judgement of God these things would little comfort vs. Let experience speak if a troubled mynd impaireth not helth dryeth not vp the blood consumeth not the marrowe pyneth not away the fleshe and consumeth the bones if it make not all pleasures painefull and shortneth not the life surely no wisedome can conceale it no counsell can advise it no advise can asswage it no asswagement can cure it no eloquence can perswade it no power can overcome it no scepter will affray it no Enchanter can charme it and yet on the contrary If a man languish in sicknesse so his heart be whole and he is perswaded of the health of his soule his sicknes doth not grieue him If a man be reproched so he be precious in the sight of God and his Angels what losse hath he If a man be banished and yet doubteth not that heaven is his cuntrie and that he is a Citizen among the Saints it doth not appall him If a man be in trouble and findeth peace of Conscience he wil quietly disgest his trouble but if the minde be troubled who dareth meete with the wrath of the Lord of Hostes Who can put to silence the voice of desperation Who wil step out make an agrement with the highest to spare vs Who dare make a covenant with the devill that he would not lay claime to vs If then a good conscience helpeth all evills and all other benefites of this life in them selues cannot help a troubled conscience nor see it true by proofe which heare it by prouerb The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a vvounded spirit who can beare it Againe in all other afflictions we may haue some comfort against sin but this is ever accompanied with the accusation of sinne A man may be sick reproched imprisoned and yet in all these haue a cleare conscience his own heart telling him that there is no spirituall cause of these crosses in him but that he may suffer them for the triall of his faith or for righteousnes sake and wel doing but where the spirit is wounded there is still a guiltines of sinne and when a mans spirit is troubled hee suspecteth all his waies hee feareth all his sinnes he knoweth not what sinne to begin with it breedeth such hurlie-burlies in him that when it is day hee wisheth it were night and when it is night he would haue it day his meate doth not nourish him his dreames are fearfull vnto him his sleep often tymes forsaketh him if he speake hee is little eased if hee keepe silence hee boyleth with disquietnes of heart the light doth not comfort him the darknesse doeth grieue him to prosecute our comparison where all other evills are the more tollerable because they be temporall and pursues vs but to death this not being cured endeth not in death but becommeth eternallie for even the Heathen men thought that death was the end of al miseries the perswasion thereof made them being in some miserie to make an end of themselues and hasten their owne death as Sathan doeth make many now adaies to do who are ignorant of the Hells which is a place of far greater paine than any they can suffer in this world whatsoeuer Howbeit a tormented conscience if before it was begun is now continued or if it were not before nowe beginneth and never endeth world without end For though true it is that povertie imprisonment or banishment haue ended their times in death yet a wounded heart which was temporall in this life that which before death was in hope recoverable is after death made both vncurable and vnrecoverable It is good then to considder if even in this life the torment of Conscience bee so fearefull how much more grievous it is to sustaine it in hell where that is infinite which here is finite where that is vnmeasurable which heere is measurable where is the sea of sorrowe whereof this is but a drop where is the flame of that fyre whereof this is but a spark But to shut vp argument some there haue beene that throughout their life time haue beene free from other troubles so as either they felt them not at all or in very smal measure and by that meanes never knewe their head-ache For povertie never knewe what want meant who for discredit were never euill spoken of who ever put farre from them the evill daye of the Lord who haue made a league with death as it were and a covenant with hell who thoght they could crucifie every crosse rather than come vnder any yet they could never escape a wounded conscience either in this life or in the life to come true it is that Gods children by faith and repentance doe oft escape it but the wicked and such as are borne to it as to their sure inheritance the more they flie from it the more it pursueth them If we transgresse the civil lawes the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted If a man haue committed some capital offence by flying his Cuntrie hee may escape the Magistrates hands But our conscience telling vs that we haue sinned against God what bribe shall wee offer or whither shall wee flee where shall we go from his spirite or whither shall we flee from his presence If wee ascend into heauen is hee not there If we lie downe in hel is hee not there If wee flie to the vttermost partes of the earth is he not there also there nedeth no Paritoure to summon vs there needeth no Bailife to fetch vs there needes no accuser to giue in verdite against vs sinne will arrest vs and lieth at the doore our owne conscience will impanell a queast against vs our own hearts will giue in sufficient evidence and our iniquities will pleade guiltie to our faces Thus wee see both by the experience of them that haue suffered the wound of the spirit and the comparing it with other evills what a weight most grievous and a burthen intollerable it is to haue a tormented Conscience Nowe let vs shewe howe we may preuent it and by what meanes Gods children often fall into some degrees of it but if it rage in extremitie it is an euill vnrecoverable yet many safely and quietly be deliuered from it and heere a just complaint is to be taken vp and it is a woonder to be marked if we may wonder at Gods works that we see many so carefull and watchfull to avoide other troubles and so few or none take any paine to escape trouble of minde which is so grievous we see men loving health and loathing sicknesse in dyet temperate in sleepe moderate in phisick expert skilfull to purge and so to avoid such corrupt humours which in time many breede though presently they do not bring forth sicknes yet to avoide the diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleepe none abridgeth his dyet no man prepareth phisick for it no man knoweth when to be full and when to be emptie howe to want and howe to
A FRVITFVL AND GODLY SERMON CONTAINING NEcessary and profitable doctrine for the reformation of our sinfull and wicked liues but especially for the comfort of a troubled Conscience in all distresses By M. Richard Greenham Pastor of DRAYTON EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY RObert Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie An. 1595. Cum Priuilegio Regio TO THE VERTVOVS AND GODLY MATRON SARA SPEâ—R Grace mercie and peace in Christ Iesus Amen DEare Sister you knowe this World is not your home but a Pilgrimage and a place wherein God trieth his children And I doubt not but you haue learned howe to make right vse and profit of the Lord his merciful chastisements For the Lord vseth many waies and meanes for the triall of his I knowe You haue heard of the patience of IOB as saith the Apostle IAMES and you haue seene in the end how that God is merciful patient and long suffering euen so say I vnto you that you shall receiue accordingly if so be you be patient that is if you feare God set his vvord before your eies and serue him thereafter and if hee lay his crosse on you beare it with patience the which you shall do when you considder it not according to the present sense but according to the end Heb. 12. And I doubt not but you are of the number of them which are daily dying to themselues and this sinfull world Ye are one of them that lookes for a citie whose builder and maker is God Ye are one of them that knowes your selfe and your being to be in this earth but as a Pilgrime and stranger for heere yee haue no byding place Yee are one of them which haue made a Covenant with God to forsake your selfe and this sinfull World Yee are one of them vvho say Nay The Lord hath all things written in his memoriall book for such as feare him remember his Name Yee are one of them vvhich haue their Loynes girded about and their lights burning in their hands Like vnto servants that wayte vpon their Lordes comming Yea and I am certainlie perswaded that you and your godly Brethren and Sister are of the number of them vvho haue the Lord for their portion which haue their hope in heaven vvhose leader is Christ Iesus the sonne of God and governour of Heaven and Earth vnto him is given all power he is God almightie with the Father and the holy Ghost praise vvorthie for euermore Now deare sister I partly knowing the present estate of your troubled perplexed minde in regard of the want of your greatest outwarde comfort I thoght it good to present you with this sweet Sermon made by that godly-learned zealous Pastor of Christs Church M. RICHARD GREENHAM which by Gods providence came vnto my handes containing a comfort for a troubled conscience he being throgh the mercy of God a man greatly exercised therewith and therfore taught the same through his owne experience hoping through the working of Gods holy spirit it shal also minister comfort vnto your trobled mind Therfore my dear sister to conclude I beseech you to be instaÌ„t with our merciful God by harty praier for the spirit of wisdome knowledge humblenes meeknes sobriety repentance which euen the best of Gods Children haue great neede of because our sins continuallie prouokes the Lord our God to be angrie with vs but let vs beare his fatherly corrections acknowledge our faults with bitter tears and sorrowfull sighes not doubting but so hee will be mercifull vnto vs in Christ To whome with the Father and the holy spirit be all glory honour praise and everlasting thanks for euermore Amen Your wel-willer in the Lord Christ R. W. A SVVEET AND COMFORTABLE SERMON FOR A TROVbled Conscience PROV 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit vvho canne beare it THIS Scripture is not onely woorthie to be grauen in steele with the point of an Adamant and in letters of golde but also to bee written and registred by the finger of Gods spirit in the tables of the hearte which sentence brieflie speaketh thus much vnto vs that what trouble soever befalleth a man his mind vnapalled he will indifferently beare it out But if the spirite of a man be once troubled and dismaied he cannot tell how to be deliuered And no marvell for if the minde of man be that fountaine of comforte which ministers comfort to him in all other troubles and if it become comfortlesse what shall comfort it if it be voide of help where shall 〈◊〉 be helped If the eye which is the light of the bodie be darknes how great is that darknes If the salt which sauoreth all things be vnsauorie for what is it good If the minde which sustaineth all troubles be troubled how intollerable is that trouble To shewe this the better wee will first declare howe great a punishment of God this wounde of Conscience is Secondly we will teach how this trouble of mind may be avoided Lastly we will set downe how Gods children falling in some measure into this affliction of spirit may be recouered out of it For the first the griefe of this maladie is seene either by some due consideration of the persones that haue felt it or by some wise comparison made betweene this griefe of minde and other outward griefes incident to a man The persons in whome we may consider this wounde of spirite are either meerlie naturall men or such as be renewed by the spirite of God the men meerly naturall are either the heathen such as never knewe God in Christ or carnall professors such as haue not protested Christianitie aright If we looke among the Heathen howe many of them haue willingly gone vnder povertie and haue bene content to vnburden themselues of all worldly tresures how haue some of them whilest their minds were vnapalled suffered imprisonment exile and extreame tortures of bodie rather than they woulde betraye their Cuntries c. How many of them haue devoured many injuries and born outward troubles with some ease and with no resistance whilest their minds were at libertie and yet look not to the â—â—â—nest but to the best and most excellent men among them even their wise Philosophers sweet Oratours and exquisite Poets who in bearing and forbearing they thought the chiefest point of vertue to consist and yet yee shall see when once some great distresse of mind did wound them some would make an end of it by preparing a cup of deadlie poyson some would violently and voluntarilie run on their enemies pykes some would throwe downe themselues from high mountaines some woulde not stick to stabbe most monstrouslie their own bodies with daggers or such like instruments of death All which men woulde seeme to haue great courage in sustaining many harmes so long as their minds were not ouer maistered but when that devine and supreame essence which they acknowledged did by his power crosse and ouerturne
hearts to the bottome whether we respect our sinnes past or our sinnes present whether we looke to our privie pride hidden wants or secreet corruptions and to returne from whence we were digressed to the examining of our hearts in sin to come Let vs obserue that in Gods Children there is such a jealosie as they tremble at the first motions quake at the least occasion of sin although because vice will sit in residence very neere vnto vertue there may be somtime in them too much scrupulousnes this feare causeth the dearest Saintes of God to reason in this sort O Lord I see howe many excellent in giftes and beginnings whose death were not like to their liues This is true whether we look into the word or into the world and it is a thing that may much humble vs For though we may remember what wee haue beene and knowe what we are yet who canne tell what may come to him heereafter Oh that the serious meditation hereof woulde dwell longer vpon our Consciences that with an holy jealousie wee might prevent the sin that is to come But alasse there bee some venturous Knights which think it no masterie to offer themselues to masking minstrilsie and dauncing nor to runne into quarrels brawles and contentions as though they had their eies their eares their hands and their feet in their own power at commandment to vse as they list howbeit Gods children better fenced with grace than those bold buzards ar afraid of these occasions as knowing that their eies may soone be provoked to lust their eares may quickly listen to vnchast delights their hands may suddainly strike a deade blowe their feete may easilie be snared in carnall pleasures Beware O man be circumspect O woman that thou prosecute not thy selfe to so much libertie for though in comming to such lascivious or contentious places thou didst purpose none evill yet for thy ventering without warrant thou maist bee over the shoes in sinne and plunged in some wicked attempt over head and eares ere thou be aware yet because vice is so consine vnto vertue Beware also of suppression for still the enemie laboureth either to make thee too hardy in sinne or else he will cause thee to be too fearefull and superstitious either he will puffe thee vppe with presumption or assault thee with desperation to these temptations our nature is very plyable First to presumption as may appeare by our common speaches Tush the Preacher is but a man as I am I am sure he hath infirmities as others haue we are no Angels our nature is corrupt wee are but men I am sure hee would not haue vs Gods Thus the Devill commeth to tempt them but hee apparelleth himselfe in an other suite when hee commeth to accuse and then of a flie hee maketh an Elephant of a prick of a pin a globe of the whole earth of a mould-hill a mountaine and presseth sillie souls with feares and terrors that they knowe not how to wind themselues If he can bring them to make no conscience where they should make conscience hee will labour to bring them to make conscience where they shoulde make no conscience hee careth not whether ye will be remisse or superstitious so ye will be one of them If hee cannot get you to followe the Epicure sinne of the world as Libertines in dyet and apparell he wil make you so precise as to thinke it an hainous sinne to eate one bitte of meat or to weare one ragge of cloth more than for necessity Howe needfull therefore it is to sayle with an even course we may conjecture by other things which will bewray the corruption of our nature In the time of a plague we shall see some so bolde that without any lawfull calling or godlie warrant they will rush into places infected and then falling sick their conscience pricks them for their tempting of God by an vnadvised boldnes in the houre of their death others plunged as deeply in a contrary extremity are too fearefull when they do but heare of the sicknes and for very feare haue beene brought to deaths doore by imagining themselues to haue bin infected when they haue bin most free who often hauing even dyed without any naturall cause that ever could be knowne but only through an immoderate feare and the judgment of God comming vpon them for their infidelitie and vnbeliefe Thus it is with vs in our extremitie in that as wel the oppressing of our selues with too much feare to be overcome as the carnall securitie in not fearing to be overcome may bring sinne vpon vs Gods children must labour for a measure and that must be sought for in the word which wil teach them howe they shall neither decline on the right hand nor on the left but wil guid them in the narrowe way shewing in every thing what is the vertue and what is the vice what is the meane and what is the extreame among many examples let vs consider zeale a most precious vertue in christianitie so long as it is free from the extreamities otherwise if wee be cold in zeale it is a sin on the left hand if we be zealous without knowledge it is preposterous and becommeth a sin on the right hand but cannot we come to som perfection No if ye vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes albeit to that perfection which the scriptures take for soundnes trueth and sinceritie of heart which is voide of carelesse remission wee may come neither doeth the Lord deale with vs after our sinnes nor rewarde vs after our iniquities in whose eies the most glorious actions of man are but as waters flowing purely from the conduit but defiled by passing through a filthie channel Wherefore though we haue our imperfections let vs not seeke to be more righteous than we can be saying for every errour of this life Oh I am none of Gods sonnes I am none of his daughters for I cannot finde that perfection which is to bee required but let vs comfort our selues in the trueth of our hearts and singlenes of our desires to serue God because he is God and so we shal be accepted of God I speak this to this end that poore souls might heare comfort and know that if they abhorre sinne as sinne if they examine themselues for it if they grone vnder it if they mislike themselues for it if they feare to fall into it the Lord wil not pursue them with the rigour of the Lawe but will giue to them the sweetnes of his promises they are noe more vnder the curse but vnder grace but farther to inforce our exhortation to avoid too scrupulous a feare which hindereth the true examination of our hearts Let vs thinke that it hapneth in the spirituall conflict as in ciuill warres We reade that many Citties lying in great securitie haue suddenly beene both assaulted and overthrowne and also how some Cuntries too much negligent in the warres thorowe an excessiue fearfulnes haue encouraged