Christ can cleanse and make vs white as snow in Salmon How can any one great sinne hinder God from sauing any beleeuer when all his sinnes could not keepe him from reconciling him being an enemy to him Yea such as haue slaine the Lords Prophets and offered their Children and haue long both themselues liued in and by their authority maintained Idoll seruice as Manasses and Salomon yet haue found fauour vpon their beleeuing Yea he that by his sinne plunged the whole World with him into sinne and death yet was accepted and pardoned because he beleeued the promise And for lying in sinne you haue not abode in them longer then Dauid or Salomon or if ye haue yet as no sinnes so no space of time doth limit God God may forgiue what hee will and when he will to whom hee will The theese that had lyen in his sinnes euen till his last breath in a manner yet finding grace to beleeue found also the grace of pardon and was taken vp into Paradise there to be with Christ for euer That infinite mercy that can ouercome the multitude and vglinesse of our sinnes can also preuaile against our continuance in sinnes Aquila I haue so gone against the light of my knowledge in the course of my life as I am often in doubt lest I haue sinned that vnpardonable sinne yea I haue had feareful thoughts against that gracious diuine maiesty whereby I haue beene moued to feare lest hee had giuen me ouervtterly Apollos In all soule temptations lightly this of sinning against the holy Ghost is one as an ague goeth with all bodily diseases which commeth through ignorance of this sinne or the strong subtilty of Satan bewitching our mindes with feare of this sinne which is not any one nor many actions against knowledge but it is a sinne committed in speech being contumelious and reprochfull against Christ his person offices benefits doctrine and workes or against all of these yet not euery such speech is this sinne vnlesse it proceede of despight and malice of heart against the truth of Christ once knowne by the enlightening of the Spirit Also this sin is accompanied with an vniuersall and totall Apostacy from truth and generall pollution in maners quite contrary to the worke of the sanctifying Spirit wrought in them whereupon it is called the blasphemy of the Spirit Hee that dreads this sinne neuer did it Secondly he that truly greeues for any sinne neuer did this sinne Thirdly he that can pray for forgiuenesse of sinne if it be but with vnfained desire to be in Gods fauour he is free from this sinne Fourthly he that can speake honorably of Christ and can abide nay like the honourable mention of him and his truth by others neuer did this sinne Fifthly hee that hath any good affection to the Ministers or other members of Christ hath no part in this finne Lastly not he that feares lest hee be giuen ouer but knowes certainly that he is indeed giuen ouer to it is within the compasse of this sinne he that feares lest hee be in it is not in it for whosoeuer is in it knowes he is so this is most certain for he is damned of his owne conscience Aquila But when I am brought to see that all my sinnes are such as may be forgiuen me then I am troubled with this that I haue no faith My heart is dull and dead full of vnbeleefe and so all that can be saide is nothing to my comfort I feele no more then a stone or blocke except it be great feare sometimes and trembling of heart with excessiue dolour and heauinesse wherewith I am euen ouerwhelmed Apollos Faith is not feeling but apprehension feeling followes as a fruit of faith which is in assent not in sence What feeling had Christ when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and my soule is heauy to death Mat. 26. and 27. 46. In your heauinesse and sorrow you are conformed to your head and other his members to Hezekiah mourning as a Doue and chattering as a Crane Esay 38. 14 To Dauid complaining of the disquietnesse of his heart Psal. 42. and confessing that his teares was the water that washed his Couch Psal. 6. 6. To Iob whose greefe was like heauy sand and pressed downe his heart to the graue Then as wheate may be hid in chaffe so faith is often buried vnder the heape of our corruptions and discomforts Say not therefore ye haue no faith because your heart is dull and dead They of whom Christ saide that their hearts were slow to beleeue heauy and dull and foolish hearts yet did beleeue Luke 24. 25. And howsoeuer you thinke all to be full of vnbeleefe it commeth in you from hence because 〈◊〉 beleeue not now so strongly and comfortably as you were wont to doe and feele those motions of incredulity and distrust which you were not wont to feele And howsoeuer it goeth with you now as with a man in a great sicknesse that hath lost his tast and cannot iudge of meates yet you shall hereafter when health is restored say you were deceiued Finallie if it were some other besides your selfe that saide they had no faith I might be sooner brought to beleeue them And would giue them this counsell that though as yet they beleeue not yet not to despaire or cast off hope for they may beleeue hereafter so they carefully vse the meanes with waiting vpon God who calleth at all houres It is darknes in the night but at due time the Sunne ariseth so after darknesse of vnbeleefe couering the firmament of the heart there wil arise the Sun shine of liuely faith to all Gods Elect in the meane time to feele vnbeleefe with a mislike of it and with a desire of faith in Christ it is a good beginning as we haue heard hereof in the degrees of faith Aquila Sir you haue now well satisfied me in these obiections and in this whole discourse about faith I trust hereafter to heare you speake of the fruits of faith and namely to lay forth distinctly and cleerely our vnion with Christ by meanes of our faith and our communion with his righteousnesse and Spirit for iustification and sanctification which being matters of great importance and our allowance of time being already more then spent wee are to expect some new occasion for the further dealing in these things Apollos Ye say well in the meane time I thanke you for your good company and wish you much good by this conference The sixth Dialogue Of Vnion with Christ. The first maine fruite of Faith Apollos YEa Neighbour Aquila are you here already You got the start of me this time I perceiue your quality I may be your Physicion for I know your pulse If once you begin a matter ye loue to see the end of it you had neede to take in hand good things and with good aduisement seeing you are so constant in prosecuting enterprises
that will not so easily be ouercome without some more special helpe I will endeuour what I may to helpe you here Doe you recite the impediments of Repentance and you shall heare what shall be saide to them Aquila I will doe so and that euen as I haue felt them in my selfe or 〈◊〉 them in others And I find that they arise either from the quality of sinne or from some circumstance in the sin done or from some euill affection in the 〈◊〉 or from respect of God ormen or from the nature of Repentance or from Sathans suggestions Apollos What discouragement ariseth from the quality of sinne Aquila The foulenesse of the offence takes away hope of recouery Apollos There is but onely one foule offence that cannot be repented of all others may Gods children can take no such fall but it may be repented of and ought to be a great fall ought not to 〈◊〉 any man from rising againe They which 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus are called to repentance and did repent Acts 2. And what fouler sinne can the childe of God commit then to kill the Lord of glory I can tell you of such as haue done foule sinnes and very 〈◊〉 and that of knowledge after grace receiued which yet found place for repentance For peraduenture you will say that the Iewes did their sinne ignorantly well but Adams foule sinne the fountaine of all other sinnes and the 〈◊〉 of his whole kinde most wofully 〈◊〉 by him could not be done ignorantly nor yet Dauids nor Salomons nor Peters for they knew the Commandements What is your 〈◊〉 in respect of God Aquila His exceeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 seuerity towards offendors expressed euen in casting off many which yet haue humbled 〈◊〉 and turned as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollos Nay the mercifull and compassionate nature of God as it is euery where excolled and that highly Esay 55. 7. Psal 103. 9. 11. Rom. 2. 4. Ioel 2. 6 7. and otherwhere so it is purposely mentioned by the holy Ghost very often to inuite and encourage sinners to repentance as in the forenamed places his strict seuerity is extended to obstinate rebellious sinners and to no other not to such as turne and submit to him and relent towards him To such he is as the Father in the Gospell to his lost relenting childe neither did he cast out any humbled repenting sinner saue such as did it in dissimulation and yet their temporizing repentance hath got them a temporary blessing as to Iehu and Achah But what be the affections in sinners themselues that vsually hinder their Repentance Aquila First loathnesse to forgoe the profit of their sinne as in Vsurers Victualers Inkeepers and other Artificers Or the pleasure sweetnesse of their sinne as in Drunkards Fornicators Wantons Play hunters Gamesters Or the credit and glory that comes of their sinnes as proud Gallants Ruffians great swearers swash-bucklers and such like Apollos Touching such as are held backe by the commodity of their sinne such a small thred should not haue such 〈◊〉 to keepe them from so necessary a duty as concernes soules health Let such thinke what aduantage it will be vnto them to get though it were the whole World by their sinne and in the end to lose themselues Will all the World serue to be a recompence of their soule But if their soule-danger will not moue let them thinke that God can and will curse all that which is sinfully gotten and cause all that which is euill gotten to be as a fire to consume all that which is well and iustly gained either in their owne dayes or else in the dayes of their children who shall as euilly spend it as they euilly got it lauishing it as wickedly as they wickedly gathered it The experience of all times prouing true that common saying That of euill got goods sildome enioyes the third heire Therefore let men account a little with righteousnesse better then much with iniquitie Better to bee poore and godly then rich and a sinner A little which a iust man hath is better then aboundance with iniquity For Gods blessing can make a little go farre and do much as his curse can quickly scatter and bring a great deale to nothing Hag. 1 7 8. 2 For such as are held from turning to God by the sweetnesse and pleasure of their sinne such would bee aduised not to looke to the beginning of their sin but to the end of it That which is hony in the mouth wil proue grauell nay gall in the belly That which pleaseth at first at last will bite as a Serpent or Cockatrice and cut as a two-edged sword Prou. 5 3 4 5. Prou. 9 17 18. also Prou. 20 17 these Texts would bee exprest It will proue no wisedom to buy a momentany pleasure with endlesse paine to exchange a short passing and fleeting delight with neuer-ending sorrow anguish and horror Remember what Diâ—es had said to him feare lest thou haue it saide to thy selfe thou carnall sensuall man In thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure and now thou art tormented in this flame So much as men haue had in pleasure so much paine shall be giuen them 3 For such as stand vppon their reputation as if it should fall if they did fall to repentance let the know that as godlinesse is great gaine so it is great credite More true honour to be got by well doing in a weeke then by sinne in a mans life time For whereas sinne drawes credit onely from persons of no worth or credit and must therfore either vanish or end in shame Vertue and Religion purchaseth estimation with the godly and howsoeuer it meete with shame in the world yet it hath an euerlasting honour in the life to come euen a crowne of blessed immortality 4 Lastly let it be weighed that true greatnesse is to be great in Gods fauour true worshippe is to be a true Christian which is more honorable then to be as the sonnes of Nobles and Princes Aquila I obserue other hinderances growing from corrupt mindes of the offenders partly partly from sathans suggestions as a feare to be pointed at for singularity and to haue nick-names heaped on them if they should leaue their sinfull customes or take vp any good duties which draw contempt from the profane world Likewise an vnwillingnesse to incurre the displeasure and dislike of their prophane worldly friends to whom they are beholden 3. Some are also hindred by the euill life of Professors 4. by the contemptible estate of such as truly repent and feare God 5. And not a few are let by the custome of time which they are vnwilling to go against and differ from choosing to do as most do because they would haue fewest to talke of them Apollos Aquila a little hinderance is a great matter to the vnwilling as the well-willing will ouercome great lets These which you name are but feathers or at most scar-crowes and bugges to make Children affraid
take downe the pride and haughtinesse of his heart that hee may walke humbly with his God and before all men This is humility the second fruite of Chastisements Aquila These be two notable and goodly fruits indeed and I desire to heare you now more particularly and fully declare first how we are holpen by corrections to repentance and amendment of life then how they doe auaile vs to humblenesse of mind Apollos Iron would rust if it were not occupied the ground without dressing would bring forth bryers and 〈◊〉 so Gods regenerate Children without corrections in stead of the fruites meete for repentant persons would bring forth too much sinne and vanity And as our children let goe without chastising would proue wantons and rebellious against their gouernours so would Gods children Witnesse the experience of that godly Prophet confessing that ere hee was troubled he went astray Psalme 119. and of the people of Israel in the dayes of the Iudges They turned to the Lord when they were afflicted no sooner had they rest from their enemies but they for sooke him Iudges 3. 4 5 6. c. And this is a thing whereof God much and often complaines by his Prophets that his people in their prosperity were like vnto pampered Horses which lift the heele to kicke and spurne at their Owner and Master Euery mans owne experience can teach vs this that if we be suffered a while without correction and blessed with ease and abundance we grow forgetfull of God slacke and cold in prayer and in the whole seruice of God secure and presumptuous in all our conuersation But to speake more distinctly of this matter how chastisements when they are blessed of God doe much helpe forwards the repentance of the godly it is found true by testimony and examples in the Word that some by meanes of correction haue beene brought to the knowledge and sight of some sinne which they did not espy and know to be in themselues their correction being as an eye-salue vnto them to helpe them clearely to espie that which was hid from their eyes Thus to Iosephs brethren afflictions gaue them vnderstanding of their offence which they had long before committed against their brother Gen. 42. 21 22. Moreouer corrections helpe a man as to the knowledge so to worke the griefe and detestation of his sinne because in his sharpe and bitter corrections he perceiueth the better euen by experience what bitter things our sins are and how much they displease God See the truth of this in the Israelites 1 Sam. 7. 6. Lam. 5. 15 6 in Dauid Psalme 38. 17 and in many others What should I say further that through the rodde of correction Gods children are led vnto an hearty and earnest confession of their sinnes also to ear nest and constant prayer for the forgiuenesse of them as well as for deliuerance from the smart or punishment and to a continuall meditation and study how to leaue and abandon such vices as haue stirred vp Gods anger against them And finally they are exceedingly prouoked thorow their chastisements for time to come to yeeld better obedience to Gods Word to encrease in more feare of God deniall of themselues contempt of this world compassion towards the miseries of others As Christ being tempted pittied others and can succour his members so Christians by their owne corrections which they feele learne to commiserate others when they are iudged of God Thus the blessing of God vpon their chastisements maketh the godly to profit much in the 1. parts 2. exercises and 3. fruits of Repentance Aquila I remember that I haue heard you teach that the very wicked diuers of them howsoeuer they neuer take any sound benefit of their punishments when they are past as they shew no true Patience in bearing them while they are vpon them yet are by the seuere hand of God broght to crouch vnto God whom they despised in their prosperity yea with Pharaoh to confesse their wickednesse with Ahab to put on mourning weedes with Abimelech to leaue their sinne as touching the outward deede with Esau to shed teares but they neuer come thus farre as by their scourges to grow vnto any detestation of their sinnes past and serious sincere care of auoyding occasions of such sinne in time to come which is the prerogatiue of the faithfull person to be soundly bettered by his corrections to be made more wary and awefull for afterwards Which surely is a maruellous mercy of God towards them to be by his roddes made more fearefull to offend God and careful to please him and ministreth great and iust cause of patient contentednesse vnder the hand of God for who will not quietly and thankfully put vp that blow that shall beate him into Heauen and keepe him backe from Hell Apollos Ye say right but how much doth this bind them to all good patience and thankfulnesse in all their heauy chastenings that ouer and aboue all which wee haue saide it pleaseth their louing good God to giue them the conquest of pride and the blessing of a more humble heart by their chastisements Pride is a fault so hatefull to God as that he saith of it what he saith of no other kind of sinne That he will resist the proud and humble such as exalt themselues This vice is not yet so mortified in the godly but though that it reignes not yet it remaines and dwelles in them being grounded vpon and nourished by the good gifts of God bestowed on them which are the matter and foode of pride wee being so prone to pride and Sathan being such a cunning workeman that he can make the best men proud of their best gifts yea of their humility being therefore proud because they are not so proud as others whereof ariseth sundry very euill effects in their disdaine of others whose persons and gifts they should much reuerence and respect in entertaining and stirring contentions in putting some confidence in themselues yea and sometimes in selfe-praises and selfe liking and too high conceit of their owne worth whereby their purest actions are defiled This vice of pride which is to God so odious to our selues so dangerous it is greatly tamed by chastisements in which the Spirit of God worketh as by an Instrument for the weakning and taking down our fierce and haughty stomackes for by our corrections we are made to see our inbred pride Whereupon the heart of a Christian is moued not onely to confesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 pardon for it and so to haue it hid and couered by forgiuenesse but from the loue and inordinate 〈◊〉 which they bare vnto themselues and their owne endowments of nature and grace they are brought to haue a more lowly conceit of themselues and their own doings and to thinke others better then themselues and themselues worst of all sinners being driuen from that vaine confidence they put in their owne excellency and worth to acknowledge freely and franckly nothing