Parents For the second the Apostle tells the Corinthians You see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27. And for the third our Saviour tells us that the way the most doe walk in is the way that leads to destruction Mat. 7.13 14. The Rule that God hath given us to observe instead of all these and whatever else Self at any time prescribeth for our direction in any of our undertakings is his Law set downe in the Scriptures To the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 Wee have a more sure word of Prophesie 2 Pet. 1.19 This is sufficient to direct us in all particular actions whether of Religion or Justice to acquaint us with every good path Prov. 2.9 to make us perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. and therefore God requires that we should have an eye to it in every thing that we do that so we may not turne to the right hand nor to the left Therefore as for the Doctrines the Commandements and Examples of men they are no further to bee regarded than as they are agreeable unto this Law of God it is Gods Prerogative Royal to give Law to the Conscience he will not suffer a Creature to usurpe it neither may wee And thus of this third particular of Self-denial in respect of good works the denying all Self-rules in the direction The last is 4 All Self-praise in the review Praise is nothing else but a reflection of Excellency now there is a two-fold Excellency that men are apt to reflect upon themselves in the review of any good work they have done 1 An excellency of Power Is not this great Babilon said Nebuchadnezzar that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the glory of my Majesty Dan. 4.30 So they Amos 6.13 Have wee not taken us Horns by our owne strength 2 An excellency of Merit Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have wee afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge Isa 58.3 They thought they deserved something for their fasting and praying and therefore that God wronged them in not giving them that they came for Two things therefore are here required 1 Not to glory in any thing that wee have done as if wee had done it by our owne strength without any help or assistance from God Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his Commandements least when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied then thine heart bee lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God and thou say in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth Deut. 8.11 12 13 14. 17 18. Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth Jer. 9.23 24. Wee have this treasure in earthen vessels saith the Apostle that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 And the Weatons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 and therefore telling what himself had done as much more than had been done by the rest of the Apostles hee corrects himself and acknowledgeth the efficacy of the grace of God I laboured more abundantly saith he than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 And thus should wee say after every performance we have laboured in such a duty and it may bee more than others yet not wee but the grace of God which was with us wee should say as Numb 23.23 What hath God wrought wondring at the mercy and goodnesse of God towards us in inabling us to doe in any measure that which hee requires of us which otherwise wee could not have done as David 1 Chron. 29.14 Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offe so willingly after this sort 2 Not to glory in any thing that wee have done as if we thereby deserved any thing at Gods hands 1 Wee cannot deserve any thing by the payment of a y Dare enim vel reddere alicuidebitum non est mereli sed satisfacere Rivet in Psal 19.170 a. debt Which of you saith our Saviour having a servant plowing or feeding Cattle will say unto him by and by when hee is come from the field Goe and sit downe to meat and will not rather say unto him Make ready where-with I may sup and gird thy self and serve mee till I have eaten and drunken Doth hee thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him I trow not so likewise yee when yee shall have done all those things that are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duty to doe Luke 17.7 8 9 10. 2 Wee cannot deserve any thing that is not our owne but our good works are not our owne wee doe them not by our owne strength wee are not sufficient of our selves to think the least good thought but all our sufficiency is of God it is hee that works all our works in us and for us that works in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure When wee have done any thing for God wee must say as David if wee will say truly O Lord of thine owne have wee given thee for all things are of thee wee have nothing but what wee have received wee can doe nothing but as it is given us from above even from God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift It must bee something therefore which wee did not receive from God that wee doe for him else wee cannot merit by it But who hath first given to him saith the Apostle let him speak and it shall bee recompenced unto him againe for of him and through him are all things Rom. 11.35 3 Wee cannot deserve by any thing that is unprofitable and of no advantage unto God but such are all our good works they are profitable indeed to our selves and other men but not to God Can a man bee profitable unto God saith Eliphaz as hee that is wise may bee profitable unto himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it gaine to him that thou makest thy self perfect Job 22.2 3. 4 Wee cannot deserve to be rewarded by the doing of that which bears no z Ubi enim est magna inaequalitas ut si principatus
Self-denial The Grace of the Gospel teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and to live soberly Tit. 2.11 that is to moderate our appetite after meats and drinks The body must have its due so much as will make it serviceable to the soul but not too much for then it will not bee in subjection to the soul but usurp an uncontroulable power over it There is a mutual sympathy betwixt the soul and the body and the soul too often sympathizeth with the body and follows the temper of it especially when it is pampered when it is stuffed with those things that provoke and stir up lust A man that is cholerick is disposed to passion another that is sanguine to wantonness another that is melancholick to discontent c. Every man if he know himself will finde that in respect of the temper and constitution of his body hee is more or less inclined to some peculiar kinde of sin or other Now in this case the way to deny ones self is not onely to work by spiritual arguments upon the minde but to endeavour to alter the temper of the body by with-holding as much as may bee whatsoever may feed that humour that is predominant in it to the prejudice of the minde Here then that advice of the Apostle is good Not to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13. ult The body is the souls instrument if it have according to its lusts it will bee altogether unserviceable and then though the soul have never so much skill it will accomplish nothing worthy of Self If the organ bee out of tune the Musitian can make no melody There is a proportionable allowance of meats and exercise for the body which if it have render it more able to attend the soul and serve it in its noblest operations but when this proportion is exceeded it hath the quite contrary effect Beware therefore of too much indulgence to the flesh you will never bee able to deny the lusts of the minde while you cannot deny the lusts of the flesh and its just with God that our souls should be in subjection to our bodies when wee endeavour not to keep our bodies in subjection to our souls The Eleventh Direction 11 Study your own nothingness It was a Precept much in use amongst the Stoicks one of those Sects of Philosophers that ran-countred Paul at Athens Act. 17.18 l Vox merino adscripta oraculis quae a Deo est aut certum non sine Deo Lepf Physiolog Stoicer l. 111. E coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juvenal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy self and certainly it is a Precept that if rightly understood is of great use amongst Christians especially in this point of Self-denial A man will never throughly deny himself till hee throughly know himself As the reason why men seek God no more is because they know him so little so this is the reason why they seek themselves so much because they know themselves so little Men are apt to think themselves something when indeed they are nothing Gal. 6.3 they forget themselves to bee but men they remember not that they are but creatures and hence it comes to pass that they set themselves in the place of God that they set up their own wisdome against Gods wisdome their own will against Gods will their own interest against Gods interest as if they were the onely independent beings the onely self-sufficient beings in the world as if there were no Lord over them to whom they must bee accountable in any of their undertakings This was the reason why Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go to serve the Lord in the wilderness because hee thought there was no Lord above him as youread Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let I srael go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go This was the reason of that proud vaunting of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the glory of my Majesty It was because hee knew not that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever hee will vers 25. This was the reason why Herod took that blasphemous acclamation of the people to himself Act. 12.22 This was the reason why those lukewarm Laodiceans said They were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing they knew not that they were wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Rev. 3.17 By all these instances it is more than evident that while men continue ignorant of their own nothingness and because of that do think of themselves above what is meet they will never deny themselves they will never acknowledge God the Creator as their last end and so take him for their chief good nor God the Mediator as the onely means to the enjoyment of it Oh therefore if you mean to do any thing in this duty of Self-denial if you would not content your selves only with the notion of this duty but would willingly bee under the power of it then begin this day and continue hence-forward to study what poor inconsiderable nothings you are It was Davids question while hee was musing on this Theam Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the Son of man that thou thinkest on him Psal 144.3 4. It is quaestio diminuens a diminishing question and the answer therefore is Hee is vanity vers 4. for weakness hee is a worm for sinfulness a beast for selfishness a Devil Oh it were well if wee could resolve to study this question Wee are apt to ask this question of others in a way of scorn and contempt when wee hear such a one named wee are ready to say Why what is hee and when any thing affronts us What are you Sure you do not understand your self c. Oh it were more fit a great deal to retort this question upon our selves and say What am I and what is my fathers house that I should take upon mee in this manner as I do This is one of the most necessary points of Catechisme wherein wee should bee instructed this would bee a good help to Self-denial and indeed there is much of Self-denial in it Study therefore your own nothingness 1 In point of being you are nothing Consider your selves in comparison of God and what are you If the whole world bee but as the drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance as the Prophet speaks how inconsiderable a part of that drop and that dust are you If all the Inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing in his sight as Nebuchadnezzar speaks Dan. 4.35 how inconsiderable a part of that nothing are you Consider your selves absolutely and what are you why once you were nothing and now you are but one remove from nothing and you may quickly bee reduced to nothing
they depend for some place of honour or profit which either they expect for time to come or for the present do injoy they chuse rather in a way of base servile compliance to discover their corruptions But this is a great dishonour to God and that which provokes him exceedingly It was a great evil in David that hee would play the natural fool before Achish 1 Sam. 21.13 but certainly it is a far greater evil for any one to play the profane fool Let such remember that terrible speech of our Saviour Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man bee ashamed when hee commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Thus I have shewn what it is not Negatively now in the next place I shall shew what it is Affirmatively To deny Self in respect of inherent grace is 1 Not to attribute it to our selves either as the efficient or meritorious cause thereof 1 Not as the efficient cause The work of grace is supernatural such a work as is tar above and beyond any finite power whatsoever to effect which being so abundantly declared in the Scripture sometimes calling it a x Sire novatio naturae nostrae cadem regeneratie creatio dicitur oportet certè ejus generis opus esse quod cum creatione aliquam habeat cognationem nullam autem habebit si homini partes suae ita tribuautur ut quippiam ferisse tatuatur quod agracia Deìnon sit omuino profectum Camero Collat. cum Tileno p. 668. New-creation 2 Cor. 5.17 Ephes 4.24 and a regeneration and new-birth John 3.5 James 1.18 sometimes a vivification or a quickning of those that were dead Ephes 2.5 and a resurrection from the dead Col. 2.21 in all which that there should bee any co-operation of humane power is x utterly impossible one may justly wonder with what face any that do acknowledge it to bee the Word of God can affirm the contrary And yet the Arminians are not ashamed to go up and down boasting and bragging of a power within themselves to do all this and much more without any dependence upon the special grace of God at their own will and pleasure which is too too evident although y Etsi Gratiam Dei Verbis concedant reipsa tamen tollunt quia secundum eos efficacia Gratiae Dei non est absoluta comparatione bonae electionis sed depeudenter se habet a consensu liberi arbitrii unde apud cos vocatur Efficacia Moralis Rive◠in Psal 16. in words they would sometimes dissemble the matter in that they will acknowledge no other efficacy of grace but what consists in a moral suasion onely But some of them speak their mindes plainly z Episcopius Disp de pers Script Posse quemlibet modo usu rationis polleat sine ullâ peculiari immediatâ vel internâ lucis collustratione facillime intelligere ac percipere omnes scripturae sensus qui ad salutem necessarii sunt scitu creditu speratu vel factu c. That any man if hee have but the use of reason without any peculiar immediate or internal illumination can most easily understand and perceive all those meanings of the Scripture which are any way necessary to be known beleeved hoped for or put in practice And that these meanings of the Scripture being apprehended by the understanding are most easily propounded to the will which hath by nature a free and inseparable faculty of choosing any kinde of object whatsoever that is presented by the understanding Again a Jo. Arnold advers Bogerm Positis omnibus operationibus quibus ad conver sionem in nobis efficiendam Deus utitur manet tamen ipsa conversio it a in nostrá potestate liberá ut possimus non converti i.e. nosmetipsos convertere vel non convertere Notwithstanding all the operations that God makes use of for our conversion yet conversion it self so remains in our own free power that wee can bee not converted that is as they explain it wee can either convert or not convert our selves b Owens Display of Arminianisme Where the Idolater plainly challengeth the Lord to work his uttermost and tells him that after hee hath so done hee will do what hee please Most horrid blasphemy Neither the word of God that tells us The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness unto him and that hee cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 that he is c Hi timli si nihil aliud esser satis arguunt quà m sint illa vana quae de liberi arbitrii viribus in causa salutis vulgo jactantur Erenim si servi sumus peceati quo pacto cum servitute porerit una consistere Libertis Cam. de Effic gratiae Thes 5. the servant of sin Rom 6.20 Enmity against God and therefore neither is nor can be subject to him Rom. 8.7 That every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evil continually Gen. 6.5 That hee can no more alter his custome of sinning than the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13.23 That hee is without strength Rom. 5.6 Can do nothing Joh. 15.5 Being altogether dead in trespasses and in sins Eph. 2.1 Nor Experience whereby wee see that till God do mightily over-power him by the irresistible working of his Spirit within him hee goes on adding sin to sin and iniquity to iniquity the most convincing and perswasive Ministry of the Gospel notwithstanding is sufficient to convince these men Certainly if any of them perish in this damnable error their condemnation is of all mens most just they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether inexcusable and can have nothing to plead for themselves For whereas other men plead their Cannot d Fenners wilfull Impenitency Self-murder though that bee not the reason these must needs confess that their Will-not is the onely cause of their destruction For if they can convert themselves whence is it then that they are not converted It is not they say because they cannot therefore it must needs bee because they will not But to let this pass What ever these men think or speak concerning the ability and power of nature in the work of conversion the Scripture wee see teacheth us otherwise That by nature wee are spiritually dead and if so reason will tell us That wee cannot make our selves spiritually alive And therefore let no man presume upon any strength of his own as if hee were able as of himself to answer the Call of the Gospel in turning himself from the power of Sin and Satan unto God but rather pray as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 Turn thou mee and I shall bee turned Indeed if God will undertake the work it shall bee effected and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it but if hee let it
in loc but because hee was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein Joh. 12.5 6. Thus many men wee see pretend the publick good when it is their own private benefit and advantage that they onely aim at they are very zealous and active instirring up others to contribute liberally and such and such good uses they pretend but it is that they may steal for themselves which is evident in that they convert so much of what they receive to their own use afterwards 7 The Scribes and Pharisees made long prayers but it was but for a pretence while they devoured widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thus many make great shews of holiness that others taking them to be conscientious and honest men may trust them with their estates and then they will bee sure to cheat them But that no imputation in case it should bee divulged may fasten upon them they still continue their long prayers and other religious exercises trusting thereupon that what-ever is laid to their charge they having so great a name for prosession it will never bee credited This then is one way of Selfes answering the question by propounding something which is evil in it self under the notion of good There is another and that is 2 By propounding something which is good in it self under the notion of the chief good Self never propounds that which is the chief good in deed for its end in any good work but some other inferiour good under the notion of the chief good God is the chief good and in this sense there is nothing good but God Matth. 19.17 But Self never propounds God for its end It often propounds him for a means in order to some other good beneath him but it never propounds him for himself It is something besides God that Self acts for in all that it doth but that which it acts for it acts for it as it 's God because what ever it acts for it acts for it as it 's chief good That which Self acts for as its chief end in any thing that it doth that it acts for as its chief good for as to be an end and to bee good are all one so to bee the chief end and to bee the chief good Now whatsoever Self acts for besides God as all that it acts for is something besides God it acts for it as its chief end therefore whatsoever it acts for it acts for it as it 's chief good and consequently as its God The chief thing that the Glutton acts for is the filling of his belly and therefore his belly is said to bee his God Phil. 3.19 The chief thing that the Covetous acts for is his Money therefore Money is his God therefore Covetousness is said to bee Idolatry Col. 3.5 and a covetous man is called an Idolater Eph. 5.5 And this is not onely true of covetousness but of every other vice that it is n Unusquisque adorat sua vitia Every one Idolizeth his own vice Jerom on Amos. The Politician idolizeth his brain the Heretick his fantastical opinion the Glutton his belly the Wanton his Mistriss the Ambitious his honour the Covetous his money c. See more in Eng. Annot. on Eph. 5.5 2d Ed. Idolatry because thereby Self acts for something besides God as its chief good and therefore as its God To act for something besides God in subordination unto God as the supreme end hath nothing of Self in it such an end is not to bee deemed a self-end But then it is a self-end when a man acts for something besides God as his chief end when something besides God though good in it self and that which may lawfully bee aimed at is the chief thing that moves him to and carries him through the performance of any duty so that were it not for that thing hee would not set about it hee would not persevere in it Thus it is whensoever Self hath the determining of the Question That such a thing is the will of God and makes for the glory of God and that communion with God is to bee had in it are arguments that can do nothing with Self but this consideration that it makes for ones worldly profit or pleasure or honour prevails presently Come to a selfish man and tell him that this is his duty that the Law of God requires it that God will be well-pleased with it and that hee will reward it hereafter in heaven these things make no impression upon him but tell him that hee shall get in with such a party as will promote him to honour that hee shall have a place of preferment a good office that will bring him in so much by the year and this wins him presently This hath won off a great many in our dayes to a form of godliness which before they could never endure and the power whereof for the present they still deny Convictions from the word are pretended but convictions from the world are the cause Where one is wrought upon by convictions from the word there are hundreds that are wrought upon by convictions onely from the world The glory and honour the pleasures and profits of the world are the onely things that many of those that seem most zealous in the Profession of Religion do most zealously follow after There are many whose faces are Christ-wards but like Skullers they row with all their might to quite contrary objects Hence it is that they are said to go away backward Isa 1.4 Wee read of those that came along with Judas to apprehend Christ that as soon as hee spake unto them they went backward and fell to the ground Joh. 18.6 These came as professed enemies to Christ others though they come as professed friends yet are reall enemies to him and although natural conscience or some common works of the Spirit may drive them in an outward profession towards Christ yet so strong is their inbred enmity and secret antipathy against him and so powerfull their sympathy with the world that ere long they go backward and fall to the ground their proper place Dust to dust Earth to earth Ashes to ashes Many that for a long time together have seemed to walk hand in hand with Christ have in the interim been going backward and at last have fallen to the ground Men may bee a long time going back before they fall but observe it ordinarily they fall to ground This is a pretty fallacy whereby multitudes of Professours think to cheat their brethren amongst whom they live in their outward motion they go forward with the rest of the company and it may bee will bee Ring-leaders but in their inward motion they go backwards The Prophet saith of Israel Hee slideth back as a back sliding Heifer Hos 4.16 Sliding is sometimes an insensible motion and therefore backsliding is elsewhere called a drawing back such is the retrograde motion of these men many times one cannot perceive them going till they bee gone
to the o There is required to an action truly good that at least virtually it bee referred to God as to the chief end Ames Marrow of Divin l. 2. cap. 3. glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Therefore when ever Self propounds any thing besides God as the chief motive to perswade us to any duty wee must reject it Though never so many worldly advantages bee offered us wee may not much regard them Wee must do our duty upon another account nay though they should bee denied us wee may not neglect our duty Therefore wee must serve God with as much zeal in private where no man can behold us as wee would do in publick where the multitude may observe us Wee must bee as lively and active in time of adversity when wee are destitute of all things as we would be in time of prosperity when wee have all that our heart can wish for God is attainable still in all places and in all conditions and it should not much trouble us that wee miss of the less principal end so that wee obtain that which is the principal And thus much of the first particular The denying all Self-ends in the intention The next is the Denying 2 All Self-sufficiency in the undertaking If wee have any well-grounded evidence of a spiritual power in our selves to do any thing that is good wee may not deny that wee have it as I have shewn p Sub-sectl pag. 45. before but yet wee must deny that wee have it of our selves Not that wee are sufficient of our selves saith Paul to think any thing as of our selves but all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 without a fresh income and supply of grace from him who is full of grace wee can do nothing as Joh. 15.5 And therefore wee must not go about any thing with Self-confidence as if wee could do it without him but still look up unto him for more grace In every action as there must bee an expression of our obedience so likewise of our dependence As we must live unto God so likewise wee must live upon God and wee must live upon him that wee may bee able to live unto him Wee cannot glorifie God in any thing that wee do unless wee make him both the Alpha and Omega of it That cannot bee to him as the end that is not from him as the cause and therefore they must needs refer all that they do unto themselves that begin all that they do from themselves Such men out of the just judgement of God do often meet with the most shamefull disappointment being not able many times after their greatest preparations to answer either their own or other mens expectations in their publick undertakings It is but just that God should leave us when wee leave him first Hee is a jealous God and will not suffer it that his glory should bee given to another If wee cannot bee content but wee must have the glory of a God it is not fit wee should bee allowed the honour of a man When Nebuchadnezzar began to talk of the might of his power and of the glory of his Majesty God drove him from men and turned him a grazing amongst beasts This may bee the reason therefore why so many men of great parts and learning are now and then smitten with madness God would have us to see that wee are beholding to him for our working as well as for our being The serious consideration whereof would keep us from trusting in our selves and make us look up to him as the first mover in all that wee have to do by which means wee should engage him to bee with us and then wee should bee sure not to miscarry Thus of this second particular The denying all Self-sufficiency in the undertaking Wee are to deny 3 All Self-Rules in the Direction As 1 Tradition This was that which the Pharisees observed as the rule of their good works as wee may see Matth. 15.2 3. Mark 7.3 and Gal. 1.14 The q Pharisaeorum hoc primum fuit dogma quod negarunt omnia quae spectant ad religionem scripta esse id quod Josephus disertis verbis notavit l. 13. Antiq. cap. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camero Praelect ad Matth. cap. 19. Operum fol. 166. first and principal thing they taught and indeed that which made way for all the rest both of their principles and practices was this That all things that concerned Religion were not written and that the word of God was not a sufficient rule of life They held there was a two-fold Law one written which they called Thorah Schebichtah the other unwritten which they called Thorah Begnalpe This latter they called Deuteronomy or the second Law and received it as a Comment or Exposition of the former And herein they differed from the Sadduces for the Sadduces stuck stifly to the five books of Moses but the Pharisees said r Godwin Mos and Aaron l. 1.38 Let us maintain the Law which our Fore-fathers have delivered into our hands expounded by the mouth of wise men who expounded it by tradition So that they observed the Law of Moses but according to a Law of their own whereby as Christ plainly told them notwithstanding they pleaded it was but a genuine exposition of it they made void the Law of God This principle being granted which the Papists very much contend for there is a door wide open for all manner of humane inventions and fopperies to enter in and justle out the Commands of God The Papists alledge the obscurity of Scripture and s Nos asserimus in Scriptur is non contineri expresse totam doctrinam necessariam sive de fide sive de moribus pro inde praeter verbum Dei scriptum requiri etiam verbum Dei non scriptum i. e. Divinas Apostolicas Traditiones Bellarm. de Sufficient Scripturae l. 4. Tom. 1. the insufficiency of it as not containing all that is necessary to bee known either for faith or manners and hence infer a necessity of something to bee added as a supplement of it and hereupon challenge an awfull respect to their Traditions as the unwritten word of God This they learned from the Pharisees whose Religion was nothing else but a medly of superstition consisting of such observances for the most part as were not onely besides but contrary to the express Commands of God which was the main reason why our Saviour was so bitter in his invectives against them calling them Fools Hypocrites Blinde-guides Serpents and a Generation of Vipers and threatning them with wrath and vengeance above all other sorts of people with whom hee had to do Wee read of eight Woes that hee denounced against them in one Chapter Matth. 23.13 14 15 16 23 25 27 29. verses And indeed there is nothing whereby a people do more provoke the Lord to anger than this that they make the teachings of men though handed down unto them by never so
Nephews the young man charged him with hypocrisie and dissimulation to whom hee replied I am a cast away a Vessel of Wrath yet dare you call it dissembling and phrensie and can mock at the formidable example of the heavie Wrath of God that should teach you fear and terrour But it is natural to the flesh either out of malice or ignorance to speak perversly of the works of God The Natural man discerneth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned One of his familiar friends chanced to say that certainly he was overcome with Melancholly which hee over-hearing answered Well be it so seeing you will needs have it so for thus also is Gods wrath manifested against mee you see Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to stop or stay in things that concern Gods glory especially to dissemble upon any termes what a fearful thing is it to bee near and almost a Christian Never was the like example to this of mine and therefore if you bee wise you will seriously consider thereof O that God would let loose his hand from me that it were with me now as in times past I would scorne the threats of the most cruel Tyrants bear Torments with invincible resolution and glory in the outward profession of Christ till I were choaked in the flame and my body consumed to ashes Now seemed to bee verified upon him that whereof in the beginning hee had been so seasonably fore-warned that if hee proceeded to fulfill his wicked promise of Abjuring in his owne Country hee might haply repent too late Now if God would with-draw his hand from him if it might be with him as in former dayes hee would doe and suffer any thing for-Christ but upon no termes might his wish bee granted all hope of mercy was quite cut off from him so that afterwards his purpose of mischieving himself by a Knife that hee had hastily snatched up being by his Friends prevented with indignation hee cryed out I would I were above God for I know hee will have no mercy on me And thus being in continual torment by little and little hee wasted away until at length hee appeared a perfect Anatomy expressing to the view nothing but sinews and bones and at last without any shew of hope or comfort yeelded up the ghost Let none wonder that I have been so large in telling this mans Story some it may be have forgotten it others not so much as heard of it and amongst all the examples of this kind there was none more fit that I could pitch upon whereby to make it known in what a dreadful manner God sometimes punisheth Apostate professors in this life by terrifying of their Consciences Hee punisheth them sometimes also 2 By bringing upon them those evils they thought by means of their sinfull complyance to escape u Acts and Mon l. 10.1710 Cranmer signed a Recantation as hee confessed himself afterwards contrary to the truth hee thought in his heart for fear of Death and to save his Life if it might have been but hee was forced to suffer notwithstanding his recantation as soon as ever hee had signed his Recantation the Queen signes the Writ for his Burning and then was he in a farre worse condition than before having neither inwardly any quietness in his own Conscience nor outwardly any help in his adversaries In the Story of William Wolsey a godly Martyr that was burned at Ely w Acts and Mon. l. 10.1558 this amongst other things is recorded that while hee was in Prison hee delivered some money to bee distributed amongst his friends and to one Richard Denton above all the rest besides the money that he sent him hee desired this Message might also be delivered that he marvelled he tarried so long behind him seeing hee was the first that did deliver him the Book of Scripture into his hand and told him that it was the Truth desiring him to make hast after as fast as he could This Message being delivered Denton returnes this answer I confesse it is true but I cannot burne But hee that could not burne in the Cause of Christ was afterwards burned against his will when Christ had given peace to his Church for some years after his House was set on fire and hee going in to save his goods was burnt in it Thus God sometimes punisheth Apostates here howsoever if they repent not hee will bee sure to punish them hereafter 3 By appointing them their portion with unbeleevers and hypocrites in the Lake that burnes with Fire and Brimstone where shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth for ever So it is fore-told Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbeleeving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And it cannot be otherwise for Christ hath said Whosoever shall deny mee before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven Matth. 10.33 and if so there is no remedy but hee must to hell How much better were it for us then by hearkning unto Christ and doing our duty to expose our selves to the greatest of those evills which men can only bring upon our Bodies and are but for a time than by hearkning unto Self and committing of Sin to make our selves obnoxious to the least of those evills which God can bring both upon our Bodies and Soules and also are for eternity Without doubt did wee but beleeve it wee should not bee so averse from them as to endeavour by any sinful means to decline them which is the Second particular required by way of Self-denial in respect of worldly sufferings The next is 3 Not to be so sensible of them as either to bee impatient under them or by any sinful means to endeavour to come out of them It is our duty to bee sensible of our sufferings but wee must take heed wee be not over-sensible Self will bee murmuring and repining against God and quarrelling with Instruments but wee must by no means give way unto it but labour with quietnesse and calmness of spirit whatever our crosse be to bear the burden of it So Paul exhorteth the Romanes Rom. 12.12.14 Be patient in tribulation bless them that persecute you blesse and curse not So hee himself practised 1 Cor. 4.12 13. Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed wee entreat So Peter exhorteth servants 1 Pet. 2 18 19 20. Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when yee are buffered for your faults ye shal take it patiently but if when yee doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God What an hard lesson is this to flesh and bloud and how few professing Servants are there to say nothing of others that make