patience and be content with Gods answer to Saint Paul 2. Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee and my strength and power shall be made manifest in thy weakenesse and know that it is not for thy merits but for the merits and worthinesse of Christ that God freely accepts us And this is the very promise of God to those who are once his on whom he hath once bestowed those graces of the knowledge of Christ of fayth of repentance of regeneration and newnesse of life which thou canst not deny I thinke but at sometime to have beene in some measure in thee though hee suffers thee to fall into divers great and grievous temptations yea temptations of a very high nature yet hee will lay no more upon thee or them then he will make thee and them able to beare 1. Cor. 10.23 And though he suffer to be overcome for a time yet will he make a way to escape and will give grace of fayth and repentance by which they may bee reconciled and re-assured of the love of our heavenly Father Doubt not then to apply the promises of God in particular unto thy selfe upon repentance and comming unto Christ because there is no kinde of sinne which thou canst commit but the mercies of God in Christ are farre greater For that sinne against the holy Ghost thou canst not commit which is not any transgression of the Morrall Law eyther in generall or in particular eyther of ignorance or of infirmity or a sin committed wilfully or presumptuously and against a mans owne conscience though these be grievous sinnes but it is an universall and finall Apostacie or falling away from Christ I say it is a voluntary renouncing of the knowledge or known truth of the Gospel and a rebellious proceeding from the hatred of it being joyned with a tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall oppugnation of the same when a man that hath beene enlightned with a true knowledge of Christ and is convinced in his conscience of the truth of it by the blessed Spirit and hath tasted of the good word of God Heb. 6.5 and of the powers of the world to come but it is only a taste for they that doe feede of these graces spiritually and doe digest them and are nourished by them to newnesse of life I dare say God will never suffer them to fall into this sinne when such an one I say shall afterwards universally and with a full consent fall from the truth deny Christ persecute him and though it be but in his members with reproaches despisings and taunts and so disdaine the sacrifice of his death and passion and continuing thus without repentance unto the end this is the sinne against the Holy Ghost Thus did Julian and other Apostats sinne and of these are that of the Apostle to be understood in Heb. 6.6.7.8 c. But to thy comfort whosoever thou art that art troubled with doubtings and so feares that heaven and the joyes thereof belong not unto thee This sinne I say thou canst not fall into being first ingrafted into Christ by fayth and for all other sinnes be they never so grievous yet remission is promised upon fayth and repentance and that freely not for the merit of thy faith or repentance but for the love and merits of Christ Why then shouldst thou not apply the generall promises of grace unto thy selfe in particular Come unto me sayth our blessed Saviour Matt. 11.28 all that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you This promise is generall But this thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art weary and laden heavily with the burthen of thy sinnes and therefore thou mayest well conclude that comming unto Christ the promise of mercy belongs to thee Whosoever shall believe and be baptized shall be saved Mar. 16.16 this is a generall promise also But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art Baptized and that without our new fangled re-baptizings and that thou beleevest though it may be that thy faith is but weak but like a graine of mustard seed that is very small Matth. 7.20 yet if thou canst but say with the man in the Gospel I beleeve Lord helpe my unbeleefe Mar. 9.24 If thou canst but touch the hemme of Christs garment with the finger of fayth if thy hand of fayth by which thou mayst lay fast hold of him be wanting yet by this touch of Christ even but with the finger of fayth the vertue of Christ may flow foorth sufficiently to stop the bloudy issue of thy sinnes and to cure the maladies of thy soule and with this thou mayst truely apply the promises of grace unto thy soule Well then as you have seen since thou art and must be a Soldier whilest thou livest in the Camp or Field of the Church faint not at the sight of thine enemies though they be many and terrible but comfort thy selfe with this that as Elisha sayd to his servant in the 2. Kin. 6.16 there are more with thee then with them yea and though thou bee weake yet the stronger part is on thy side for thou hast God thy friend to send thee more ayd of grace if at any time thou art decayd in thy strength thou hast Christ a Conqueror thy Captaine under whose Banner thou doest fight thy friend and thou hast the blessed Spirit to encourage thee and though he may leave off to shew his favourable presence for a time yet will he not bee long absent from thee Though for a moment he hide his face yet with everlasting kindnesse will he have compassion on thee Esay 54.7.8 In a word thou hast being in Christ Myriads of Angels to accompany thee and the prayers of the Saints of the whole Church yea I say and of Christ himselfe at the right hand of his and our Father like the shouting of the Israelites to make the walles of Jericho the strength of their enemies to fayle Jos 6.20 And therfore faile nor but there goe on I advise thee with fayth and constancy to endure the combat and faint nor though thou hast many losses of grace many wounds by sinnes and by thy spirituall enemies for Christ being thy Captaine thou shalt certainely prove a Conqueror in the end But notwithstanding all this thou findest that thou art unable to apply the promises of mercy and free grace unto thy self or to doe it so weakely that feare is not altogether removed out of the heart Then as in the sicknesse of thy body thou art ready to seeke and to send to the Physitian for health of thy body that so he may apply somewhat unto thee for thy health and cure so must thou doe I say in the sicknesse of thy soule then thou must flie and seeke to Gods Minister for the Priests lips ought to preserve knowledge and thou must seeke the Law at his mouth saith the Lord by his Prophet Mal. 2.7 To him then thou must open the wounds of thy soule and all the
must not therefore conclude and say that because we are subject to temptations and because the sword is so predominant in our Kingdome or because the seeds of sinnes are still in us and the corruptions of our natures are not fully purged that therefore we are out of the favour of God and first for the sword so raigning in the Land we must confesse it is for the sinnes of the Land which if once that cause were but removeed then the effect would cease What wilt thou say that for these thou art out of Gods favour Well then note againe that these may be and often are to be found even in Gods dearest Saints but heerein we may pray unto God for helpe because he is the Lord of peace who giveth peace unto his children cast thy care therefore upon God the authour and finisher of thy faith 1. Pet. 1.2 and use an endeavour by striveing and labouring to resist these temptations and endure the combate with patience having an eye to our Captaine Christ Jesus who is the authour and finisher of our faith c. Heb. 12.1.2 and know that God freely accepts us as righteous not for any merrits of ours but for the merrits of his deare Sonne in whom onely he is well pleased 2. Pet. 1.17 And also know that whensoever thou art in any temptation or doubtings to trouble thy soule remember then I say that thy estate in this life is like Peter on the water whose faith at first was so strong that at the call of Christ he came boldly to him on the waters without doubtings but when he saw the waves comming against him then he presently doubteth and feareth drowning and begins to sinke and finding himselfe unable to save himselfe he flyeth to Christ and prayeth earnestly unto him for helpe saying Master save me I perish And then Christ giveth him his hand and bringing him into the Ship saveth him from drowning And in like maner it is with a Christian for at first when Christ called him to faith and repentance being perswaded by the Spirit to believe then he comes boldly unto Christ being moved by the excellency of Christs merrits and the free promises of grace and mercy in him but when once he comes to see his owne unthankfulnesse and the weakenesse of his faith and obedience and the unbeliefe and wants of sanctification in him then the waves of Sathans temptations and corruptions of his own nature assaulting him feares and doubtings seize upon him and he is ready to sinke downe into the sea of dispaire for want of faith I say if this be thy estate and thy case as peradventure it may What then must thou doe heerein Onely this confesse and acknowledge thine owne weakenesse and insufficiency and with Peter being ready to sinke flie unto Christ and pray unto him for comfort who is the authour and fountayne of life and peace for if any be afflicted let him pray sayth Saint James 5.13 And my house shall be called the house of prayer saith our blessed Saviour Mat. 21.13 But where is Gods house once called the house of preaching neither yet in all Gods word I am sure from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations we doe not read of one quarter of the Miracles and Wonders that have been done by preaching as have been by prayer and the Apostle willeth us to prove and to examine our owne selves not any man another but himselfe 2. Cor. 13.5 And was or is that by preaching and not rather by prayer and pray continually 1. Thes 5.17 And I dare say that in any doubtings troubles and afflictions whatsoever that thou mayest be in prayer may be the meanes to beget faith in thee to believe and thou thereby mayest be saved and recovered c. But againe if thou at any time doubtest because of thy imperfections in any of thy assaults and because thou art not fully as thou mayest imagine regenerated Know then as I said before that Christ is thy perfection and that God so beholdeth thee in him as that thou canst not totally fall For if we looke upon our selves why then when we have done all that we can yet alasse wee must needes be constrayned to say that we are but unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 And for peace in our selves we cannot finde any So that as Noahs Dove was constrayned to flie backe againe into the Arke before shee could finde whereon to rest the sole of her foot Gen. 8.9 So are we constrayned to flie to Christ before we can finde rest to our soules As the Israelites being stung with the fiery Serpents presently looking upon the brazen Serpent were healed and cured Num. 21.9 So whensoever thou art wounded by sinne or moved to doubtings by thine owne weaknesse or Sathans temptations then slie presently to Christ and behold him by the eye of fayth how he was crucified how hee shed his most precious bloud how he died and rose againe how he sits at the right hand of his and our Father and makes intercession and all for the purchase of thy peace and for the joy and comfort of as many as thus beleeve of him Oh now with this perswasion I say possesse thy soule in patience and hope that thou shalt one day enjoy that inheritance of the Saints where is freedome from all these feares and doubtings which Christ hath bought and purchased for thee O despayre not then for Christ I say hath purchased and bought eternall life and everlasting joyes for thee and not by or with thy merits but by and with the price of his owne most pretious bloud this hope will not make ashamed Rom. 5.5 Yea by and with this hope thou art and shalt bee saved Rom. 8.24 Doe not therefore conclude and say that the joyes of heaven belong not to thee this is to abuse that sweet and loving mercy of God for as you have heard but even a little before from the holy Apostle St. Paul wee are saved by hope oh then thinke not thy selfe to be out of the favour of God or that the joyes or happinesses of Gods holy Kingdome belongs not or appertaines not to thee because thou art not yet free from sinne and Sathans temptations but comfort thy self in hope that as Christs praier for Peter was heard that though hee fayled in fayth and that for a time yet he could not faile and fall totally and finally and so also I dare say it is hard for thee for Christ hath prayed for thee as earnestly and as effectually as he did for him yea and for all that shall but believe in him John 17.20 and therefore Job 19.2 as Job in the midst of his misery did comfort himselfe with this meditation that his Redeemer lived So doe thou comfort thy selfe in Christ that one drop of his blood is of efficacy vertue and power to procure pardon for all thy sinnes yea and though all the sinnes of all the whole world were thine And therefore waite with
tribulations and afflictions are the patrimony of good men and good women therefore never dispaire of mercy for any vexation or trouble nor have such a thought in thee as to think that Gods mercies are not for thee I wish that all our Anabaptists and women-Preachers would have such thoughts in them then I am perswaded it would make them more conformable to our Parliament and to the truth of Gods holy word Let no afflictions or troubles of this world I say daunt thee for unto good men and women afflictions and troubles in this life serve to admonish them of their infirmities and the vertues of good people are made manifest unto the world by their troubles and crosses of this life wherefore if thou beest almost in despaire or beest cast down upon thy bed of sicknesse c. why then note to thy comfort as in a skirmish as God grant it may be otherwise with this Kingdome wherein there are now too many in the warres that when the conflict is once begun then the courage of the Captaine I say then and not before is his valour exercised and known so when God doth call his children to any crosse or calamity then begins the battell then their blessed patience and meek contentment is made known and manifest I say then or never knowing that all goes by the hand of Gods providence and holy Ordinance in whom we live move and have our being Acts 17.28 And know that no Physitian I write this as a Hand-kercheffe to wipe away all teares from the eyes of such as are mourners for sin can be more carefull for the health of the body then God is and will be if we be constant and confident in calling upon him by prayer for mercy and favour in his Son and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ for the health of the soul how bitter soever the potion and portion of our afflictions may seem to us yet receiving it from him who meanes us so well we should not but receive it and them with patient suffering yea whatsoever his mercifull hands shall reach or lay uppon us saying with holy and just Job though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 My son saith the Wise man when thou commest to the service of God then prepare thy soule for temptations and fears and troubles and shrink not away when thou art tryed for whom the Lord loveth him he chasteneth as gold and silver are tried in the fire so I say are our faith and patience tried in the furnace and fire of afflictions Sicknesses and afflictions are a means to purge out the drosse of naturall corruption which by reason of our sins remaines within us Afflictions being sanctified saith Gregory will bring us to a true fight of our sinnes and so to a hearty sorrow for the same and Affliction will teach Humility even in the best of Gods Children as Job David Paul and a man that should but read Johes Booke Davids Psalmes and Saint Pauls Epistles he could not but wonder to thinke that ever they should have any mirth at any time c. If we put into the Ballance the afflictions of this life they will be found of no weight nor in any wise able to counterpoize the greatnesse of the reward for as I sayd before tribulation is but a passion and therefore small is the force thereof but glory is an action and therefore powerfull and encreaseth every moment This life passeth away swiftly and soone vanisheth therefore despaire not but strive to make they election sure which may be done if thou canst but believe and so labour and endeavour for the glory to come Esay 64.4 which hath no end and is full of sweet comfort and happinesse more then heart can think 1 Cor. 2.9 and endureth for ever and ever Oh therefore good Christian soule persevere constantly in a pure faith in Christ and therin labour to finish your course for great is your reward which God hath promised and Christ hath purchased if thou canst but believe in him And mark this also for thy future and eternall comfort that the life of a Christian cannot be without sin nor temptations for I dare say our profit and encrease in godlinesse is through temptations as St. Augustine saith and his reason there followeth for neither doth a man well know himselfe except he be tempted neither can he be crowned except he overcome neither can he overcome except he fight neither can he fight except he have enemies and temptations to encounter with Whence again note and observe that God useth divers instruments in tempting troubling and afflicting of his children for sometimes he useth the Devill as he did with Job sometimes wicked men he useth as a meanes as the talse witnesses against our Saviour and sometimes he useth other creatures but yet in all these there is a double comfort to Gods childe first that great and many are the troubles of the righteous and then secondly for their full comfort the Lord will deliver them out of all Psal 34.19 the Prophet doth not say he hath nor in the present doth but in the future shall Againe if ye observe the ends of afflictions therein also know that sometimes we are afflicted that we may be humbled and the pride of our hearts abated sometimes to the end that we may not fix our love upon this world sometimes they are sent to make us more zealous in good workes and sometimes they are sent for this end that pertaking with Christ in his sufferings we may also be glorified with him and herein remember how the Lord tryed Abraham in offering up his Son how he tryed Isaac Jacob and all the Patriarchs with many and hard peregrinations and think also how he tryed all the holy and godly Martyrs with scourges and torments with fire and faggot and thereby thinke imagine and know that the scourge of tribulation stirreth up the drowsie humbleth the proud purgeth the penitent and crowneth the innocent Againe know and understand that the Lord afflicteth his children for these ends that our faith thereby in the first place may be more pure holy and perfect even as gold out of the furnace Secondly that we might the better know our selves and our own frailnesse and weaknesse Thirdly in respect of others that so we might be examples of patience and constancy unto them Thus Christ proved the faith of Peter on the Sea and at his Passion and againe after his Resurrection And the Apostle Paul witnesseth that through his persecutions and bonds I say that thereby many of the brethren were imboldned and did more frankly speake the truth Philip. 1.14 even thorow my bonds saith he and hence proceeded those confident speeches of the Christians and holy Martyrs to their tyrants and persecutors saying torment us rack us condemne us breake us in pieces yet for all this your malice and iniquity it 's nothing to our hurt but for our joy and comfort it is nothing but the
further and that most justly and truly to that our Church hath abolished as it was very fitting the Tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish Auricular Confession which they very fondly thrust upon the souls of Christians as an expiatory sacrifice and a meritorious satisfaction for sinne racking their consciences to confesse when they feele or felt no distresse and to enumerate all their sinnes which is impossible that so by this meanes they might dive into the secrets of men and women which many times proved pernicious and hurtfull not only to private persons but also to publick States But to leave the Church of Rome to their fopperies let all good Christians be admonished to beware of their owne naturall corruptions which is a thing that is by nature in the best for all are in this point borne Papists and there is no man that hath not as Luther sayd a Pope in his belly a high conceit and opinion of his owne workes whereby we thinke wee tie God unto us and yet I dare say there is in us no reall vertue no true substance For wee can of right chalenge nothing at Gods hands be our workes never so good or excellent for before thy conversion what canst thou deserve when every of thy workes and actions are but as so many sinnes for to the impure all things are impure Tit. 1.15 And without fayth it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 And also after conversion all thy workes are tainted with sin whereas if they could merit or deferve then they must be absolutely good and righteous Oh then chalenge nothing for thy works sake for thou mayst know their imperfections and in begging any blessing from above from whence commeth every good and perfect gift Ja. 1.17 I say therein use no other plea but the freedome of Gods grace Let Papists lay claym unto them as they are servants but let us claym them as we are sonnes For know it is not Esaus riches nor Jesables birth nor Goliahs strength nor Achitophels wit nor Absolons beauty nor Sauls stature nor Dives fine Purple nor the Fooles great Barnes that can assure or certifie the soule of the favour of God for I dare say all these a man may have and yet bee of old ordayned for condemnation But as wee were I say thou must confesse thy sinnes and weaknesses as the Reverend Divine Mr. Perkins in his Case of Conscience observeth That so the Minister of God may pronounce the sentence of Absolution of thy free remission and reconciliation with God in Christ unto thee for as is shewed a little before the Minister hath the Keyes committed unto him for that end Joh. 20 22.23 and that hence thy hope and confidence in God may be confirmed which the Minister may truly doe if by thy confession he finds in thee the grounds and signes of fayth and repentance and heere in this small Tract I doubt not but fully hope that I have not spent my time in vaine but that some if not all that shall see and read it shall finde some comfort thereby unto their soules if thou be called and brought to repentance and fayth in Christ despayre not I will heere againe put you in minde of one ground of comfort more for or in stead of many and it is this That a desire to repent and beleeve in a touched heart and conscience is fayth and repentance it selfe for God accepteth the will for the deed as I sayd before though it bee not so in nature yet in Gods acceptation by and in Christ it is so And this is evident in the holy Scriptures first because if there bee a willing mind it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath 2. Cor. 8.12 And doth not God only call all that thirst and desire the waters of life yea and offers thereof freely Esa 55.1.2 I say if they doe but desire and thirst for it hee then promiseth to give it them freely Revel 21.6 and 22.17 And he will be as good as his word to us because his word and promise is to us Yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 Seeing it is thus with the Lord that thou shalt be sure to receive and taste of these waters of comfort if thou wilt pray for it and expect with patience and tarry the Lords leasure for it then thou art and shalt be blessed in the desire of it for Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for first or last they shall bee satisfied Mat. 5.6 And then blessed shalt thou bee in the happy possession of it hope well for if it were not for hope as it is in the Proverbe Heart would breake and pray heartily for it for I dare say Prayer is an excellent Antidote against any despayre temptation or assault whatsoever and no Prayer comparable to Christs which he hath taught us Mat. 6. But in a word for conclusion know Christian and loving Reader and despayre not For Christ is the doore to Heaven Faith is the locke of this doore and Prayer is the key to open this locke which may bee a great motive to keepe a man from despayre and therefore not to be distracted for these times though troubled with an unnaturall warre but in a word let me advise thee often and with zeale and fervency of spirit to turne this Key Prayer for as the body cannot live without the soule no more can the soule live without Prayer But for thy further satisfaction heerein I referre thee to a Sermon of mine entituled The great Estimate that redounds by Crosses and Afflictions The Text being but one word viz. Rom. 8.18 the word Afflictions as also to my Exposition on the Lords Prayer Thus blessed soule thou hast for thy comfort A Hand-kercheffe to wipe away all dolour and griefe or what may trouble thy soule or conscience for the miseries or calamities of the Times and a Directory to all happinesse To which God in his good time bring thee Amen FINIS