath beene laid on by wrong and must be remoued by right That burden thou speakest of in the first part of thy reason wherein thou arguest thus I haue loaden the earth with the burden of my sinnes which it can no longer beare therefore I must by death be remoued Doest thou not behold and see an error in this arguing yea a wicked and most deceitful fraud of Satan seeking subtilly to destroy thee while in the antecedent of thy argumēt thou speakest of the burden that presseth the earth thou namest thy sins and they indeed make the earth to grone and when thou commest in the conclusion of thy argument to speake of remouing this burden thou ◅aiest nothing of remouing the sinne but speakest altogether of remouing thy selfe thy sinne is the burden and thou concludest not to remoue the sinne but to remoue thy selfe If a man wounded by another and desirous to be healed should apply his meanes to the party that made the wound and not to the wound it selfe doest thou not see that man that made the wound may bee remoued and the wound remaine still as dangerous as it was at the first but if he apply his meanes to the wound that was made the wound shal be healded and so remoued the man that made it remaining still Thy case is altogether like it thou hast giuen the earth a wound by the burden of thy sinnes if the meanes for the easing of the earth be applied not to the sinne to take away it but vnto thee to take away thee thou maiest be remoued but the guiltines of thy sinnes shall remaine vnto iudgement But if meanes be rightly applied to take away the sinne the earth is eased of her burden and thou also remainest in safetie thy argument therefore should be framed thus The earth groneth vnder the burden of my sinnes therefore these sinnes must be remoued Hee
dead should become free from sinne and holy Saints to please God by abstayning from euill and to merit fauour O most absurd imagination to think that a man should become holy in Hell that was profane vnto the last point of his life on earth Hitherto properly belong the words of Salomon saying If the tree doe fal toward the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth in there it shall be In that place he exhorteth to liberality and vertue while we liue because when death comes then there is no place of bearing after any fruits of goodnesse after death there followeth no alteration of this kinde to make either the good man worse then hee was or the euill man better then hee was if the tree fall toward the South it turneth not it selfe after to the North and if it fall toward the North it turneth not to the South The good mans goodnesse continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he then inioyeth the goodnesse of God in Heauenly maner to raise his loue vnto God to the highest degree and measure and the wicked mans wickednes after death continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he now feeleth the wrath of God in the heauiest manner to raise his hatred against God â—…nto the highest straine Death can make no such change in a man that hee that was a sinner vnto death and in death should cease to bee a sinner after death this reason will deceiue thee if earth was able to make the a contemner then Hell is able to make thee a blasphemer for if correction intended for thy amendment could not make the cease from sinning while thou didst liue How much lesse can punishments laid vpon thee not by way of correction but by way of condemnation make thee cease from sinning the minde of the condemned how it stands affected toward God we may see by that which is written in the Booke of the Reuelations Men boiled in great heate and blasphemed the name of God which hath power ouer these plagues and they repented not to haue giuen him glorie When sinners are once tormented in those flames they are so farre from repenting of their sin to cease from it that their whole carriage is rage and blasphemy They can doe nothing else and therefore though being dead thou can doe no euill after the fashion of this world yet it followeth not that therefore thou shalt not sinne But say thou canst not commit any new sinne what aduantage is that vnto thee when thy olde sinne is vnforgiuen for want of repentance before thy death yea thy very death wrought by thine owne hands without warrant from God yea directly contrary to the commaundement of God addeth vnto thy condemnation deserued before Doth it helpe the thiefe fast shut vp in prison that he stealeth no more when for the olde theft vnpardoned hee must be hanged Surely no and his ceasing to steale while he is a prisoner will not bee interpreted to proceede from my new grace and purpose of amendment but to be want of libertie want of meanes and opportunitie Hee doth â—…ot steale because hee cannot steale it is no new mind in him but the streightâ—…esse of his imprisonment that maketh him for beare and though hee commit no new robberies yet hee must die for the olde And if thou couldest sinne no more after thy death the not committing of new sinnes would be as smal aduantage vnto thee that perishest for the olde vnpardoned and thy forbeating in thy graue will not be interpreted to be any fruit of repentance and a renewed heart but to bee a necessitie imposed vpon thee thy earthly members beeing tied and restrained by the condition of death and therfore thogh thou commit no new sinne thou must perish eternally for thy old not repented by thee and therefore not pardoned of God There shall not be laied to the charge of them that shall heare this sentence at the last day Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Any other sinne then those which they committed vpon the earth where they liued among the little ones of Christ for thus shall it be said vnto them I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged mee not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee visited me not These were no sinnes committed after they were gone out of the earth while their bodies were in the graue and their soules in hell fire Christ was not there among them in his members hungry thirsty wandring naked sicke and in prison and they there had neither bread nor drinke nor clothes not lodging chambers to relieue him withall they are their olde sinnes vnpardoned not any new sinnes after death committed that the wicked shall be condemned for at the last day And so much Saint Paul doth teach vs where hee saith We must all appeare before the tudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that hee hath doone whether it bee good or euill When thou shalt come to iudgement before Iesus Christ that shal iudge both quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome thou shalt not be questioned for any thing done out of thy body when thou art dead but onely for those things which thou did dest in thy body while thou wert aliue Where is then that aduantage that thou dreamest of by not sinning any more after death Seest thou not by this time what a strange delusion it was that thou sholdest sinne no more after death and that ceasing from sinne should winne thee some fauour with God and be takeâ—… for true repentance and that therefore it should be a benefit vnto thee to cut off thine owne life that so thou mightest withall cut off the too long continued course and custome of thy sinne if thou haue any such purpose indeed to cease from sinne which I beseech God to giue thee if thou haue it not and to continue in thee if thou haue it nourish thy life that God hath giuen thee and while thou art in the bodie cease to doe euill and learne to do welâ—… make haste to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day and whilest thou hast time bring forth fruits woorthy amendment of life This will be taken for true repentance this will cause all thy former sinnes to be put out of all remembrance And then whensoeuer God shall be pleased to call thee out of thee out of the world thou shalt end thy dayes in peace and comfort and then thou shalt indeede cease from sin and thy workes shall follow thee to the gaine of eternall life This doe and repent thee of thy former resolution for hitherto the reasons whereuppon it is grounded are vaine
and dangerous Thy third and last reason grounded vpon supposed aduantage is this thou thinkest that thy death shall bring with it an end of all thy troubles of all thy paine and of all thy feare And I verely beleeue that all the former reasons were but idlely pleaded by thee that thou wert nothing at all mooued with them and that thou didst onely alledge them to make shew of doing that with reason for which indeede thou canst haue no reason and this last alleadged reason though as weake as vaine and as deceitfull as all the other was the onely thing that carried thy resolution For all they that resolue vpon such desperate courses doe it out of a conceit to ridde and free themselues from shame and troubles But verily this act if thou shouldest doe it which God defend thee from can not deliuer thee from trouble from danger or from shame It is one of Satans lies as truely as hee tolde our first parents that by breaking Gods commaundement they should be as gods so truely doth he tell thee that by this act which is a manifest and violent breach of Gods commandement thou shalt free thy self from troubles There is not a more readie way to throw thy selfe into endlesse troubles And let vs consider seriously of this point that thou maiest see thy errour There are troubles dangers and shames that belong to this world and to the life of man in this world this world is their proper place and thy life heere is their proper time Some other there are that belong to an other world and to the time that followeth our departure out of this world Hell that receiueth the wicked is their proper place and the time that succeedeth this life their proper time Of the first sort are pouertie and vnexpert losses wearines weaknesse and sickenesse in our bodie disquietnesse in our house slaunders and disgraces banishment imprisonment publique shame displeasure of Princes persecution and such like Of these the Prophet speaketh saying Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all Of the other sort are the worme that dieth not and the fire that neuer goeth out which Esay speaketh of shame and perpetuall contempt which Daniel speaketh of outward darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth which our Sauiour speaketh of euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angells tormenting flame abiection from God the second death and the bottomlesse pit whose smoake ascendeth for euer Of these speaketh Iohn the Euangelist saying Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire The first sort belonging to this life are short tollerable and mixed with many comforts the second sort belonging to the time after this life are eternall intolerable and no comfort is mixed with them not so much as one drop of water to coole the scorched tongue The first sort is common both to good and bad men and may be borne yea ouercome with patience the second sort is prepared onely for the wicked euen for the appointed vessels of wrath and they giue no place to patience And among all these troubles one I finde that seemeth to be common to both these places and that is accusing thoughts thy present burden but with this difference that in this life it is but a matter of feare though a tormenting feare and after this life it is matter of torment euen a most fearefull torment in this life both good and bad are affrighted with this tormenting feare after this life onely the wicked and the reprobate are tormented with this fearefull torment Now from which of these troubles doth death free vs and in what estate doth it leaue vs when it hath freed vs These are materiall considerations for a man in thy condition and therefore hearke diligently that thou maiest not be deceiued in thy account and fall into endlesse and intolerable troubles while thou striuest to free thy selfe from short and easie troubles Death doeth put an end vnto the troubles of this life not because it taketh away troubles but because it taketh away life and with the end of life needes must there be an end of the trouble that is proper to life For death doth not help our paine aâ—… Physician but as an executioner the Physician cureth the griefe and preserueth life the executioner cureth the griefe by taking away the life for by cutting off the head hee frees the patient from euer complaining of the tooth-ach And Imtreate thee to regard this manner of deaths cure If thou wert sicke of the gowt or palsiâ—… or other disease wouldst thou send for the common hangman to cure thee with a sword or with a halter This is not to take away the disease but to assist the disease too weake of it selfe to destroy thee speedily and therefore thou callest for helpe not to assist thee against the disease to ouercome it but to assist the disease against thee to ouercome thee I perswade my selfe thou wouldst not send for the hangman but wouldest send for the Physician to cure thy disease with safety of thy self whose knowledge and fidelitie might oppose against the danger of thy disease and comfort thee to ouercome thy disease and weaken the disease that it might not ouercome thee so deale with thy selfe in the time of thy Spirituall disease Send not for death the hangman death came into the world by the Iustice of God as a punishment of our sinne but send vnto God the Physician that is able to remoue thy disease and preserue thy life God healeth by preseruation not by destruction deaths act in this maner required if it may be called a healing healeth by destruction not by preseruation though I must confesse that with death there comes an end of all present troubles from sence and feeling whereof he is deliuered that is dead But in what case doeth death leaue them that are thus deliuered from present short and sufferable troubles surely it leaueth not all in like case the difference is great betweene the dead When death commeth by the ordinary worke of Gods hand to whom the issues of death belong and the partie that dieth is well prepared by faith in Christ to leaue this world at the will of his GOD that he may be gathered to his Redeemer which is best of all Death leaueth this man in a blessed estate it is the period of his present troubles and then begins his eternall rest Vnto this man death hath left his sting and is made vnto him the way and bridge by which he passeth ouer to enter into true life And this comes to passe not by any secret vertue of death it selfe but by the vertue of the death of Christ making that by his grace to bee our medicine that sinne had made to bee our poison Augustine intreating of
So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
fall into misery is of infinite variety no man can number the seuerall miseries and troubles that sinne hath made our life subiect vnto yet they may be reduced to two generall heads for either they are iudgements vpon the inward man inward miseries and afflictions vpon the soule or else they are outward iudgements vpon the outward man in outward things that touch not the peace of the soule The inward iudgements and miseries which follow the fall into sin and wherinto for sinne man falleth are either the blinding of our vnderstanding and the hardening of our heart often inflicted as punishments of foregoing sinnes and such was the iudgâ—…ment of God vpon Pharao whose heart God hardened and such a iudgement and misery the Apostle Paul telleth vs the Gentiles fell into as a punishment of precedent sins when he saith Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts vnto vncleannesse to deâ—…ile their owne bodies betweene themselues And in many more words he recordeth that iudgement or they are those feares and terrours of heart that cast vs downe from hope that empty our soules of comfort fill them with feares and make vs as it were to stagger shrinke and fall in our faith of this kind is that iudgement that God threaâ—…neth by Moses in these words the Lord shall simite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and astonishment of heart when a man is amased and confounded with his feares that hee knoweth not which way to turne him for comfort and helpe and deepe fallen into this miserie were they whom Esay speaketh of saying The sinnes in Sion are afraid a feare is come vpon the hipocrites who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings They conceiued no otherwise of God then of a consuming fire and therefore feare possessed altogither their hearts hope vanished faith had no abiding there And all these inward miseries falling immediately vpon the soule and the facultie thereof tend chiefely to this to ouerthrow our faith by decay of it to ouerthrow vs for faith is the firme standing of our soule grounded vpon the assurance of Gods mercy Therefore doeth the Apostle vse this phrase Watch you stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong Because he that hath the stronger faith standeth the more strong and steadfast and hee that hath the weaker faith standeth more weakely and loose and thoug the faith of the Saints of God once giuen vnto them neuer totally decaieth for as the Lord Iesus saith hee praied for the continuance and confirmation of Peters faith to whom he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not So he praied for all his chosen ones that beleeue in him when he said to his father I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorough their word Yet the faith of the Saintes suffereth sometimes an eclipse or deceasing at some other times an increasing whereby as in the increasing of their faith they stand fast and are full of comfort so in the deceasing of their faith their footing becommeth slipperie and they take many sore falles feele their hearts oppressed with feare as it was with Dauid when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring And when he complained at another time saying Mine heart trembleth within mee and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee feare and trembling are come upon mee and an horrible feare hath couered mee In this manner their faith at that time being in the wane the righteous oppressed with a weight of anguish and feare doe often fall through the shrinking of their faith and feele themselues sore bruised in their soules But yet such is the mercy of God that he doeth not suffer the righteous being fallen into these inward iudgements and miseries to fall for euer And if it be a blinded vnderstanding or a hardned heart that they are fallen into he raiseth them vp out from a blinded vnderstanding by sending the knowledge of the 〈◊〉 As the Lord Iesus sent Paul among the ignorant Gentiles with this commission I send thee to open their 〈◊〉 that they may turne from darkenes to light c. And he raiseth them vp from hardnes of heart by mollifying their hearts as hee promiseth by Ezekiel saying I will take away the stonâ—…e heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh And if they be fallen into any feare and terror of conscience he raiseth them vp by repairing their faith and by reuiuing their comfort To that end he bringeth to their remembrance the large promises of his grace the boundles measure of his mercy the riches of his free vnchangeable loue and then doeth hee make them remember that they haue a mediator that died for their sinnes and rose againe for their iustification and ascended into heauen to prepare a place for them and sitteth on the right hand of his father in highest fauour and greatest authoritie to make intercession for them continually vrging the vertue of his death and bloudshedding that hath taken away the sinne of the world who is the prince of peace that hath made their peace and is that beloued sonne in whom the father is well pleased making vs accepted in that his beloued To the same end doeth he spread the beames of his louing countenance and cause the light thereof to shine within their consciences sending downe the spirit of adoption into their hearts to beare witnes with their spirits that they are the sonnes of God so raking together the sparkes of their almost smothered faith from among the cold ashes of anguish and feare where it lay deepe couered giuing heate and life vnto it with the warming fire of his comfort so that they begin to lift vp their heads and to reioice their hearts and to shake of their their sorrow and feare and to glorie in God saying with the blessed virgin My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast tnrned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnes And that God doeth thus not suffring the righteous to fall and languish in these inward miseries for euer besides the experience of Gods elect daily renewed with light and grace and daily refreshed with comfort and peace the scriptures also doe testifie it to be the gracious manner of Gods dealing with his chosen The Prophet saith of him Hee healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their soares These words can be referred to no other worke of God for the more sure and full performance whereof God sent his sonne into the world who came to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke and saue them that
is proued not to be that sinne whereof God neuer giueth repentance and therefore neuer forgiueth it pag. 208. 17 Hence follow obiections made by his troubled minde And first he obiecteth that his sinne comes so neere that vnpardonable sinne that the angry eie of heauen can se no difference and though his sinne be pardonable yet it is punishable and lesse sinnes then his are punished therefore why not his The seauenteenth Chapter answereth this obiection pag 225. 18 His second obiection is the iustice of heauen cannot suffer such sinne as his to passe vnpunished and the holines of heauen will not admit such sinners as hee to enter The eighteenth Chapter answereth this obiection And addeth incouragements from the promise of God and commandement of Christ. pag 234 19 His third obiection is against Christs commandement as not pertaining to him he may not aske forgiuenes of sinnes because he cannot call God his father The nineteenth Chapter answereth this obiection pag. 247. 20 His fourth obiection is against Gods promise as not pertaining to him because it was Gods couenant with the house of Israell and he is no Israelite neither after the 〈◊〉 or after the promise The twenieth Chapter answereth this obiection pag 264. 21 His fift obiection is notwithstanding Christs commandement to aske and Gods promise to grant forgiuenes yet maâ—…y perish therefore why not he The â—…ne twentieth chapter answereth this obiâ—…ction shewing the conditions of obtaining forgiuenes to be repentant toward God faith in Christ and charitie â—…oward our brethren pag. 275. 22 His sixt obiection is There is in him neither repentance nor faith nor loue The two and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag 302. 23 His seuenth obiection iâ—… His heart is euen full of all euill thoughts If they riâ—…e out of his owne heart it is incurably euill â—…f the diuel thrusts them in his heart is irrecouerable in the deuils power The three and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag. 312. 24 His eight obiection is this The law â—…f God curseth 〈◊〉 hee is a transgressor therefore by the law of God accurâ—…ed the foure and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag. 330. 25 His ninth obiection is He cannot pray alledgeth many impediments The fiue twentieth chap. answereth this obiection pag. 340. 26 His tenth obiection in an extreame fit of his disease is this He is forsaken oâ—… Gâ—…d hee is a child of perdition and lost and he is a reprobate The six twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag 368. 27 His eleuenth obiection is the hâ—…ight of dispaire He saith he must and will diâ—… and must and will be the instrument of his owne death and alledgeth reasons for it some to proue from the iustice of the fact some from the aduentage The seuen and twentieth chapter in answere to the obiection sheweth the foulenes of the fact pag. 421. 28 The eight and twentieth chapter examineth and answereth his reasons both for the supposed iustice for the supposed aduantage of the fact shewing their weakenes and errour pag. 468. 29 Being driuen from his desperate resolution he maketh â—… twelfth obiection from his vnworthines of life and of the comforts of life concluding that hee must and will abstaine from them The nine and twentieth chapter anâ—…wereth thiâ—… obiection pag. 517. 30 A thirâ—…eenth obiection is from the â—…eare of death that either he shall die before this tenâ—…ation be ouercome or that it will be renewed after death as in the proper place for then sinnes are brought to iudgement The thirtieth chapter answereth this obiâ—…ction pag. 533 31 A fourteenth obiection is a matter of discomfort namely that all things that minister delight and comfort to others are vnto him mingled with griefe and feare The one and thirtieth chapter answerâ—…th this obiâ—…ction and conuerteth the precept pag. 559. 32 The two and thirtieth chapter beginneth the promise pronounced in words answer able to his owne presenâ—… estate pag. 569. 33 The three and thirtieth chapter handleth the first part of the promise in these words he will nourish thee pag 578. 24 The fower â—…nd thirtieth chapter beginneth the second part of the promise in these words He will not suffâ—…r â—…he râ—…ghteous to fall for euer Mens falles are here shewed to be either into sinne or into mâ—…serie and this chapter sheweth that God will not suffer the righteous when they fall into sin to lie in it for euer pag. 35 The fiue and thirtieth chapter sheweth that God will not suffer the righteous when they are â—…allen into miserie either inward or outward to lie in it for euer pag. 36 The six and thirtieth chapter gathereth the conclusion of all the whole treatise pag. Faults escaped in Printing Pâ—…g 19 line 7 read wight p. 23. l. 13. r. you p. 54. l. 12 for r. 2â—… p. 84. l. 8. â—… their burdeÌ„ p. 88. l. 17. 1. fâ—…r mat man p 89 l. 23 r. bâ—… by the. p. 9â—… l. 5. r. Aramite p. â—…04 l. 12 r no meatâ—… and l 13 〈◊〉 no drinke and l. â—…7 r. â—…rieue p. 105. l. 1â—… r. repentance p 139. l. 8 r trieth p. 141. l. 15. r offices p. 1â—…2 l. 26. r. to 〈◊〉 p. 153 l. 6. foâ—… troubles r. burdens p. 160. l. 25. r. pntâ—…eth p 164 l. 6. r 〈◊〉 p. 172. l. 12. r. muster master p. 1â—…3 l 2. 6 r. louing p 20â—… l 25. for that r. no constancie p. 225. l. 14 r. to shew for p. 2â—…8 l. 13. r. but l. p. 290. l. 1â—… r. budding p. 315. l. 20. r. deriued p. 320. l. 12. r had couered p. 〈◊〉 l. 2â—… â—… scâ—…uethe p 367 l. 13. r. and of thâ—… p 36â—… l 12. â—… thou knowell whereof p. 392 l. 27. r and serue him p 424 l. â—… r dâ—…agon p. 427. l. 2â—… r. in minâ—… hurt p. 428. l. 3. â—… they â—…ocke thâ—…m p. 432. l. 28. r. coniecture vnto me p. 436. l. 8. r. peâ—…secu eth p. 442. l. 23. r. pasâ—…ibus p. 457. l. â—… r. limme p. 465. l. 11. r. arts p. 48â—… l. 20. r. hâ—… receaueth p. 490. l. 11. r. cut of p. 502. l. 16. r. vnexpected p. 527 l. 15. r. idlâ—…e p. 560. l. 13 r. without content Other letterall faults good gentle reader beare withall THE STRONG HELPER PSAL. 5â—… 22. Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and hee shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer CHAP. 1. THE violence of Saul and â—…nuy of his courtiers had bred vnto Dauid trouble and danger This trouble and danger had affrighted his mind so that trembling feare and horror oppressed his heart as appeareth in the first eight verses of this Psalme His trembling feare and horror made him â—…e vnto God before whom he complaineth of the most perfidious falsehood of his enemies and at the hands of God he craueth in iustice their death and destruction This appeareth in the next seauen verses of the Psalme By this time his mind is somewhat
that God may doe at his pleasure because he is the Lord of life to giue it and continue it Dauid saith vnto God With thee is the well of life And to him also pertaines all power ouer death to hastē it bring it forward The same Prophet saith of the same God To the Lord God belong the issues of death This maner of remoue by death it is not lawfull for thee to desire much lesse by thy hand to further either in the death of thy selfe or of thy troubler If God be pleased to doe it for thee either in remouing thy troubler from thee or in remouing thee from thy troubler it is euery way a worke of his mercy toward thee If God by death remoue the troubler from thee it is his mercy to thee When God by death had remoued Absolom that had greatly troubled his father and made him flie from Ierusalem then was that domesticall trouble at an end and Dauid returned in peace to Ierusalem That remoue of the trobler by his death was Gods mercy to the troubled So likewise if God by death remoue thee from thy troubler that also is Gods mercy to thee for so he giueth thee rest as the Prophet Esay speaketh saying The righteous perisheth and no man considereth in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no mā vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken from the euill to come This is also Gods gracious mercy deliuering him from trouble But for thee to be an actor in these things it is altogether vnlawfull God hauing giuen to thee a commandement to the contrary Thou shalt not kill Dauid would neuer so be eased of his troubler Saul he would not doe it himselfe nor suffer others to doe it though he often had opportunity but waited on the hand of God saying to Abishai that would haue smitten him while Dauid and he stood by Sauls beds side As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battell and perish the Lord keep me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed And at last he was eased by Sauls death without laying his hand vpon him it is the remedy of tyrants and bloud-thirsty persons to seeke ease of their troubles by procuring the death of their troublers And it is the remedy of faithlesse desperate men to ease them of their burden of troubles by remouing themselues from their troubles and troblers by their death So did Saul Ahitophel and Iudas Those men that so remoue themselues and others cast not their burden vpon the Lord who is the giuer of life but cast it vpon the diuel◅ backe and themselues withall who was a murderer from the beginning But if a remoue for thine ease may be effected by shift of place that may both be desired and vsed without sinne Isaack sent his sonne Iacob away from his brother Esau when Esau in his anger had sworne to slaie him Dauid fled from the hand and Iauelin of Saul and shifted for himselfe by remouing from place to place and he conueied all his fathers house into the land of Moab from Sauls reach The Lord Iesus oftentimes withdrew himselfe from the fury and rage of the Iewes And he gaue his disciples a rule for times of persecutiō saying when they persecute you in this city flie vnto another And many honest men haue remoued their habitations to auoid ill neighbours and to be out of the reach of too neare troublers And many haue purged their houses of vnquiet spirits both children seruants as they might doe when they could not amend them in the house But yet I must tell you that if children and seruants increase the burden of thy domesticall troubles this turning them out for thine ease must be the last remedy that must be vsed and all other meanes for their amendment must first be attempted because children and seruants are not sent of God into thine house only for thy pleasure and ease but they are committed vnto thee to be brought vp vnder thee and to be trained by thee to grace and good behauiour And that is a thing that thou must looke vnto somewhat more then only to thine owne quiet that thou maist be able to answer God for their soules If any member of the body be diseased and out of temper putting the head and whole body to paine a man will not at the first cut off that member but first he vseth all meanes to cure it and doth with much patience endure the weaknesse of it and will suffer a blind eie rather then plucke it out of the place and a lame hand rather then cut it of and a sore leg rather then let the sawe come to it and that shall be the last worke if he doe it at all And children and seruants are members in the body of thine house therefore he is but a bad head and gouernour that presently because children and seruants are troublesome that thrust them out of dores to seeke their ease By remouing them must be the last attempt But if other attempts first made by thine own authority and wisedome then after by the counsel of neighbors and friends and lastly by the power and countenance of the magistrate will doe no good vpon them but they persist in their wickednesse and proue incurable to the hurt of thy selfe and others in thy family Then the eie the hand and the foot that offendeth may be cut of If children or seruants or any other that may be turned away be as tender and deare as thine eie as seruiceable as thine hand as necessary as thy foot let them depart The whole is to be respected before a part the head before a member Thus God may be pleased to shorten thy sorrow by a remoue and shift of place between thy troubler and thee If God be pleased to continue thy trouble long all the former aduises must be practised as time affordeth opportunity because thou know st not what happy houre of thine ease God hath set downe in his good purpose And those two common rules of patience and praier must neuer be neglected And for the mittigating of thy sorrow vnder that burden consider these things that follow and they will bring much ease vnto thy mind First that it is the common condition of all Adams children in this world to haue troubles as Iob speaketh most truly Man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance and full of trouble And if it be common to all without exception of any how great how godly soeuer thou shouldst be too delicate to desire to be exempted Secondly in a more neare manner it is common to all the Saints of God to haue troubles in this world more then the wicked by reason of the enmity that the wicked world beareth to the godly being vnto them a step-mother while like a naturall mother
sinne highly displeasing to God Sometime thou wert warned by a publique Sermon sometime thou wert warned by thine owne priuate reading sometime by the louing admonition of some neighbour or friend And thy iudgement was growen to a mislike of that same sinne and thou wert offended at others that committed it aud yet thou hast fallen thy selfe into the same sinne Surely this is a hard case and the tempter hath great aduantage against thee But what must the charged sinner sincke eternally vnder this burthen is there no meanes to cast euen this burthen vpon GOD for the sinners case Yes verily and Sathan hath not yet driuen vs so close vp to the wall but that wee may by Gods mercy slippe safely out of his hands Heere let the sinner consider in what case hee was when hee committed this sinne whether hee were his owne man as wee speake that is whether it were in the choise of his own wil to do it with liking or without liking For great is the weakenesse of our nature and oftentimes the regenerate and best minded serue â—…s of God though they should yeelde to die a thousand deaths with most exquintâ—… torments rather then commit â—…nie sinne to the offence of God yet either sodainely affrighted with the appearance of daunger they commit sinne before they haue time to consider what they should doe and to settle their resolution against it or else weighing at leasure both their duty to God and their present danger pusillanimity and weakenesse of heart maketh them to shrinke and yeelde at the present And must a sentence irreuocable presently come forth against this weake sheepe Is there no balme in Gilead is there no Physition there is there no mercy in heauen for this sinner is there no gracious pardoner there Such a rule must needes haue sent to hell many of Gods beloued Saints that now are with him in heauen who while they liued on earth were sometime vrged with sodaine and sometime with violent temptations and haue yeelded sometime without consideration and sometime with consideration and yet after by the mercie of God haue recouered themselues and haue glorified GOD both in their life and death are now glorified of him in his kingdome And why shouldest not thou if thy sinne be like theirs hauing to do with the same God of mercie hope to finde the same fauour that they found Surely this very circumstance that thou wert surprised by a sodaine or violent temptation led captiue to do euill against thine owne liking that didst take no pleasure in it yea wert exceedingly grieued that thou hadst not strength grace to withstand it is a hole in the wall of hope through which light shineth and wherin if thou dig by humble hearty prayer it may proue a doore of mercy for thee to enter by come neare to God to be eased of thy burdeÌ„ Here consider the example of the Apostle Peter his sin was a grieuous fin for he denied before men his master the Lord Iesus Christ he did so once twice and thrice each time more vehemeÌ„tly then other for first he simply denied him passed it ouer with this saying I know not the man At the second time he augmented his sin with addition of an oath and forsweares him The third time he yet augmented his sinne more with addition of grieuous execrations and cursed himselfe that is wished himselfe accursed if hee know him And he did this in the time of knowledge after he had learned that to do so was sinne and dangerous to his soule For he had heard his Maister openly before speake thus Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse before my Father in heauen but whosoeuer shal deny me befnre men him wil I deny before my Father which is in heauen And though it were a true saying out of a liars mouth skin for skinne and all that euer a man hath will hee giue for his life Yet this is true also and to be regarded aboue the other that all that a man hath euen skin and life also hee must giue cast away and esteeme as vile that he may follow Christ to glorifie him by true confession Which course only hath power to secure life As Peter also had heard from the mouth of his Lord saying If any man will follow mee let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow mee for whosoeuer will saue his life shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his lifs for my sake shall saue it This Peter had heard this he knew And besides these general caueats long before giuen Peter was also priuately forewarned of this thing euen the same night a little before he did it when he also took knowledge of that warning and resolued with himselfe not to doe it yea made open vow not to doe it For when the Lord Iesus Christ after his last Supper a little before his apprehension hee tolde the Apostles that they that night should all be offended by him Peter boldely answered and saide vnto him Though all men should be offended yet will not â—… be offended To whom the Lord said in the next words Verily I say vnto thee that this night before the Cocke crow thou shalt deny mee thrice Peter had no meaning to do so but rather a resolued heart not to do so And therefore aunswered presently Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee And hee spake no more than hee truely intended hee was no hypocrite onely he considered not his owne weakenesse but was ouer confident in the opinion of his own streÌ„gth And therfore when Iesus was taken and carried to the high Priests houâ—…e Peter followed a farre off and entred into the high Priests hall and put himselfe among the seruants and officers and drew neere to the fire for it was colde and first a maide challenged him to bee one of the followers of Iesus after some of the men seconded her challenge strengthening it by adding 〈◊〉 suspition that his speech bewrayed him to be a Galilean and Iesus came out of Galilee and therefore hee was not vnlikely to be one of his followers At last a coosin of his whose care Peter had smoâ—…e off in the garden flatly affirmed that hee did see him in the garden with him Peter affrighted sodainely with these challenges and being in the middest of them whom hee esteemed his enemies seeing at the present no way to escape yea hauing no leisure to thinke what was fittest for him to doe denyed his Maister and bound his deniall with oaths and curses Was not this a sin against the knowledge of his heart and what hast thou done in the particular sinnes that thou arâ—… charged withall in thine heart that Peter did not in this sinne of his and in what points are thy sinnes greater and more grieuous then his then what letteth thee that thou maiest not pray for and
of his heart First thou maiest haue all these things and yet not know it and therefore it is great rashnes to say thou hast them not For as before this time thou wilt confesse that there was in thee wickednes of life enuie against thy neighbour and infidelitie against God and yet then when it was so thou didst not thinke it to be so nor couldest be induced to beleeue it to be so so at this time there may be in thee repentance and charitie and faith and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Securitie at that time suffred thee not to see what was amisse in thee and feare at this time suffreth not thee to see what is good and orderly in thee Againe if thou haue them not yet thou art in the way of them and thou art not far from them Thou art grieued to finde thy selfe guiltie of so much sinne and thy heart is pricked and thy soule is wounded to thinke that thou art so laden with thine iniquitie Surely this is the beginning of true repentance when a man is grieued at the sight of his sinne Indeed it is loue that commendeth vnto God our repentance and conuersion to him but it is feare that first openeth the heart vnto God whom being once entred we doe after intertaine with loue so was it with Peters hearers in the Acts. After he had brought them to the fight of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life it is said of them When they heard it they were pricked in their heartes and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Then began they to haue care of amending their life when they saw the errour of it and were afraid at the fight of it And it is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Sancta electorum ecclesia simplicitatis suae et rectitudiuis vias timore inchoat sed charitate consummat The holy Church of Gods elect beginneth the waies of her simplicitie and vprightnes in feare but doth perfect them in loue So that euen this feare that thou art in by reason of thy sinnes is the beginning of repentance giuing thee to vnderstand that it is not good nor safe to continue in them Proceed in the feare of God for thou art not far from repentance And thou thinkest other men to be happy in their peace of conscience and desirest to haue fellowship with them in the fruition of Gods fauor And is not this loue or at leastwise a preparation to loue to haue in admiration the saints of God to thinke them to be happy that are in his fauour aboue the condition of other men that inioy the glorie of the world without Gods loue and to desire to be vnited vnto them No man can thinke well and honorably of them whom hee hateth no man can desire to bee ioined in condition and fellowship with them whom he doth not loue or at least thinke well of and therefore this opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines sheweth that thou art not far from loue When Balaam hauing considered the condition of the people of God both in their life and death speake these words Let me die the death ◅f the righteous and let my last end be like his Hee began to loue the Israelites and though after hee shewed fruites of hatred against them yet at that time when hee spake those words he loued them his change of mind grew from his owne couetousnes he desired Balaks reward and therefore sel from his loue as Gregorie noteth of him that there was Nequaquam perseue ra◅tia continui amoris no perseuering in continued loue He began to loue thē but the couetousnes of his heart brake off his loue Continue thou in loue and striue to increase Thy present good opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines is an euidence that thou louest or art not far from loue And thou hast a longing desire to recouer the loue of God thou gladly hearkenest to the report of his mercy and wouldest thinke thy selfe an happy man if thou couldest grow to any comfortable perswasion thereof and doth not the man thus minded follow after faith was there any more in the man that came to Christ for his son that was possessed of a diuell when he said vnto him Lord I beleeue help my vnbeliefe Hee freely confessed that all the faith he had was no other no better then vnbeliefe yet his desire of faith was esteemed for faith or obtained faith for the effect of faith followed Christ that said vnto him If thou canst beleeue it all things are possible to him that beleeueth healed his child because he beleeued and shall not thy desire of faith in like manner either be esteemed for faith or obtaine faith that the effect of faith in the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes may follow Surely that desire of thine sheweth that thou art not farre from God But be it granted that thou art altogether without them and at this time most farre from them doth it therefore follow that thou canst not obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes for the present want of them Not so for though now thou haue them not yet thou maiest obtaine them and then forgiuenesse of sinnes now seeming impossible will easily bee obtained They that were borne without them die with them and reape the fruit of them bearing the testimonie of them into the graue in the sweet peace of their conscience that neuer brought them not any preparation vnto them out of the wombe And therefore hope in the Lord and pray vnto him and practise all the good councell that was giuen thee when these conditions were first remembred vnto thee Repentance is the gift of God and he is the Lord most holy that reneweth our hearts by the spirit of Sanctification He it is that made this promise I will poure water vpon the thirstie hee meaneth him that thirsteth after righteousnesse and stonds vpon the drie ground he meaneth barren hearts that bring forth no good I will poure my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vppon thy buds By the name of Spirit he giues vs to vnderstand what hee meant by Water and Flouds mentioned before euen the graces of his renewing and sanctifying Spirit this promise is made to the Church whereby GOD doth assure her that he will blesse all her children how drie and barren soeuer they be with that grace the moisture whereof shall make them fruitfull of all good workes And thou art a child of the church bred and brought vp in the bosome thereof thou art the seed thou art one of the buddes of the righteous pray vnto God that giueth repentance and hath largely promised and in ti◅e thou shalt find fauour Also charitie is the gift of God hee is loue and it is he that maketh men to be of one mind in an house that is in
this point that death which he calleth poenam vitiorum and supplicium peccator is the iust paine of wickednes punishment of sinners should become as hee calles it arma virtutis and iusti meritum the armour of vertue and merit or happines of a righteous man hee saith this commeth thus to passe non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae antea malum fuit not because death is now become a good blessing that before was an euill curse Sed tantam Deus fidei praestit it gratiam vt mors quam vitae constat esse contrariam instrumentum sieret per quod transiretur in vitam that is but God did afford so much grace vnto faith in his Son that death which is knowne to be contrarie to life should be made the instrument or way by which we might passe into life So that death comming by the order of God to a man prepared by faith in Christ that neither through impatience hasteneth death before his time nor through loue of this world or ignorance of his future happinesse cowardly shrinketh desiring to liue beyond his time death comming to such a man in this maner deliuering him from his present short and sufferable troubles leaueth him in a blessed and happy condition absolutely freed from all troubles for the second death hath no power ouer him and he is presently receiued into glorie To him pertaine these words of Christ He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life As the beleeuing thiefe passed from the Crosse to Paradise and as soone as he was deliuered from his present trouble entred into eternall glorie and neuer felt eternall troubles so euery beleeuer when God calles him out of this world from earth passeth to heauen as Lazarus did from his houell into Abrahams bosome and death leaueth him in a most happy state For Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours No more trouble no more dāger no more sorrow shal come to them But death doth not prooue so beneficiall to all For when a wicked man dies whether hee perish by fire as did the Sodomites or perish by water as did Pharao and his Egyptians or be swallowed vp of the gaping earth as was Korah and his company or were stoned to death as was Achan or be slaine with the sword as was Ioab or perish of some foule disease as did Herod or die a faire death in his bed as the greatest number do or fall by his owne hand as Achitophel and some other did howsoeuer he come to his end with honour or reproach with ease or with paine the wicked man by death though deliuered frō the troubls of this life yet is left in a most wofull estate being ledde into the depth of all miseries For from the earth they passe to hell from short to eternall from tollerable to vnsufferable crosses from trobles mixed with comforts which also in their bitterest condition may bee indu◅ed and ouercome with some little patience to troubles mixed with no comforts making euen the remembrance of that sweet name of comfort to be a new addition of discomfort and which giue no place for the least measure of patience to abide with them Of the end and endlesse condition of the wicked when death hath fetched them from hence the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroied perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh O Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised There prosperity before death is slippery as Ice there is no firme standing vpon it and when death commeth that seemeth to giue ease and end of some intermixed troubles they fall with violence and there fall is remedilesse they perish in it and remaine miserable for euer whatsoeuer conceit they nourished of lasting and continued ease it becommeth like a dreame which proueth idle when the dreamer awaketh Iob speaketh excellently of the wretched condition vnto which death bringeth the wicked saying How oft shal the Candle of the wicked be put out and there distruction come vpon them Hee will deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as slubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will laie vp the sorrow of the father for the children when hee rewardeth him he shall know it his eies shall see his distruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty for what pleasure hath he in his house after him when the number of ◅is moneths is cut off This good man Iob knew something in what condition death leaueth a wicked man when it hath fetcht him out of this world then is he deliuered vp to the violent storme of Gods iust indignation the stubble is not more easily nor more confusedly scattered then hee then commeth the reward of all his wickednesse hee was a doer before from that time hee becommeth meerely a sufferer then the fury of the almighty ceazeth vpon him his daily drinke shall bee nothing else but the wrath of God his pleasure after his death is altogether ended and eternall woe lighteth vpon him Let vs not stand onely vpon sentences which may perhaps bee esteemed as lawes which great men easily breake thorow and delude Let vs looke into the acts of God and consider his reall proceeding wee haue a notable example commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ to whom the father hath committed all iudgement and therefore hee should not bee ignorant of Gods carriage He remembreth a great man a rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnin and fared wel and dilicately euery day His welth and great estate could not protect him from the stroke of death that made an end of him and so of the troubles of his life if his life were acquainted with any But in what case did death leaue him our Sauiour telleth vs in these words The rich man died and was buried and being in hell in torments hee lift vp his eies and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome then he cried and said father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrariwise Lazarus paine now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented Ther was his answer stoping his mouth leauing no place for any further hope of any good While he liued he was wel if any thing were a little amisse it was fully recompenced with many pleasures in the end he died and in that death his troubles if he had any ended and his
cheerefull seruice of them that are about thee vse thy bed thy clothes thy meate prepared for thy ease thy couering thy nourishment vse all the creatures of God in their kinds and praise God that thou maiest haue them S. Paul saith Euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier It ought not saith he to be refused it ought to be receiued with giuing of thankes And if we vse praier vnto God that it will please him to blesse vnto vs his owne gift which the word of God alloweth vs to vse he will sanctifie it for our good For God that giueth these things is good the things themselues that God doth giue are good therefore the effect of them being Christianly vsed cannot but bee good Continue the opinion of thine owne vnworthinesse but reiect thy vnwise purpose of refusing to vse Gods creatures for thine vnworthinesse CHAP. XXX OVR poore distressed sinner reclaymed from the conrses that in his last obiections hee remembred the first being a quicke violent and apparent purpose of ending his owne life the second being a slow dangerous and close purpose of wasting his life is not yet so freed from the troubled thoughts of death that he can with a quiet hope of life looke to the God of life and thus further out of remayning feare obiecteth to the disquieting of his owne heart though I may not hurt my life with violent hands as first I thought to doe and must nourish my life with seruiceable hands which in the second place I thought not to haue done yet my life must come 'to an end by the condition that all Adams children are subiect vnto God said to Adam in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne This was the condition of the first man this is the condition of all men and among all it is also my condition I must die if I cherish life neuer so carefully And this remembrance of death considering my present woefull estate is fearefull vnto mee two manner of waies First I feare lest death should take mee away before I be deliuered from this temptation as it may well doe for I may die to day or to morrow yea I may die presently And if I should so hastily die while this feare directly contrary to faith lieth yet vpon my conscience I should die in my infidelity I should die without faith in Christ and so to die without faith in the sonne of God is the high-way to eternall damnation for the Lord Iesus saith he that beleeueth not is condemned already because he beleeueth not in the name of the only begotten sonne of God Secondly if there should be any ceasing and intermission of these accusing thoughts before my death yet I feare death because after death this accusation may bee renewed and the precedent ceasing proue no doing away for euer but onely a deferring for a time of this plague And I haue cause to feare such a thing because the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is the time after death when men must come to iudgement as the Apostle saith it is appointed vnto men that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement After death the soule commeth to iudgement the book of conscience must then be opened and accusations then or neuer must be heard and if these accusations now be so grieuous vnto mee now while iudgement is far off while there is place for repentance and hope of forgiuenesse surely they will then be much more fearefull woefull miserable horrible therefore the remembrance of death come it sooner or come it later come it before or after the stay of this temptation is fearfull vnto me This obiection is not hard to bee answered thou fearest death two manner of waies First lest it come before thou haue ouercome this temptation and recouered peace with God by faith in our Lord Iesus And thou fearest this hasty comming of death for two causes one is because it is possible that it may so come for we may and must if God cal die presently another because it is dangerous so to die thou takest thy temptation to bee directly opposit to faith therefore if thou die before it bee ouercome thou diest without faith and to die without faith is sure damnation Thus thou fearest deathes hasty comming and to thy feare of death this way growing we will first make answer Against thy feare of death comming before thy temptation be ouercome God giueth comfortable hope that death shall not come before thy temptation be ouercome And it comes not at all but by the appointment of God neither sooner nor later then he appointed it For hee sent vs with life into the world he hath appointed the length of our life in the world and the time and manner of our dying and departing out of the world lieth onely in his pleasure of whom the Prophet saith To the Lord God belongeth the issues of death The set time for the produceing of all his appointed workes resteth in his owne counsell when the Apostles questioned the Lord Christ after his resurrection for the restoring of the kingdome to Israel he made them answer It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And if the time of all his workes be put and placed only in his power then the time of thy death which is one of this workes is put only in his power But his God that hath the sole disposing of thy death hath as I said giuen thee comfortable hope that death shall not come before this thy temptation be ouercome For this we haue his gracious promise deliuered by the pen of the blessed Apostle Paul saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will giue the issue with the temtation that ye may be able to beare it Here he promiseth an issue of euery temptation and also that the man burdened there with shal be able to beare it and ouercome it And hitherto though this temptation hath beene grieuous vnto thee and in bearing of it thou hast felt and found thine owne weaknesse yet God hath supported thee and thou hast beene inabled to indure weary daies and comfortlesse nights And in the meane time while this temptation hath lasted for thy further strengthening thou hast inioyed many mercies of God both in thy soule and body and estate and friends for hee hath not smitten thy soule with the stroke that fell vpon Nebuchadnezzar thou hast had and stil hast thine vnderstanding free to inquire after God and harken after his mercy and he hath not smitten thy body with the bile of Aegypt
but thou hast beene able in body to stand vnder thy burden and to performe many good seruices in thy calling and he hath not smitten thee in thy children friends and goods with the rod of patient Iob but thy estate remaineth safe thy friends are cheerefull about thee such mercies of God haue accompained thy affliction and ministred comfort vnto thee in the time of it And in these things one part of that promise deliuered in Gods name by the Apostle hath beene performed vnto thee God will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able He himselfe that sent the temptation gaue thee strength to beare the temptation and vnto this day thou bearest it though not without griefe yet not without hope Why then shouldest not thou withall cheerefulnes hope and pray that God would performe vnto thee graciously the other part of that promise but will giue the issue with the temptation c Doth not the Apostle when he giues vs that promise in Gods name vse a preface to perswade our hearts to hope for it and pray for it commending God in whose name hee giues it by the title of faithfull saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that yee be able Hope then in that faithfull God pray vnto that faithful God who hath already approued his faithfulnesse in performing vnto thee theone part of his promise and as he is true and faithful he will hauing freely bound himselfe performe his whole promise and giue an issue of thy temptation and thou shalt liue to ouercome it And heere I will acquaint thee with an holy rule which God obserueth in the temptations of his seruants which rule offereth hope of deliuerance from thy greeuous temptation before death The rule is found in Deuteronomie where Moses speaking to the people of Israel and remembring their wearie wandring through a roaring and terrible wildernesse and the many heauie accidents that in that wildernesse came vnto them saith that God led them that way to humble them and to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end Gods meaning was after a hard beginning to bring them to a comfortable end when they were first humbled and prooued And very meete it is that Gods seruants should bee humbled and it is right in God to prooue his servants whether they loue the Lord with all their heart and will indure with patience his good pleasure and whether they will cleaue vnto him in danger and put their trust in his mercies and this proofe is best made by crosses and troubles for this cause doth God send troubles to his seruāts whom he loueth but alwayes with a reseruation in his good purpose to do them good in the latter end Apply this vnto thy selfe It was fit that thou shouldest be humbled to acknowledge thy selfe before God to be dust and ashes and laden with iniquitie to humble thee in this sort God hath sent this crosse doe thou therefore humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that hee may exalt thee in due time It was fit that thou shouldest be prooued that thou mightest see thine owne strength to bee but rotten◅es and dust and that thou mightest shew thy loue thy patience thy faith in God that it might appeare whether God or thine owne case were dearer vnto thee and whether thou wilt glorifie him in aduersitie as thou ma◅ kest shew to doe in dayes of peace and prosperitie and thus to prooue thee he hath sent this temptation therefore now shew thy selfe a man shew thy selfe a Christian shrinke not from God murmure not at his visitation suffer with patience and pray in faith and be constant vnto the end And hee that hath brought thee into this temptation as it were into a roaring wildernesse to humble thee and to prooue thee will surely doe thee good in the latter end Surely this rule offereth vnto thee comfortable assurance that before the end of thy dayes thou shalt see an end of thy temptation and such an end as shall bring thee more ioy then thy affliction doth now breed thee griefe But say that death do take thee away before thou hast ouercome this temptation and thou fearest it may doe so grounding thy feare vpon two reasons one is the possibilitie of it thou maiest die presently the other is the danger of it thou thinkest that then thou shalt die in infidelitie and without faith if this danger were not the possibilitie of dying and death it selfe whensoeuer comming could bee no iust ground of thy feare for the Patriarks and Prophets yea Christ himselfe the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles died and all the Saints of God die And it can not bee hurtfull to any that is so common to all except there be some speciall danger annexed to it that makes it hurtfull to one that is not hurtfull to an other This danger thou saiest is thine infidelitie And thine infidelitie and want of faith thou proouest by the qualitie of thy temptation which thou takest to be directly opposite to faith and the banisher of all faith If therefore it shall appeare that though thou die before thou hast ouercome this temptation to thy liking yet thou wātest not faith in Christ euen faith vnto saluation then there is no cause of feare Indeede this temptation argueth a roote of infidelity to remaine in thee for seeing the Lord Iesus hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and in bearing them hath taken them away and hath washed and cleansed vs in his bloud and seeing God the father of our lord Iesus Christ receiuing satisfaction in the sacrifice of his Sonne hath by an irreuocable word promised to forgiue our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and these things both concerning the meritorious sacrifice of Christ and concerning the faithful promise of God are knowne and haue been made knowne vnto thee Surely this temptation of accusing thoughts would long since haue receiued an answere if there had not beene some roote of infidelitie remaining in thee to giue continuall nourishment vnto it But because there is some infidelitie in thee doth it therefore follow that there is no faith That is not so there may be both together either in his measure and degree Doth not Saint Paul tell vs that in himselfe at the same time there was one power which he calleth the Lawe of his minde leading him to God and to the loue of his lawe and an other power which hee calleth the lawe of his members leading him from God and leading him to sinne his words are I delight in the law of God concerning the innerman but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members Can anie things bee more opposite one to an other then these two lawes of the mind and of the members either striuing to draw
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
lost Luke 19. 10. Mat. 15. 24. Luke 18. 11 Iere. 7. 10. The estate of a Christian how it is in himselfe Mat. 1. â—… And how it is considered in Christ by vertue of his holy calling Thou canst not affirme thy selfe to be a reprobate seeing it depends vpon the vnknowne counsell of God Rom. 9. 22. The sinner secketh to proue by orgument that hee is 〈◊〉 reprobate His argument answered and taken away Sinne though déseruing yet no argumet of reprobation The sinnes of the elect may bee more vile then the sinnes of the reprobate in our eies Dauids sin and Sauls compared together Mâ—…ch may be said to exâ—…us Saul that will seeme reasonable Dauids sin declared Exo. 20. 17 Exo. 20. 14 No excuse can be made to extenuate the sin of Dauid 1. Sam. 15. 19. 2. Sam. 12. 9. Dauid was not therefore a reprobate because he sinned more vilely then a reprobate Gods wrath vpon me for sinne is no euidence of reprobation Lam. 3. 39. Mica 7. 1â—… 2. Tim. 2. 11 Micah 7. 7. Pro. 18. 14. The particular stroke of a wounded conscience is no signe of reprobation Psal. 38. 2. Acts. 4 11. Our answers are such as will stand before Gods iudgment seate Iohn 12. 48 An eleuenth obiection His sinne deserueth death hee must die must doe the execution vpon himselfe Ezeki 18. 4 Rom. 6. 23 Iob. 3. 18. An appostro phe to Satan 1. Pet. 5. 8. Reue. 12. 9. Answer to this obiection Esay 55. 3. Iohn 8. 44. The iniquity of the thing that he intendeth to doe It is rare as being the height of al wickednesse Gen 4. 23. Gen. 6. 2. Gen. 6. 11. 1. Sam. 31. 4. 2 Sam. 17. 23. 1. King 16. 18. Iud. 16. 30. 2. Mach. 14. 41. 1. Sam. 22. 9. c. 1. Samuel 2â—… 19. 1. Sam. 28. 7. It is the excesse of crueltie without all mixture of charitie â—… 〈◊〉 21. 16 Acts 1â—… 1 â—… Sâ—…m 4. 6 2. Sa. 3. 27. 2. Sam. 4. â—… â—… Kâ—… 19. 37. Matt. 7. 20 It is the losse of all patience of faith Mat. 11. 28 Phi. 4. 5. Mat. 11. 28. Phil. 4. 7. It is against the right of God who onely is Lord of life to whom onely the issue of death appertaine Psal. 19. 73. Psal. 100. 3. Psal. 22. 9. Iob. 7. 1. Psal. 68. 20 Exo. 20. 13. Gen. 4. 10. Gen. 9. 5. Deu. 32. 39 1. King 19. 4. Phil. 1. 23. Will thou loose thy life for thy owne pleasure that neuer wert willing to loose it for Gods sake Iere. 26. 14 Iere. 26. 14 Acts â—…0 â—… Mat. 10. 39 1. Corin 6 19 20 Gen. 26 27 Conclusion concerninâ—… the act that bee intendeth to do The vanity weaknes of the reasoâ—…s by which he is drawne to intend this act Three reasons seruing to prooâ—…e it a matter of iâ—…stice 1 2 3 The weakeness of his first reason â—…zec 33. 12 Ezec. 33 11 Ezec. 33 11 The weaknes of his second reason Lib. 4. Epist. 80. Esay 1. 16 Eze. 18. 21 Acts 3. 19. Being vnworthy of lâ—…fe on earth he is more vnworthy of life in heauen aswered Geâ—… 3â—… 1â—… The weaknes of his third reason Prou. 16. 7 Luke 15. 7 Luke 15. 10. â—…say 2. 3. Mat. 5. 16. Three reasons seeming to â—…roue iâ—… a matter of aduantage 1. 2. The vanity and weaknesse of the first of these reasons Exo. 14. 3. Exo. 14 17. Exo 14 17 The vanity and weaknesse of the second of these reasons How the dead may be said not to sinne The wicked continue to sinne euen when they are dead Eccle. 9. 3. Maâ—…t 16. 9 If they doe comâ—… it no new sin yet they must perish â—…r the old vnpardoned Mat. 25. 41 Mat. 25. 41 2. Cor. 5. 10 The vanity weaknes of the third of these reason There are â—…vo kâ—…des of 〈◊〉 oâ—…â—… in this life another after this life Psâ—…l 34. 19 Reu. 20. 14 From what troublâ—…s death doth deliuer In what case death leaueth theÌ„ that are de liuered so from troubles It leaueth the godly iâ—… a blessed estate De Ciuitat DeiÌ„ lib. 13. cap. 4. Iohn 5. 24. Reu. 14. 13 It leaueth the wicked in a most wicked estate Psal. 73. 18 Iob. 21. 17 Lu. 16. 22. The sinners misery that by killing himselfe seckes to be free from trouble Esa. 66. 24. A twelâ—…th obiection be iâ—… vnworthy of life and must not nourish it be is vnworthy of good things and must not vse them Mat. 25. 28 Luk. 16 2 Answere to this twelfth obiection Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 21. Wherein the error of this obiâ—…ction heth God alloweth his blessings to the vnworthy Psal. 145. 9 Mat. 5. 45. The vnworthy craue obtaine vse Gods blessings Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 19 God giueth his blssingâ—… that they should be vsed to his praise 1. Tim. 6. 17 Psal. 104. 14. Acts. 14. 17 Deu. 8. 10. Ioel. 2. 24. This abstinence is 〈◊〉 dangerous to thy life as violence can be Lam. 49. Portuis latro Eratosthenes The conclusion of the answere to this obiection 1. Tim. 4. 4 A thirtenth obiection He feareth death for two causes Gen. 3. 19. First least he die before this temptation cease that were to die without faith Ioh. 3. 18. Secondly least the accusation be renewed after death Heb. 9. 27. Answer to this obiection There is hope that thy temptation shall end before death come vpon thee Psal. 68 20. Acts 1. 1. Cor. 1â—… 13 Deut. â—… 16 1. Pet. 5. 6. If death com before yet there is faith euen where this temptation is strong In this teÌ„ptation ther is infidelity But where there is infidelitie there may be faith Rom. 7. 22 Gala. 5. 1â—… Ro. 13. 12. 1. Thes. 5. 5 Mar. 9. 24. Luke 17. 5 If the temptation hee once rightly ouercom it shall not returne after death Mat. 18. 18. Psal. 14. 1. Wis. 2. 2. Deu. 29. 19 Psal. 58. 1â—… Luke 16. 2. Deu. 29. 20 〈◊〉 31. 34 Ezeâ—… 8 2â—… Death iâ—… not to be feared for anything of a good man Esay 57. 2. Luke 23. 43 Phil. 1. 23. 2. Cor. 5. 1â—… 2. Cor. 85. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. A fourteenth obiection all things are grieuous to him that are pleasant to other men Answere to this obiection I. am 3. 28. Rom 15. 13 Conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts Grounds of hope that iâ—… may be cast off vpon God Mark 3. 28 Luk 11. 〈◊〉 Ier. 31. 34. Eze. 18. 21 Math. 〈◊〉 14 Ioâ—… 16. 23. Rulâ—… of aduiâ—… how to caâ—…l this burden vpon God Psal. 51. 4 Pro. 28. 13. Mic. 7. 9. Psa. 18. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 11. 5. Col. 3. 13. Mat. 6. 15. Ioh. 20. 31. Heb. 11. 6. Hos. 14. 1. Psal. 53. 4. The promise of recompence Luk. 10. 28 Esay 1â—… 19. Iob 21. 14. Mala. 3 24 Mala. 3. 18 Psa. 19. 11 The words of the promise are fitted to his owne present burdens Which were two one was pouerty and waâ—… 1. Sa. 25. 5. His other burdeÌ„ was a fall from his former honour 1. Sa 17. 7. The first part of this promise is the poore mans promise God will nourish his poore that attend vpon his hand He sendeth inough for all in generall Gen. 9. 2. God sendeth inough for all but couetousnes intercepteth it and the pâ—…ore cannot get their part God giueth his gifts by â—… particular prouidence to euery one 1. Sam 2. 7. Esay 65. 13 Psal. 37. 19. Luke 1. 53. Mat. 6. 15. Mat. 6. 26. Mat. 6. 28. Mat. 6. 31. The second part of the promise How many kinds of saâ—… there be Pro. 24. 16. One kinde of â—…all 〈◊〉 to fall by sin Hos. 14. 1â—… This kind of fall is most dangerous 1. Cor. 10. 12 Iam. 3. 2. He raiseth by repentance them that are fallen by sinne Phi. 2. 13. Psa. 32. 8. Ieâ—… 31. 33. Eze. 36. 25. The second kind of fall is to fall into miserie for sinne These miseries are of two sortes inward aâ—…d outward What are these inward miseries and iudgements Rom. 1. 24. Deu. 2 28. Esay 33. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 13. Luke 22. 32. Iohn 17. 20. Psal. 22. 1. Psal. 55. 4. He raiseth them vp that are fallen into these inward miseries Acts. 26. 18 Eze. 36. 26. 〈◊〉 Luke 1. 46 Psal. 30. 11. Psal. 147 3. What are the outward miseries whereunto men fall God raiseth them that are fallen into these outward miseries 2. Cor. 1. 8 Iob. 5. 1â—… Psal. 34. 19. If not in this life yet most certainly after this life Esay 57. 1 Lu 16 22 25 Reuel 21 Psal. 16. 11 The conclusiâ—…n of all Psa 9. 10. Psa. 34. 10. Esay 55. 1.