their enemies with more gredie violence to praye vpon them with which kinde of stratagems our adversarie the Devill beeing well acquainted with often practiseth this pollicie if he seeth vs without all feare too quietly to rest in our selues he thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger because our assistance is the weaker Againe if hee discrieth in vs a cowardlie feare and fainting of heart before wee once begin to joyne battell with him he wil set vpon our moderate feare and as villanouslie as suddenly stabbe vs to the heart and make a present spoile of vs common practise doth further teach vs that when wee can heare the worde without all trembling at Gods judgements when wee can pray without all feare before the Majestie of God when wee can come to the Discipline of the Church without al reverence of the ordinance of the Lord al in vaine Again let vs heare with too much trembling and we shall learne nothing let vs pray with too servile a feare and our woorshipping of God will bee without all comfort vncheerful Thus if we neither lessen sin that is indeede neither make sin of that which is not sin in trueth it is good to proceed to this threefold examination to lay the edge of this doctrine more neere our afflictions because many will be found in this ripenes of knowledge and barrannes of conscience to speak and dispute of all these things very skilfully which flickring in the circumference of the braine not setling at the heart do seale vp a more just sentence of condemnation against them To help this evill with we must meditate deeply vpon the law and Gospell togither with the appertenances of them both that finding our selues far from Gods blessing and seeing our selues neere to the curses due vnto the breakers of the lawe we may raise vppe some sence of sin in our selues yet herein we must not stay but go forward for whereas many by the diligent viewe of the law haue come to the sense of sin in themselues and saw their own condemnation yet because they labored not to see their guiltinesse acquited by the remission of sinne in Christ they plunged in a bottomles sea of sorrowes others having passed those degrees hitherto made these steps to avoid the wound of Conscience haue come short of the mark who besides the sense of sinnes pardoned by the deth of Christ felt not the vertue of his passion crucifying sin in them but saw that with remission of sins was not joined mortification of sin feared that there was no forgiuenes for them but stil languishing with sorrow they thought their soules to stand charged with their former guiltinesse yea and which more is for that such men haue not truly bin instructed nor surely haue bene grounded in the doctrine of Christ his death and resurrection that is for that they sawe not aswell power flowing from his death to sley sinne in them as vertue to pardone sin in them for that they felte not aswell strength vnto sanctification striving from the rising again of Christ as they were perswaded of justification righteousnes therein They haue lyen still bleeding at the heart in such sort that the wound of griefe could hardly or neuer be stopped and stanched wherfore let vs strengthen our weake soules with this sevenfold coard of consolation against these bitter assaults let vs first labour to know sinne then to sorrow for sinne after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiven farther to looke for power to crucifie the same then to lay holde on Iustification by his Resurrection and lastly hope for strength to proceede from thence to further vs in sanctification and holines of life even vnto the end And thus much briefly for that second thing which we matched in companie with the examination of sinne euen vnto the triall of faith both which rightly vsed shall in some measure fafegarde vs from the trouble of afflicted mindes Now let vs hasten to the third part of our division to shew how Gods children being fallen into this wounde of spirit may be helped out of it which God willing we also wil performe after we haue answered a necessary objection which in this former part might seeme to encounter against vs There is no man but will graunt that David Iacob and others of the saints of God had a sight of their sinnes a sorrow for their sinnes a tast of their remission of sinne and yet how commeth it to passe that these men were so trobled in mind To this I answer that their trouble so befel them either for failing in some of those former things or else they were rather afflicted for the triall of their faith than for the persecuting of sin in them and therfore be it alwaies provided that we think not every conflict of conscience continually chiefly to be for the pursuing of our sins but sometime principally for the scoring of sin as we may see in Iob wherevpon let all men be admonished when as they see good men thus humbled in minde to laye their handes on their mouthes from saying Surely these men are but Hypocrites doubtles these men be great sinners the Lord hath found out their iniquitie the Lord hath discovered their hypocrisie for good reason there is that such silence should be vsed for that the Lord may aswell make triall of their faith as take punishment on their sinnes for if such afflictions should alwaies chieflie be sent for sinne then it should followe that all others as they exceeded them in sinne should also exceed them in that punishment of sinne but nowe comming to the salving of this sore I shal seeme very strange in my cure and so much the more to be wondred at by howe much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein I am not ignorant that many visiting of afflicted consciences cry still Oh! comfort them oh speake joyfull things vnto them yea there be some and that of the learned who in such cases are full of those and such like speeches Why are you so heavy my brother why are you so cast downe my sister be of good cheere take it not so grievouslie what is there that you should feare God is mercifull Christ is a Saviour these be speeches of loue indeed but they often do the poore souls as much good herein as if they should powre colde water in their bosomes when as without farther searching of their sores they may aswell minister a malady as a medicine For as all nutriture and carnall medecines are not good for every sicke person especiallie when the body needeth a strong purgation then to minister matter restoratiue And as all incarnatiue medicines may for a time stay the paine of the patient but afterwardes the griefe becommeth more grievous So comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for every one that is humbled especially when their soules are rather to be cast farther down than
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
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