may wholy be ascribed to his owne free grace who calleth and iustifieth sanctifieth and saueth whom he will and not vnto humane learning or knowledge which may be attained vnto by mans industrie and labour It may bee also that these who teach one thing and practise the cleane contrarie §. Sect. 3. That not learning but Gods spirit freeth vs from our naturall corruptions doe notwithstanding beleeue that is know and giue their assent to that which they deliuer but this generall faith is incident as well to the diuels themselues as vnto men and therefore those who haue it may neuerthelesse be as worldly carnal and prophane as euer they were for before we attaine vnto a true iustifying faith and be sanctified by Gods spirit our knowledge and learning wil not free vs from our corruption of nature wherein wee are conceiued borne and bred and therefore though wee see the truth yea know and acknowledge it to be the word of God which shall one day either iustifie or condemne vs yet if the Lord doe not ioyne with this knowledge the inward operation of his spirit making it effecttuall for our sanctification and for the purging of vs from our corruptions wee are as readie to fall into all sinne being inticed and carried away with the riches honours and pleasures of the world as if we were still most sottishly ignorant A notable example hereof we haue in Salomon who though hee had receiued such a measure of wisedome and diuine knowledge That neglect of dutie doth not alwaies argue incredulitie as neuer meere man attained vnto the like yea though he were a penman of an excellent portion of holie Scriptures yet the Lord leauing him to the corruption of his owne heart he fell most grieuously into all abominable wickednesse and yet who will dare to say that Salomon did not write as he thought and not rather that he was carried away through the violence of his corruptions to commit that sinne which his conscience condemned and to neglect obedience to Gods vndoubted truth So Dauid who was indued with notable knowledge and no lesse grace fel notwithstanding most fearefully into adulterie and murther but shall we therefore thinke that he was not perswaded that these were horrible sinnes or that when he commended mercie innocencie and chastitie he spake not as he thought And Peter likewise denied and forswore his master whom before hee had acknowledged to be the sonne of God but shall wee hence conclude that Peter dissembled when he made that notable confession because when hee came to the triall hee vtterly disclaimed it Nay rather we may certainly be perswaded that Dauid was carried away with his lust and concupiscence and Peter ouercome with feare and frailtie and both drawne through their corruption to commit those sinnes which their consciences condemened But leauing such farre fetcht instances let euery man yea euen he who hath attained vnto the greatest measure of faith and sanctification enter into a strict and due consideration with himselfe and examine his owne conscience before Gods tribunall seate and then let him tell me whether hee perfourme obedience to all that truth which hee knoweth and beleeueth or whether he may not iustly complaine that our corruption takes occasion by the knowledge of Gods commandement to work in vs all manner of concupiscence that hee doth those things which he alloweth not nay which he hateth and abhorreth that though hee doe not onely know the law of God but also is delighted therewith in the inner man yet that there is another law in his members which rebelleth atainst the law of his mind Rom. 7.8.15.23 and leadeth him captiue vnto the law of sinne as it is Rom. 7.8.15.23 And if this be the case of Salomon Dauid Peter and of all Gods children who haue attained to the greatest measure of knowledge and sanctification let not Sathan perswade vs that wee may safely neglect the ministerie of the word because the ministers thereof seeme not perswaded that the doctrine which they deliuer is true in that they do not practise it in their own liues for many knowing and beleeuing that truth which they deliuer are notwithstanding destitute of the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit and therefore wholy carried away into all licentious wickednesse and many also who are sanctified being not wholy purged from their naturall corruptions are readie to shew their frailtie and infirmties to all the world though they know acknowledge beleeue and from their hearts embrace that truth which they teach and professe But if Sathan cannot thus preuaile nor cause vs to doubt of Gods truth §. Sect. 4. The second temptation taken from the euill liues of Ministers answered because the ministers liue not according to that doctrine which they teach then he will perswade them at least to refuse to heare such whose liues are scandalous as being vnworthie to take the word into their mouthes and vnable to conuert or amend others seeing the word is not powerfull which they deliuer for the conuerting and refourming of their owne liues Which temptation of sathan is most dangerous and pernicious vnto many for what greater discouragement can there be to a sicke patient than to take physicke of such a Physition who can not cure himselfe of the same disease Or who will willingly eate of that foode which he who giueth it vnto him so loatheth and abhorreth that he will not so much as taste of it Or who taketh delight in hearing him discourse of mercie chastitie and liberalitie whom he knoweth wholy possessed of crueltie lust and couetousnesse And therefore it were to be wished that Gods ministers should be Physitions to themselues before they take vpon them the cure of others that they should not stand like Images by the high way sides directing others in their iourneys themselues neuer mouing foot but that they should like guides goe before them and instruct them not only by their word but also moue them to receiue their instructiō by their example But yet let vs take heed that Sathan doe not take occasion vpon the neglect of their dutie to make vs neglect ours that he do not robbe vs of the inestimable treasure of Gods word and depriue vs of this heauenly Manna and foode of our soules whereby all the graces of Gods spirit are begotten That the Ministers wickednesse or vnworthinesse should not make vs neglect hearing nourished and increased in vs because the minister who offreth it vnto vs doth not feede vpon it himselfe And to this end we are to know that the ministerie of the word is Gods ordinance which dependeth not vpon the worthinesse of him who deliuereth it neither is it made voide and vneffectuall by his vnworthinesse but it hath it vertue force and power from the blessing of God and from the inward operation of his spirit who applieth it to the hearts and consciences of men and thereby illuminates their vnderstandings begetteth faith in them
Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3.9 and Gal. 3.10.11 Phil. 3.9 Gal. 3.10.11 Hee affirmeth that as many as rest in the workes of the law are vnder the curse and that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God it is euident because the iust shall liue by faith So Rom. 4.5 To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is coūted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs to say and acknowledge when we haue done all to our vttermost power which is commaunded vs that we are still vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 Luk. 17.10 § Sect. 4 But vnto these and such like manifest places it is answered that the Apostle speaketh not of the works of the morall law That the former places are to be vnderstood of the works of the morall law and not of the ceremonies onely but of the ceremonies onely to which againe wee reply that no such friuolous distinction can be gathered out of the Apostles wordes nay the plaine contrary euidently appeareth by his maine scope and drift in his whole discourse of our iustification and also by some particular places His chiefe scope is to beate downe the pride of all both Iewes and Gentiles to the end that the whole glory and praise of our iustification and saluation might be ascribed to the free mercy grace and goodnesse of God alone now it is most certaine that the morall duties are in themselues farre more excellent then the ceremoniall and consequently more fit to puffe vs vp with a spirituall pride and to make vs to rest in our selues for our iustification ascribing at least some part of the praise vnto our owne workes and vertues so that if the Apostle had onely spokē of the works of the ceremoniall law mans pride should not bee beaten downe neither should God haue the whole praise of our saluation and so his discourse should be vaine as not tending to prooue inforce that for which end and purpose hee chiefly vndertakes it Againe this should nothing concerne neither the Gentils in former times nor any true Christians since the comming of Christ forasmuch as they did not nor doe not neither were nor are bound to obserue the ceremoniall law cōsequently could neuer once dreame of obtayning righteousnesse by fulfilling the ceremonies but they would rather ascribe the glorie of their iustification to their morall duties to which they found themselues bound by the law of nature written in their harts or doe find themselues bound by the morall law of God written in his worde and therfore it was necessarie for the beating downe of their pride and that they might ascribe the whole glory vnto God of their iustification and saluation that the apostles in this discourse should proue that they were not iustified neither by obseruing the law of nature written in their hartes nor yet the morall law of God reuealed in his word Whereby it manifestly appeareth that howsoeuer the Apostle excludeth the workes of the ceremoniall law from being causes of iustification yet not them alone but the workes of the morall law also § Sect. 5 But this may more manifestly appeare by particular places wherein the Apostle plainly sheweth that he speaketh not onely of the ceremoniall law The former point prooued by particular testimonies but of the morall law also In the second chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes he plainly disputeth as well of the law of nature to the obedience whereof the Gentiles were obliged as of the law giuen by Moses Rom. 3.19.20 Chap. 3.19.20 Hee sayth that all the world are made culpable before God and therefore by the works of the law shal no flesh be iustified in his sight Now if this consequence be good he speaketh not onely of the ceremoniall but of the moral duties for the former belonged not to the gentiles and therefore the neglect of them did not make them culpable nor debarre them of being iustified by their owne workes Rom. 10.5.6 Gal. 3.11.12 21.22.24 Secondly Rom. 10.5.6 and Gal. 3.11.12.21.22.24 The Apostle putteth a plaine difference betweene the righteousnesse which is by the law and the righteousnesse which is by faith and maketh a flatt opposition in the acte of iustification not betweene morall ceremonial duties but betweene doing and beleeuing Eph. 2.8.9 faith and workes Thirdly hee saith Eph. 2.8.9 that wee are saued by grace through faith not of our selues nor of workes least any man should boast himselfe If hee had spoken only of workes they might though foolishly haue wrested it to ceremonies only seeing the Ephesians were not bound to the ceremoniall law as being strangers to the common wealth of Israel as himselfe speaketh ver 12. but whē he saith also not of our selues vers 12. he excludeth al whatsoeuer is in vs from being the cause of our saluation not onely ceremoniall but also morall duties So writing to Titus he saith Tit. 3.5 Titus 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnes which wee had done but according to his mercy hee saued vs in which place we are necessarily to vnderstand the works of the morall law for Titus being a Grecian was not bound to obserue the ceremoniall law and therefore he was not so much as circumcised as the apostle plainely affirmeth Gal. 2.3 Gal. 2.3 Fourthly Paul speaketh of that law by which wee come to the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 and 7.7.8.9 as appeareth Rom. 3.20 and 7.7.8.9 But the knowledge of sinne came especially by the morall law and therefore of this law the Apostle speaketh Lastly the Apostle speaking of the workes of the law alleadgeth these sentences Gala. 3.10 Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written cursed is euery man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the law to doe them So that he speaketh not of the ceremoniall law alone but of the whole law of Moses and of all things contayned in it and ver 12. ver 12. And the law is not of faith but the man that shall doe those things shall liue in them Which cannot be vnderstoode of the ceremoniall law alone but of the workes of the morall law yea of them especially That the Apostle excludeth as well the workes of the regenerate as of the vnregenerate Secondly it is answered that the apostle speaketh only of the workes of those who are not regenerate nor indued with faith and not of the regenerate and faithfull Which shifting cauill the apostle clearly taketh away not only by applying his speeches vnto all men without any limitation but especially in that example of Abraham which he bringeth for this purpose who though hee were long before regenerate indued with faith and exceeding plentifull in good workes yet hee flatly excludeth all his workes from being any causes of
and reape comfort vnto themselues by these holy duties In the meane time such are to support themselues from falling into vtter desperation by calling to their remēbrance their state and condition in times past for if euer they haue had any delight in the holy exercises of religion prayer hearing the word godly conferences if euer they could discerne in themselues any faith by the true fruits of sanctification they may take comfort thereby assuring themselues that they shall againe be restored vnto their former estate for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 Ioh. 13.1 and those whom he hath once loued he loueth vnto the end An example hereof we haue in Dauid who being troubled and full of anguish in his spirit his soule refusing all comfort and being so astonished that he could not speake yet hee considered the daies of old and the yeares of ancient time Psal 77.2.3.4 hee called to remēbrance his former songes in the night occasioned by the great benefits which the Lord had bestowed vpon him so knowing that the Lord was vnchangeable in his mercy and goodnesse he releeued his poore soule which was ready to faint vnder the heauy waight of present afflictions And thus also Iob being brought through the violence of those heauie crosses which the Lord laied vpon him euen to the brinke of desperation so that hee spared not to vtter in the bitternesse of his souie fearefull curses and most impatient speaches comming neere vnto blasphemie oftentimes comforteth himselfe by calling to minde his former integritie and righteousnesse whose example if the poore humbled soules will follow they may rayse themselues with true comfort when they are sunke downe vnder their heauie burthen of present corruptions CHAP. XLI How the weake Christian may bee assured that his repentance is true and vnfained § Sect. 1 ANd so much for answering Sathans tentations drawn from hardnesse of hart Of the signes of true repentance first of the seuerall degrees therof whereby he laboureth to perswade poore humbled sinners that they are vtterly destitute of of repentance but if hee faile of his purpose then hee will indeauour to make them beleeue that though they haue some shew of repentance yet it is not such as God requireth for either hee will affirme that it is hypocriticall and dissembled rather for feare of punishment then for hatred of sinne or true loue of God or if it bee true yet it is not sufficient as being in verie small measure and in no proportion answearable to our hainous sinnes Against both which tentations it behooueth the humbled sinner to arme himselfe that he may repell them when they are suggested and to this purpose that hee may proue his repentance true and vnfained hee is to take a true search of his owne heart and conscience and to examine his repentance according to some vndoubted signes which may serue as touchstones to discouer whether it be true and vnfained or dissembled hypocriticall The first vndoubted signe of vnfained repentance is when wee can obserue in our selues the seuerall degrees or partes thereof as they haue beene wrought in vs by Gods spirit for from the enumeration of all the parts we may conclude that wee haue the whole The first degree is that by the law we come to the knowledg and acknowledgment that we are haynous and greeuous sinners who haue broken transgressed all Gods cōmaundements Secondly from this knowledge acknowledgment of our sinnes proceedeth a true sense and feeling of them and the punishments due vnto them and an apprehension and applying to our selues the anger of God the curse of the law and eternall condemnation due vnto vs for our sinnes Thirdly from this sense of our miserable estate there ariseth in our consciences feare and horror of being ouertaken and ouerwhelmed of those iudgments of God and fearefull punishments which hang ouer our heads for our sins Fourthly from this feare and anguish of mind proceedeth sorrow and bitter greefe because wee haue thus hainously sinned and made our selues obnoxious to all these euills and also in the same respects a true hatred of sinne which still hangeth vpon vs and an earnest desire to be freed from it Fiftly Act. 2.27 this hatred of sinne and desire to be freed from it maketh vs earnestly to seeke and inquire after some meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto our desires that beeing freed from all those feareful euils which oppresse our consciences with the waight of them we may obtaine Gods loue and fauour and the assurance of our saluation Sixtly thus inquiring and searching wee finde by the preaching of the Gospell that our gratious God hath sent his sonne into the world to the end that he might saue and deliuer vs out of this miserable estate if we beleeue in him and also hath commaunded vs to beleeue Which being made effectuall by the inward operation of Gods holy spirit we haue true faith begott in vs wherby we are assured of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ and of the full remission of all our sinnes the consideration whereof doth comforte and rayse vs vp from falling into desperation and vtter destruction Seuenthly after this assurance of Gods loue and of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes there followeth first a true hatred of sinne because it is sinne an vnfained sorrow not so much in regarde of the punishment which by our sinnes wee haue iustly deserued as that because we haue offended our so gratious a God and tender louing father Secondly this sorrow will not suffer vs to hide excuse 2. Cor. 7.11 or extenuate our sins 2. Cor. 7.11 but moueth vs in all humilitie to prostrate our selues before Gods mercie seate and in greefe of soule to confesse them acknowledging that confusion and condemnation is due vnto vs which by no meanes wee can escape but by Gods mercie and the merites and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Thirdly being assured of the pardon of our sinnes past wee labour and striue for the time to come to leaue and forsake them and to mortifie the flesh and corruptions thereof whereby we are led captiue vnto sinne also we indeauour with a feruent zeale of Gods glorie to serue the Lorde in holinesse and righteousnesse that so by our godly liues wee may glorifie him and expresse our thankfulnesse for all his inestimable benefites Fourthly if at any time besides or contrary to our purpose we be ouertaken by our corruption and fall into sinne there followeth in vs an holy anger and indignation with our selues because wee did not more carefully looke to our waies which godly anger preceedeth to the taking of a holy kind of reuenge to the end that thereby our sinnes may be subdued and our corruptions mortified For example hee that hath offended through gluttonie and drunkennesse being truly penitent and angry with himselfe for his sinne will also tame the fleshe by punishing the same through fasting and abstinence He
limmitt and restraine it Rom. 3.21.22 Rom. 3.21.22 and 4.5 Where hee saith that the righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the the law to wit the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue and 4.5 To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse And our Sauiour hath promised that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not come into iudgment but hath passed from death to life Ioh. 4.24 Ioh. 5 24. The time when we are thus iustified is first in this life as soone as true faith is begot in vs by the ministery of the word whereby we particularly apply vnto our selues Christ Iesus and all his benefites resting and relying vpon him alone for our iustification and saluation the which shall bee fully perfected at the day of iudgment when as our Sauiour Christ shall pronounce the sentence of absolution saying Come yee blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 Mat. 25.34 CHAP. XLIX That we are not iustified by our workes and merites § Sect. 1 ANd so much breefely of the doctrine of Iustification Sathans tentations concerning iustificatiō of two sorts Now we are to speake of and to answere such tentations as are suggested by our spirituall enemie to the end that hee may perswade vs that wee are notiustified or that hee may moue vs to seeke for iustification where it is not to bee had and so in the meane time neglect it where only it is to be found and the alone meanes whereby it is to bee inioyed In speaking whereof I shall not need to handle things so largly as those points which went before partly because our iustification doth inseperably follow our effectuall calling and therefore hee that is assured of the one needs not to doubt of the other partly because the most of those tentations which Sathan suggesteth to impugne and make void our assurance that we are iustified are alreadie answered namely those which concerne the remission of our sinnes and true faith in Iesus Christ and partly because those tentations which Sathan suggesteth into the minds of afflicted christians are the selfe same which the lims of Sathan the antichrist of Roome and all his apostaticall sinagogue doe hold and defend and therefore I shall not need to intreat hereof at large because these points in controuersie haue beene alreadie and will be hereafter so copiously learnedly and religiously handled by others of greater abilities and farre more excellent gifts But let vs come to the matter in hand The tentations of Sathan concerning this point are of two sorts the first tend to perswade vs to labour after and to rest vpon an imperfect and maymed righteousnesse for our iustification whereby wee can neuer be iustified in Gods sight so in the meane time he causeth vs to neglect the alsufficiēt most perfect righteousnes of Iesus Christ by which alone we are iustified before God and eternally saued the other tend to make vs doubt of our true iustification that so hee may either make this gratious worke of God frustrate in vs or els at least depriue our soules of that true consolation and peace of cōscience which dependeth vpon the assurance of our iustification § Sect. 2 For the first How Sathan tempteth vs to neglect Christs righteousnesse to rest vpon our owne he will labour to perswade vs that it is not the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ imputed vnto vs by God and apprehended and applied vnto vs by faith whereby wee are iustified in Gods sight for this imputatiue righteousnesse is but meerely putatiue and imaginacy but by that inhaerent righteousnes which is in our selues for Christ will he say did not fulfil the law died that this his righteousnes obediēce should become ours by imputation but he died for vs to the end he might merite for vs the spirit of God which should infuse into vs an inhaerent righteousnes he shed his blood to the end that our good workes being dipped and died therein might become perfect and so iustifie vs in Gods sight and therefore that wee are not iustified by faith alone but by our other graces and vertues also and our good workes proceedding from them neither by faith at all as it is an instrument which applieth Christ and his benefits vnto vs but as it is a grace or vertue infused into our selues Against which tentation it behooueth vs most carefully to arme our selues as being most daungerous and pernitious for it robbeth God and our sauiour Christ of the whole glorie of our iustification and saluation and deriueth some yea the greatest portion vnto our selues as being chiefly iustified by our owne meanes and also it depriueth our soules of all true comfort and full assurance that we are iustified saued by taking out of our hands the strong staffe of our saluation the perfect righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and by putting into them the weake reed of our owne workes which will presently breake and faile vs when we most rest vpon it and so we shall vnrecouerably fall into the horrible pit of deepe desperation when as we are abandoned of our chiefe hope that is when on the one side the huge waight of our grieuous sinnes and on the other side the great imperfection of our most perfect righteousnesse and the filthie pollution of our most glorious workes appeare vnto vs. And to the end that we may be the better inabled to resist this dangerous and damnable tentation I will first shew that we cannot be iustified before the tribunall of Gods iudgement by our inhaerent righteousnesse good workes and secondly that we are iustified by faith alone as it onely applieth vnto vs Christ Iesus his righteousnesse and obedience § Sect. 3 That we are not iustified by our owne workes and righteousnesse it manifestly appeareth both by plaine testimonies of holy Scripture That we are not iustified by our works prooued by the Scriptures and stronge arguments which are grounded vpon them For the first the Apostle plainely saith that by the workes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne but now is the righteousnesse of God made manifest without the law hauing witnesse of the law and the Prophets to wit the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ Rom. 3.20.21.22 Phil. 3.9 vnto all and vpon all that beleeue Rom. 2.20.21.22 So Phil. 3.9 He disclaimeth his owne righteousnesse resteth vpon the alone righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which is made ours by faith for his iustification and saluation I haue saith he counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be dunge that I may winne Christ and might bee found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of
ouerruled vs and after also beareth some sway in vs euē when we are regenerate til with al our other corruptions we lay this aside also by death And this appeareth in the exāple of the Prophet Dauid who desireth the Lord to create in him a cleane hart to renew a right spirit within him Psal 51.10 Psal 51.10 in which words he implieth that his hardnesse of heart was so great and the corruption thereof so abominable that it was euen past mending and therefore he doth not pray the Lord to purge and reforme his old hart Ezech. 11.19 but to create a new one and to take quite away his stonie hart to bestow vpon him a hart of flesh as though his hart were like a building exceeding ruinous which could no longer be repaired vnlesse it were razed downe euen to the foundation and all new built vp againe So whereas he praieth the Lord to renew his spirit in him he giueth vs to vnderstand that he hath lost the feeling of the spirit of adoption crying in his hart Abba father and that there was in him such an intermission surcease of the actions fruits therof that it seemed vtterly quenched and departed from him So els where he praieth vnto the Lord to quickē him according to his louing kindnesse Psal 119.88 that he might keepe the testimonies of his mouth Whereby hee intimateth his drowsinesse and deadnesse in Gods seruice The Prophet Esay likewise in the behalfe of himselfe and the people complaineth thus Esay 63.17 Esay 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies and hardned our hart from thy feare By all which it appeareth that euen the deare children of God do oftentimes see and feele to their great griefe their hardnesse of hart which is ioyned with exceeding dulnesse and drowsinesse in Gods seruice Yea in truth this kind of hardnesse of hart is incident vnto them alone For whilest men are worldly and carnall though their harts are most hard and obdurate yet they doe not discerne it neither are they any whit displeased with their estate but fondly flatter themselues imagining that they are in exceeding good case and very deuout in Gods seruice which indeed as they perfourme it is meerely formall customable rather then conscionable in shew and externall but not in spirit and truth but when the Lord by the ministery of his word made effectuall by the inward operation of his holy spirit doth pull of the thicke skinne of carnall securitie from of their hearts and causeth the seales of ignorance to fall from their eyes then and not before doe they plainely discerne and sensibly feele that huge masse of inbred corruption their dulnesse and drowsinesse in Gods seruice their hardnesse of hart and impaenitencie and now they are much vexed and grieued with them which in former times neuer troubled them And therefore let not such be dismaied nor debarre their soules of that cōsolation which of right belongeth to them for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this their corruption hardnesse of hart dulnesse and deadnesse in Gods seruice but the good spirit of God which hath begunne already to worke in them shewing them their corruptions and moouing them to an vnfained dislike of them and therefore they may assure themselues that he who hath begunne this good worke in them will also bring it in his good time to perfection Onely as the Psalmist exhorteth Let them tarrie the Lords leasure Phil. 1.6 waite vpon and trust in him and he shall comfort their hearts § Sect. 2 Now this sensible or discerned hardnesse of hart is also of two sortes 2. Sortes of sensible hardnesse of hart The first ioyned with the vse of the means wherby it may be softned the first is of them who carefully vse all good meanes and indeauour with all diligence to better their estate which they see to bee most miserable and to mollifie their hard hartes and to attaine vnto harty and vnfained repentance Which who so doth hee may assure himselfe that hee is the child of God and in his loue and fauour for earnestly to desire repentance and carefully to vse the meanes whereby we may attaine thereunto to be displeased with our hardnesse of heart and to labour that it may bee mollified to bee sorry that wee can bee no more sorry and to bee displeased with our selues because wee can no more bee displeased with our sinnes is very acceptable in the sight of God though wee see but a little progresse in godlinesse and but a small increase of repentance which wee desire in great measure for the Lorde esteemeth the will for the deed and the affection for the action and wee may assure our selues that if on our part wee be not wanting in the vse of the meanes the Lord will not bee wanting on his part to supply our wantes and to satisfie all our Godly desires Of this hardnesse of heart which verie often befalleth the dearest of Gods children wee haue many examples Examples of this hardnesse of heart Psal 77.2 The prophet Dauid thus complaineth Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort 3. I did thinke vppon God and as troubled I prayed and my spirit was full of anguish 4. thou keepest mine eyes waking I was astonied and could not speake So the church complaineth thus Cant. 3.1 Cant 3.1 and 5.6 In my bed I sought him by night whom my soule loued I sought him but I found him not and chap. 5. ver 6. I opened to my welbeloued but my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when hee did speake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but hee answered me not Whereby it is manifest that euen the deare saints of God are often times destitute of all comfort and voyde of all feeling of Gods fauour and of the powerfull working of the graces of Gods spirit which they haue receiued though they vse the meanes appointed of God for the stirring vp and increasing of grace in them which commeth to passe by reason of their hardnesse of heart and drowsie dulnesse of spirit in these spirituall excercises And hence it is that many of Gods children doe grieously afflict their soules because they see these their corruptions and imperfections and hereby often times are mooued to thinke that they are destitute of faith and of all sauing graces of Gods sanctifying spirite because though they vse the meanes ordayned of God for the begetting and increasing of grace in them yet they cannot perceiue any fruite that commeth thereby nor feele in their soules any true comfort or ioy in these spirituall excercises For example some complaine that though they continually heare the word yet they feele no increase of any grace no more knowledge no more faith no more zeale of Gods glory no more mortification of their old corruptions
nor any reformation at all of their former sinfull liues and therefore they thinke that they heare the worde of God without any profit nay that the more they heare it the more wicked and rebellious they are and that for this cause it were much better not to heare the worde at all for as much as it will but agrauate their sinnes and in crease their condemnation for hee that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not Luk. 12.47 shal be beaten with many stripes § Sect. 3 But let not such poore mourning soules depriue themselues of that true comfort which of right belongeth to them Consolations for such as complaine of their imperfections in hearing the word and to this end let them know first that this is a vsuall complaint of those children of God which profit most in hearing of the word though in truth they doe therein deceiue themselues for in cōplaining that they profit not they shew they profitt For whereas men naturally blinded with selfe loue and carnall securitie neuer discerne any such want and corruption in themselues and therefore though they profit nothing by hearing the worde of God yet it neuer troubles them nay they imagine that it is sufficient to present their bodies into Gods assemblies and to heare Gods worde with their outward eares though they vnderstand it not nor retaine it in memorie nor bring forth any fruits thereof these humbled soules by the hearing of the worde are freed from this selfe loue and carnall securitie and haue the blind eies of their vnderstandings opened so as they see their faultes and corruptions and haue their harde hartes softened so as they are grieued and displeased with them their wills also are in some good measure sanctified so that they earnestly desire to be freed from their corruptions and to heare the word of God with more profit whereby it appeareth that though they cannot profit so much as they desire yet they haue made a good progresse and the Lord in his good time will perfect that good worke which hee hath begun in them and the same spirit of God which hath wrought in them this desire of profitting by hearing the word will also accomplish it so open their dull eares and soften their hard harts that they shall profit and reape manifould fruites of the seede of the word which is sowed in the furrowes of their hearts In the meane while the Lorde may in his heauenly wisedome feed them for a time with a sparing hand to the end that hee may truly humble them vnder the sight and sense of their corruptions and that he may hereby so sharpen their appetites that they may with more hungering desire and earnest indeauour feed vpon the heauenly manna of his word but as this should increase their diligence so it should not decrease their hope and comfort for most assuredly when the Lorde hath a while whetted their stomacke and by pulling backe his hande mooued them more earnestly to desire and more highly to esteeme this precious foode of their soules he will fully satisfie their hungring desire nourish them in all spirituall graces and make them who are but babes strong men in Christ In the mean time let them not faint but wait vpon the Lorde bee strong and trust in him and hee will surely comfort their heartes as the psalmist speaketh Psal 27.16 § Sect. 4 Secondly wheras they complaine that they doe not after the hearing of the word Consolations for such as bewaile their want of feeling the fruits of their hearing perceiue in themselues any increase of knowledge faith or any sauing grace they are to knowe that howsoeuer no man ought to rest contented in this estate but are to laboure more and more not only to haue but also to discerne an increase of grace in them and a progresse in al vertue and godlinesse for otherwise though they may be the children of god who for a time liue in such a case yet they can not attaine vnto the assurance thereof nor feele the comfort of it in there owne consciences neuertheles there is no reasō why they shoulde despaire or bee vtterly discouraged for though they find no fruits of their hearing yet if in obedience to Gods commaundement they will with care and diligence continue still hearers of the word they shal vndoubtedly in the ende attaine vnto their desire and discerne in themselues a greate increase of grace and godlinesse Wee knowe that the seede doth not presently bringe foorth fruite when it is cast into the ground but first it seemeth to rott and perish and then it sprouteth vp in a greene blade and then it beareth an eare and a great increase and much fruite and so it fareth oftentimes in hearing the worde of God for at first it seemeth quite lost and perished being sowne in some groundes and yet afterwardes it bringeth foorth not onely a faire greene blade of an outward profession but also a greate increase of the ripe fruites of true godlinesse So also the sicke patient taking soueraigne physicke is not presently cured nay in stead of feeling any ease thereby hee is made much more sicke in his owne sense and feeling and yet after the physick hath a while wrought with him and purged him of some superfluous and hurtfull humours hee findeth some amendment and so by little and little hee is restored to his former health and so it is also with the spirituall sicke patient hee doth not alwaies presently find ease and quiet peace of conscience nay many times hee is tormented and vexed after hee hath receiued the spiritual phisicke of the soule the word of God more then euer in former times but yet notwithstanding in processe of time when this phisicke hath effectually wrought with him it purgeth him from his filthie corruptions and strengtheneth him in all grace and godlinesse And therefore though we feele presently no profitable fruits of hearing let not this discourage vs from hearing nay rather let it serue as a sharpe spurre to pricke vs forwarde to more diligence and let vs ioyne therewith hartie prayer desiring the Lord to water the seed of his word sowne in our hearts with the dew of his holy spirit and then vndoubtedly the Lord in the end will heare vs and to our exceeding comfort shew vnto vs the plentifull fruits of all our labours § Sect. 5 Thirdly whereas they complaine that the more they heare the greater are their sinnes and rebellion against God Consolations for such as complaine that the more they heare the more they abound in sin in this they much deceiue themselues for the worde of God doth not make them more sinfull but whereas heretofore they liued in carnall securitie and hardnesse of heart hauing their vnderstandings darkned and their consciences seared so as they could neither see nor feele their sins though they were manifould and grieuous now the worde of God made effectuall by the inward operation of his