of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall beginnes the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combate for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by seruent constant and earnest inuocation for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and setles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life whereupon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercie followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance whereby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needes be before light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauour to obey his commandements by a newe obedience And by these degrees doeth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is to giue the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first worke begun that a man may perseuere in grace to the ende Now then to come the Answer the holy Ghost hath propounded to vs this Question of conscience together with the resolution thereof in these examples following The men that were at Peters sermon beeing touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to another Men and brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and bee baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iayler who after that the stubbernnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs vvhat must I doe to bee saued To whome they gaue answere Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospell sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christ answers him Keepe the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tells him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie a mendement of life I answer then out of all these places that he that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe newe obedience vnto God For the first Humiliation is indeede a fruite of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect wherein it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himselfe and ashamed in respect of his sins The second is a confession to God wherein also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the Prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant wheÌ„ a sinner begins truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loe thou forgaâ—est the wickednesse of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning HumiliatioÌ„ all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and known sins but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknown sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commandements of God and yet after such examination and search made cannot call to remembrance his particular offences then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his parâ—icular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life Clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theife vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of
vnderstanding with other endowmeÌ„ts both of nature and grace the Lord had inriched him withall so doe they carrie with theÌ„ the sweet sauour of pietie and sanctification wherewith he approued his heart vnto god his life vnto meÌ„ Wherin also vpoÌ„ occasion he hath propounded and explained sundrie notable rules of directioÌ„ resolution of the conscience as wil appeare to the view of the learned and well-aduised reader To let passe all the rest this present worke doth affoard very sufficient testimonie of his knowledge and dexteritie in that kind attained vnto not without great paines much obseruation and long experience A labour which commendeth it selfe vnto the Church of God in two respects principally One because his grounds and principles whereupon he giues direction are drawne either directly or by iust consequeÌ„ce out of the writteÌ„ word so are of greater force to giue satisfaction to the mind either doubting or distressed The other for that it is deliuered with such perspicuitie and disposed in such order and Methode as fitteth best for the vnderstanding and memorie of him that shall peruse it Now this whole treatise of the Questions I haue made bold to present vnto your Worship and to publish abroad vnder your patronage and protection as one to whome they doe iustly beloÌ„g First because God who honoureth those that honour him hath adorned you not onely with ciuill authoritie and dignitie in the Commonwealth but with the honourable name of a Friend to the Church of God a thing directly confirmed by your vnfained loue of the truth and your continuall fauours to the teachers of the same the Ministers and dispensers of the Gospel Secondly because as the Author of these Cases was himself in many respects bound vnto you while he liued so his wife and children for his sake haue receiued much kindnes at your hands since his death a manifest proofe of the truth and sinceritie of your affection towardes him in the Lord. And in the last place it was my desire by setting forth this and the other two parts that shall follow vnder your name to giue some testimonie of dutie to your Worship presuming that as you loued the Author so you wil be pleased to patronize the worke and fauourably to interpret of the paines and good intention of the publisher And so ceasing your further trouble I humbly take my leaue and commend your Worship to the grace and fauour of God in Christ. From Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge Iun. 28. 1604. Your W. in all dutie to command Tho. Pickering To the godly and well affected Reader whosoeuer IT was not my purpose Christian Reader at the first to haue sent abroad onely one part of the Cases of Conscience without the rest but that I was mooued thereunto partly vpon the importunitie of some of the Authors friends and partly because I desired to satisfie thy expectation in a thing which I perswade my selfe hath beene long expected Upon which two motiues I haue now commended vnto thee this first part promising by the grace of God ere it be long to adde the second and the third so farre as the Author proceeded in this Treatise before his death And although I could haue wished this labour had beene vndertaken by others better able to performe it then my selfe yet beeing well acquainted with the copie which is mine owne and knowing it to haue bin perused by the Author himselfe before his death I was the more incouraged to bestow my paines for thy good in that behalfe If in reading thereof thou finde either any thing amisse or thy selfe not fully satisfied in the particulars then remember that the Author himselfe is gone who might haue brought the worke to perfection if God had pleased to prolong his daies vpon the earth And withall consider that it were better for thee to accept of these his labours as they are now imparted to thee then by the suppressing of them to be depriued of so great a benefit And thus hoping of thy kinde acceptance of my paines for thy behoofe I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace Iune 28. 1604. T. P. Faults escaped in the printing After page 38. read for 27 29. Places false quoted correct thus Read pag. 60. for Iam. 2. 20. Iam. 2. 10. p. 70. for Col. 3. 26 Col. 3. 3 4. Read pag. 8. lin 24. for actonis actions p. 12. 25. for ptesent present p. 29. for yets o yet so p. 37. 22. for it a it is a. p. 38 4. for bonds bosâ—ds p. 49. 9. come to the answer p. 74. 5. for of sence offence p. 92. 3. for conforting comforting p. 80. peâ—ult for vaine veine p. 82. 1. for finnâ— sinne p. 105. 1. for print present p. â—ad 10. thorgh but once p. 108. 6. which shall be laid c. p. 152. 17. for yncleate vncleate p. 154. 19. Marke the words p. 157. 1. for mighe might p. 160. 12. for apprenhendeth apprehendeth p. 161. 22. for consceence conscience p. 162. 1. for diuihe diuine p. 165. 17. for decre deare p. 169. 24. for faults falles The Contents of the Booke I. The Grounds or preambles foure 1. Priuate confession pag 5. 2. The degrees of Goodnesse in things and actions 6. 3. The Nature and Differences of Sinne. 9. 4. The Subiection and power of Conscience 43. II. The Questions of Conscience touching Man simply considered in himselfe three I. What man must doe that â—e may come into Gods fauour and be saued Answer is by performance of foure Duties 1. Humiliation before God 50. 2. Faith in Christ. 55. 3. Repentance 57. 4. Newe-Obedience 59. II. How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation 65. Answered by 5. teâ—â—s of Scripture 1. Rom. 8. 16. 65. 2. Psal. 15. 66. 3. The 1. epist. of Iohn 68. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 19. 74. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 75. III. How a man beeing in Distresse of mindâ— may be comforted releeued 76. Here. Generally â—oâ—ching all distresses is shewed 1. What is Distresse of minde â—7 2. The Originall and kinds of distresses 77 78. 3. The generall remedie of theâ— all 79. Specially the Distresses are fiue I. The Distresse arising of the Diuine Tentation with the examples occasions effects and Remedies 95. c. II. The Distresses arising of outward Afflictions 106. These are three 1. Deferring of deliuerance 117. 2. Bodily and Temporall death 126. 3. Satanicall molestation of persons and places of â—bode 140. III. The Distresse of minde arising of the Tentation of Blasphemies with the meanes danger and cure thereof 148. IV. The Distresse of minde arising from a mans owne sinnes with the degrees and Remedie thereof 158. V. The Distresse of minde arising from a mans owne bodie partly by Melancholie partly by strange alterations in the bodie with the degrees effects and Remedies 173 c. FINIS Isaiah 50. 4. The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned that I should knowe to minister a word in
the word of God that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that we haue whole armies of enemies to encounter withall not only out of vs in the world abroad but within vs lurking euen in our owne flesh And vpon this consideration that we should be at continuall defiance with them vsing all holy meanes to get the victorie ouer them by the daily exercises of inuocation and repentance and by a continuall practise of new obedience vnto all the lawes and commandements of God according to the measure of grace receiued And so much of the third Ground The fourth and last Ground is touching the subiection power of Conscience Conscience is a knowledge ioyned with a knowledge For by conscience we knowe what we know and by it we knowe that thing of our selues which God knoweth of vs. The naturall condition of euery mans conscience is this that it is placed in the middle betweene man and God vnder God and aboue man And this naturall condition hath two parts the one is the subiection of conscience to God and his word the second is a power whereby the conscience is ouer the man to vrge and binde him Of the first we haue this rule that God alone by his word doeth onely binde conscience properly for he is the onely Lord of the conscience which created it and gouerns it He againe is the onely lawe-giuer that hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping and breaking of his Lawes Iam. 4. 12. Againe mans conscience is knowne to none but to God and it is he onely that giues libertie to the conscience in regard of his owne lawes Vpon this it followeth that no mans commandement or Lawe can of it selfe and by it owne soueraigne power binde conscience but doeth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of the written word of God or some part thereof Nowe the Power of conscience appeares in Pauls rule Whatsoeuer is not of faith that is whatsoeuer man doeth whereof he is not certainly perswaded in iudgement and conscience out of Gods word it is sinne More plainely a thing may be said not to be done of faith two waies First when it is done with a doubting and vnresolued conscience as in those that are weake in knowledg Of which sort were some in the Primitiue Church who notwithstanding they heard of the doctâ—ine of Christian libertie yet they were of opinion that after Christs ascension there was a difference to be made of meats and therevpon thought they might not eat of some kind of meats Suppose now that these persons by accident should haue bin drawne to eate swines flesh which themselues had holden a thing forbidden these men vpon this very fact haue sinned because that which they did was vpon an vnresolued conscience Secondly when a thing is done vpon an erronious conscience it is done not of faith and therefore a sinne The reason is because the conscience though it erre and be deceiued yet it bindeth so sarre forth as that if a man iudge a thing to be euill either simply or in some respect though falsely and yet afterward doeth it he hath sinned and offended the Maiestie of God as much as in him lieâ—h THus much touching the Preambles or Groundes of this doctrine Nowe it remaineth that we come to the Questions of Conscience These Questions may be fitly deuided according to the matter or subiect of them which is Man Now as Man is considered diuers waies that is to say either apart by himselfe or as he standes in relation to another and is a member of a Societie so the Questions of Conscience are to be distinguished some concerning man simply considered by himselfe some againe as he stands in relation to another MaÌ„ staÌ„deth in a twofold relatioÌ„ to God or to MaÌ„ As he staÌ„ds in relatioÌ„ to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Nowe the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to the three distinct kinds of societies For euery maÌ„ is either a member of a Family or of the Church or of the CoÌ„monwealth And answerably some QuestioÌ„s concerne man as a member of a family some as he is a meÌ„ber of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therfore all QuestioÌ„s touching maÌ„ may be reduced to 3. generall heads The first wherof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The secoÌ„d touching man as he staÌ„ds in relatioÌ„ to God The third concerning him as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Family or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort as man is a Christian are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second Howe he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third Howe he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauour and be saued FOr answer to this question some Ground must be laid down before hand For it is to be considered and remembred in the first place how and by what meanes God that saueth brings a man to saluation In the working and effecting of our saluation there are two speciall works of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two workes hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward crosse to breake and subdue the stubbernnesse of our nature that it may be made plyeable to the will of God II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Lawe and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his own peculiar and proper sinnes IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with the spirit of feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to dispaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeed no fruits of grace but are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fift action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seeds ot sparkes of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting and dispaire Nowe at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes
this doctrine is this He that truely repents himselfe of one sinne in this case when he is preuented is as if he repented of all II. Case What must a man doe that finds himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit so as he cannot humble himselfe as he would Answ. Such persons if they humble themselues they must be content with that grace which they haue receiued For if thou be grieued truely and vnfainedly for this that thou canst not be grieued thy humiliation shall be accepted For that which Paul saith of almes may be truely said in this case that if there be a readie minde a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not III. Case Whether the party that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for offence of God by his sinne doeth or can truely humble himselfe Answ. A man may haue a greater griefe for an earthly losse then for the other and yet be truely grieued for his sinnes too The reason is because that is a bodily naturall and sensible losse and accordingly sorrow for it is naturall Now the sorrow for the offending of God is no sensible thing but supernaturall and spirituall and sensible things doe more affect the minde then the other Dauid did notably humble himselfe for his sinnes and he did exceedingly mourne for the losse of his sonne Absolom yea and more too then for his sinnes Would God I had died for thee Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne c. Againe I answer that the sorrow of the minde must be measured by the intention of the affection and by the estimation of the thing for which we sorrow Now sorrow for sinne though it be lesse in respect of the intentioÌ„ therof yet is it greater in respect of the estimation of the minde because they which truly mourne for their sinnes grieue for the offence of God as the greatest euill of all and for the losse of the fauoâ—â— of God as for losse of the most excelleâ—t preâ—ious thing in the world IV. Case Whether it be necessarie in humiliation that the heart should be smitten with a sensible sorrowe Answer I. In sorrow for sinne there are two things first to be displeased for our sinnes secondly to haue a bodily moouing of the heart which causeth crying and teares The former of these is necessarie namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessarie though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the secoÌ„d II. It falleth out oftentimes that the greatnesse of the griefe taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a nummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares in such there may be true humiliation though with drie cheekes The second thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and consequently of saluation is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation and faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith there are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospell especially the promise of righteousnesse and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apply the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandement of God sets downe this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and apply him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of conscience touching Faith are these First howe we may truely apply Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men apply Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truely as they ought to doe I answer that this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As god giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should apply the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doeth offer and apply Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the word and praier for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace VVhen Lydia was hearing the sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breed in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answer VVhen he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnesse then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first begins For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be coÌ„sidered the beginning namely a Godly Sorrow 2. Cor. 7. and vpon this sorrowe a Change In Sorrowe we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sins doe displease God If there were no iudge no hell or death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrowe will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in repentance is the Change
Lawe which commandes perfect obedience no man can possibly doe a good worke Furthermore the Ends of a good worke are manifold first the honour and glory of God Whether ye eate or drinke or what soeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God Secondly the testification of our thankefulnes vnto God that hath redeemed vs by Christ. The third is to edifie our neighbour and to further him in the way to life euerlasting The fourth is to exercise confirme our faith and repentance both which be much strengthned by the practise of good workes Fiftly that we may escape the punnishment of sinne the destruction of the wicked and obtaine the reward of the righteous life euerlasting Sixtly that we may be answerable to our calling in dooing the duties thereof and in walking as children of light redeemed by Christ Iesus Seuenthly that we may pay the debt which we owe vnto God For we are debters to him in sundry regardes as we are his creatures as we are his seruants as we are his children In a word as we are redeemed by Christ and our whole debt is our duty of praise and thanksgeuing After the worke is done then comes the acception of it God acceptes of our workes diuers waies First in that he pardoneth the fault which comes from vs and secondly in that he approoues his owne good worke in vs. We then after we haue done the worke must humble our selues and intreat the Lord to pardon the wantes of our workes say with Dauid Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant and with Daniel Lord vnto vs belongeth open shame cōfusion but to thee righteousnes compassion and forgiuenes And the reason is plaine because in vs there is no goodnesse no holines no righteousnes nor any thing that may present vs acceptable in his sight and for this cause Paul saith I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified Great reason then that we should humble our selues before God for our wants and pray vnto him that he will in mercie accept our indeauour and confirme the good worke begunne in vs by his holy spirit II. Question THe next generall Question touching man as he is a Christian is How a man may be in conscience assured of his owne saluation For answer to this Question diuers places of scripture are to be skanned wherein this case of conscience is fully answered and resolued The first place is Rom. 8. 16. And the spirit of God testifieth together with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God In these words are two testimonies of our adoption set downe the Spirit of God dwelling in vs testifying vnto vs that we are Gods children and our Spirit that is our conscience sanctified and renewed by the holy Ghost Here put the case that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting then I answer that the other testimonie the sanctification of the heart will suffice to assure vs. VVe know it sufficiētly to be true and not painted fire if there be heare though there be no flame Put the case againe that the testimonie of the spirit be wanting and our sanctification be vncertaine vnto vs how then may we be assured The answer is that we must then haue recourse to the first beginnings and motions of sanctification which are these First to feele our inward corruptions Secondly to be displeased with our selues for them Thirdly to begin to hate sinne Fourthly to grieue so oft as we fall and offend God Fiftly to auoid the occasions of sinne Sixtly to endeauour to doe our dutie and to vse good meanes Seuenthly to desire to sinne no more And lastly to pray to God for his grace Where these and the like motions are there is the spirit of God whence they proceede and sanctification is begunne One apple is sufficient to manifest the life of the tree and one good and constant motion of grace is sufficient to manifest sanctification Againe it may be demaunded what must be done if both be wanting Answ. Men must not dispaire but vse good meanes and in time they shall be assured The Second place is the 15. Psalme In the first verse whereof this question is propounded namely VVho of all the mēbers of the Church shall haue his habitation in heauen The answer is made in the verses following and in the second verse he sets downe three generall notes of the said person One is to walke vprightly in sinceritie approouing his heart and life to God the secōd is to deale iustly in all his doings the third is for speech to speake the truth from the heart without guile or flatterie And because we are easily deceiued in generall signes in the 3 4 and 5. verses there are set downe seauen more euident and sensible notes of sinceritie iustice and trueth One is in speech not to take vp or carrie abroad false reports and slanders The second is in our dealings not to doe wrong to our neighbour more then to our selues The third is in our companie to contemne wicked persons worthy to be contemned The fourth is in our estimation we haue of others that is to honour thē that feare God The fift is in our wordes to sweare and not to change that is to make conscience of our word and promise especially if it be confirmed by oath The sixt is in taking of gaine not to giue money to vsurie that is not to take increase for bare lending and to lend freely to the poore The last is to giue testimonie without briberie or partialitie In the fift verse is added a reason of the answer he that in his indeauour doeth all these things shall neuer be mooued that is cut off frō the Church as an hypocrite The Third place of scripture is the first Epistle of Iohn the principall scope whereof is to giue a full resolution to the conscience of man touching the certainty of his saluation And the principall grounds of assurance which are there laid down may be reduced to three heads The first is this He that hath communion or fellowship with God in Christ may be vndoubtedly assured of his saluation This conclusion is propounded Chap. 1. v. 3. 4. Where the Apostle tels the Church that the end of the preaching of the Gospel vnto them was that they might haue fellowship not onely mutually among themselues but also with God the father and with his Son Iesus Christ. And further that hauing both knowledge and assurance of this heauenly communion to be begun in this life and perfected in the life to come their ioy might be full that is they might thence reape matter of true ioy and sound comfort vnto their soules and consciences Now whereas it might be haply demaunded by some beleeuers how they should come to this assurance S. Iohn answers in this Epistle that the certainty thereof may be gathered by foure infallible notes The first is Remissiō of sins For though God be in himselfe most holy
belongs to the whole World consequently to euery one Ans The same Apostle shall againe answer for himselfe Rom. 11. 15. The casting away of the Iewes is the reconciling of the world that is of the Gentiles in the last age of the world for so he said before more plainly The falling avvay of the Ievv is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles And so must that place to the Corinths be vnderstood namely not of all and euery man that liued in all ages and times but of thē that were by the dispensation of the Gospel to be called out of all kingdomes and nations after the death and ascenfion of Christ. Thus then the promise of saluation is not vniuersall without exception or restraint and therefore application made by the vniuersalitie of the promise admits some falshood Secondly this way of applying is also Vnfit For the reason must be framed thus Christ died for all men but thou art a man therefore Christ died for thee The partie distressed will graunt all and say Christ indeede died for him i◠he would haue receiued Christ but he by his sinn◠hath cut himselfe off from his owne Sauiour and hath forsaken him so as the benefit of his death will doe him no good The right way of ministring Comfort to a partie distressed followeth In the handling whereof first I will lay downe the Grounds whereby any man that belongs to God may be brought within the Couenant And then I will shew the Right Way how they must be vsed and applied For the first Recourse must not be had to all graces or to all degrees and measures of grace but onely such as a troubled Conscience may feele and reach vnto For those that be the true children of God and haue excellent measure of grace when they are in distresse feele little or no grace at all in themselues The graces then that serue for this purpose are three Faith Repentance and the true Loue of God which is the fruit of them both And that we may the more easily and truly discerne of them and not be deceiued inquirie must be made what be the Seedes and beginnings of them all The first Gronnd of grace is this A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation I prooue it thus It is a principle graunted and confessed of all men that in them which haue grace God accepteth the will for the deede If there be a willing minde saith the Apostle it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath Againe God hath annexed a promise of blessednes and life euerlasting to the true and vnfained desire of grace Whence it is that they are in Scripture pronounced blessed which hunger and thirst after righteousnes And who are they but such as feele themselues to want all righteousnes and doe truly and earnestly desire it in their hearts For hunger and thirst argues both a want of something and a feeling of the want And to this purpose the holy Ghost saith To him that is a thirst will I giue to drinke of the water of life freely Now this thirstie soule is that man which feeles himselfe destitute of all grace and Gods fauour in Christ and withall doth thirst after the blood of Christ and desires to be made partaker thereof God is wont mercifully to accept of the desire of any good thing when a man is in necessitie and stands in want thereof The Lord saies Dauid heares the desire of the poore that is of them that are in distresse either of bodie or minde Yea he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him It will be said that the desire of good things is naturall and therefore God will not regard mens desires I answer Desires be of two sorts some be of such things as men by the meere light of nature know to be good for example the desire of wisdome of ciuill vertue of honour of happinesse and such like and all these nature can desire Others be aboue nature as the desire of remission of sinnes reconciliation and sanctification and they which seriously desire these haue a promise of blessednes and life euerlasting And hence it followes that desire of mercie in the want of mercie is mercie it selfe and desire of grace in the want of grace is grace it selfe A second Ground is this A godly sorrovv whereby a man is grieued for his sinnes because they are sinnes is the beginning of repentance indeed for substance is repentance it selfe The Apostle Paul reioyced that he had in the worke of his Ministerie wrought this godly sorrow in the hearts of the Corinthians calling it sorrow that causeth repentance not to be repented of This sorrow may be discerned in this sort The heart of him in whome it is is so affected that though there were no conscience nor deuill to accuse no hell for condemnation yet it would be grieued in it selfe because God by sinne is displeased and offended I◠it be alleadged that euery one cannot reach to this beginning of repentance thus to sorrow for his sinne then I adde further if the partie be grieued for the hardnes of his heart whereby it comes to passe that he cannot grieue he hath vndoubtedly receiued some portion of godly sorrow For it is not nature that makes vs to grieue for hardnes of heart but grace The third Ground is that A setled purpose and willing minde to forsake all sinne and to turne vnto God though as yet no outward cōuersion appeare is a good beginning of true conuersion repentance I thought saith Dauid I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne And to this is added Selah which is not onely a musicall note but as some thinke a note of obseruation to moue vs to marke the things that are set downe as beeing of speciall weight and moment And surely this is a matter of great consequence that vpon the very vnsained purpose of confession of sinne God should giue a pardon thereof Take a surther proofe of this in the Prodigall sonne whome I take not for one that was neuer called or turned to God though some doe so and seeme to haue warrant for their opinion but rather for him that is the child of God and afterward falls away Now such a one beeing brought by outward crosses and afflictions to see his owne miserie purposeth with himselfe to returne to his father againe and to humble himselfe and confesse his iniquitie and vpon this very purpose when he had said I will goe to my father and say vnto him father I haue sinned c. at his returne a farre off his father receiues him as his child againe and after acceptation followes his confession The like is to be seene
in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himselfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of Gods loue to vs. And our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Now that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be rememebred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be flittering and fleeting but constant setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daiely growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truely in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Hauing thus laid downethe Groundes of cōfort I come now to the way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making triall and in applying the promise First then triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grounds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doeth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fit of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be dāned Aske him in this fit of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience and the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authoritie giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of conforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these rules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be delaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishments due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much deceipt in the heart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward becom the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the iron which being cast into the fire vehemētly hot cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heat had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of cōfort we must somwhat keep thē down bring them on by litle litle to repentance The sweetnesse of comfort is the greater if it be delayed with some tartenesse of the Law II. Another rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attēded with good company For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when she was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doeth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the sudden to tempt him to dispaire and to the making away of himselfe III. Thirdly the partie in distresse must be taught not to rest vpon his owne iudgement but alwaies to submit himselfe and be content to be aduised by others that are men of wisedome iudgement and discretion A thing to be obserued the rather because the very neglect thereof hath caused sundrie persons to remaine vncomforted for many yeres IV. Fourthly the partie distressed must neuer heare tel of any fearefull accidents or of any that haue bin in like or worse case thē himself is For vpon the very report the distressed conscience will fasten the accident vpon it selfe and therby cōmonly wil be drawn to deeper griefe or dispaire For the mind afflicted will imagine fearefull things and sometime the very bare naming of the Deuil will strike terrour feare into it V. Fiftly The partie that is to comfort must beare with all the wants of the distressed as with their frowardnesse peeuishnesse rashnesse and with their distempered and disordered affections and actions yea he must put vpon him as it were their persons beeing affected with their miserie and touched with their sorrowes as if they were his owne grieuing when he seeth them to grieue weeping when they doe weepe and lament VI. Sixtly he that is the comforter must not be