the damnation of Hell In a true Penitent there ought to bee an utter cessation from all grosse abandonable sinnes and at least dis-allowance dis-affection and all possible opposition even to un-avoidable infirmities and inseparable frailties of the flesh 5. Fiftly when the Physition of the Soule promiseth mercy and pardon hand over head without that spirituall discretion which is convenient for a matter of so great consequence and requiring such a deale of dexterity in discerning to a man upon His Bed of death who hath formerly bin notorious or onely civill howsoever a meere stranger to the power of godlines and the truth of Profession because now in the evill Day He takes on extremely by reason of His extremity cries out of his sins O I am an hainous horrible and grievous sinner If I were to live againe what would not I doe A World for comfort now and to die the death of the righteous because Hee Howles vpon His bed as the Prophet speaketh and breakes out oftentimes into a roaring complaint of sinne and cry for pardon by reason Hee now begins to feare and feele the revenging hand of God ready to seize upon Him for his former rebellions c. Or when Hee assures Him having been a formall Professour onely and foolish Virgine of blisse and glory because out of a former habituated spirituall Selfe-deceite Hee cries Lord Lord seemes to by-standers very confident that He shal presently receive a Crowne of life thankes God that nothing troubles Him Professes to every one that comes to visite Him that Hee believes and repents with all His heart forgives all the world makes no doubt of Heaven c. Here by the way wee must take notice that many having out-stood the day of their gratious visitation having neglected so great salvation forsaken their owne mercy and iudged themselues unworthy of everlasting life all their life long by standing out against the Ministry of the Word in respect of any saving worke upon their soules and now at length beeing overtaken after the short gleame of worldly prosperity with the boysterous winter-night of death and darkenesse of the evill day may keepe a great stirre upon their dying-Beds or in some great extremity with grievous complaints of their present intolerable misery and former sinfull courses procuring it with incessant cries for ease and deliverance being now caught like wilde Bulls in a Nâ—t full of the wrath of God with earnest and eager â—uing and seeking for pardon and salvation now when worldly pleasures are past and yet bee not truly penitent not soundly and savingly humbled not rightly fitted for Christ and comfort Consider for this purpose Prov. 1.24.28 In the day of visitation God called upon them and stretched out His hands but they refused did not regard set at naught all His counsell and would none of His reproofe And therefore in the Day of vexation when extremity and anguish shall come upon them like a Thiefe in the night a whirle-winde travaile upon a woman suddenly extremely un-avoidably Hee professeth before-hand that then they shall call upon Him but Hee will not answer They shall seeke Him early but they shall not find Him Psal. 78.34.35.36.37 When Gods hand was upon them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God c. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto Him with their tongues For their heart was not right with Him c. Hos. 7.14 They howled upon their Beds Will not a Dog or a Beast or any unreasonable creature when they are pinched when they are in extremity will they not cry will they not mourne for helpe c. Their cries in the evill Day were not hearty prayers but Howlings upon their Beds Their earnestnesse in such a case is ordinarily like the teares prayers and cryes of a malefactour newly condemned Hee is very earnest with the Iudge to spare Him Hee roares out sometimes and takes on extremely yet not heartily for his former lewdnesse but horribly because Hee must now loose His life Hee seemes now when Hee sees His misery to relent and to bee toucht with remorse but it is onely because hee is like to bee hanged Againe many there are who satisfying themselves and others with a goodly shew of a Forme onely of godlines may upon their last Bed discover and represent to By-standers a great deale of fearelesnesse about their spirituall state much confidence many ostentations of Faith and full assurance and behave themselves as tho they were most certainely going to everlasting blisse when as God knowes their Answer at His just Tribunall must bee I know you not And in truth and triall they have no more part in Christ nor other portion in Heaven then the foolish Virgins and those Luk. 13.26.27 They are so confident not because they have escaped the danger but because they never saw the danger And hence it is that many of them die with as much confidence as the best Christians they have no more trouble then holy men To bee sure I am free from danger and not to know it may beget equall confidence Now concerning the present Case I must tell you that for my part I would not much alter my censure and conceite of a Man's spirituall state whom I have thorowly knowne before for the manner of His death The end of Gods dearest servant after an holy life and unblame-able conversation may not appeare in the eye of man so calme and comfortable as was expected by reason of much tendernesse of conscience some strong temptation spirituall desertion violent distemper of Body or because God would have the manner of His death serue the glory of His justice in hardning those about him who were so farre from being won by His godly life that they heartily hated it or for some other secret and sacred end seene and seeming good to Divine wisedome who ever disposeth every circumstance even of the least affaire most sweetly and wisely And yet this as it doth not prejudice His salvation neither should it His Christian reputation Heare that great Doctor in the Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences But what if you should die in this discomfort For my part as I my selfe looke for no great things in my death I would not thinke more hardly of you neither would I wish any to iudge otherwise of Gods Childe in that state of death For wee shall not bee iudged according to that particular instant of death but according to our generall course of life not according to our deede in that present but according to the desire of our hearts ever before And therefore wee are not to mistrust Gods mercy in death bee wee never so uncomfortable if so bee it hath been before sealed in our vocation and sanctification On the otherside a notorious wretch which hath swumme downe the current of the times and wallowed in worldly pleasures all his life long may seeme to die
other hereafter in the meane time every day spent so sensually is a true Purgatory And every day passed in the contrary Christian course is an earthly Paradise 2. Secondly Let them marke well the different Ends of these men Tho the one now carries away the credite and current of the times and with all bravery and triumph tumbles Himselfe in the pleasures riches and glory of the world and the other is kept as they say under batches neglected and contemptible to carnall eyes trampled upon with the feete of pride and malice by the prouder Pharisees and hunted with much cruelty and hate by Men of this World Yet watch but a while and you shall see the End of this upright man whatsoever his sorrowes and sufferings troubles and temptations have beene in this life to be most certainly peace at the last Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 He either passeth fairely and calmely thorow the Port of Death to the Land of everlasting rest and reioycing or else if a tempest of extraordinary temptation seize upon Him in the Haven when He is ready to set foote into heaven which is the Lot of many of Gods dearest Ones for ends seeming best to the ever-blessed Majesty as perhaps to harden those aboue Him that hate to be reformed c. Yet all the hurt he hath thereby is upon the matter besides serving Gods secret holy pleasure an addition to His happinesse for an immediate translation from the depth of temporary horrour as in Maister Peacocke and Mistris Bretlergh to the height of endlesse joy makes even the joyes of Heaven something more joyfull Hee feeles those never-ending pleasures at the first entrance more delicious and ravishing by reason of the suddaine change from that bitternesse of spirit in the last combate to the excellency and eternity of heavenly blisse His Soule in this case after a short eclipse of spirituall darkenesse upon His Bed of death enters more lightsomly into the full Sunne of immortall glory But what doe you thinke shall bee the end of the other Man He is in the meane time it may be in great power and spreading Himselfe like a greene Bay tree revelling in the ruffe and top of all worldly jollity and wealth wallowing dissolutely in choisest delights and vamest pleasures yet waite but a while and you shall see him quickely cut downe like grasse and wither as the greene herbâ— For God shall suddenly shoote at Him with a swift arrow It is already in the bow even a bow of steele shall send forth an arrow that shall strike Him thorow and shall shine on his gall His power and his pride shall bee overthrowne in the turne of an Hand All his imperious boisterousnesâ—e shall melt away as a vaine foame The eye which saw Him shall â—â—e him no more neither shall hiâ— place any more behold him He must downe into the grave naked and stript of all power and pompe all beauty and strength a weaker and poorer worme then when he fâ—â—st came out of the wombe Here further for this purpose and fuller exprâ—ssion of my meaning in this point how a worthy friend of mine instancing in the exemplary and dreadfull downe-falls of Haman Shebnah and others labours to fright gracelesse great Ones out of their luxury and pride security and sinfull pleasures by consideration of their Ends. Oh then saith he ye rich and great ye proud and cruell Ambitious and honourable take from their wofull examples the true estimate of your riches and your power your pleasure and your honour wherein ye trust and whereof yee boast but as Israell in Aegypt of a broken reede Consider that like sinnes will have like ends That God is to day and yesterday and the same for ever That the pride and cruelty oppression and luxury of these times have no greater priviledge then those of the former But when for a while you have domineered farre and neare Had what you would and done what you liâ—t dispeopled Parishes and plaines for your Orchards and walkes pulld downe many houses to set one up from betweene whose battlements and turrets at the top you can see no end of your meadowes your fields and your lands the measuring whereof as the Poet speakes would weary the very wings of the kite When your Clientary traine hath bin too long for the streete and your bare respect hath shooke the hat from the head and bent the knee afarre off when you have clapt whole Manours on your backs or turnd them downe your throates when you have scoured the plaineâ— with your horses the fields and woods with your bounds and the heaven with your hawkes when with pheasantâ— tongues you have furnisht whole feasts and with the Queene of Aegypt drunke dissolved pearle even fifty thousand pounds at a draught and then laide your headâ— in Dalilaâ—s lappe When if it were possible yoâ— have spent your whole lives in all that royall pompe and pleasure which that most magnificent King and Queeâ—â— did Hist. 1. for an hundred and fourescore dayes 〈◊〉 word when you have wallowed in all delights and stood in pleasures up to the chin Then even then the pit is digged and death of whom you dreame not stands at the doore Where are you now Or what is to bee done Come downe saith Death from your pleasant Prospects Alight from your Iades Hood your kites Cupple up your curres bid adew to pleasure out of your beds of lust Come naked forth and downe with mee to the chambers of death Make your beds in the dust and lay downe your cold carkasses among the stones of the pit at the roots of the Rockes And you great and delicate Dames who are so wearied with pleasure that you cannot rise time enough to dresse your heads and doe all your trickes against dinner To wash your bodies with muske and dawbe your faces with vermilion and chalke To make ready your pleasant baites to poyson mens eyes and their soules You whorish lezabels thinke you now you are meate for men Nay come head-long downe to the dogs If not suddenly so yet dispatch and put off your caules eare-rings and round tyres your chaines bracelets and mufflers your rings wimples and crisping pinns your hoods vailes and changeable sutes your glasses sine linnen with all your Mundus muliebris Isa. 3. And put on stinke in stead of sweete smell baldnesse in stead of well-set haire burning in stead of beauty Wormes shall make their nests in your brests and shall eate out those wanton windowes and messengers of lust Yea rottennesse and stinch slime and filth shall ascend and sit downe in the very Throne of beauty and shall dwell betweene your eie-browes All this is very wofull and yet there is a thousand times worse Besides all this Thou that now laies about the for thee world and wealth for transitory pelfe and rotten pleasures that lies soaking in luxury and pride vanity and all
unconquerablenesse in torment then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution 2. In others from a strong stirring perswasion and consciousnesse of the honesty and honour of some civill cause for which they suffer But fortitude in this case doth not arise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous and well-bred heathen It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine who had long manfully and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie that Hee sustained with strange patience and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant and all his barbarous cruelties most unworthy of Him that suffered them but most worthy him that inflicted the same First the Tyrant told him how the day before hee had caused his son and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him answered nothing but that they were more happy then himselfe by the space of one day Afterward hee caused him to be stripped and by his executioners to be taken and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously cruelly whipping Him and charging Him besides with outragious and contumelious speeches All which notwithstanding as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant and resolute heart And witâ—â— cheerefull and bold countenance went on still lowdly recounting the honourable and glorious cause of His death which was that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits that in worthy defense of their liberty for preservation of their Countrey or other such noble ends They indifferently contemned gold silver death torture and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare or dismall 3. In some from an extreme hardnesse of heart which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame misery or any terrible thing This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours A long rebellious and remorselesse continuance and custome in sinne raging infections from their roaring companions a furious pursuite of outrages and blood Satans hoâ— iron searing their consciences and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull and forlorne courses so fill them with foole-hardinesse and with such a ferall disposition that they are desperately hardned against all affronts and dis-asters So that tho such savage-minded and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne as hatefull monsters and the reproach of Mankind to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse and discomfort and there to be loaden with cold irons coldnes and want from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution and there to die a Dogs death as they say and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire yet I say for all this out of a desperate hard-heartednesse they seeme still to bee in heart and to represent to the beholders a great deale of undauntednesse and neglect of danger in their carriage and countenances O the prodigious Rocke into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning and sense-lesnesse in suffering 4. In others from an enraged thirst after humane praise and immortall fame as they call it Which may be so prevalent in them and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility affected patience and artificiall courage thorow the terrors and tortures of a very violent and Martyr like death Heare what Austin saith to this Point Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes or that now there may not bee some that would suffer onely for the prayse of men If there were not such kind of men the Apostle would not haue said Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity I am nothing Hee did know right well that there might bee some which would doe it out of vaine-glory and selfe-love not for divine love and the glory of God O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules 5. In some from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing and future wellfare Such Pharisies foolish Virgines and formall Professours are to bee found in all Ages of the Church especially in the fairest and most flourishing daies thereof and when the Gospell hath the freest passage who thus many times in the greate it of all earthly extremities even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God a great deale of confidence resolution and many glorious expectations Vpon a partiall survay and perusall of their time past not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities notoriousnesse or infamous sinne out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues of their many good parts generall graces good deedes and plausiblenesse with the most by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity and the power of godlinesse as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse and it may bee confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage by the unskilfull and unseasonable palliations I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules from some dawbing Ministers a generation of vilest men excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ and mercifull Cut-throates of many miserable deluded Soules to whom they promise life and peace when there is no peace towards but terrible things even at hand tumbling of garments in blood noise of damned Soules and tormenting in Hell for ever I say from such false and failing grounds as these they many times in that last extremity the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate and rottennesse of their hopes demeane themselues chearefully and comfortably as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven and to lay hold upon eternall life but God hee knowes without any iust cause or true ground For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth as Himselfe hath told us before-hand Depart from mee I never knew you Such men as these having been formerly acquainted with and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers with many goodly speeches and Scripture-Phrases representing their contempt of the World Willingnesse to dye readinesse to forgive all the World Hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and bee in Heaven c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence Lord Lord open to
there must bee a third thing To take them to our selves to beleeve they are ours and there needes a worke of the Spirit for this For tho the promises bee never so cleare yet having nothing but the promises you shall never bee able to apply them to your selves But when the holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine All these things belong to Thee and God is thy Father when that shall witnesse to our spirit by a worke of His owne Then shall wee beleeve c This is the order observed in our iustification 1. First There is a sight of our misery to which wee are brought by the Law 2. Secondly There is by the Gospell an holding forth of Christ as our redemption from sin and death 3. Thirdly there is a working of Faith in the heart to rest on Christ as the ransome from sinne and death Now when a man is come hither Hee is truly and really iust Wee teach that in trve conversion a man must bee wounded in his conscience by the sense of his sinnes His contrition must bee compungent and vehement bruising breaking renting the heart and feeling shee throwes as a woman labouring of Childe before the new-Creature bee brought forth or Christ truly formed in Him It is not done without bitternesse of the Soule without care indignation revenge 2. Cor. 7.11 But as some Infants are borne with lesse paine to the mother and some with more so may the new-man be regenerated in some with more in some with lesse anxiety of travell But surely grace is not infused into the heart of any sinner except there bee at least so great affliction of Spirit for sinne foregoing that He cannot but â—eele it c. This bruising is required before conversion 1. That so the Spirit may make way for it selfe into the heart by levelling all proud high thoughts c 2. To make vs set an high price upon Christs death This is the cause of relapses and Apostasies because men never smarted for sin at the first They were not long enough under the lash of the Law Hence this inferiour worke of the Spirit in bringing downe high thoughts is necessary before conversion By this time it doth most clearly and plentifully appeare what a foule and fearefull fault it is for men either in the managing of their Publike ministery or more private Passages of conference visitations of the sicke consultations about a good estate to Godward and other occasions of like nature to apply Iesus Christ and the promises to promise life and safety in the evill Day to Soules as yet not soundly illightned and afflicted with sight of sinne and sense of Gods wrath to consciences never truly wounded and awaked I insisted the longer upon this Point because I know it full well to bee a most universall and prevailing Policy of the Devill whereby hee keepes many thousands in His cursed slavery and from salvation To confirme as many Pastours as Hee can possibly willing enough to drive their Flocks before them to damnation in an ignorant or affected Preiudice and forbearance of that saving method of bringing Soules out of Hell mentioned before and made good with much variety of evidence And to nourish also in the hearts of naturall men a strong and sturdy disconceite opposition raging against downe-right dealing and those men of God able as they say but falsely and furiously against their owne Soules by their terrible teaching to drive their hearers to distraction Selfe-destruction or despaire who take the only right course to convert them and to bring them to Iesus Christ as Hee Himselfe invites them to wit labouring and heauy laden with their sinnes Matth. 11.28 Dawbers then who serue Satans craft in this kinde and all those who dispence their ministery without all spirituall discretion and good conscience of whom there are too many as great strangers to the right way of working grace in others as to the worke of grace in themselves I say they are a generation of dangerous men Old excellent as they say in an accursed Art of conducting poore blinded Soules merrily towards everlasting miserie and setting them downe in the very midst of Hell before they bee sensible of any danger or discovery of their damnable state Great men they are with the men of this world with al those wise fooles and sensuall great ones who are not willing to bee tormented before their time or rather who desire impossibly to live the life of pleasures in the meane time and yet at last to die the death of the righteous They have still ready at hand hand over head mercy and pardon Heaven and salvation for all commers and all they come neere without so much as a desire to put any difference or divide the pretious from the vile Which is a prodigâ—â—usly-arrogant folly pernicious in the highest degree both to their own soules and those they delude Heâ—â—e 〈◊〉 they are branded in the Booke of God calling them 〈◊〉 Sâ—wers under mens elboes Ezek. 1â— 1â— That 〈◊〉 laid soft and lockt fast in the Cradle of security thâ—â— may sinke suddenly into the Pit of destruction before they be aware Criers of peace peace when no peace is towards Ier. 6.14 but horrible stirs tumbling of garments in bloud burning and devouring of fire A â—â—n-pleasers â—alat 1.10 who chuse rather to tickle the itching eares of their carnall hearers with some fâ—othy Frier-like conceits out of Dung-hill 〈◊〉 And so smooth Great Ones in their humours by their cowardly flatteries especially if they any waies depend upon them for countenance rising and preferment rather then conscionably to discharge that trust 〈◊〉 upon them by their great Lord and Master in Heaven upon answerablenes for the bloud of those Soules which shal perish by their temporizing silence and flattering vnfaithfulnesse Healers of the hurt of their Hearers with 〈◊〉 words Ier. 6.14 while their Soules are 〈◊〉 by the wounds of sinne unto eternall death Preachers of smooth things Isa. 30.10 which kinde of Men the greatest part and all worldlings wonderfully affect and applaud tho to their owne everlasting vndoing They swell under such Teachers with a Pharisaicall conceite that they are as safe for salvation as the precisest of them all but alas their hope is but like a hollow wall which beeing put to any stresse when the tempest of Gods searching wrath begins to shake it in the time of a finall triall of it's truth and soundnesse it shatters into pieces and comes to naught Heare the Prophet Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may bee for the time to come for ever and ever That this is a rebellious people lying children children that wil not heare the Law of the Lord which say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out
judgement Nay why not more Proportionably to that which Divines hold That the privation and losse of heavenly joyes and beatificall presence of God is far bitterer then the torments of sense and positive paines of Hell But to tell you their true meaning and their very hearts Their aime in so complaining and calling for mercy from our Ministry is to have it so and in such a manner proposed and preached that they may thence collect and conceive that they are in state good enough to goe to Heaven as they are though in truth they bee meere strangers to the life of God and holy strictnesse of the Saints were never truly humbled with sight of sinne and sense of wrath nor experimentally acquainted at all with the Mysterie of the New birth That they may conclude and say within themselves Howsoever some Ministers of the purer and preciser streine fright us continually with nothing but judgement terrour damnation and will not suffer us to bee quiet no not so much as in One sinne yet it is our good hap sometimes to meet with some mercifull men who will help us to Heaven without so much adoe and upon easier termes c. In a word they would upon the matter have just so much mercy as might assure and warrant them to carry securely their sinnes in their bosome to Heaven with them to live as they list in this life and to dye the death of the righteous Which is a conceit most ridiculous absurd and more then utterly impossible What a hatefull tricke then is this and horrible imposture which they suffer Sathan to put them upon In proposing of Christ Let the Man of God set out as much as Hee can possibly the excellency of His Person the unvaluable pretiousnesse of His blood the riches of His heavenly purchases the gracious sweetnesse of His invitations the generality and freenesse of His offers the glorious Priviledges Hee brings with Him reconciliation to God Adoption forgivenesse of sins justification righteousnesse wisedome sanctification redemption c. Possession of all things For all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are yours And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3.22.23 Let Him tell His Hearers that the blood of Christ is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 and therfore of infinite merit and unvaluable price It sprang out of His humane nature and therefore finite in it's owne nature and lost upon the ground But the Person that shed it being the Sonne of God did set upon it such an excellency and eternity of vertue and value that the infinitenesse of its merit and inestimablenesse of its worth lasts everlastingly It will bee as fresh orient and effectuall to wash away the sinnes of the last man that shall bee called upon earth as it was those of the Penitent Thiefe who saw it with His bodily eies gushing out of his blessed side upon the crosse or the first man who did first savingly apprehend that first Promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Let him assure them it is so soveraigne That in a truly broken humbled and thirsty soule it turneth the most Scarlet and Crimson sinnes into snow and wooll That upon compunction and comming in it washed away that horrible and bloody guilt from the soules of them that spilt it Act. 2. Let them know also in how high a degree and hainously they offend from time to time who refuse to take Iesus Christ offered most freely without exception of any person every Sabbath every sermon either in plaine and direct termes or implyedly at the least Oh! Litle doe people thinke who sit under our Ministry unwrought upon by the word what a grievous and fearefull sinne they commit and carry home from the House of God day after day in neglecting so great salvation in forsaking their owne mercy and in judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life I meane by chusing upon a free Offer of his Soule-saving blood to cleave rather to a Lust Horrible indignity then to Iesus Christ blessed for ever rather to wallow in the mire and mudde of earthly pelfe in the filth and froth of swinish pleasures In idlenesse pride worldlinesse whoredome drunkennesse strange fashions scorning Professours contempt of the power of godlinesse railing against religion revelling Selfe-uncleannesse c. then abandoning these filthy harlots to take the Sonne of God for their deare and everlasting Husband This not Beleeving This refusing Christ This not taking Him in the manner and sense as I have said is such a sinne though not so thought upon and taken to heart that Divines speake of it as of a most transcendent sinne the greatest sinne the sinne of sinnes the onely sinne as it were from such Places as these But when the King heard thereof Hee was wroth and Hee sent foorth His armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 Hee meanes those who were invited to the Sons marriage and made light of it Hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 3.18 When the Comforter is come Hee will convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not on mee Hee meanes this sinne alone saith Austin As though not beleeving on the Sonne of God were the onely sinne It is indeed the maine and master sinne because as the same Father speakes truly This remaining the guilt of all other sinnes abides upon the soule this removed all other sinnes are remitted Nay and besides the horriblenes and hainousnes of the sin what height and perfection of madnesse is it That whereas a Man but renouncing his base rotten transitory sinfull pleasures dogged continually at the heeles with vengeance and horror And only taking Iesus Christ in whom are hidden and heaped up the fulnes of grace and treasures of all perfection might have therevpon to say nothing of the excellency of his person purchases of his passion and possessiō of the most blessed Deity a full free discharge thereby at the hands of so happy an Husband from every moment of the everlastingnesse of Hellish torments and a Deed presently sealed with His owne hearts-blood for an undoubted right to every minute of the eternity of heavenly joyes yet should in cold blood most wickedly and willingly after so many intreaties invitations importunity onely for the good of His poore immortall Soule refuse the change Heaven and earth may be astonished Angels and all Creatures may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishnes and monstrous madnesse of such miserable men The world is wont to call Gods people precise fooles because they are willing to sell all they have for that One pearle of great price to part with profits pleasures preferments their right hand their right eye every thing any thing rather then to leave
penitently and resoluedly to bee reformed if Hee recover and yet His sorrow of minde but such onely as the terrours of an awaked guilty conscience produce and His resolution to cast away His sinnes onely such as a man hath in a storme to cast away His goods not because hee doth not love them but because hee feareth to loose his life if hee part not with them Or a meere civill Man or formall Professour may upon His Bed of death bee very confident and seeme to bee full of comfort and yet that confidence no other then the strong imaginary ioyfull conceit of a covetous man grasping a great deale of gold in his dreame but when Hee awaketh behold his hands are empty For a more full and cleare apprehension of my meaning and iudgement in the Point let us take a survay of the different and severall kinds of death which ordinarily befall the Godly and the wicked The death of Gods Children are divers 1. Some of their holy and zealous lives doe determine and expire sweetly fairely and gloriously even like a cleare Sunne in a Summers evening without any storme or cloud of temptation and discomfort The darkesome and painefull passages and pangs of death are illightened and sweetned with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence and fast embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of their Faith So that to them the very ioyes of Heaven and exultations of everlasting rest mingle themselues with those last agonies and expirations of death Their heads are as it were crowned with immortality and endlesse peace upon their beds of death Luther that blessed Man of God died sweetly and triumphantly over Hell the Pope and the Divell My heavenly Father said Hee at his death eternall and mercifull God thou hast manifested unto me thy deare Son our Lord Iesus Christ. I have taught him I have knowne him I love him as my life my health and my redemption whom the wicked have persecâ—â—ed maligned and with iniury afflicted Draw my Soule to Thee After this Hee said as insued thrice I commend my spirit into thine hands thou hast redeemed mee O God of truth God so loved the world that hee gave his onely Sonne that all that beleeve in Him should have life everlasting Ioh. 3. Heare how another blessed Saint of God ended his dayes Having the day before hee died continued his meditation and exposition vpon Rom. 8. for the space of two houres or more on the sudden Hee said O stay your reading What brightnesse is this I see Have you light up any candles To which I answered No It is the Sun-shine for it was about five a clocke in a cleare Summers evening Sun-shine saith Hee nay my Saviour-shine Now farewell world welcome heaven The Day-starre from on high hath visited my heart O speake it when I am gone and preach it at my Funerall God dealeth familiarly with man I feele his mercy I see his Maiesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are un-utterable So ravished in spirit Hee roamed toward heaven with a chearefull looke and soft sweete voyce but what Hee said wee could not conceive With the Sunne in the morning following raising himselfe as Iacob did upon his staffe hee shut up his blessed life with these blessed words O what an happy change shall I make From night to day From darkenesse to light From death to life From sorrow to solace From a factious world to an heavenly beeing O my deare brethren sisters and friends It pittieth mee to leave you behind yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feele I hope you shall finde ere you die that God doth and will deale familiarly with men And now thou fiery Chariot that came downe to feth up Eliah carry mee to my happy Hold And all yee blessed Angels who attended the Soule of Lazarus to bring it up to heaven beare mee O beare mee into the bosome of my Best beloved Amen Amen come Lord Iesus come quickly And so hee fell asleepe That this is true the reporter and By-stander that ancient learned reverend Minister of God Master Leygh addeth I say the truth my Brethren I lie not my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost c. 2. Others may end their dayes very uncomfortably in ravings impatiencies and other strange behaviours Nay the fiery distempers of their hot diseases may sometimes even in the Saints of God produce furlous carriages fearefull distractions and some despairefull speeches But these being the naturall effects and issues of melancholike excesses Phrensies and burning Fevers are sins of infirmity in sanctified men For which if they come againe to themselves they actually repent if not they are all undoubtedly by a generall habituall repentance and Gods gratious acceptation thereof pardoned by the Passion of Christ and buried for ever in his bloody death That last and unreversable doome at the dreadfull Tribunall of the ever-living God must passe upon us not according to the violent and unvoluntary distempers at our last houre but according to the former Passages of our life the sinfull or sanctified expense of the daies of health Heare that other great Artist in the Mysterie of dealing with trouble consciences The common opinion is that if a man die quietly and goe away like a Lambe which in some diseases as consumptions and such like any Man may doe then hee goes straight to heaven but if the violence of the disease stirre up impatience and cause franticke behaviours then men use to say there is a judgement of God serving either to discover an Hypocrite or to plague a wicked man But the truth is otherwise For indeede a man may die like a lambe and yet goe to Hell and one dying in exceeding torments and strange behauiours of the body may goe to heaven 3. The death of some others is mixt to wit of fearefull tempestuous stormes and almost if not altogether despairefull agonies in the beginning of their last sicknesse and a faire refreshing glorious calme and ioyfull triumphs over temptations and feare towards the conclusion of their life For some secret end and holy purpose seeming good to his heavenly wisedome God suffers sometimes even his dearest servants to taste as it were of the fire of Hell and for a while to feele in their consciences those damned flames as a preparative to drinke more sweetly of the Well of life and Rivers of endlesse pleasures So himselfe is most honoured by helping when all hope is past The heart of his Child more ravisht with the first sight of those un-utterable joyes beeing suddenly rais'd to the height of happinesse from the depth of horrour The enemies to the narrow way dasht and confounded by observing his deliverance whom out of prophane blindnesse they deemed an Hypocrite Godly Christians gratiously reviv'd when they see That tho the Lord hide His face from his Childe for a moment
as upon an unsavoury rotten Carrion Thou and the World must bee as two dead carcasses upon one Beere without any delightfull mutuall commerce or enter-course strangers and starke dead one unto another in respect of thy any further trading with the vanities thereof For keeping a good conscience standing on Gods side and Christs sake Thou must deny thy Selfe Thy worldly wisedome carnall reason corrupt affections Thy acceptation with the World favour of great Ones credit and applause with the most Thy passions profit pleasures possibility of rising and growing great Thy nearest friends dearest companions ease liberty life and grow by little and little into Hesters most noble and invincible resoluâ—ion ever when doing Gods will threatneth any earthly danger And if I perish I perish But not to perish so is everlastingly to perish and so to perish is to bee saved for ever Thou must thus resolve upon this Selfe-deniall when Thou first enters into Profession or else thou wilt never bee able to hold out in thy spirituall Building or conquer in the Christian Warfare See and consider the occasion and how earnestly Christ enioynes it Matth. 16.24 c. Luk. 14.24 c. and presses it with two Parables But all will come to naught and thou cursedly conclude in open Aposâ—acy grosse Hypocrisie or Selfe-deceiving Formalitie Consider the young Man in the Gospell Hee came hastily unto Iesus Christ and would needs bee His Disciple and follower upon the sudden But alas Hee did wofully mistake Little did he know neither indeed would know what belonged unto it That the servant of such an heavenly Master must bee no earth-worme That every one of his Disciples must take up their crosse and follow him For his sake part with any thing every thing bee it riches honours credit pleasures c. And therefore when once Christ for the triall of his heart had bid Him go and sell that he had c. Hee had soone done Hee was quickly gone Now had this young Man gone away without this Lesson Hee had gone away a Disciple as well as any other and perhaps as iolly a Professour as the forwardest of them all and that both in his owne strong opinion and charitable mis-conceite of the rest who were true of heart As Iudas did a long time and the foolish Virgines all their life long Too many such Professours as Hee would have prooved are to bee found even in this Noone-tide of the Gospell abroad in the World who beeing at their first entrance into Profession not soundly humbled nor laying a sure foundation not resolved upon an universall Selfe-deniall nor weighing with due fore-cast what it will cost them doe afterward behave themselves thereafter upon any gainefull occasion greater triall and temptation or beeing put to it indeed They are wont from time to time to discover their rottennesse open the mouthes of the prophane and shame all They are like unto Reeds which in a calme stand bolt upright and seeme stiffe and strong but let a tempest breake-in upon them and they bend any way While their temporall state is untoucht their outward happinesse unhazarded they seeme resolute thorow and couragious but let a storme of persecution bee raised against them Let them bee put into a great fright that if they stand to it they may bee undone c. And then they cowardlily hide their heads pull in the hornes as they say and shamefully shrinke in the wetting unhappily holding it better to sleepe in a whole skinne then with a good conscience Like the Eagle they soare aloft with many goodly religious shewes and representations but they still keepe their eye upon the Prey and therefore when advantage is offered they will basely stoope from forwardnesse honesty generosity humanity any thing to seize upon a worldly commodity office honour some earthly pelfe and transitory Nothing Some of these after Profession for some time fall quite away from it and turne Epicures or Worldlings if not Scorners and Persecutors Others hold-on in a plodding course of formall Christianity all their life long and at last depart this life like the foolish Virgins and in that formall manner I told you of before Neither be thou dis-heartned with this counsell of leaving all for Christ. For thou shalt bee no loser but a great gainer thereby Besides eternall life in the World to come Thou shalt receive an hundred-fold now in this time as Christ Him selfe tells thee Mark 10.30 If thou part with worldly ioies thou shalt have quiet in the holy Ghost spirituall joy unspeakable and glorious neerer familiarity with God deerer coÌ„munion with Iesus Christ c. To which the pleasures of ten thousand Worlds were they all extant were but extremest paine If thou lose thine Husband He that made thee will be in his stead unto Thee Thy Maker is thine Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name If thou lose thy Father The Al-sufficient Iehouah blessed for ever will pitty thee as a Father pittieth his Children If thou lose thy friends and the worlds favour Thou shalt have all and the onely excellent upon earth to love Thee dearely and to pray heartily for Thee In a word If thou lose all for Christs sake Hee will bee unto Thee All in All And in Him all things shall be thine in a farre more sweet and eminent manner All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 6. When the spirituall Physition shall see the soile of his Patients heart well softned with sorrow for sinne comfortably warmed with refreshing beames of fauour from the face of Christ and so seasonably fitted for to enter a Christian course and to bring forth fruits meete for repentance let him throw-in some timely seedes of Zeale holy precisenesse undaunted courage and unshaken resolution about the affaires of Heaven and in the cause of God from such quickning Scriptures and excellent examples as these Luk. 13.24 Rom. 12.11 12. Ephes. 5.15 Phil. 1.10.11 Matth. 11.12 Revel 3.16 Ruth 4.11 Esth. 4.16 Nehem. 6.11 1. King 22.14 Heb. 11.24.25 1. Sam. 20.32 Acts 21.13 c. That it may bee happily preserved from the ranke and flourishing but rotten and fruitlesse weede of formality and luke-warmenesse Which pestilent Canker if it once take roote in the heart it will never suffer the Herbe of grace if I may so speake the heavenly unfading flowers of saving grace to grow by it while the world stands Nay and will proove one of the strongest bolts to barre them out and the most boysterous cart-rope to pull-downe extraordinary vengeance upon the head of the Party For as a loathsome vomite is to the stomacke of him that casts it out so are luke-warme Professours to the Lord Iesus Reuel 3.16 I marvaile many times what such men meane and what worship service and obedience they would have the
the Cardinals the Sicilian Even-song and the Parisian Mattins nay the wish of Nero that Rome had but one Head which hee might cut off at one blow came farre short of this invention which spared neither age sexe nor degree Well then if thou shouldest have approved and consented unto the suggestion of this most execrable and unheard-of villany for which Hell hath not a fit Name nor the World a sufficient punishment thou hadst made thy selfe the most prodigious Beast that ever breathed an abhorred Monster of Mankinde and justly merited to have passed presently from most exquisite tortures here to endelesse torments in another World But now if all the while the motion was making thy heart had risen against it with indignation and loathing thou protested'st to the Party thy abominating any thought that way from the heart roote to the pit of hell and immediately running to the King shouldest have discovered and disclaimed it as a most detestable and hellish plot I say then what Man could have justly blamed thee or wherein could thy conscience any way accuse thee It is so in the present Point As that other incarnat Divell in his kinde so the Divell himselfe throwes into thine imagination most hideous thoughts and horrible blasphemies even against the dreadfull Majesty of Heaven the thrice blessed and ever-glorious Trinity the holy Humanity of the Lord Iesus c. To which if thou shouldest understandingly assent and approve indeed thou mightest expect most worthily to become ten times fouler then the ougliest Fiend in Hell But sith thou knowest in thine owne conscience that thy heart trembles with horrour and amazednesse when they are offered nay violently thrust into thy minde That thou resists and rejects them with all the power and prayer thou canst possibly canst not chuse but out of a pang of infinite detestation and heart-rising turne thus or in the like manner upon the Tempter Most malicious enemie to the glory of my God and good of my Soule thou troubles thy selfe and mee in vaine I doe infinitely acknowledge my blessed Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier to bee one incomprehensibly glorious wise gracious God Heaven to be wholly filled embroidered impaled with nothing but holinesse and happines All the Creatures to be good as they issued out of the hands of God and Remembrancers to us of his power wisedome and goodnesse Gods blessed Booke to be all most holy most true a rich treasury of heavenly wisdome and sweetest knowledge c. And thy cursed self to be the onely Authour and Brocher of all sinne hurt and uncomâ—linesse And to thee and thine alone they belong Mingle not thou thy malice with my lowliest most deare and reverend thoughts of my Father my Saviour my Comforter c. And thou art also woont presently to presse in private into Gods glorious presence and prostrate thy selfe before his righteous Throne there to discover this hellish malice to complain how villanously the Divell deales with thee to protest thine innocency and infinite hatred of those horrible blasphemies to cry heartily for pardon patience and power against them And therefore it being thus with thee thou maist upon good ground bee more then infinitely assured that they are not imputed unto thee at all but wholly set upon Satans score Hence it is and from this ground that I have many times told some thus tempted That when they have passed a day prest upon violently and pestred with the furious intrusion of such un-utterably foule and fearefull injections they have in all likelyhood spent that day with farre lesse sinne in their thoughts and more freedome from guilt and provocation of divine anger then if they had been free Because they being so earnestly and vehemently deprecated withstood with such aversion and loathing protested against unfainedly and that upon such termes that they would rather bee torne in pieces with wild Horses die ten thousand deathes doe or suffer any thing then yeeld the least assent or approbation thereunto they are then I say not their transgressions but afflictions Not their iniquities but miseries Not their sinnes but crosses Nay and further for their comfort If they should bee haunted by them untill their ending houre which God forbid and beat backe such accursed and hatefull spight from every humble soule yet cleaving close unto the Lord Iesus hating all sinne and having respect to all Gods commandements they are not able at all neither can any whit hinder hurt or any way prejudice their spirituall state and everlasting salvation 3. Every servant of Christ hath his share in some affliction or other and is ever made in some good measure conformable to him in his sufferings Those who have the raines laide and left upon their neckes without curbe or correction are Bastards and not Sonnes They may as the holy Ghost tells us prosper in this World and passe peaceably out of it and have no bands in their death like other men they may live and become old and bee mighty in power Their seede may bee established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes their houses may be safe from feare neither may the rod of God bee upon them Their Bull may gender and faile not their Cow may calve and not cast her Calfe they may send forth their little Ones like a flocke and their Children dance They may take the Timbrell and Harpe and reioyce at the sound of the Organ they may spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go downe to the Grave At last die even like a Lambe as they say But when all is done they are utterly undone and everlastingly By reason of the horrour and angvish that shall come upon their soules the affliction the worme-wood and the gall for horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation they are immediately throwne downe from the top of their imaginary felicity and untroubled bed of seeming peace to the depth of extremest misery and bottome of the burning Lake But it is not so with the servants of God He scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth Hee hath onely one Sonne with out sinne none without suffering saith an ancient Father But here take notice that in this dispensation of fatherly corrections amongst his Children He ever out of his unsearchable mercifull wisedome singles out and makes choise of those which are most punctuall and simply the fittest for their spirituall good And therefore both for the kinde and particular let us ever humbly and thankfully submit and wholly referre our selves to the sweet and wise disposing of our most loving and dearest Father Who ever knowes best what is best for us in such Cases both in regard of his service and our sufferings his glory and our gaine what wee are able to beare How hee hath furnished us before-hand with spirituall strength to goe through temptations and troubles what spirituall Physicke is most quicke and operative and apted to the prevention cure and
True some one or two of a thousand and ten thousand that have How then Shall wee not therefore follow our instruction and seeke Him before Some going a journey have sound a Purse by the way It were mad counsell to advise us to leave oâ—â— money behind upon hope of like hap in ours c. Winchesters Serm. pag. 180. Si mille homines perussent ex cibi aliâ—uius â—enenali perceptione uno duntoxat miraculose servito 〈◊〉 cibum illum gustares Harmon Evang. cap. 15. pag. 18â— d We digest not them that call on us for the seeking of God but seek our selves as the Apostle speakes Magistros secundum desideria that may entertaine us with speculations of what may be done by Miracle at the houre of death that may give us daies elbow-roome enough to seek other things and to shrinke up his seeking into a narrow time at our End and tell us time enough then Winchesters Sermons pag. 179. e Dyke upon Repentance cap. 17. f Inebriatus es Ventri indulsisti Rapuisti Siste iam gradum verte te in diversum conficere Deo gratiam quòd non in medijs peccatis te abstulit ne quaere aliud privilegium ut malè opereris Multi quum iam alijs dimnum fraudulentèr facerent subitò periérunt ad manifestum iudicium abiérunt Time ne in hoc patiare inexcusabilis Sed multis inquis dedit Deus hoc privelegium ut in ultimâ senectâ consiterentur Quid igitur An tibi quoque concedet Concedet fortasse inquis Quidais sortasse interdum c. Cogita quòd dâ— animâ deliberas proinde etiam de contrario cogita dic Quid autem si non det c. Tuni bellum egressus non dicis non est opus ut testamentum condam fortassis redibo Neque de nuptijs deliberans dices uxorem egentem accipiam multi enim sic praeter spem ditati sunt Neque domum extruens subijciam fundamenta putria multae enim sic constitére domus De anima autem agens apprehendis magis putria dicens fortassis sapiùs â—venit contingit aliquando téque incertis tradis Chrysost. Hom. 22. in 2. ad Cor. 10. g Tempore mortes sâ—euiùs maiorÃque dolo â—entat consligit sâ—â—ens si tunc defecerit penitùs se frustratum Gerson de temptationibus diver h Iob 14.14 i Repentinam insperatam corum mortem quâ opprimantur innuit Merc. in Loc. Elevati sunt ad modicum non subsistent Iniquorum potentia â—oeni â—loribus comparatur quia nimirùm carnalis gloria dum nitet cadit dum apudse extollitur repentino intercepta sine terminatur Sic aurarum statu in altum stipula rapitur sed casu concito adima revocatur Sic ad nubila sumus attollitur sed repentè in nihilum tumâ—scendo dissipatur Sic ab insimis nebula descendendo se erigit sed exortus hanc solis radius ac si non suerit abstergit Sic in herbarum supersicie noctâ—rni roris humor aspergitur sed diurni luminis subito calore siâ—catur Sic spumosae aquarum bullae inchoantibus pluvijs excitaâ—ae abintimis certatim prodeunt sedeò celeruis diruptae depereunt quò instatae citiùs extenduntur cumque excrescunt ut appareant cresâ—endo peragunt ne subsistant Gregor Ibid. k Nemo nec post centum peccata nec post misle crimina de misericordiâ divinâ desperet Sic tamen non desperet ut sinc ullâ morâ Deum sibi repropitiari festinet ne fortè si consuetudinem fecerit etiam sivelit de Diabolilaqueis liberari non possit August de tâ—mpore Serm. 58. l Viste de dubio liberare vis quod incertum est evadere Age pâ—â—nitentiam dum sanus es Sienimagis veram poenitentiam dum sanuses invenerit te novissimus dies securus es Ergo curre ut reconcilieris si sic agâ—s securus es Quare securus es Quâ—â— egisti poenitentiameo tempore quo peccare potuisti Sâ— autem vis agere poenitentiam ipsam tunc quando peccare non potes peccata te dimiserunt non tu illa August Tom. 10. De vere Poenitentibus Hom. 41. ex 50. Ambros Exhort ad Porniâ—ent m This time is the time when all Hypocrites Atheists tagge and ragge come in and seeke Him in a sort And shall not wee bee confounded to see our selves in their number Winchesters Serm. pag. 181. n What is our seeking theÌ„ Is it not to lie still on our Beds and suffer a few words to bee spoken in our eares Have a little opiate Divinitie ministred to our Soules and so sent away Winchesters Sermons pag. 181. Is this it Would wee then seeke Him when wee are not in case to seeke any thing else Would wee turne to Him then when wee are not able to turne our selves in our Bed Or rise early to seeke Him when we are not able to rise at all Or enquire after Him when our breath faileth us and wee are not able to speake three words together No houre but the houre of death No time but when Hee taketh time from us Idem Ibid. pag. 180. o Oportet Dei sacerdotem non obsequijs decipientibus faâ—ere sed remedijs salutaribus providere Imperitus est medicus qui tumentes vulnerum sinus manu parcente contrectaâ— in altis recessibus viscerum virus inclusum dum servat exaggerat Aperâ—endum vulnus est secandum putaminibus amputatis mâ—delâ sortiore curandum Vociseretur clamet licâ—t conqueratur aeger impatiens per dolorem gratias agit postmodum cum senserit sanitatem Cyprian de Lapsis Medicus crudelit est qui exaudit hominem parcit vulneri putredini August in Psal. 34. Soothing Preachers are like unskilfull chirurgions who softly touch the wound on the outside thereby making it to fester the more dangerously in the inside Who observeth not that the smooth tongue of the Preacher maketh an impostumed heart of the Hearer Squire in his Assize Sermon pag. 12. out of Cyprian p The true Ministers of Christ never cure and comfort the sicke hastily as Wizards and Impostors doe Greenham having to deale with divers humbled Consciences Hee would mislike them that would not abide to tarry the Lords leisure but they must needs bee helped at once even by and by as soone as they heard Him speake or else they would then thinke farre worse of Him then ever before notwithstanding the good opinion conceived of Him For besides Hee that beleeveth maketh not hast This is a comming rather as it were to a Magitian who by an incantation of words makes silly soules looke for health then to a Minister of God c. In His grave Counsels and godly observations pag. 5. q Greenham in His Treatise for an afflicted Conscience pag. 136. r For mine owne part saith Hooker I thinke Calvin incomparably the wisest man that ever the French Church did
Rogers of Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 104.107 A man may have quietnesse after trouble and yet the House not wonne to wit from the strong Man Hee may also have some kind of reioycing and yet the comforter not there abiding That thou mayst not therefore bee deceived consider the whole course of thy life since that time For the holy Ghost will not governe as the Divell did they are of so contrary a nature Touchstone for a Christian cap. 3. b By this halfe Herodian conversion they may leave many sinnes and doe many things heare the best Ministers gladly respect and countâ—nance them c. And yet for all this in respect of their owne Personall salvation As well never a whit as never the better As well not at all as not thorow-stitch d â—â—fi Assyrius veluti ignis fuit qui suo ardore terram exureret tamen aliquid longè atrocius exprimere voluit Propheta interius videlicèi tormentuÌ„ quo exagitantur impij conscientiae aculeos qui retundi non possunt inextingvibile scelerum incendium quo cruciatus omnes superantur Calv. in Loc. Deut. 28 67. c Some men are pricked and to put away their sorrow they will goe sleepe they will goe sport they will get to merry company and passe away the time and so as they terme it they will purge and drive away the rage of melancholy they never goe to any Preacher to aske of the Lord or at the mouth of his Spirit they never respect prayer nor seeke any comfort in the Word of God But to put away sorrow on this sort is to call it againe and to feele it more freshly either in the houre of death or in Hell Greenham in Sermon of Repentance The reprobates in their sorrow runne away from God even as a Dogge from him that whippeth Him Iudas in his terrours ranne to the high Priests the enemies of Christ and to the Halter Cain to building of Cities Saul to Musicke to a Witch and at last to His Sword Dike of Repentance cap. 3. But alas the franticke dealing of men in this case is too palpable and to bee wondred at when Gods Word strikes upon them when they feele the keene-nesse of it when the threatnings have cut so that they smart for it then they run to dicing carding drinking dancing c. as it were of set purpose to drive away the Spirit of God that was comming towards them to heale their Soule Whately Redemption of time pag. 62. It is the property of ungodly men to remoove the discomforts of their heart by worldly delectations As Saul called for Musicke when he was troubled with an evill spirit And to this purpose men that bee afraid of despaire and love not to be humbled under the mighty hand of God doe use their wives their friends then meat and their drinke with all the Pastime that can bee devised to reioyce themselves withall that they might put themselves out of their dumpes as they call it Marbur in His Sermon upon Psal. 32. f When they sacrificed their sonnes to this Idoll they did beare upon Tabrels and Drummes that the cry of the childe might not bee heard by the father Godwins Moses and Aaron Lib. 4. Cap. 2. g Contra nos eò vehementius incitator quo ex corde nostro quastâ—â— iure propria habitatlonic expellitar Greg. in cap. 33. Iob. col 8â—â— h Multum delectat omnes peccatores amatores buius seculi quia misericors miserator dominus quia longanimis multùm misericors Sed siamas tum multa mitia time ibi ultimum quod ait verax Si enim vibil aliud diceret nisi misericors miserator Dominus longanimis multùm misericors quast iam convertereste ad securitatem impunitatem ad licentiam peccatoruÌ„ faceres quodvelles utereris seculo vel quantuÌ„ tibi permitteretur vel quantum tibi libido iussisset Etsi quis te bâ—ne monendo obiurgaret atque terreret ut cobiberes te ab immoderato luxu eundo post coxcupiscentias tuas deserendo Deum tuum inter medias voces obiurgantis obsisteres impudenti quidem fronte veluti audit â divinâ authoritate legeres de libro Dominico Quid niâ— terres de Deo nostro Ille Nisericers est miserator multùm misericors Ne talia homiâ—â—s dicerent â—â—um verbum addidit in fine quod verax excussit Letitiam malè praesumentium induxit timorem dalentium Gaudeamus ad misericordiam Domini sed timeanâ— us ad iudicium Domini Parcit dum tacet Tacet sed non semper tacebit August Lib. de decem chordis cap. 1. Nòs perversitate nostra sic volumus Deum esse misericordem ut non sit iustus Idem de temp Serm. 109. i Intuetur inimicus generis humani uniuâ—cuiusque mores cul vitio sint propinqui illa opponit ante faciem ad quae cognoscit facililiùs inclinars mentem ut blandes uâ— latis moribus sape luxuriam proponat c. Greg. in cap. 18. Iob. Col. 456. k Ier. 614. l Others have overgrowne them Hee meanes Legall terrors by snatching hold of the promiâ—e of mercy and salvation ere it belonged to them thinking themselves good Christians because they had felt some terrours But the Promise of salvaiton is not straight belonging to one that is onely terrified for his punishment but is contrite-hearted for sinne which is the worke of the Gospell Rogers of Dedham in His Doctrine of Faith pag. 108. m Psal. 45.11 Hos. 2.19 n Quemadmodum fratres si Sponsus seccrit Sponsae suae annulum illa acceptum annulum plus diligeret quà m Sponsum qui illl fecit annulum nonne in ipso dono Sponsi adulterae anima deprehenderetur quamvis hoc amaret quod dedit Sponsus tamen si diceret Sufficit mihi annulus iste iam illius faciem nolo videre qualis esset Quis non detestaretur hanc amentiam Quis non adulterum animum convinceret Amas aurum pro viro amas annulum pro Sponse August in Epist Ioan. Tract 2. Cave ô anima ne quod absit Meretrixdicaris simunera Dantis plus quaÌ„ amantis affectum diligis August Meditat lib. 2. cap. 4. o And let not these be weary of the yoke of God and the Law and make over-much haste out of this state for so may they undoe themselves For as some withstanding their terrour have withstood their salvation so some have by hastening out made waste of all and beeing impatient of beeing in this case and over-willing to catch hold of the promise straight have prooved but loose unsound and unsavory Christians in time which if they had tarried the Lords leysure in it might have come to sound and true comfort which would have continued all their dayes Rogers of Dedham in his Doctr. of Faith pag. 110. p Cùm nunquam graevioribus tentationibus expositi sint hominesquà m dum infirmitati bus exerâ—entur