yet afterward alwaies he returned to his old by as againe Foelix trembled before Paul for all that he could not leaue his couetousnesse but euen then he sought for a bribe Secondly the reprobate◠when he repenteth he cannot come vnto God seeke vnto him he hath no power no not so much as once to desire to giue one litle sob for the remissiō of his sinnes if he would giue all the world he cannot so much as giue one rap at gods mercie gate that he may open to him He is very like a man vpon a racke who crieth roreth out for very paine yet cannot desire his tormentor to ease him of his paine Caine would haue bin void of his trembling but he could not aske pardon of his sinne from his heart neither could Saul or Iudas or now can the deuill XIV The reprobate may humble himselfe for some sinnes which he hath committed and may declare this by fasting and teares When Eliah reprooued Ahab for his Idolatrie and threatned him from the Lord it is said that when he had heard these words he rent his cloaths and put sackcloath vpon him and fasted and went softly in token of mourning and this humiliation stayed Gods wrath for a time XV. He may confesse his sinnes euen his particular sinnes before men but this is onely then when his soule is tormented for them and can find no ease For then he sticketh not to vtter his secret filthines to the hearing of all men to the open shaming of himselfe When God smote all that was in the fieldes of Egypt with haile then Pharao sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said vnto them I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders c. So Iudas when he saw that Christ was condemned and felt an hell in his conscience brake out and said I haue sinned in betraying the innocent blood And the experience of these daies giueth fearefull examples for the proofe of this point XVI He hath often a desire to be like the children of God in happinesse and to be saued not because he hath any loue to the kingdom of God but because he is afraid of hell As Balaam ouerpressed with the feare of Gods iudgement praied thus Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like his XVII The wicked in their distresse may pray to God and God may heare their praiers and grant them their request as the Israelites wickedly murmuring against God desired flesh in the wildernes God heard their crie and rained Quailes among them But god heareth the wicked after one sort them that feare him after another them that feare him he granteth their requests of loue and mercy to the other of indignation and anger As may appeare in the Israelites who when they were in eating of their Quailes and the meate was within their teeth God in his anger stroke thē with a sore plague And which is more strange then this God hath performed that which he hath promised to the vnbeleeuers though they refused to aske it at his hands euen then whē they were particularly commanded of this thing we haue a worthie example in King Achas who vtterly refused to haue a signe of his deliuerance and the confusion of his enemies when God offered it to him and yet the Lord deliuered him XVIII The reprobate may go further in the profession of religion◠and may seeme for a time to bee planted in the Church for he doth beleeue the promises of God made in Christ Iesus yet so that he cannot apply them to himselfe In this thing the elect and the reprobate differ The reprobate generally in a confused manner beleeueth that Christ is a Sauiour of some men he neither can nor desireth to come to the particular applying of Christ. The elect beleeueth that Christ is a Sauiour of him particularly The reprobates faith may perish in this life but the faith of the elect cannot The reprobate may be perswaded of the mercy and goodnes of God towards him for the present time in the which he feeleth it the elect is not onely perswaded of the mercies he presently enioyeth but also he is perswaded of his eternal election before the foūdation of the world and of his euerlasting life which yet he doth not enioy Yea if God would confound him and he saw nothing but present death and hell fire yet such is his nature that still hee would beleeue for faith and hope are not grounded vpon sense and feeling but are the euidence of those thing◠which were neuer yet seene or felt The life of the faithfull is hid in Christ as the sap in the root of the tree their life is not in sense feeling but in hoping and beleeuing which oftentimes are contrarie to mans sense and feeling XIX After that he hath receiued a generall and a temporarie faith in Gods heauenly word his most mercifull promises of euerlasting life cōtained therin by the power of the spirit of God he commeth to haue a tast in his heart of the sweetnes of Gods mercies and a reioycing in consideration of the election adoption iustification and sanctification of Gods children But what is this taste I expresse it thus after the meaning of Gods word Suppose a banquet prepared in which are many sweet and pleasant and daintie meats At this banquet such as are the bidden guests they must be set downe they see the meates they taste them they chaw them in their mouthes they digest them they are nourished fed and strengthened by them they which are not bidden to this feast may see the meats handle them and taste of them to feele how good they are◠but they must not eate and feede of them The first resemble the elect which truly eate digest are nourished by Christ vnto euerlasting life because they haue great aboundance of the vitall heat of Gods holy spirit in them and doe feele sensibly his grace vertue in them to strengthen them guide them The second sort truly resemble the reprobates which neuer in truth enioy Christ or any of his benefits appertaining to saluation but only see them and haue in their hearts a vanishing but no certen or sound feeling of them so that they may be changed and strengthened and guided thereby To vse another similitude The reprobates haue no more feeling and enioying of Christ and his benefits then those men haue of the sunne which see onely a glimmering of his light at the dawning of the day before it riseth Contrariwise the elect they haue the day-starre euen the Sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ rising in their hearts the day spring from an high doth visit them the glorie of God doth rise vpon them they haue their eyes annointed
Lazarus that he may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue And if thou be one which hast care to order thy selfe in speech silence according to gods word oh doe it more For what a shame is it that men with the same tongue wherewith they confesse the faith and religion of Christ should by vaine and vngodly speech vtterly denie the power thereof And for thy better helpe herein I haue penned these few lines following concerning the Gouernment of the tongue Vse them for thy benefit and finding profit thereby giue glorie to God M. D. XCII Decemb. 12. W. Perkins OF THE GOVERNEMENT OF THE TONGVE CHAP. I. Of the generall meanes of ruling the Tongue THE gouernement of the tongue is a vertue pertaining to the holy vsage of the tongue according to GODS word And for the well-ordering of it two things are requisite a pure heart and skill in the language of Canaan The pure heart is most necessary because it is the fountaine of speech and if the fountaine be defiled the streames that issue thence can not be cleane And because the heart of man by nature is a bottomlesse gulfe of iniquitie two things are to be knowne first how it must be made pure then how it is alwaies afterward to be kept pure The way to get a pure heart is this First thou must seriously examine thy life and thy conscience for all thy sinnes past then with a heauie and bleeding heart confesse them to God vtterly condemning thy selfe Thirdly with deepe sighes and groanes of spirit crie vnto heauen to God the father in the name of Christ for pardon I say for pardon of the same sinnes as it were for life and death and that day and night till the Lord send downe from heauen a sweete certificate into thy perplexed conscience by his holy spirit that all thy sinnes are done away Now at the same instant in which pardon shall be graunted God likewise will once againe stretch forth that mightie hand of his whereby he made thee when thou wast not to make thee a new creature to create a new heart in thee to renue a right spirit in thee and to stablish thee by his free spirit For whome he iustifieth them also at the same time he sanctifieth The purified heart appeareth by these signes I. If thou feele thy selfe to be displeased at thine owne infirmities and corruptions and to droope vnder them as men doe vnder bodily sicknesse II. If thou begin to hate and to flie thine owne personall sinnes III. If thou feele a griefe and sorrow after thou hast offended God IV. If thou heartily desire to abstaine from all manner of sinne V. If thou be carefull to auoide all occasions and entisements to euill VI. If thou trauell and doe thine endeauour in euery good thing VII If thou desire and pray to God to wash and rinse thine heart in the blood of Christ. When the heart is pure to keepe it so is the speciall worke of faith which purifieth the heart Faith purifieth the heart by a particular applying of Christ crucified with all his merits Elisha when he went vp and lay vpon the dead child and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon him the flesh of the child waxed warme Afterward Elisha rose and spread himselfe vpon him the second time then the child neezed seuen times and opened his eies So must a man by faith euen spread himselfe vpon the crosse of Christ applying handes and feete to his pierced handes and feete his wretched heart to Christs bleeding heart and then he shall feele himselfe warmed by the heat of Gods spirit and sinne from day to day crucified with Christ his dead heart quickened reuiued And this applying which faith maketh is done by a kind of reasoning which faith maketh thus Hath god of his mercie giuen his own sonne to be my Sauiour to shed his blood for me and hath he of his mercie graunted vnto me the pardon of all my sinnes I will therfore endeauour to keepe my heart and my life vnblameable that I doe not offend him hereafter in word or deede as I haue done heretofore The language of Canaan is whereby a man endued with the spirit of adoption vnfainedly calleth vpon the name of God in Christ and so consequently doth as it were familiarly talke and speake with God This language must needes be learned that the tongue may be well gouerned For man must first be able to talke with God before he can be able wisely to talke with man For this cause when men are to haue communication one with another they are first of all to bee carefull that they often make their praiers to God that hee would guide and blesse them in their speeches as Dauid did Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes And againe O Lord open thou my lippes and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Where we may see that the mouth is as it were locked vp from speaking any good thing vntill the Lord open it And Paul hauing the gift of ordering his tongue in wonderful measure yet desireth the Ephesians to pray for him that vtterance might be giuē him and good reason because God ruleth the tongue CHAP. II. Of the matter of our speech THe gouernment of the tongue containeth two partes holy speech and holy silence In holy speech must be cōsidered the matter of our speech and the manner The matter is commonly one of these three either God our neighbour or our selues As concerning God this caueat must be remembred that the honourable titles of his glorious Maiestie be neuer taken into our mouthes vnlesse it bee vpon a weightie and iust occasion so as wee may plainely see that glorie will redound to him thereby and for this cause the third commandement was giuen that men might not take vp the name of God in vaine that is rashly and lightly And therefore lamentable and fearefull is the practise euerie where For it is a common thing with men to beginne their speech and to place titles of Gods most high Maiestie in the fore-front almost of euery sentence by saying O Lord O God! O good God! O mercifull God! O Iesu O Christ c. If a mā be to say any thing he will not say Yea or Nay but O Lord yea or O Lord nay If a man be to reprooue his inferiour he will presently say O Lord haue mercy on vs what a slowbacke art thou what a lie is this c. An earthly Prince if hee should haue his name so tossed in our mouthes at euery worde would neuer beare it and how shall the euerliuing God suffer it nay how can hee suffer it I say no more but thou with thy selfe thinke how for in the third commandement the punishment is set down That he will
wise doe Secondly by the manner of perswasion for the holy Ghost draweth not reasons â—rom the workes or worthinesse of man but from Gods fauour and loue and this kinde of perswasion is far different from that which Satan vseth Thirdly by the effects of that testimonie For if the perswasion arise from presumption it is a dead perswasion but contrarily it is most liuely and stirring if it come from the holy Ghost For such as are perswaded that they are elected and adopted children of GOD they will loue god they wil trust in him and they will call vpon him with their whole heart IV. If the testimonie of Gods spirit be not so powerfull in the elect then may they iudge of their election by that other effect of the holy ghost namely Sanctification like as we vse to iudge by heate that there is fire when wee cannot see the flame it selfe V. And of all the effects of sanctification these are most notable I. To feele our wants and in the bitternes of heart to bewaile the offence of GOD in euery sinne II. To striue against the flesh that is to resist and to hate the vngodly motions thereof and with griefe to think them burthenous troublesome III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God and merite of Christ to obtaine eternall life IV. When it is obtained to account it a most pretious iewel Phil. 3.8 V. To loue the minister of Gods word in that he is a minister and a Christian in that he is a Christian and for that cause if neede require to be readie to spende our blood with them Mat. 10.42 1. Ioh. 3.16 VI. To call vpon God earnestly and with teares VII To desire and loue Christs comming and the day of iudgement that an ende may bee made of the daies of sinne VIII To flie all occasions of sinne and seriously to endeauour to come to newnesse of life IX To perseuere in these things to the last gaspe of life Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose Hee that will serue God must saith he beleeue that which cannot bee seene hope for that which is deferred and loue God when he sheweth himselfe an enemie and thus remaine to the ende VI. Nowe if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly they must know this that God trieth them yet so as they must not therewith be dismaied because it is most sure that if they haue faith but as much as a graine of mustard seede and bee as weake as a young infant is it is sufficient to ingraffe theÌ„ into Christ therefore they must not doubt of their election because they see their faith feeble and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them VII Neither must hee that as yet hath not felt in his heart any of these effects presently conclude that hee is a Reprobate but let him rather vse the word of God and the Sacraments that hee may haue an inward sense of the power of Christ drawing him vnto him and an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion VIII No man may peremptorily set downe that himselfe or any other is a reprobate For God doth oftentimes preferre those which did seeme to be most of all estranged from his fauour to be in his kingdome aboue those who in mans iudgement were the children of the kingdome Hence is it that Christ saith The Publicanes and harlots goe before you and many an one is called at the eleuenth houre as appeareth by that notable example of the thiefe vpon the crosse The vses which may be made of this doctrine of predestination are very many First for our instruction we are taught these things I. That there is neither any iustification by workes nor any works of ours that are meritorious For election is by the free grace of God and therefore in like sort is iustification For as I saide before the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused And for this reason in the worke of saluation grace doth wholly challenge al to it selfe Rom. 11.5 At this time there is a remnant through the election of grace 2. Tim. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you iâ— is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake Rom. 3.24 Wee are iustified freely by grace Tit. 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs. Ezech. 36. 27. I will cause you to walke in my statutes Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life II. That Astrologie teaching by the casting of Natiuities what men will be is ridiculous and impious because it determineth that such shall be very like in life and conuersation whom God in his predestination hath made vnlike Iacob and Esau borne of the same parents and almost in the same moment of time for Iacob held Esau by the heele as he was borne were of most vnlike dispositions and had diuers euents The like may we see in all twinnes and others which are borne at the same time III. That God is most wise omnipotent iust and mercifull O the wonderfull riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding on t Eph. 1.5 Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Secondly beeing the seruants of Christ we are admonished I. To fight against all doubting and diffidence of our saluation because it neither depeÌ„deth vpon workes nor faith but vpon Gods decree which is immutable Math. 24.24 Luk. 10.20 Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life Rom. 8.33 Who shall any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne 2. Tim. 2.19 This teacheth that the anker of hope must be fixed in the trueth and stabilitie of the immutable good pleasure of God so that albeit our faith bee so tossed as that it is in danger of shipwracke neuerthelesse it must neuer sinke to the bottome but euen in the middest of danger take hold vpon repentance as on a board so recouer it selfe II. To humble our soules vnder the mightie hand of God for wee are as clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 They through infidelitie are broken off but thou standest through faith Be not high minded but feare III. To giue all glorie to God 2. Thess. 2.13 We ought to giue thankes alwaie to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation IV. To beare crosses patiently Rom. 8.29 Those which he knewe before he hath also preâ—estinate to be made like to the image of his sonne This likenesse
bosome and became man and liued here many yeares in miserie and contempt and when no hearbe nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperat sicknesse he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood the paine he tooke in making it caused him to sweate water and blood nay the making of it for vs cost him his life in that he was content by his owne death to free vs from death which if it be true as it is most true then wofull wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne and will not vse meanes to lay this plaister vnto our hearts And after the plaister is applyed to the soule wee should do as a man that hath bin grieuously sick who when he is on the mending hand gets strength by little and little And so should we become newe creatures going on from grace to grace and shew the same by liuing godlily righteously and soberly that the worlde may see that we are cured of our spirituall disease O happie yea thrice happie are they that haue grace from god to doe this The second dutie concernes them which are repentant sinners Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee and is thy conscience setled in this then thou must answerably beare this mind and if thy life would serue for the glory of God and the good of his Church thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto Secondly if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life then thou must in like maner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ if neede be Heâ— saith Saint Iohn laid downe his life for vs therefore weâ— ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren Thirdly if Christ was content to shedde his owne heart blood not for himselfe but for the sinnes of euerie one of vs then we must be thus affected that rather then by sinning wee would willingly offend God we should be content to haue our own blood shed yea if these two things were put to our choise either to doe that which might displease God or els to suffer deathâ— wee must rather die then doe the same Of this minde haue beene all the Martyrs of God who rather then they would yeeld to Idolatrie were content to suffer most bitter torments and cruell death Yea euery good Christian is so affected that he had rather choose to die then to liue not mooued by impatience in respect of the misâ—ries of this life but because hee would cease to offend so louing a father To sinne is meate and drinke to the worlde but to a touched and repentant heart there is no torment so grieuouâ— as this is to sinne against God if once he bee perswaded that Christ died for him Thus much for Christs death nowe followe those things which befell Christ when he was newely dead and they are two especially The first that his legges were not broken as the legges of the two theeues were Of the first S. Iohn râ—ndreth a reason namely that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith not a bone of him shal be broken which wordes were spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe and are here applied to Christ as beeing typically figured thereby And hence we obserue these two things First that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe as S. Paul saith Christ our passeouer is sacrificed and S. Iohn saith Behold the lambe of God distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe the childe of God hath wonderfull matter of comfort The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the posts of their dores that when the angel of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast and saw the blood vpon their houses might passe ouer them that the plague should not be vpon them to destruction So likewise if thou dost feed on the lambe of God and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his bloode the iudgements of God in this life and the terrible curse of death with the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement and all punishments due vnto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee and not so much as touch thee And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiours who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could we may note that the enemies of Christ and his Church let them intend to shew neuer so much malice against him they can not goe beyond that libertie which God giueth them they can doe no more for their liues then that which God willeth The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done And when Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wilde beast out of his denne the Lord telleth Hezekiah concerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills and his bridle in his lippes and bring him backe againe the same way he came that is he will so rule him that he shall not doe the least hurt vnto the Iewes more then God will This is a matter of great comfort to Gods church oppressed with manifold enemies Papists Iewes Turks and all infidels malitiously bent against it for Christs sake For though they intend and practise mischiefe yet more then Gods will and counsell is they can not doe because he hath his ring in their nostrils and his bridle in their lippes to rule them as he listeth The second thing which fell out immediately vpon the death of Christ is that the souldiours pearced his side with a speare and thence issued water and blood The vse which ariseth of this point is two-fold first it serues to prooue that Christ died truly and not in shew or a fained death for there is about the heart a filme or skinne like vnto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heat of the heart and therefore when water and bloode issued out after piercing of the side it is very likely that that very skinne was pierced for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come Saint Iohn an eye-witnes of this thing beeing about to prooue that Iesus the sonne of Marie was the true Messias bringeth in sixe witnesses three in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost three in earth the Water the Spirit and the blood where no doubt he alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ by spirit we may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirit making men to bring forth the fruits of the same as loue peace ioy c. And the second witnes namely water hath relation to the water that
to passe Ans. As God determines what things shall come to passe so hee doeth with all determine the meanes whereby the same things are effected Before all worlds God decreed that men should liue vpon earth and he decreed likewise that meate drinke and cloathing should be vsed that life might be preserued Now prayer is one of the most excellent meanes whereby sundry things are brought to passe therefore Gods eternall counsell touching things to come doth not exclude praier and like meanes but rather include and implie the same The second question is what kind of actioÌ„ praier is Ans. It is no lip-labour it is the putting vp of a suite vnto God and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man Rom. 8.26 The spirit makes request for vs. But how with grones in the heart Exod. â—4 15 The Lord saith to Moses Why criest thou yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all the Lord no doubt accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a crie Psal. 38.10 and 11.4 The third question is what is the forme or rule according to which wee are to pray Ans. It is the reuealed will and word of God A man in humbling his soule before God is not to pray as his affections carrie him and for what he list but all is to be done according to the expresse word So as those things which God hath commanded vs to aske we are to aske those things which he hath not commanded vs to aske we are in no wise to pray for 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance which we haue of him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. This then is a speciall clause to be marked that men must pray in knowledge not in ignorance Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people they talke much of praying for themselues and others they imagine that they pray very deuoutly to God but alas they doe nothing lesse because they know not what to aske according to gods will They therfore must learn Gods word and pray according to the same els it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking and flat dishonouring of God The fourth question is with what affection a man must praie Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart This is the sacrifice which God accepteth Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe though hee did â—â— in hypocrisie yet God had some respect vnto it 1. King 21.29 saith the Lord to Eliah seest thou how Ahab is huÌ„bled before me This contrition of heart stands in two things The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne miserie and wretched estate how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies euen with the deuill and his angels and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions whereby we most grieuously displease God and are vile in our owne eyes Beeing therefore thus beset on euery side we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie And he that will pray aright must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues it is not possible for vs to pray effectually Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepest called vpon thee O Lord that is when I was in my greatest miserie and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell then I cried to God Esay 26.16 Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman saith Anna of an hard spirit that is a trouble soule and haue powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God seeing they are made for fashion onely without any sense and feeling of their miseries commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie and they take great paines with their lippes but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were and to goe crooked vnder his sinnes and miseries but also he must haue a desire to be eased of them and to be enriched with graces needfull Thus Hezekias the King and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos prayed against Senacharib and cried vnto heauen 2. Chr. 32.10 Where we may see what a marueilous desire they had to obtaine their request So also Rom. 8.16 The spirit maketh request with grones so great that they can not be vttered as they are felt Dauid Psal. â—43 6 saith that he desireth after the Lord as the thirstie land Now we know that the ground parched with heate opens it selfe in riâ—ts and cranies and gapes towards heauen as though it would deuoure the clouds for want of moysture and thus must the heart be disposed to Gods grace till it obtaine it The people of Israel beeing in grieuous aâ—fliction how doe they pray They powre out their soules like water before the face of the Lord. Lament 2. 1â— The fift question is in whose name prayer must be made Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature but onely in the name and mediation of Christ. Ioh. 14.14 If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthines of his owne merits For what is he to make the best of himselfe what can he make of himselfe by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell and of all Gods creatures on earth the most outragious rebell to God and therefore can not be heard for his owne sake As for Saints they can be no mediatours seeing euen they themselues in heauen are accepted of God not for themselues but onely for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sinne saith Saint Iohn 1. epist. chap. 2.1 we hâ—â—e an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ. But howe prooues he this It followes then And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes His reason stands thus hee which must be an advocate must first of al be a reconciliation for vs no saints can be a reconciliation for vs therefore no Saints can be aduocates Therefore in this place is manifest an other fault of ignorant people They crie often Lord helpe me Lord haue mercie vpon me But in whose name pray they poore soules like blind bayards they rush vpon the Lord they knowe no mediatour in whose name they should present their praiers to him Litle do they consider with themselues that God is as well a most terrible Iudge as a mercifull father The sixt question is Whether faith be requisite to praier or not Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith whereby a man must
known though indeed the minde of man is able to conceiue more then any Christian heart can feele and this is to be seene in Paul who vseth not only to deliuer the points of Gods word in a generall manner but also setteth them downe specially in his own experience So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the blind man who saw men walking like vnto trees that is in motion like men but in forme like trees and the elect are like the same blind man who afterward saw men a farre off cleerely II. Secondly the knowledge of the wicked puffeth them vp but the knoweledge of the godly humbleth them III. Lastly the elect besides the knowledge of Gods worde haue a free and franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations which no reprobate can haue for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes or Familists and many other which brag of the spirit VIII The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time saying Know thine iniquitie for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God c. The chiefe cauie of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holy spirit who detecteth the thoughts of many heartes iudgeth the world of sinne The manner of seeing our sinnes must bee to knowe them particularlie for the vilest wretch in the world can generally and confusedly say he is a sinner but that the sight of sinne may be effectuall to saluation it must be more special distinct euen in particular sinnes so that a man may say with Dauid My sinnes haue taken such hold of me that I am not able to look vp they are more in number then the haires of mine head therefore my heart hath failed me Againe a man must not barely see his particular sinnes but hee must also see the circumstances of them as namely the fearefull curses and iudgements of God which accompanie euerie sinne for the consciences of many tell of their sinnes in particular yet they cannot be humbled for them leaue them because they haue not seene that ougly taile of the curse of God that euery sinne draweth after it IX The meanes to attaine to the sight of sinne is by a diligent examination of a mans own selfe This was the practise of the children of Israel in affliction Let vs trie say they and search our waies and turne againe to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Sauls Courtiers Tremble and sin not examine your own heart on your bed be still This examination must be made by the commandements of the Law but specially by the tenth which ransacketh the heart to the very quick was the meanes of Pauls conuersion For he being a proud pharisie this commandement shewed him some â—innes which otherwise he had not knowne and it killed him that is it humbled him If so bee it that after examination a man cannot find out his sinnes as no man shal find out all his sinnes for the heart of man is a vast gulfe of sinne without either bottom or bank and hath infinit hidden corruptions in it then hee must in a godly iealousie suspect himselfe of his vnknowne sinnes as Dauid did saying Who can vnderstand his faults clense me from my secret faults And as Paul did I know nothing by my selfe yet I am not thereby iustified And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer sawe in themselues For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God and the very Angels are not cleane in his sight X. The third is a sorrowe for sinne which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of god of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne This was in the Iewes after Peters first sermon and in Habacuck at the hearing of Gods iudgements When I heard saith he my belly trembled my lips shooke at thy voice rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the daie of trouble This sorrow is called the spirit of bondage to feare because when the spirit hath made a man see his sins he seeth further the curse of the Law and so he findes himselfe to bee in bondage vnder satan hell death and damnation at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate This sorrow if it continue and increase to some great measure hath certain Symptomes in the bodie as burning heate rowling of the intralls a pining and fainting of the solide parts XI In the feeling of this sorrowe three things are to bee obserued The first all men must looke that it be seriously and soundly wrought in their hearts for looke as men vse to breake hard stones into many small peeces and into dust so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruise the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing And that this may be so sorrow is not to bee felt for a brunt but very often before the end of a mans life The godly man from his youth suffereth the terrors of god Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victorie of him but yet he is faine to goe halting to his graue and traile one of his loynes after him continually The paschall Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbs to signifie that they which wil be free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ must feele continually the smart and bitternesse of their owne sinnes The second all men must take heede least when they are touched for their sinnes they besnare their owne consciences for if the sorrowe bee somewhat ouer sharp they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell and to feele the pangs of death And when a man is in this perplexitie he shall find it a most hard matter to be freed from it without the marueilous power and strength of Christ Iesus who only is able to helpe him and comfort him yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule shall neuer escape it as may appeare in Cain Saul Achitophel Iudas now of late in Iohn Hoffmeister a Monke and Latomus who for the space of certaine daies neuer left crying that he was damned because that he had wilfully persecuted the Gospell of Christ and so he ended his life Therefore most worthie is Pauls counsell for the moderating of this sorrow It is sufficient saith he vnto the incestuous man that he was rebuked of many so that now contrariwise ye ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him least he should be
hath a disease or sore in his bodie before he can be cured of it he must see it feele paine of it and bee in a feare least it bring him into danger of death after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of phisicke and he longeth till he be with the phisitian when hee is once come to him he desireth him of all loues to helpe him and to shewe the best skill he can he will not spare for any cost then hee yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes perswading himselfe that by Gods blessing he both can and wil help him after this he comes to his former health againe On the same manner euery man is wounded with the deadly wounde of sinne at the very heart and he that would be saued and escape damnation must see his sinne be sorrowfull for it and vtterly despaire of his own strength to attaine saluation thereby furthermore he must see himselfe to stand in neede of Christ the good Phisitian of his soule and long after him and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and groanes for mercie after this Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart blood which beeing applied he shall finde himselfe reuiued and shall come to a liuely assurance of the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes So it was in Dauid when he repented of his adulterie and murther First God made him see his sinnes for he saith I knowe mine iniquities and my sinnes are euer before me Secondly he felt Gods anger for his sinnes make me saith he to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice Thirdly he vtterly despaired of his owne strength in that he said stablish me with thy free spirit signifying thereby vnlesse the Lord would stay him with his glorious power he should runne headlong to his owne confusion Fourthly he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour one mercy wil not content him he praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies to be bestowed on him to doe away his iniquities Fiftly his desire and his prayer for the forgiuenesse of his sinne are set downe in the whole Psalme And in his prayer he gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towards himselfe in that he saith The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Againe the like appeareth in Dauid Psal. 32.3 When I held my tongue my bones consumed in my roring all the day 4. For thy hand was heauie vpon me day and night my moisture was turned into the drought of sommer Sela. 5. I confessed my sinnes vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquities I said I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne To this purpose is the example of R. Glouer Martyr who being somwhat troubled at his entrance into prison testifieth thus of himselfe So saith he I remained without any further conference of any man by the space of eight daies and till the bishops comming in which time I gaue my selfe continually to prayer and meditation of the mercifull promises of God made to all without exception of persons that call vpon the name of his deare sonne Iesus Christ. I found in my selfe daiely amendment of health of bodie increase of peace of conscience and many consolations from God by the helpe of his spirit and sometimes as it were a tast and glimmering of the life to come all for his onely sonne Iesus Christs sake XVI There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith according as there be diuers degrees of Christians some are yet in the wombe and haue their mother the Church trauelling of them some are newe borne babes feeding on the milke of the word some are perfect men in Christ come to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ. XVII The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue is compared to the graine of mustard seed the least of all seeds and to flaxe that hath fire in it but so weake that it can neither giue heat nor light but only maketh a smoke and is called by the name of a little faith and it may bee thus described When a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his own sinnes and yet he is perswaded that they are pardonable desiring that they might be pardoned and therefore praieth to God that he would pardon them and giue him strength to leaue them XVIII A little faith may more plainely be knowne by considering of these foure points first that it is onely in his heart who is humbled for sinne For the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to receiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Secondly it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion and calling to Christ after which he is to growe from faith to faith Thirdly this faith though it bee in the heart yet it is not so much felt in the heart this was in Dauid at some times My God my God why hast thou forsaken me saith he The first wordes my God my God are speeches of faith yet the latter why hast thou forsaken me shew that thē he had no feeling of Gods mercie A little faith then is in the heart of man as in the spring time the fruite is in the bud which yet appeareth not but onely hath his nature and substance in the bud Lastly the beginnings and seedes of this faith or at the least signes and effects thereof are three The first is a perswasion that a mans own sinnes are pardonable this perswasion though it be not faith yet it is a good preparation to faith for the wicked cut themselues off quite from Gods mercie in that with Cain they say their sinnes are greater then that they can be forgiuen The second is a desire of the fauour and mercie of God in Christ and of the meanes to attaine to that fauour This desire is a speciall grace of God and it hath the promise of blessednes and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue who though they desire life eternal as Balaam did yet they cannot sincerely desire the meanes as faith repentance mortification reconciliation c. The third is praier for nothing in this world but only for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes with great sighes groanes from the bottome of the heart which they are not able to expresse as they feele them Now this heartie praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh but onely from the spirit who stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing desiring sighing after remission of sinne and all other graces of God which hee belloweth vpon his
is full of botches blaines and sores but much more are those men to be abhorred which haue lien many yeares starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and therefore now doe nothing els but rot and stinke in them like vgly loathsome carrions Secondly he which is no Christian is vnder the power of darknes hauing Sathan for his prince and god and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best parts euen his minde and conscience to be his dwelling place and his whole conuersation is nothing els but a perpetuall obedience to Sathan If Atheists and worldlings and carnall gospellers were perswaded of the truth of this as it is most true it would make them howle and crie though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne And if they had but the least sense of it in the world it would make their flintie hearts to bleede and it would make them shed riuers of teares But how long shall they continue in this vile estate Truly vntill they come to Christ awake therefore thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shal giue thee light open thine heart to receiue Christ and then he will come and binde the strongâ— man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly he which is no Christian is in daunger of all the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the old world he may be consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodom and Gomorrha he may be swallowed vp of the earth with Dathan and Abiram he may hang himselfe with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the ground and be eaten vp of dogges with Iesabel he may die in hardnesse of heart with Pharao he may despaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herod he may be smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods word with Foelix he may voide his guttes at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may be left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iuhan and he may suffer many more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tend to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloud against the heate and tempest of Gods iudgements when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloode of this immaculate Lambe all the the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian. Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in daunger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene tenne thousand fold better for them if they had neuer bin borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie all the company they haue is with the deuill and his angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horror and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer dead Furthermore the length of this torment must be considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the paines of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it be neuer so little touched with any part of Gods anger a man shall feele himselfe to haue euen the pangs of hell in his heart Now therefore they that would escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sins in Christ and walke according to the spirit in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the day of iudgement must rise from sinne before he die vnto newnesse of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euery man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentance and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a christian then can neuer be saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Ierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes And he further signifieth the destruction of Ierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but many shall seeke to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shal not be able It is a marueilous thing that they which seeke to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Now therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee forth of this world the next yeare the next weeke the next houre yea he may strike thee with sudden death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest forth of this world being no repentant sinner thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delay not one minut of an houre longer but with all speed repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruits worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shall be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to deferre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and he which is growne in the custome of any sinne and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one