not much differ from a bruit beast and * Praestat nasci iumē tum quam comparariiumento better were it to be borne a beast than being borne a man to become thus like a beast But how doe you proue that yours is this sauing knowledge and not rather that common knowledge of Gods word religion which may bee in the very reprobates Con. 5. Notes of true sauing knowledge This will appeare the better by comparing them together First then the common knowledge which may bee found in reprobates is generall they vnderstand spirituall things in a generall confused manner not vnlike the k Mar. 8.24 blinde man cured by our Sauiour who at the first opening of his eyes saw men aloofe off walking as trees they cannot abide to bring it home to themselues but I apply my knowledge to my selfe desiring to know chiefly how things stand at home in my owne soule Secondly their knowledge is partiall they desire not to bee acquainted with all the waies of God but are and will be wilfully ignorant of some things they will not know that to bee euill which they like well of nor that to bee good which they doe dislike though it be made plain and euident vnto them but I desire to know the whole truth of God yea that which is disrelishing at the first vnto mee Thirdly their knowledg puffs them vp with pride thy be not a little proud thereof but mine humbles mee for the more light of knowledge shineth in mee the more I see the corruptions of my heart and life thereby which minister greater matter daily of humiliation to me Fourthly all that they know or speake is onely from heare-say for they haue no experience thereof in themselues they know and learne Gods truth by rote but I learne it by heart my knowledge is experimentall I finde the truth thereof in my owne experience Fiftly their knowledge is not ioyned with conscionable practice whereas that is but raw knowledge that is not well digested into practice these two should alwayes goe inseparably together for knowledge without practice is lame and practice without knowledge is blinde And if the lame and blind were hated of e 2. Sa. 5.5 Dauids soule much more are these hatefull to the soule of the Lord as an abhominable sacrifice but my knowledge is practicall it walks vpon the feet of practice my practice sees with the eyes of my knowledge hereby wee know that wee know God if wee keepe his commandements 1 Ioh. 2.3 Though then there be many which know Christ to professe him which notwithstanding shall not be known of him for hee will say vnto them in that day m Mat. 7.23 Depart from me I know you not because they haue not the sauing knowledge of him yet I can thus bring proofe that I rightly know him or n Gal. 4.9 rather am knowne of him wherby I also know that I shall hereafter liue and raigne for euer with him Min. Thus it appeares that the true knowledge of Christ doth counterpoize yea and far excell all other knowledge whatsoeuer for if one know Christ it matters little though he be ignorant of other things but if hee bee ignorant of Christ it matters nothing though hee knowe all things wherefore the wisest wordly men with all their knowledge shall perish for want of knowledge So that I can well assent vnto him who saith that the knowledge of God Greenham is as necessary an Art for Christians as the Art of husbandry is for husbandmen Now if you thinke good name another speciall grace as the signe of your saluation Con. The eight signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.24 I haue a true hope of eternall life which who so haue they shall be saued for wee are saued by hope as saith the Apostle this grace also the Lord of his mercy hath vouchsafed mee to bee as an anker to my soule both sure and stedfast to hold mee to the port that I be not driuen backe with boysterous stormes and than beares vp my head aboue water in the seas of dangers in this present world that I sinke not Min. But the hope of most men is a false hope desperate madnesse as if a man hauing his throat cut or being thrust through the heart should yet hope to liue euery body would bee ready to deride his idle fancy or at least to pitie his extreme follie the hope of such o shall perish and be cut off and their trust shall bee as a spiders web how know you then that yours is a true hope Con. Truth it is that the common hope of men is such that they doe rather dream than hope and though they thinke they haue fast hold of it in their hearts yet it is but as a child that catcheth at the shadow on the wall hee thinks he holds it fast closed in his hand but when he openeth his hand there is nothing in it so when their hearts shall be laid open before God the shaddowlike hope being vanished there shall be no such thing found in their hearts and they shall haue hope to seek when it will bee too late to finde it 4 Notes of true hope First therefore I proue that my hope is true from the foundation wheron it is p Heb 11 1. grounded and that is Faith for as it is impossible for a mighty Castle to hang in the ayre or to stand without either ground or foundation euen so and much more impossible is it for hope to be or abide without faith Such therefore as boast of hope and are barren of faith may well be said to dreame of building castles in the ayre I contrariwise beleeue and therefore doe I hope apprehending the promises of God by faith and so hoping and looking for the performance and accomplishment thereof which faith the ground-worke I haue formerly proued to be effectually begun in mee Secondly true hope followes an effectual calling for first God calls men to saluation and then hee giues them to hope for it therefore the Apostle stiles it the q Eph. 1.18 hope of his calling Such therefore as hope for heauen not being effectually called vnto it come before they are called and are like to speed accordingly It was r Ester 4.11 death to rush into the presence of Ahasuerus vncalled and sure eternall death shall cut them off short of comming home which think to rush rudely into the Holiest of all the inner Court of God Almighty euen the highest heauen being neuer inwardly and truely called thither but well may I hope for I am truly called as I haue also proued before Thirdly my hope makes me vse diligently all good meanes appointed by God for the obtaining of saluation for hee that hath good hope to obtaine his wished desire will shew it by his industrious vse of the best meanes for the compassing therof so hee that in the mourning hopes to be 50. miles
of God p. 115 Ioy. p. 125 Patience p. 135 witnessing saluation Gods spirit Gods word Psal 34.8 p. 155 Reu. 21.6 p. 159 Math. 5.3 4. p. 163 Rom. 10.13 p. 167 Reu. 3.21 p. 172 2. Tim. 2.21 p. 179 Doubts resolued concerning Election p. 196 VVeaknes in Grace p. 201 Greatnes of sinne p. 211 Hypocrisie p. 221 Perseuerance p. 2â—3 Presuming p. 238 Euill thoughts p. 243 Afflictions p. 252 Feare of death p. 278 The Righteous Mans Euidence for Heauen Minister SEeing opportunity serues vs thus fitly my Christian friend to conferre a while together and seeing there is no conference so comfortable or profitable as that which is about the affaires of Gods Kingdome and our owne saluation and that the counsell of the Holy Ghost is that a 1 Pet. 4.11 if any speake hee should speake as the words of God and b Eph. 4.29 that such communication should proceed out of our mouthes as is good for the vse of edifying giue me leaue therefore to propound a question to you about these matters Conuert Sir I like the motion passing well and indeed there is too little of this good practise in these daies christian communication growes too much out of vse which shewes the want scarsitie of grace for there is the like correspondence between the heart and tongue that is betweene the bell and clapper if the bell be stirred the clapper cannot lye still and if the heart bee moued with delight in spirituall things the tongue cannot chuse but talke thereof and where the tongue yeelds no other but an earthie sound there you may be sure to finde no other but an earthly heart no pure good metall no heauenly grace to bee found in the heart Now therefore let mee heare the question and according to my poore measure of knowledge I will bee ready to shape an answere Minister Ought not euery one while he liues in this world to know as a thing certaine whether hee shall be saued and so be translated out of this earthly tabernacle into the heauenly paradice whensoeuer hee shall be called away by death Conuert Yes vndoubtedly which I prooue thus c Mar. 16.16 Hee that beleeueth saith our Sauiour shall bee saued but he that beleeueth not shall bee damned This must euery one know as an vndoubted truth and withall he is bound to know whether hee beleeueth according to that charge of the Apostle d 2 Corin. 13.5 Examine your selues whether you bee in the Faith know you not that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates Heerevpon it will follow that euery one must know whether hee shall be saued and therefore such as put their soules to a venture cannot be saued for as much as they take not the right course appointed by God thereto namely to prooue whether they be in the faith and Christ in them And further whom the Lord intendeth to bestow heauen vpon hee sets his e 2 Cor. 1.21 seale and marke vpon them whereby he claims them for his owne and he bestowes loue-tokens on them which are the sauing graces of his holy spirit whereof he is very charie setting great store by them so that hee will not bestow them on cast-awaies but onely on his dearely beloued ones which markes and loue-tokens as they are very precious so as many as receiue theÌ„ though they doubt they need not doubt but that they shall bee saued for God is not variable in his loue but he that hath not these signes in him whereby he may know that he shall be saued shall if he die in that comfortles state be sure to haue his portion with deuills g Reu. 21.8 in the burning lake for euer after death Min. If the case stand so I thinke it lies euery one vpon not to dallie with their owne soules as men doe now adaies but to deale soundly and consider sincerely with themselus whether they haue receiued these golden markes and loue-tokens of God or whether they still retaine the blacke brand of the Deuill which they were borne with the which so long as they retaine on them the Prince of darknesse ownes them but if they can get it h 1 Cor. 6.11 washed out by the bloud of Christ and Gods marks set vpon them then hath the Deuill no more right or claime vnto them for the Lord from that time forward euen for euer doth take them for his owne peculiar ones But what say you now of those that mourne after God in the anguish of their soules longing for the assurance of his fauour and labouring to get this knowledge of their saluation but yet cannot finde it in themselues Con. This I say or rather Christ himselfe i Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that so mourne for they shall bee comforted and though they now sorrow yet their k Ioh. 16.20 sorrow shall bee turned into ioy nay great cause of reioycing haue they that they can thus mourne neyther is it possible for such to bee without some sure signes wherby they may know that they shall be saued for euen this their practice they being thus l Cant. 2.5 sicke of loue longing and labouring after Christ is a sure signe to them though they should haue no other but indeed this cannot goe alone Min. How comes it then to passe that they take no notice hereof in themselues but rather feare that they shall not be saued Con. Because they are eyther new-borne babes in Christ and therefore being as infants though they bee aliue yet haue not as yet vnderstanding to know that they are aliue which notwithstanding others of riper age discerne in them and they also by experience and growth in grace shal afterwards perceiue in themselues or else they are distempered with some strong fit of temptatioÌ„ wherby they are so astonied and benummed that they haue not m Psal 77.7 8. a feeling of that which otherwise they might perceiue in their soules like as one halfe frozen almost stiffe with cold feeles no warmth at all in himselfe and yet there is some in him for else there could be no life or breath remaining in him Or lastly such they are as haue taken a surfet of sinne wherby they haue beene ouercome thus while they are soul-sick their spirituall senses are corrupted so as they cannot now n Psal 88.14 see the lightsome countenance of Gods fauour shining on them so clearely nor o Ps 51.8.12 heare the Lord speakeing vnto them nor taste how good the Lord is to their soules in speciall nor relish religious exercises so sauourlie nor feele heauenly comforts so sensibly as otherwise they might And yet this surfet they shall out-grow in time by vsing themselues to a good diet of Christian practise and by the helpe of the Physicke of Gods word rightly applied which holpe the Prophet Dauid in the like case being distempered Psal 73.17 neither is it maruell though such doe iudge amisse of themselues for the present seeing
shall bee saued by Christ for that perswasion which followes sound humiliation is faith that which goes before is presumption Therefore I may well be out of feare that my beleeuing is presuming nay I can not doe amisse in being perswaded that I shall bee saued I can not bee forward enough herein but this belongs not at all to them that were neuer troubled in minde nor wounded in conscience for the greatnesse of their sinnes the dread of hell and horrible wrath of God due to them for their sinnes for they indeed presume Min. I like and approue well of this that you say but let me heare if there bee any further matter which causeth doubting in you Con. Euill thoughts Doubting because of euill thoughts answered and cogitations are no small dauntment to me for neuer was the land of Aegypt more pestered with noysome vermine than I am with foule filthy impious yea sometimes blasphemous thoughts against the holy maiesty of God they come vpon me thicke and three-fold I can at no time in no place be quiet for them yea when I am in the presence of God speaking vnto him by prayer or he speaking to mee by his word or when I am about any other holy duty euen then they come crowding in vpon me I wonder somtimes with my selfe how or which way they should so creepe in to amaze and astonie me and withall to choke and interrupt the holy businesse I haue in hand the vglinesse of these euill thoughts works horror and quaking in my heart and makes mee thinke my selfe no better than a firebrand of hell and that I might do well O Lord forgiue that horrible and murdering thought to make away my selfe Min. This seemes to bee as strong a Diuell as any that driues you thus neere the gates of death I had almost said of hell how doe you to recouer strength and to get the victory ouer him Con. Strong hee is indeed but o 1 Ioh. 4.4 greater is hee that is in vs than hee that is in the world First therefore I consider that I do not loue like and approue of these euill thoughts wherewith I am so combred nay I abhor them as the Diuell himself by whom they are hatched insomuch as they make mee euen weary of my selfe because of the stinking breath thereof continually steaming forth ready almost to choake my soule and when Sathan by these thoughts doth breake in violently vpon mee I doe not bid him welcome and lay him as it were a cushen to take vp his seat in my minde and heart to haue residence in me by these so vile and horrible motions and cogitations but I deale by him and them as men doe by theeues that breake into their houses at vnawares they giue them no abode but hunt and driue them out againe so soone as euer they come within the threshold with all the speed power that they can and therefore the Lord will not account mee a friend vnto them much lesse the father of them I shall not beare their name much lesse the burden of them he will neuer lay them to my charge to answere for them Secondly I am resolued as long as I liue for so long I shall bee troubled with them to resist them with all my might And like as r Gen. 32.2 6. Iacob ceased not to wrestle though his thigh was bruised till hee had the blessing so neither will I till I haue got the victory Thirdly I know that the Lord will not be angry with mee for these euill thoughts which I consent not to nor take no pleasure in but hate for will a tender mother bee angry with the babe shee beares in her armes because some naughty people fling stones at it hurt it and make it cry nay will not rather her bowels vern to ward it will shee not rather hugge it closer to her stroake it kisse it and bemoane it but her anger is toward them that fling stones at it whereby they bruised and battered the face of it she could finde in her heart to flie in their face and to scratch out their eyes that did her childe that harme surely then the Lord will not bee offended with mee because my enemies Sathan and the flesh cast fiery darts at mee thereby wound mee for I cannot helpe it but his fierce indignation is against them for that they doe so molest me and he doth and will both pitie and helpe mee so much the more for q Psal 103 13. as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and his affection toward his children is infinitely farre surpassing the affection of the tender heartedst mother in the world toward her dearest babe for though a mother could forget the childe of her wombe yet would not I forget you saith the Lord. Min. Yet a litle more I pray you let vs heare of Sathans deepe subtletie and hellish policie in labouring to defeat you of all true comfort here and of heauen it selfe heereafter Con. Doubting because of afflictions answered Sometimes hee would needs perswade mee and my owne heart withall is ouer-greedy I confesse to catch vp and swallow such poysoned morsels that I am none of Gods children and that the Lord doth not loue mee because I am kept so neere and bare and am so followed continually with afflictions I am hardly free at any time from one or other they are like Iobs messengers while one is speaking to me before he hath done his message fully there comes in another sicknes paines aches losses of friends goods good name outward crosses and calamities innumerable beside the inward affliction of the minde oh That the greatest of all for a wounded spirit who can beare a rare thing it is not to see mee vnder some one or other of these to keepe me downe whereas I see the wicked wallow in their wealth as they doe in their wickednesse and Esaus portion is r Gen. 27.39 the fatnesse of the earth they swim vp to the chin in riuers of oyle and wash their paths with butter Å¿ Iob. 21.24 15.27 their breasts are full of milke and their bones run full of marrow their faces are couered with fatnesse and they haue collops in their flanke yea t Ps 73.7 their eyes stand out for fatnesse and they haue more than heart can wish yea u Ps 119.70 their very heart is fat as grease they are so fat so lusty and strong that they kicke vp their heeles against their keeper and will not know their daily benefactor but contemne their master * Iob. 21.14 They say to God depart from vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Beholde these are the vngodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches but as for mee poore wretch x Psal 73 14.12 all the day long haue I beene punished and chastened euery morning heereupon my feet were almost gone my steps had