Satan under every one of your feet Be not troubled for want of Assurance This is your Assurance That you believe in the Son of God I demonstrate comfort Thus 1. God is Faithful that hath Promised he can never fail 2. Christ is faithful in whom and to whom the Promises are made and he can never fail for the Promise is sure to all the Seed 3. The Holy Ghost is faithful that Seals the Promises of God to our Souls and he can never fail The Spirit of promise to all the Seed 4. Therefore the faithful that receive and rely upon these Promises shall never fail for they are in Christ the Promised Seed As for flesh and blood though that be weak and afflictions very grievous to it yet let the spirit be but honest and willing and then fear nothing For to him that hath though never so little true faith shall be given full measure pressed down and running over shall God give into his bosome To him that is never wanting to himself God will never be wanting Do but desire and God will help do but seek and thou shalt find ask and have knock and it shall be opened unto thee If we that are evil know how to give good things to our Children how much more shall our heavenly father give good things to them that ask him And hath he not promised that whatsoever we shall ask of him in the Name of his Son he will give it us and having given us Christ how shall he not with him also give us all things that he in his wisdome and goodness knows to be necessary for us And having our Portion let us therewith be content Look therefore Sin Misery and Death in the face and Trust in God still Look only upon Sin and Misery and Death and Hell with the Eye of Sense and dye for fear and despair but look with the Eye of Faith beyond all these at the glory that shall be revealed and live for evermore Consult not with flesh and blood for if you do you will droop and fall but consult with the Spirit by Faith in Gods Promises and he shall strengthen thine heart I have nothing to comfort and satisfy me and assure me in life or Death but my honest and faithful desires If I be a Hypocrite I can have no comfort but if I be true and upright to God to the World and to my own soul and do all I can to please God and to keep my Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men though I am clothed with innumerable frailties and imperfections yet I am sure God will pardon all for Christ his sake only let me be valiant and of a good courage And though I see no comfort coming to me in this life or very little let me not be disheartened for this nor judge of Gods favour by what I see or feel but by what I believe and hope for for the things which are seen or felt are but Temporal but the things which are not seen nor felt here are Eternal And what I see not and enjoy not now by sense I do see and enjoy by Faith and shall see and enjoy by sight And till then I content my self with the sight and fruition which I have which is to me an Evidence and full Assurance of what I shall have Therefore Deerly beloved Brethren be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall never be in vain in the Lord for faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Amen GAL. 3.6 Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness EXPLICATION THis Apostle saith Righteousness cometh not of the Law Gal. 2.21 Gal. 3.18 And the Inheritance is not of the Law but by Promise and faith in that Promise Both these sayings carry the same sense that is The right of an Inheritance which is the best Right cometh not of the Law but of Faith And both these sayings carry the same Reason because they argue the same Conclusion viz. That a man is not Justified by the Law but by Faith For if a man be Justified by the Law or if his Right of Inheritance be by the Law Ro◠4.14 then Faith is made void and the Promise void But being justified by his Grace Tit. 3.7 we are made heirs to the hope of Eternal Life So that to be justified by Faith and to be made an heir of God are all one in effect or the latter is but the property or consequent of the former In like manner to be counted Righteous or as in the Text for Faith to be counted for Righteousness is all one as to be justified For St. Paul alledgeth these words to prove the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and to have Right accounted to any person is to justify that Person Rom. 4.6 Gal. 2.16 Therefore this great saying That Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness is to this effect That Abraham was justified by his Faith The Subject is Justification The Points 1. God 2. Account 3. Thing 4. End God the Cause of Justification Chap. 1. God justifi s. Rom. 8.33 Gen. 15.6 It is God that justifieth so the Hebrew Text Abraham believed in God and he imputed it to him for Righteousness God was the Agent that imputed Faith to Abraham for Righteousness St. Paul follows the Septuagint but the sense is all one For if actually God imputed Abrahams Faith unto him for Righteousness then it must needs follow passively that Abrahams Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness 2. The Account Cap. 2. Accounting The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred reasoning concluding numbring reckoning imputing The great Arts of counting are Logick and Logistick 1. Logick is the counting of Sayings according to their rations or reasons as they are composed into their Conclusions and resolved into their Principles 2. Logistick is the counting of Numbers according to their rations or rates as they are composed into their Powers and resolved into their Roots And as in Logick the Conclusion is the effect of two Sayings rightly figured when one of those Sayings is the cause of that effect and the other Saying is the reason or mean between the Cause and the Effect So in Logistick The Power is the Product of two Numbers rightly multiplyed when one of those two Numbers is the Root of that Power and the other is the Rate between the Root and the Power Both these Countings or Reckonings or Reasonings do manifest the ration or Rate of a Saying to a Saying and of a Number to a Number So that to Account is to conclude by Reasoning or Numbring by arguing to find the Conclusion by addition to find the Total by Multiplication the Product by Division the Quotient The Word is used thus in several places Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves to be
their several Countries for Discipline and be quiet I wish Councils would make no more Creeds nor Definitions and Canons forced with deadly Curses and Anathema's against all Dissenters I wish no one Church would dare to Excommunicate another nor the same Church cut off her own Members so desperately for some fond opinions or scruples for they do but shew their malice and pride in calling Fire from Heaven in all haste Their blows cannot hurt a Soul that is ingrafted into Christ nor cut off any from Communion with him or his People in the Spirit They do but beat the aire They know not what spirit they are of Away with Transubstantiation Consubstantiation Merits and Works of Supererogation Prayers to Saints or Angels Indulgences Purgatories Supremacies Infallibilities Pilgrimages Whippings Penances or Pecuniary satisfactions and such like stuff These things are not worth the striving for they are all Hay Straw and Stubble to the effusion of Christian blood and wasting of Treasures How long will the World be deluded with vain Words It is enough to contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints and neither to add to it nor take from it as it is contained in that Rule of Faith the Creed Apostolical out of Gods Word And all Divines and others should do well to bend their forces this way against the common enemy And pray what good have the Disputes about such things ever done Chap. 19. Disputes and what one Controversy have they laid asleep or ever will when both parties joyn wit to wit fallacy to fallacy equally triumphing in their own strength or success and neither party acknowledging themselves foyled but rather Conquerors And in the mean time while men contend for the Form of Godliness the power thereof is lost They raise such a thick dust by striving that the Truth cannot be seen and while the state of the question is debating The plain verity sneaks away The worst is they tye more knots then they are ever able to unloose and raise more Divels then they are ever able to lay This is the Scab of the Church When Aristotle and Plato or an idle Legend are greater Oracles then the Scriptures themselves I would fain the Church of Rome would better consider of these things why they should urge so many new Articles of Faith and such infinite Heathenish Ceremonies upon Christians and so hate condemn and persecute to death the Reformed Party as they do We are not so imperious and uncharitable to them but hope favourably of the honest poor people under them that are kept in ignorance and must know no better But woe be to the blind Guids I would fain the Reformers of our Reformation would better consider what reason they have to stand off and be so shy of the Episcopal and Royal Party because they do but their Duty to stand to the Discipline and Worship which by Law is established Lord what mischief have these men done Too like the old Zealots among the Jews and the Seditious Orators among the Gentiles So they cause the People to hate the Prince and the Priest and ravish their sacred Rights while they are pampered with the spoils of both and of the people to boot And the poor people on both sides will be deceived because naturally they do not love Dignities And this their Deceivers work upon If they that have eyes would see and they that have Ears would hear and they that have hearts would understand they would yeeld to the plain reason of Faith in the Laws of God and to the plain reason of Law in the Statutes of men But first these sweet tongued Orators must be removed These Mountebanks must be cashiered The Sea would be calme if the Winds were layd If Princes would silence these Mimical stage Players Nimble Sophisters and Fucous Declaimers their Subjects would be wiser and better then they are If Kings take care in the first Place that God be served after a pure and decent Form prescribed by their Law they themselves will be better served If Kings keep the Reins in their own hands and never prostitute their Sacred Rights to the ambitious Clergy and wild Rabble they will do their business and keep the Church Themselves and their Dominions in Peace O blessed way if it could be taken The only expedient to beget and maintaine Truth and Peace Who but such as are faithful to God and the King can have any assurance of their Salvation One thing more sticks in the way A Doctrine undiscerned hurtfull to Religion and Laws I mean An absolute Personal Election and Reprobation Chap. 20. Decrees Absolute 1. A Dishonour and Blasphemy against the Good God in making of him the Author of Sin and Misery to most of his poor Creatures so that they cannot love him as they would that is so unjust and cruel to condemn them from all Eternity for just nothing and in time to make his Decree good by forcing them to Sin under a colour that they may be justly damned I tremble to think that Sejanus's innocent Daughters must first be deflowred by the Hangman that they might be capable to be put to death according to Law 2. A Barre for ever to any Satisfaction Assurance or Comfort to any Soul that is in Distress A spade will be a Spade The Black-moor cannot be made White nor the Leopard loose his Spots withal the washing in the world They weary thēselves in the very Fire It is a Lottery if a man have the luck of it 3. A gap it will be do what they can to all Licentiousness and Presumption If Elected they must be called and persevere let them take no care If Reprobated they are sure to be damned let them take never so much care 4. A Prostration and Enervation of all Laws and endeavours There is neither Virtue nor Vice to reward or punish if the will be forced against its will to Good or Evil as by a Fate it must be 5. By it all Preaching and Exhortation to duty is a meer mocking For God means not as he speaks Salvation to all but he hath a secret reserved Will of Damnation to most These and many more absurd and profane consequences they can never avoid while the World stands let them say or do what they please But the thing that I wonder at is That the people should rather delight to hear these Boanerges's the Sons of Thunder then the Barnabas's the Sons of Consolation But any thing will go down kindly from those that speak against the present Powers For Power is a thing naturally hated though it be Gods But though they have the knack to cheat the Ignorant and weak by the dril of their Clappers antick faces and demure deportment Yet they cannot put out the Eyes of the Wise that can discerne sense from flams nor stop the Ears of the prudent that can distinguish betwixt the harmonious Touch of a skilful Musitian and the harsh scrape of a Country Fidler They know it can be no sense nor honesty to bid men see that are born blind to bid men run that are lame or fast chained to bid men hear that have their Ears dammed up To bid men eat and drink that are sick and can neither Tast nor take any thing or if able to do both shew them meat and drink and snatch it from them Though they may thus mock men yet let them not think to mock God also or that God is such a one as themselves verily they have their Reward See how great a part is deluded if not stark mad 1. The Papists that Damn all out of their Church as being without the pale cast overboord and sunk 2. The frantick Quaker says of all other Sects They are Damned And both these look when God shall put the Sword into their hands to destroy the Wicked as the vermin of the World 3. The Zenonian Pharisaical Tribe are of the same spirit but hide it more craftily They are not for fire and faggot as the Papists nor for a general Massacre as the fift Monarchy men c. But they are merciful to suffer the Gibeonites to live only they must be hewers of Wood and drawers of Water to serve the Elect which have the Right to all things Good men and True they can hunt down the game from his legs and when the Dogs of the same pack started before them and tore the game in pieces they barked and howled sadly because they lost the benefit of the Prey The Rabbies and Philosophers began early to mingle their Extravagancies among Christians Next the Pride of Infallibility and Supremacy began to peep from the chief Seats of Empire with Apish Imitation of Idolatrous Ceremonies They had not learned yet throughly the Art of Defence but being challenged by Arius and Pelagius those Mighty Champions among the rest they came to close Fights and in heat of bloud let fly at random Thus the Gap once opened In rusht a Crowd of Gowned Warriers cutting down all opinions but their own with the sharp weapons of their Tongues and Pens singing Jo Paean to this day flatly determining by their Legislative Power against pure and modest Antiquity And took occasion still by the very Reformation striving to be most contrary to them from whom they did justly depart taking all upon the credit of some few who were most famous for striking the first stroke There was all along a moderate Party especial at this last overture but they could not be heard for Peace because the Cry of the Zealots was against them and so it is still But the heat of the business is in good part over At leasure the Diligent have better considered and long for the Peace of Christendom Young Dupradii Novices may be indulged to believe their Masters when they know no better but when they come for their time to be Lytae and Regents themselves they may judge of what they have learned and teach better And so might thousands do if they knew their strength and were not Lazy and content with that little they have and if they were not tyed up under present pains or future Damnation to believe all that is obtruded upon them But the World we hope will grow older and wiser Amen FINIS
pleased He intended farre higher Duties unto which he led them by the hand if they had had the wit to observe it according as the Prophets did often hint unto them But they rested in the Letter and in the worke-daies and would not understand what God farther intended no not when they were sorely slasht in the Babilonish Captivity nor in the time of the Maccabees nor under the sore Yoke of Antiochus nor yet of the Romans when the Gospel began to dawn nor yet in the dayes of Christ himself and his Apostles when the cleer day-spring from an high did visit them and that God did fully reveal what worship he meant should continue for ever and that all their rude and beggarly elements should be laid aside as being added only because of Transgressions till the Promised Seed should come It was therefore necessary that the Patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these Heb. 9.23 but the heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices then these But still they stumbled at the Old stumbling-stone of a Temporal Covenant established upon Temporal Promises and commanding Temporal Services And from hence many Christians first taken from the Nation of the Jews and afterwards from all the Heathen Countries have erred exceedingly Partly by mixing Judaisme and partly by mixing Paganisme with Christianity which both of them are not out of us unto this very day although the Apostles made it their business as they had then too much occasion to overthrow these two maine errors from whence all other Heresies have been derived and that Christ himself did so much speak against the continuance of the Jewish way and the Introduction of Heathenish customs by Preaching a more Spiritual Law and declaring Eternal Promises All though God hath winked at the Nonage of the Jews and the Ignorance of the Gentiles Chap. 9. Châ—iâ—â—â—anisme yet now God will have all men every where to aspire to perfection and learn better things commanded in a better Covenant that is established upon better Promises especially in the dayes of Adversity when we are pinched with long and sore Warrs with plagues of Fire and Water and sundry kinds of Death It is high time now for the World to grow wiser to come off from the Vanities and Pomps of this Life and walk highly with God in the Spiritual Exercise of Faith and Repentance Away then with this Loose and Carnal way of Living This will not do The Gospel calls for higher things 1. This Loose and Carnal Life will never satisfy the Conscience nor please God 2. This formal and outward Worship will not serve the Turne You must come up to the pure Gospel-way to the life of Faith and to the worship of the spirit or you can never please God Be honest and just in your words and Actions Be dutiful and obedient to the Laws Be decent and orderly in Gods Worship But still I shew you a more excellent way This is to be done and you are not to leave the other undone For thus it becometh us after Christs own Example To fulfil all Rigteousness To offend none but to give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods APPLICATION I have set before you two wayes Faith and Sight Spirit and Flesh choose therefore the better part that shall never be taken away from you 1. Cherish the life of Nature by Temperance Sobriety and Chastity 2. Regulate the life of sense by Reason Prudence and Moderation 3. Order the Moral life by Virtue Justice Obedience and Honesty 4. Maintain the Civil Life by dutiful submission to Rulers and their Laws for the publike Good 5. Keep the Spiritual Life above all by Faith 1. Which may Sanctify Nature Sense Morality and Laws 2. Which may transcend all carnal Profits Pleasures Honours Arts Powers Glories Liberties Beauties Friends Health Peace Orders c. 3. Which may overcome all Carnal Pains Wants Shames Ignorances Weaknesses Disgraces Deformities Enemies Diseases Warrs Bondage Confusions c. 4. Which may regulate all Passions of Love Hatred Hope Despair Joy Grief c. 5. Which may sublimate all Faculties Understanding Will Memory Conscience 6. Which may arrive at the height of true Wisdome Peace and Tranquility of Minde 1. By exemption from vulgar Errors Vices and Passions 2. By aiming at Universal Liberty in Judgment and Will still submitting to Faith 3. By learning true essential simple honesty and plainness of Spirit 4. By Practicing true Piety 1. Free from Jewish worship 2. Free from Heathenish Idolatry This is the high and noble way of the New Testament of Jesus Christ which is of the spirit that giveth life not of the Letter that killeth Thus we overcome sin from ruling in our mortal Bodies that we should be obedient unto the lusts thereof Thus we overcome the Temptations and miseries of the World Thus we overcome the Devil and bruise Satan under every one of our Feet and through Jesus Christ are more then Conquerors And thanks be to God which giveth us this victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Look therefore on things Spiritual and not on things Carnal Chap. â—0 Faith on things Eternal and not on things Temporal For the things that are seen are temporal and carnal but the things which are not seen but believed are Spiritual and Eternal Believe your sins are blotted out of Gods Book for so they are when forsaken Though you cannot see your Pardon sealed by Gods spirit by your sense yet by your Faith you may see it Believe the Peace of God of your own Consciences though the sense discern it not yet your faith may Believe the Judgments of God are escaped and shall not hurt you though you feel present pain in the Flesh as is needful for you Believe the Devil is overcome though he sift you as the wheat is sifted yet Christ hath prayed for you that your Faith shall not fail you and his Grace shall be sufficient for you Believe you shall live though you die and see corruption for you shall die in Faith This is Faith to believe above sense above hope and contrary to hope the judgment of flesh and bloud This is Faith To be present with God in the Spirit though you be absent from him in the Flesh This is Faith to rejoice in Misery to glory in Tribulations to be ravished with Spiritual comforts during the enjoyment of Temporal To find Rest in God in the midst of Trouble to rest upon Gods Promises of Pardon and Blessedness in the midst of Sins and Miseries I will believe though I see not nor feel not any comfor This shall be my joy comfort in believing I will believe though I can give no Definition nor Reason for my Faith I will live in the Spirit though I live in the Flesh for I do not live after the Flesh I will worship God in the Spirit though I use a Forme and outward Ceremony I will Eat
all Sin is in my Flesh 2. How all misery is in my Flesh And that this is but my outward Man the old Man That decayes and dies which I am daily putting off 3. How all Grace is in my Spirit 4. How all Glory is in my Spirit And that this is the Inward Man The new Man That quickens and lives which I am daily putting on And that therefore by my Faith I live above sin and above Misery and beyond them both while in my flesh I am perplexed with them both What then is all this Mourning by reason of Sin and for Afflictions here below Is not this the way to Heaven though it be thus Rugged and Thorny Is not this the Sea and are not these the Waves and Storms and Rocks and Quicksands that are therein But is not Christ my Pilot and am I not safe under him Have I not a sure Guide that will bring me into a safe Harbour Can I not then have a little Patience T is but to have a little Patience Dabit Deus his quoque finem 'T is but standing still a while and I shall see the Salvation of God Wherefore then all this a do Wherefore do ye trouble my Spirit I am ready not only to suffer but to dye There is no strang thing happened unto me but such as is common to all the faithfull and such as happened to Christ himself What though I am Tempted Afflicted Oppressed I live still The just shall live by his Faith My Vessel is covered with Waves yet she bears up against them My House is beaten and shaken with winds and waves yet it stands still because it is founded upon a Rock I am fearful naturally I do confess yet by the Grace of God I can look Sin Misery and Death in the face and trust in God still If I look only upon Sin and Misery and Death and Hell alas I dye for fear But if I look upon God and Christ I live for evermore If I consult with flesh and bloud I mourn and die but if I consult with the Spirit I rejoyce and live They that live after the Flesh shall die but they that by the spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh shall live Qu. Do we then live by Faith or by Sense Spiritually or Carnally Ans If we say we live by Faith and by the Spirit I say then what means this lowing and bleating of the Beasts that I hear Vnde Luctus Planctus Where is all this howling and Lamentation Why all this Despairing and Doubting O we of little Faith A voice in Ramah is heard bitter Lamentation Rachel mourning for her children and refuseth to be comforted because they are not But is Christs Church a Widdow hath she not a Husband is she an Orphan and hath she not a Father Is she a stranger and hath she not a Protector Surely she is the Spouse and Daughter of Christ and no stranger therefore God will take care and charge of her and do for her abundantly above all that she is able to aske or think Doth God take care for Oxen and for the Birds of the Air and for the Lillies of the Field and shall he not much more take care for us O we of little Faith Let me alone therefore and trouble me no more from henceforth with idle Questions or direful Curses I have a God to trust to I have nothing to do with you O ye subtil O ye uncharitable ones O my Soul strengthen thou thy self in thy God alone it is good for me to wait upon my God and to keep my self close to the Rock of my Salvation Why Have I not found his Goodness all along and should I doubt now Have I served so good a Master and now should I leave him Why how and by whom have I lived all this while under all sorrows And how do I live still And how do I hope to live hereafter And how do I hope to live for evermore but by my Faith in Gods Promises I am not exactly Righteous therefore I cannot live by my works but I am willing to work Righteousness and by the Grace of God I shall be accepted and live by Faith CONCLUSION The Doctrine of Faith is sufficiently known that thereby we are Justified Regenerated Adopted Incorporated into Christs Church Elected Sanctified Assured and shall be raised up from the dead and live in glory everlastingly But who are the true Believers is not so sufficiently known and it is hard to know All will profess their Faith but how do they prove it All will reckon upon Salvation but how do they prove their Reckoning Here lies the main Point that men should not deceive themselves Professors enough Teachers many but how true God knows 2 Cor. 13.5 and they themselves do not know for want of Trial of themselves Well therefore said the Apostle Examine your selves whither ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates I take great care upon This. I find high Pretenders to Faith and to the Spirit Chap. 17 Pretenders and mighty zealots in all duties of Devotion but I find also that they are not honest but Lyars Cheaters Malicious Proud Boasters Rebellious Sacrilegious Extortioners Lovers of themselves Luxurious Covetous and the greatest Troublers of the World I do not say Swearers nor open Drunkards c. I wish these men to examine themselves better and know themselves to be Hypocrites For God and the World know them so to be for they daily rob God in Tithes and offerings and his Priests of honor and respect They rob the King of Tributes and Customes and of Honour and Obedience They do cheat and forswear to the ruin of their neighbours none more Now shall such a Faith save them It must be no other then a dead Faith Because they are Hypocrites and do no good works therefore they have made shipwrack of a true Faith and of a good Conscience 2. I find ordinary Professors of Faith formal enough Customary hearers and Worshippers and just men But they are not zealous but they are not sober and temperate but they are cursers and swearers I do not say they are Lyars I wish heartily these men would examine themselves better They are in a good way and are almost but not all together good Christians They are too luke-warm and formal They must stir up themselves more or else they will come short of true Faith 3. I find some that are close and private and make little open shew of any Religion to the World Being no comers to Church no Readers nor Prayers at home regard no Laws nor Magistrates nor Ministers But keep to their shops and employments greedily groveling upon the World and minding no divine Deity I wish these men would examine themselves better and awaken out of their sottish condition For they can have no grounds to build any solid
Ablution from Original Sin and a Death to all Sin and a life to Righteousness and thereby exemption from the state of Damnation to the state of Salvation and that to Infants as well as others that are Baptized with water and if not Baptized it was none of their fault And whither outwardly Baptized or no what can hinder the Inward Baptisme of the Spirit to them if they Dye presently before or after Baptisme or to others if they live long to believe and keep that Faith in which they were Baptized except they make Shipwrack both of Faith and a good Conscience by breaking the Vow and Promise made by them None can deny but the Spirit of God is free as the Wind to blow where and when and how it listeth and who so fit objects to receive the gifts of his Grace for life Eternal as these poor Creatures that are so miserable as not so much as to enjoy the comforts of this life Temporal Do not Rights belong to Children and Fools by Law but Grace gives Rights above and contrary to Law Especially the Grace of God which is so Gracious that our shallow understandings and stammering Tongues are not able to apprehend and express it I will therefore stand still admire and hold my peace when I cannot fathom his Infinite Mercy 3. Thirdly Concerning Mad-men who have had Reason and Faith Chap. 4. Untimely Ends. and afterwards without their own fault have lost the use of both at least Quoad nos to outward appearance either wholly or for a certain time or times coming and going I am as favourable to judge of them as I did for Infants and Fools I know well God is favourable and his Royal Laws most favourable and to be most favourably interpreted as good men will allow their own Laws to be And therefore it becomes me and all men to come as neer unto God for kindness as we may and it is most safe so to do I say then as favourably as I can thus As they have had Reason and Faith before their distraction so they have them still under their Distraction The Habits they retain the Acts they cannot shew It is all alike to God though not to us He knows what the Inward Man is though we do not but by the expressions of the Outward Man to guess only 4. Fourthly Chap. 5. Untimely ends Concerning such as have been understanding and faithful both and fruitful in Wisdome and Goodness and yet have suddenly pershed by Fire or Water or the Sword or any other fatal Contingency I answer I do not judge amiss of their Souls at all for the grievous misery that hath happened unto them No not if they have in their Passion or Provocation of uncharitable Censures thrust out their own Souls out of their Bodies supposing they were such as constantly feared God before They have not lost the life of their Souls though they have lost the life of their Bodies they have not lost an Eternal though they have lost a Temporal life All these Changes and Chances of a long Life or a short of a natural or violent Death of a Single or a Married life of Poverty or Riches of Beauty or Deformity of Ignorance or Learning c. are nothing to the farthering or hindering of the state of a Blessed Eternity 5. Fiftly Chap. 6. Sickmen distracted Concerning them that in their health of Body have enjoyed health of minde with Faith and a good Conscience but afterwards have been distracted by violent Diseases and never recovered But as other Madmen that walk abroad or are shut up as otherwise healthy and strong they do talk not only idly and fantastically but wickedly and profanely and act altogether ragingly I am not afraid to answer that notwithstanding all these things have happened unto them through Gods Providence against their own Wills yet their Souls are in as good and as safe a condition as ever they were before Obj. But what will you say may some object of them Chap. 7. Malefactâ—rs that for and by the guilt of some grievous Sins as Murder Rebellion c. or for some grievous Misery as Love Want loss of Children c. have fallen Sick and lost their Wits withal 'till they have dyed either by meer sickness or by laying violent hands upon themselves I answer And what will you say that make this objection or what can any man say of these men whither they repented or no between the Bridge and the Water or of God whither his wayes be not often secret but alwayes just And whither think you is safest for me to say they are damned or to hope the best that by the favour of God punishing them here they may be spared hereafter If you can give a better Judgment then I in this Case then do I leave them to that God that made them who is infinitely just and good and knows how to relieve the weak And hope the best 'T is dangerous to walk upon the Ridges of headlong and slippery Places as the Tops of Towres and steep Rocks or Brinks of deep Waters 6. Sixthly and lastly Chap. 9. Heathens There is one Case more and it is as much as I can think of concerning those honest Heathens that have excelled in virtue and the fear of God though never Circumcised to the Jewish Law nor Baptized to the Christian Gospel but only for ought we know have grown good upon the Stock of Natural Light or some secret supernatural Illumination in what state or Condition their Souls may be thought to be in I answer as well as I can That their Creed is to believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of all such as diligently seek him And so they came to God and whither he rejected them after they came to him as well as they could let the wise judge If then they do believe that God was a Rewarder Chap. 9. Jewes then there is no Reward but in Christ And what did the Jewes know cleerly of Christ or of the Resurrection were they therefore damned They had a dark Dispensation of Resemblances of Heavenly things by the Patterns of Earthly Ceremonies and Promises and these a darker by natural light and impulse If Spiritual and Eternal things were generally hinted unto them and they walked according to what they knew as the best Jews did God will â—equire no more at the hands of the Jew or Gentile then what he hath given them The one shall be judged by that Law they had in Tables and the other by that Law they had in their hearts and the Christians by that Spiritual Law of the Gospel the Perfection of both the former And God will have all men every where to repent and in every Nation and at all times they that fear God and worship him and do justly as well as they can shall be accepted of him And whatever their condition be which yet we have no cause to judge