Commandements howsoeuer committed out of ignorance or out of knowledge out of weakenesse or out of malice suddenly or with premeditation be this sin against the holy-Ghost for that is a malicious striuing to disgrace the name or at the least the Religion of Iesus Christ knowne to be the true Religion rather then any prowd and licentious act in transgressing the precepts of Gods Law It is the sinne that neuer any of Gods Elect fall into though they fall into many particular enormious sinnes as of ◅olatry witchcraft blasphemy contempt of the Sabboth rebellion murder adultery drunkennesse theft lying periury and such like wherein many of Gods deare children fall oft and yet by Gods fauour rise againe by repentance Of that sinne and of the exemption of Gods elect from it is that saying of Saint Iohn to be vnderstood Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can hee sinne because he is borne of God No man regenerate nor any of Gods elect can fall into this sinne nor euerie reprobate for many of them through their ignorance that neuer come to know the truth of holy Religion cannot possibly become guilty of this blasphemy though for other sinnes wherof they obtaine not grace to repent they iustly perish from God and suffer the paines of eternall death When thou therefore findest that thou hast not sinned that vnpardonable sinne against the holy-Ghost and that thy sinne whatsoeuer and howsoeuer committed though deseruing a thousand Hels is yet by the mercie of God pardonable where he is pleased to giue repentance of that sinne and vppon that repentance to blot out the remembrance of it Dost thou not see a sweet possibility of deliuerance from thy sin fit to bee pursued with all strong desire and diligence of thy soule Dost thou not see a hole in the wall of hope through which some light though very small doth shine Then let it be thy care to digge in that hole by hearty praier and by humble deuotion that God may bee pleased at last to open a dore of mercy vnto thee and by faith and amendment of life to assure thee that thy sinnes shal neuer be laid to thy charge Thou hast his promises in which hee will not be found a falsifier and a couenant-breaker Hee saith by the Prophet If the wicked will returns from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die All his transgressions that hee hath committed they not bee mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that hee hath done he shall liue Make vse of this and such like promises and faint not in thy praiers This is to cast this burden of thine vpon the Lord. CHAP. XVII HItherto in an euē course the sinner is brought to se his sinne be pardonable When hereupon he should addresse himselfe to serue for that that may be obtained and to seeke for that that may be found euen the forgiuenesse of sinne for the quenching of his accusing thoughts and peace of his conscience Behold hee prepareth himselfe being instructed and prompted by the subtile enemie to obiect against the possibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes so weakening his owne hope and drowning his owne comfort Let vs heare his obiections that by answering of them we may at the last if God be pleased help him out of his feare bring him to reioice in God his Sauior First he obiecteth saying Though my sinne that I am in conscience charged withall bee not blasphemy against the holy-holy-Ghost and therefore not vnpardonable Yet seeing I haue sinned notoriously not in time of ignorance but in time of knowledge when I was able to teach my selfe and others that such things ought not to be done and I was neither surprised with a sodaine temptation that gaue me no time to consider what was fit to be done nor forcibly led captiue by a strong temptation whereto my weaknesse was not able to make resistance but I did runne vpon it wilfully wildly furiously striuing to delight my selfe with the pleasures of sin to inrich my self with the wages of iniquity euen with contēpt of God whose iudgemēt at the same time I remēbred yet would not feare him◅ whose mercies and goodnes to me and mine I remembred and yet would not loue him and whose commandements requiring the contrary I remembred yet wold not obey him seeing I haue sinned in this manner so boldly and so prowdly my sin if it bee not that blasphemy against the holy-Ghost yet it comes very neere vnto it and so neare that I feare the angry eye of heauen wil see no diffrence betwixt them then where am I with this possibility secōdly thogh that blasphemy be only vnpatdonable yet I am sure it is not the sin onely vnpardoned it is not the sinne that is onely punishable and that shall onely be punished my sinne is also punishable and may be punished for so it deserueth and then what am I better to heare it is pardonable when I perish in it Lastly I know that lesse sinnes then mine and more easie to bee excused are punished in hell with euerlasting death What then must I looke for but the flames of vnquenchable fire and haue I not already by my abhominable sinne kindled that fire euen the fire of Gods fierce wrath against mee which hath already begun to torment and waste my conscience This obiection consisteth of three branches the first is this that his wilfull sinne comes so neere to the height of that vnpardonable sinne that the angry eye of heauen hee feareth can and will see no difference betweene them This will easily bee answered And to beginne our answer I must intreat this afflicted sinner to remember that it hath been already declared that his sinne though grieuous yet is pardonable And let him to this purpose againe heare the words of our Sauiour Iesus All sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme And how neere soeuer his sinne commeth to the vnpardonable sinne yet not being it it remaineth pardonable And this ground of trueth can neuer bee ouerthrowne And the anger of heauen being alwayes iust euen and holie doth neither shaddow the vnderstanding nor disorder the iustice of God that hee should not be able to discerne the difference of things that are not the same or infold them rashly and disorderedly in the same sentence Anger is not in God a disturbing passion as it is in men But it is the most euen and holy carriage of his iustice as becommeth the righteous Iudge of all the world pouring out his plagues vpon sinners and executing vengeance vpon contemners according to the rule of his owne word where with hee hath made vs aforehand acquainted and according to the merites of mens workes against which their owne consciences iustifying God
hope for the same mercy for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes which was freely granted to Peter for the forgiuenes of his sins Goe forth therefore with Peter in the sight of thy sins poure out the teares of repentance before God as Peter did and he that receiued Peter to grace wil also receiue thee He was pardoned vpō no peculiar mercy proper to him denied to others but vpon that vniuersall mercy and most ample grace that God is ready to extend to euery cōtrite soule then afforded to Peter that hee out of his experience might after commend it to others Therfore did the Lord Iesus say to him aforehand when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethrē That is when peace is restored to thy soule vpon assured pardon of thy sinnes past and grace giuen vnto thee to stand more firme for all times following then labour to comfort the hearts of others that haue sinned as thou diddest assure vnto them vpon their contrition the forgiuenesse of their sinne past and the presence of Gods grace for the time to come So that I am not the man but Peter nor Peter out of speculation and from his owne conceit but out of experience and vpon most sure authority from the mouth of his Master the sonne of God the sauior of mankind the Iudg of quicke dead that is warranted to tell thee that there is mercy with God to forgiue thy sinnes committed against knowledge if in this sorrow feare of thine heart thou turne to God and hartily prayest vnto him for pardon with purpose no more to cōmit the like sin I could adde the examples of many of Gods Saints that sinned against knowledge being carried away with a sodaine and violent temptation so that either they had no leisure to thinke what was fittest to doe or they wanted power to withstand the present assault and they after found fauour with God and their sinnes being forgiuen they liue with him in glorie Iacobs lie maintained to his father Isaacs face that hee was not Iacob the yonger but Esau the elder sonne was a sinne of this kind against knowledge but his mothers words as a potent temptation led him to the doing of it Iudaes adultery committed with Thamar his daughter in law though not knowne to be Thamar was a sinne of this kind against knowledge for how could Indah bee ignorant of the Law of God against adulterie written in mens hearts that would haue done execution vpon Thamar when he heard she had played the whoore but the temptation was sodaine and strong fitted with so many opportunities hee was a yong man at that time without a wife shee sate disguised as an harlot it was in the field out of the view of men and shee was soone intreated and yeelded vnto him these opportunities strengthning the temptation made it so potent that Iuda sinned Dauids hastie sentence giuing the estate of Mephibosheth vnto Ziba was a sinne of this kind against knowledge for Dauid could not be ignorant of it that there are many false accusers that a righteous Iudge should giue the accused partie leaue to speake for himselfe before he proceed to sentence but the temptation was strong and sodaine Ziba came with a bribe he brought it in a time when Dauid had need of it The time was troublesome Abs◅lon was vppe in rebellion Why might it not be true that in this trouble of the state Mephibosheth beeing the right heire to Saul might seek to make a faction for him And Dauid had need now of friends and therefore thought fit to make Ziba sure on his side These and like considerations darkening Dauids iudgement gaue strength to the temptation And hee sinned in condemning the innocent and rewarding the wicked accuser and that against knowledge for he was not ignorant of the duety of a Iudge And yet all these haue found fauor and their sinnes haue beene forgiuen vnto them Why then should thy heart faint and thy hope faile because thy conscience tels thee that thou hast sinned against knowledge Repent and turne to God pray and thou shalt be heard This very circumstance that thou we◅ not freely maister of thine owne will but the sodaine or violent temptation led thee captiue is an hole through which hope shineth dig by hearty praier and by true contrition and a doore of mercie shall be opened vnto thee This is in this case to cast thy burden of accusing thoughts vpon God for thine ease CHAP. XVI BVT perhaps thy heart tels thee that the particular sinnes that thou art charged withall were not onely done in thy daies of knowledge whē thou hadst learned before that such things ought not to be done but they were also done in the freedome of thine heart not surprised with sudden feare nor led away captiue by any violent temptation but with full consent of will thy heart at leisure considering and freely chusing against all checke whatsoeuer to do those things venturously boldly presumptuously and as we say desperately casting behind thy backe at that time all feare of God all regard of his law all remembrance of his mercy and all bonds of thy obedience only seeking to satisfie thine owne lusts and preferring the pleasure of sinne and wages of iniquitie before the seruice of God though thou didst know that those pleasures were of that constancie and would breede eternall torments and that the wages and gaine of sinne was of small worth and fading and would breed vnto thee the eternall losse of thy soule This is a hard case indeed and if Sathan haue this aduantage against thee then hath he driuen thee vp into a narrow streight and hemmed thee in very dangerously But yet by the mercy of God there are good and sure meanes by which to escape euen out of this streight though with some difficultie for here hath that saying of the Lord Iesus place That seruant that knew his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes Many and sore gripings shall his conscience feele before he recouer his peace against this accusation it will cost him many teares sighes and grones which I doe the rather remember to make men feare to offend in this manner and to suffer sinne so to raigne in their mortall bodies But yet it is possible for the sinner thus burdened to cast his burden vpon the Lord and to obtaine ease There is yet a hole in the wall of hope wherein if thou dig by humble and hearty prayer it may proue a dore of mercy vnto thee It hath beene so with others For who euer sinned more wilfully and more presumptuously then Manasses though he were yong when he began to raigne being then but twelue yeares of age in that regard all his acts might seme to be grounded in ignorance that had not learned at the first to doe wel after would not learne yet considering the piety
Chapter we shall finde it to be not any particular transgression of any or of all the precepts of the law but a wil-full opposition of our heart against as I may call it the body of religion first rightly vnderstoode and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God and vpon no other cause but out of meere enuie The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and saw his miracles and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid that Messias that was promised they knew his doctrine to be holy and heauenly and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God Yet because the people honoured him and vpon the sight of his miracle when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell and was both blind and dumbe because they then cryed out saying Is not this that sonne of Dauid They therefore out of enuy and mallice without any other cause gaue it out concerning him saying He casteth out Diuels no otherwise but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wicked man risen vp out of Hell set vp by the Prince of diuels and assisted with his power to publish the doctrine of diuels and to vphold his kingdome so slaundering the person of Christ the workes of Christ and the doctrine of Christ all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God they had not beene guilty of that great sinne As the Lord said vnto them If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wiâ—…full mallice But they knew his person to be sent of God his workes to be done by the finger of God and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God The Lord himselfe said vnto them Yee both know me and know whence I am Yet did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt And they ceased not this course of slandering his person of disgracing his workes and obscuring the truth of his doctrine laying wait also for his life for God giueth not repentance for this sinne till they had bought him with money of the traytor iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses extorted with their clamours his condemnation from an vnwilling Iudge pronouncing him iust whom he condemned for their pleasure added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could and after his resurrection corrupted the souldiers with money so causing it to be by them divulged that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue and that he did not rise againe from the dead by that course labouring out of enuy to suppresse the Gospell and doctrine of Iesus Christ which yet they knew by the illumination of the holy Ghost to be the very truth of God This malitious opposition of theirs against religion knowne to be the religion of God was their vnpardonable sinne It was not their vncharitabe proceeding against an innocent man their hiering of a seruant to betray his master their suborning of false witnesses against a iust person their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their liking though vniust nor the hyâ—…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the credulious multitude nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life Though all these were grieuous sinnes for many were pardoned both of the people and of their gouerners that had their handes in all this iniustice though they had not so deepe a reaâ—… so enuious a purpose of ouerthrowing by his ouerthrow the religion which they knew to be of God as most of the Priestes and Pharises had many I say were pardoned that had their handes in the iniustice done to our sauiour for he praied for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe and that praier of his could not be in vaine But in the cunning fellowes both among the people and their goueruors that knew him and whence he was and how he wrought and what he taught and that all was of God this was their vupardonable sin that they vsed al that falshood corruption and cruelty both during his life and in his death only to this end to hinder the course of his doctrine as they say plainely in their councell If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him When they knew that doctrine taught by him wherein they would not haue the people to beleeue to be the very truth of God This is the vnpardonable sinne called blasphemie against the Holy Gost because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God which was made knowen vnto them so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost called the spirit of truth because it leadeth into all truth This sinne is a common sinne of diuels that know God and maliciously seeke his dishonor that know the groundes of true and holy religion and enuiously seeke to depraâ—…e them to corrupt them and if they could to abolish them out of the world desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men This sin is sometime but rarely found amongst men and in examination thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne and therefore not to be vnpardonable which is a great ground of hope to build vpon First the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusation of an euill and hypocriticall heart cannot be this sinne that being naturally the estate of all men that come into the world they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things But no man can be borne guilty of blasphemy against the holy-holy-ghost because no man is in his birth enlightned with the knowledge of true religion which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins that were committed in the days of ignorance it cannot be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne must first haue a full cleere knowledge of true religion with perswasion that it is the trueth But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge And hee is far enough from this sinne Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge but out of weakenesse either surprised with a sudden temptation or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation for when these men are at libertie to consider what they haue done they haue no pleasure in it But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary wilfull and malicious opposition against the knowne truth out of their enuy not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement nor all the breaches of all the
of some in hell shall be more tollerable then of some others but thereby they vnderstand rather those gripes of conscience that prouoke prayers supplications strong cryings and teares out of a heart beset and straightned with fierce accusations a conuinced conscience feared condemnatioÌ„ these assaults they say shall be more hard against the conscience of him that siuned against knowledge in a presuming manner then against the conscience of him that sinned of ignorance in a weaker manner that is yeelding rather out of his weaknes then daring out of his pride for it may be alledged for the ignorant man that if he had knowne such a thing to be euill in the sight of God he would not haue done it No such thing can be said for him that presumed against knowledge for such an one sheweth contempt of God and of his reuealed will which the ignorant man cannot be charged with all hee groneth only vnder the burden of humane errour and frailty but the other lieth vnder the burden of malice and presumption Therefore when our afflicted man pressed distinctly with some particular sinnes findeth that they were the sinnes of his ignorance let him not thinke himselfe thereby free for to be ignorant of that which is our duty required of God is of it selfe a great sinne and if his ignorance be affected ignorance as in them that refuse to be taught and contemne the meanes of knowledge when God doth offer them such ignorance differeth little or nothing from malice But let him pray vnto God in hope and let him plead before God his ignorance not as an excuse much lesse as a iustification of his fault but as a motiue by which the Lord is often led in his free mercy to forgiue sinnes And for the incouraging of his heart let him remember the examples of them to whom vpon their â—…epentance and conuersion to God mercy to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes of ignorance hath beene granted Peter in a sermon of his made vnto the multitude that came together to see the lame man whom he and Iohn had healed chargeth them with a grieuous sinne saying You denied the holy one and the iust and desired a murà erer to be giuen you and killed the Lord of life whom God raised from the dead where of we are witnesses This was a great sinne to kill the sonne of God and to make more reckoning of and to shew more fauour vnto a knowen murderer then to the Lord of life that came to saue them But this their fact he saith was of ignorance And now brethren I know that through ignorance you did it as did also your gouernors For though the lews were very maliciously bent against Iesus yet many of them knew him not to be the Lord of life and to be the holy one of God neither did they persecute him in that name Therefore doth Saint Peter saâ—…e vnto them in the same Sermon Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away Heere is mercy offered and assured vnto them that amend their liues and turne to God namely this mercy that all their enormious sinnes and euen among the rest their sinne in refusing the Lord Christ and putting him to a shamefull death should be forgiuen and the rather because they did it ignorantly And memorable is the example of the blessed Apostle Paul His sinne was persecutioÌ„ against the name of Iesus Christ his proceeding in it was furious without all compassion raging both against men and women that called vpon that name and casting them into prison in all places where he could finde them and had power against them In such sort that hee became famous or to speake more truely infamous for his cruelty so that Ananias in Damascus could say to the Lord Iesus of him Lord I haue heard by many of this man how much euil he hath done to thy Saints in Ierusalem moreouer here hee hath authority of the high Priests to bindâ—… all that call vpon thy name And yet this man had his sinnes forgiuen and was receiued into fauour and had all the degrees of holy honour done vnto him that can be done vpon earth to any among the followers of the Lord Iesus For first he was called to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Iesus and was made a true beleeuer Secondly he had honour not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake and was made a true confessour and marter Thirdly he was also an excellent instrument to draw other men to the knowledge and faith of Iesus and was made a teacher and an Apostle And all this was the more freely done to him because when hee was a persecurour hee finned of ignorance and knew no other but that it was lawfull and holy for him to doe so Heare what himselfe saith of that matter I thanke him that hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice when before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe Ignorance and vabeleese are not things pleasing ro God by their vertue and merit obtaining forgiuenes of all the sins growing out of them neither doth the Apostle remember his ignorance and vnbeleefe obtaining his pardon as out of worthinesse of them rather know them in themselues to be grieuous sins deseruing hell as fully as any notorious sinne that issueth from them but he that sinneth out of ignorance more easily findeth fauour then hee that sinneth against knowledge For the sinne of the ignorant man hath not in it like euidence of rebellion against the reuealed will of God as the sin of him that hath knowledge As the words of the Lord Iesus shew spoken to some of the Pharisies If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne that is if yee wanted knowledge and were blind in your vnderstanding your fault should not bee so great so notorious so blame-worthy as now it is by reason of your knowledge There is therefore though no merit of fauour yet much hope for him that can say truely in his heart vnto GOD Lord thou knowest that blindly and ignorantly I ranne into this sinne not knowing that it was against thy will and so odious in thy sight And this is for him that is distinctly charged with particular sinnes and findes that hee committed them out of ignorance a doore of hope in which these examples may incourage him to digge by prayer wherein if hee doe truely and with a right penitent heart humbly and earnestly trauell he casteth the burthen of his sinnes vpon God and shall finde case CHAP. XV. BVT say it was sinne against knowledge and thou hadst warning giuen thee many times to take heede of that same sinne and warning by the word of God so that thou couldest not but know that to doe so as thou didst was a
Heb. 1â—… 10 Deut. 8. 16 2 Goâ—… 4. 17 Vse of this patience in domestic all troubles Mat. 11. 29 The second generall is prayer Psa. 50. 15 Psal. 99. 6. Ge 32. 11. Ezo 14 15 Exo. 14. 30 Ps. 145. 18. Need of praier First for thy selfe Iam. 1. 4. Secondly for them that trouble or grieue thee Mat. 5. 4â—… â—… Sâ—… 6. 18. 2. Sa. 6. 20. Gen. 25. 21 Gen. 49. 48 Ruth 2. 4. Dan. 6. 10. Ex. 15 26 Deut. 32. 39. 2. Sam. 12. 26 Mat. 8. 6. Act. 12. 5. Thirdly for all the rest Ioh. 6. 67. Ioh 17. 12. Iam. 5. 13. Particular rules of casting these troubles vpon God These troubles are wronâ—…s or griefes Wrongs occaâ—…oned sometime by our selues How to cast those wrongs vpon God Not occasioned by our selues 1. Sam. 12. 3 Psal. 7. 3. Prou. 16. 18 How to caâ—… these vpon God 1. Pe. 2. 20. Troubles not continued nor iterated 2. Sam. 16. 22. Troubles continued If for a short time This troâ—…ble may be remoued by reforming the troublers Iob. 2. 10. Pro. 31. 26 1. Pet. 3. 1 â—… Pro. 29. 15 Pro. 29. 17. Pro. 29 19 Pro. 29. 21. Ephes. 6. 4. Coloss. 4. 1 1. Sa. 19. 4. 2 Kin. â—… â—…3 Leu. 19 17 Maâ—… 18. 15 1. Pet. 4. 8. By weakening the power of the trobler Gen. 31. 24 Gen. 3â—… â—…9 1. Sa. 19. 10 How then to cast it vpon God 2. 5â—… 15. 31 Psal. 9. 19. Psal. 35. 19 Psal. 140. 8 2. Kin. 1. 10 Psal. 35. 4. Psal. 109. 6 Act. 8. â—…0 1. Tim. 4. 14. August in Psal. 35. Mat. 5. 44. By remouing the troubler from thee or thee from him If his remoue bâ—… by death Psal. 36. 9 Psal. 68. â—…0 Esai 57. 1. Ezo 20. 13 1. Sa. 26. 10 If it be by shift of place Mat. 10. â—…3 Rulet concerning remoue of children or seruants Mark 9. 43 〈◊〉 thy trouble continue long Consolations to comfort in long troubles Iob 14. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1â—… Matth. 11. â—…9 Math 25. 42. â—… Acts. 9. 4. 2. Sam. 16. 11. If thy troble be griefe â—… not wrong If griefe grow from sicknesse in thy selfe Deut. 32. 39. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Psal. 32. 4. Esa. 38 2. Esa 38. 18. 2. Chro. 16. 12. If it be any other calamity Iob 2. 10 Ion. 1. 5. Iob. 16. 23. If it be feare of death 1. King 2. 2 Iob 7. 1. Reu. 14. 13 1. Corin. 15 55. Phil. 1. 23. Iohn 14 3. â—…zoc 18. 4 Psal 68. 5. If thâ—…u â—…rt grieued 〈◊〉 others First help to ease theÌ„ what thou caâ—…st â—… Kin. 4. 20 Theâ—… patience and prayer Phil. 4. 5. If it be for the death of others 2. Sa. 12. 16 2. Sa. 12. 18 2. Sa. 12. 21 2. Sa. 12. 22 Esa. 26. 19 1. thes 4 13 The third secular burden is troubles more remote Generally 〈◊〉 patiâ—…ce 1. Ki. 11. 14 Psal. 39. 6. And â—…se praier Particularly for wrongs If thou gauest the occasion â—… Sâ—… 19. 18 If thou giue not the occasion Pro. 15. 15 1 Pet. 4. 15 If God will reforme the troubler Mat 18 15 Acts 7. 58. Acts 8. 1. Acts 9. 31. Acts 7. 60. Aug. Ser. 4. de Sanctis If God will remoue by death If God will remoue by shift of place Themistocles If God will continue thy trouble If thy trouble be griefe 〈◊〉 others Not usuall to be grieued for others Gen. 40. 2â—… Amos 6. 6. What to doe in griefe Col. 3. 1â—… The fourth secular burden difficulties of our callings Rom. 13. 1. If we be insufficient If we be sufficient but are crossed If we doe well and be misconstrued Iâ—… we be insufficient by 〈◊〉 owne fault And be not far from â—… sufficiencie If we be far from sufficiencie Zechar. 13 5. If we be not insufficient by our own faults Psal. 8. 2. 2. Cor. 1â—… 9. Phil. 4. 15. 2. Tim. 4. 15. If we be sufficient but crossed what then to doe 1. Thes. 2. 15. Psal 140. â—… Psal. 108. 12. Psal. 90. 17. If thy deed be misconstrued what to doâ—… Amos. 7. 10. Amos. 7. 15. Iere. 26. 12 Psal. 37 6. â—…urdens of spirituall troubles The first spirituall burdeÌ„ lustâ—… of the flesh Grieuous to the honest man Rom. 7. 23 Rom. 7 24. These men are to be potied Matter of comfort for them Psa. 51. 17 Pro. 23 26. Rom. 10. 3 Rom. 13. 10. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 6. 7. 1. Corin 15 〈◊〉 This comfort is some case of his burden To cast this burden vpon God first study the Scriptures Psa. 119. 105 Psa. 119. 4 Ps. 119. 98. Secondly vse the company of good men Phil. 3. 17. Psal. 56. Psa. 18. 25 Thirdly sly occasions that may stir thy lusts Pro 6. 24. Pro. 22. 24 Pro. 23. 32 Fourthly thinke vpon iudgements and mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praâ—…er Psal. 119. 33. 2. Cor. 12. 9 Two Spirituall burden accusing thoughts A most grieuous burden To cast thiâ—… burden vpon God looke into the circumstances of the sinne Ezec. 8. 7. If thou heâ—… vrged generally Gen. 4. 13. There is ease in that that thou hast not fallen into grosse actuall sinne Such is the originall estate of euery man conceiueâ—… in sinne Psal. 51. 5. Eples 2. 1 Iere. 17. 9â—… â—… Cor. 2. 11 Hebr. 4. 13 Eccles. 7. 22. Prou. 20. 9 Yeeld to be as thou art charged and make it a warning to craâ—…e Gods helpe 1. Sam. 2. 6 Psal 50. 15 Rom 11. 32. And haue care of the body to help the weakenes of it In dâ—…inct and â—…cular â—…sations Consider if in were done in the time of thy ignorance Acts. 26. 9. Ignorance maketh thy sinne the sooner pardonable Luke 12. 47. Examples of then 〈◊〉 that some of ignorance Acts. 3. 14. Acts 3. 17. Acts 3. â—… Acts 9. 13. 1. Tim. 1. 1â—… Iohn 9. 41. If it were done agenst thy knowledge Consider if thy wâ—… was not ouer swâ—…ed by som strong temptation Iere. 8. 12 There is 〈◊〉 hope in this circâ—… Examples of men pardoned that thus sinned in the time of knowledge Mat. 10. 32 Iob 2. 4. Mar. 16. â—…4 Mat. 26. 33 34 35 Luk 22. 32 Gen. 27. 19 Ge. 38. 15 2. 〈◊〉 16. 4 Is it were dâ—…n aâ—…niast knowledge aâ—…d wiâ—… fâ—… consent of 〈◊〉 will This is dâ—…ngerous yet there 〈◊〉 help Luke 1â—… 47. As appeareth in the example of Manasses sinning against knowledge 1 King 2. 1 â—… King 18. And with fâ—…ll course of will 2. Chr. 33. â—… And yet finding fauour 2. Châ—… 33. 11. And in the thâ—…efe that sâ—…ffered with Iesus Luke 23. 42. 43. Lu. 23. 42. 43. Câ—…m in Lu chap. 23. 10. There is one onely sin â—…npardonable Called blasâ—…hemie against the Holy Ghost Mark 3 2â—… â—…at this blasphemie iâ—… Maâ—… 12. 2â—… 24. Iohn 9. 41. Iohn 7. 〈◊〉 Luke 23. 34. Iohn 11. 4â—… Tâ—… sinne â—…nnot bee 〈◊〉 sinne It ' can not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 with general accusation Nor his that sinneâ—… of ignorancâ—… Nor his whoâ—…e 〈◊〉 is ouerruled Nor his that breaketh