sorrowfull Or if their mirth be entire it is but like the noise of the thornes vnder the pot Thornes vnder a pot you know make a great crackling and noise for a little time they blaze faire and bright but are suddenly extinct and brought to nothing Neither are these cold comforters able to quench Gods fierie ielousie when it breakes forth in plagues and iudgements against a sinfull people Witnesse the Prophets Zepha Chap. 1.17.18 Their blood shall bee powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung Neither their siluer nor their gold shall bee able to deliuer them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall be deuoured by the fire of his iealousie Ezech. 7.19 Their siluer and their gold cannot deliuer them in the day of the wrath of the Lord they shall not satisfie their soules neither fill their bowels for this ruinâ— is for their iniquitie Obad. 4. Though thou exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and make thy nest among the starres thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord. It is not then any wedge of gold or height of place can priuiledge or protect vs when our sins are ripe and readie to take the flame of Gods fierce wrath and indignation Thirdly they cannot stretch themselues vnto eternity For there are no contentments of this life whether they lie in honours riches pleasures friends or the like let them be neuer so many in number so potent in the world or in our own perswasions so exempt from mixture of discomfort that can possibly bring vs farther then our death bed It may be for a few and wretched daies of our life they haue detained vs in a fooles paradise yet full of Vipers and Scorpions It may be they haue left some obscure prints of vnfound ioies in our passages but then at their farwell they are vtterly despoiled of their weake and imaginarie sweetnes and are wholly turned into wounds and wormewood into gall and vexation They leaue a sting indeed in the conscience that neuer dies but themselues die all at our deaths and lie downe with vs in our graues Why then when the immortal soule being dislodged from this tabernacle of clay shall now begin to enter the confines of eternitie what shall comfort it thorow that endlesse duration For if it looke backe to this inch of time which it consumed in vanitie it may aske Why haue I bin troubled about many things Why haue I disquieted my selfe in vaine Why haue I insolently insulted ouer innocencie and accounted sinceritie madnes What hath pride profited me or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought me And it may be answered All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a poste that passeth by as a ship that passeth ouer the waues of the water which when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot bee found neither the path of it in the flouds or as a bird that flieth thorow in the aire and no man can see any token of her passage but onely heare the noise of her wings beating the light wind parting the aire through the vehemencie of her going and flieth on shaking her wings whereas afterward no token of her way can be found If then the expiration of all worldly comforts be most certain and ineuitable at the furthest at our departure from this life it is impossible there should be any absolute ioy found in them for there is wanting the very life and accomplishment of true happinesse assurance of perpetuitie Imagine therefore a man to be abundantly encompassed euen with all the desires of his heart let him wash his paths with butter and let the rocke powre him out riuers of oile let him heape vp siluer as the dust and gold as the mire of the streetes let him decke himselfe with maiestie and excellencie and aray himselfe with beautie and glorie let him drinke vp the pleasures of this world in as great abundance as Behemoth the riuer Iordan yet all is nothing himselfe being couered with corruption and mortalitie and the fruition of them with vanitie and change One generation passeth away and another generation commeth He must at length necessarilie make resignation of al into the hands of a new succession And he shall take nothing away when he dies neither shall his pompe or pleasures descend after him Yet if a man besides an entire and vninterrupted possession of his worldly contentments which is neuer to be looked for in this life for as Iob speakes While his flesh is vpon him he shall be sorrowfull and while his soule is in him it shall mourne yet I say if besides he were able to extend his life to many millions of yeeres the matter were a little more tolerable But alas the life of a man at the most is but a hand breath or a span long that which makes it much more miserable he knowes not in what part of that short span how suddenly or how soone he shall be cut off from the land of the liuing and goe and shall not returne euen vnto the land of darkenesse and shadow of death For the reioycing of the wicked is short and the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment Though his excellency mount vp to the heauen his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall he perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say where is he He shall flee away as a dreame and they shal not find him and shal passe away as a vision of the night So that the eie which had seene him shall doe so no more and his place shall see him no more And in this respect mans condition is farre inferiour to other creatures One generation passeth and another generation succeedeth but the earth remaineth for euer The Sun seemes euery night to lie downe in a bed of darknesse but he rises in the morning clothed with the same glorie and brightnesse and reioyceth as a Giant to run his course But man saith Iob is sicke and dieth and man perisheth and where is he As the waters passe from the sea and as the flood decaieth and drieth vp so man sleepeth and riseth not for he shall not wake againe nor be raised from his sleepe till the heauen be no more To let therefore these wretched vanities passe as vnworthie to be insisted on thus long For howsoeuer the worldly minded man wanting vtterly the eie of faith and hauing his eie of reason dimmed with mists that rise from his tumultuous and fierie passions grosse ignorance and wilfull malice so that he onely lookes vpon the honours riches and pleasures of this life with a carnall and sensual eie may seeme to see in them some glimmerings of happinesse and thereafter conforme and proportion his desires endeuours and proiects because he hath his portion onely in this life yet certainely the truly generous mind may clearely out of the very apprehension of nature and light of reason discerne them al to
obiect of his reuenging iustice the most base and vnnaturall Opposite to so pure a Maiesty and the most notorious and transcendent instrument of Satans deepest malice This kind of hypocrite belongs not to my present purpose and therefore I leaue him without sound and timely repentance to some strange and markeable iudgement euen in this life Or if he passe these few daies honourably and prosperouslie as it is many times the lot of the wicked lot him expect vpon his deaths-bed the fierie darts of Satan empoysoned with hellish malice and cruelty to be fastned deepely in his soule and such pangs and anguish of conscience that will possesse him of hell before hand Or if he depart out of this world without sense of his sinne or else at the best with some formall and perfunctorie shew of penitencie yet let his heart tremble for the feares that it shall feare at the great and terrible day of the Lord when the vizard of his hypocrisie shall certainely be pulde off his face and he ashamed and confounded in the presence of the blessed Trinity of Angels and all the men that euer were and irrecouerably abandoned from the face of God and from the fruition of his ioyes to the most consuming flame of the fire of hell and the lothsomest dungeon of the bottomlesse pit The third kind of hypocrisie is Formall hypocrisie by which a man doth not onely deceiue others with a shew of piety and outward forme of religion but also his owne heart with a false conceit and persuasion that he is in a happie state when as in truth his soule was neuer yet seasoned with sauing grace and the power of religion And I beseech you marke me in this point it is of greatest consequence to euery one for a sound triall and examination of the state of his conscience whether he yet liue the life of God and stand in the state of grace or lie enthralled in the setters and slauerie of sinne and Satan For herein I must tell you how farre a man may proceed in outward profession of the truth in supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse in some kinds and measure of inward graces and yet come vtterly short of true happinesse and without an addition of the truth of regeneration and a sound conuersion shall bee cut off for euer from all hope of immortality and shall neuer bee able to stand firme and sure in the day of the Lord Iesus For a more perspicuous explication of this point conceiue with me those perfections which may befall a man as yet vnregenerate and in state of damnation We may suppose in him first all those gifts which the possibility of nature can conferre vpon him all ornaments of Arts and knowledge of wisedome and policie not onely that which is purchased by experience obseruation and imployment in points of State but also the spirit of gouernment as Saul had To these wee may adde gentlenesse and fairenesse of conditions an exactnesse of ciuill honesty and morall iustice immunity from grosse and infamous sinnes And thus far the heathens may goe And thus far we proceeded in our last Discourse But in these times of Christianity a reprobate may goe farre further then euer the most innocent Heathen that euer liued could possibly though some of them were admirable for their mild and mercifull disposition some for their vertuous seueritie some for integritie of life some for constancie and resolution in goodnes some for preferring the vnspottednesse of their life before most exquisit tortures For to all these he may adde a glorious profession of the Gospell a performance of all outward duties and exercises of religion many workes of charity and monuments of his rich magnificence Nay besides all this he may be made partaker of some measure of inward illumination of a shadow of true regeneration there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithfull whereof a resemblance may not be sound in the vnregenerate This last point will more clearely appeare vnto you out of the 8. of Luke and the 6. to the Hebrewes In the 8. of Luke the hearer resembled vnto the stonie ground is the formall hypocrite who is there said to beleeue for a time and therefore by the inward though more generall and inferior working of the spirit may haue a temporarie faith begot in him In which faith we may consider these degrees First he may be endewed with vnderstanding and knowledge in the word of God He may be perswaded that it is diuinely inspired and that it is most true He may see clearely by the Law of God the grieuous intollerablenesse of his sinnes and the heauie iudgements due vnto them He may bee amazed and terrified with fearefull horror and remorse of conscience for his sinnes He may giue assent vnto the couenant of grace in Christ as most certaine and sure and may conceiue that Christs merits are of an inualuable price and a most pretious restoratiue to a languishing soule He may be perswaded in a generalitie and confused manner that the Lord will make good his couenant of grace vnto the members of his Church and that he will plentifully performe all the promises of happinesse vpon his children He may be troubled in mind with grudgings and distractions with reluctation and scruples before the commission of sinne out of the strength of naturall conscience seconded with a seruile apprehension of diuine vengeance but especially illightned with some glimmerings of this temporarie faith Much adoe was there euen with Pilate inward trouble and tergiuersation before he would bee brought to giue iudgement on Christ. Herod was sorie before he beheaded Iohn Baptist. And these men I hope were farre short of the perfections attaineable by the formall hypocrite After a sinne committed besides the outward formes of humiliation by the power of this temporarie faith he may bee inwardly touched and affected with some kind and degree of repentance and sorrow I meane not onely that which is a preparatiue to despaire and hellish horror but which may sometimes preuent temporall iudgements as in Achab and with a slumbering and superficiall quiet secure the conscience for a time And from this faith may spring fruits Some kind and measure of hope loue patience and other graces It is said in the Euangelists that that hearer which we call the formall hypocrite receiues the word with ioy Whence may be gathered First that with willingnesse and cheerefulnesse hee may submit himselfe to the ministerie of the word With forwardnesse and ioyfulnesse hee may follow and frequent Sermons With a discourse of the sufferings of Christ he may be moued euen vnto teares for compassionate indignation that so glorious and infinite innocencie should be vext with al manner of indignities and torments for the grosse and willfull impieties of sinfull men He may loue and reuerence giue countenance and patronage to the Ministers whom he heares with gladnesse For it is the nature of man to be kindly and louingly affected vnto him
their soules before the gaining of the whole world Innocencie makes them as bold as Lions The wicked flee when none pursueth but the righteous are bold as a Lion And their warrant is out of Isai. 51. vers 7.8 Hearken vnto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law Feare ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their rebukes For the moath shall eate them vp like a garment and the worme shall eate them like wooll but my righteousnesse shall be for euer and my saluation from generation to generation Independancie holds their hearts vpright in all their actions that they are neither swaid awrie by partialities or secret relations to wrong ends I meane not independancie in respect of lawes gouernment authoritie charitie vnitie with the Church or the like I meane no such independancie but in respect of basenesse flatterie corruption temporizing indirect prosecution of their honours and preferments c. which are setters of Satan by which he confines many to a wretched slauery euen in this life and without repentance to endlesse miserie hereafter Secondly hypocrisie is many times by the world vniustlie laid vnto the charge of the children of God Dauid had his ful portion in this imputation as appeareth in many Psalmes The causes for this time I conceiue to be two The first may bee suspiciousnesse an argument euer of worthlesnesse and impotencie For insufficiencie is most apprehensiue and suspicious I know there is a godly iealousie and a iealousie of state but I meane that suspition which is opposed as an extreame to that imperfect vertue the Moralists cal immunitiâ— from suspicion by which a man doth cast the worth actions and affections of another in his owne mould and thinks euery man obnoxious to al the infirmities he finds in himselfe Hence it is that he which indeed is truly an hypocrite and neuer passed the perfection of the Pharisee doth most confidently brand the child of God with that name hoping therby to giue some poore satisfaction to his own thoughts that would gladly rest in a formality and notice to the world that howsoeuer there may be pretences yet indeed there is none better then himselfe The second cause is a disabilitie and blindnesse in the naturall man of discerning and acknowledging the operations of grace For let a man be otherwise neuer so eminently or vniuersally qualified yet without the experience of the power of godlinesse vpon his owne soule he cannot see hee will not bee perswaded of the actions of grace in another man and therefore interprets them to be nothing but hypocrisie and onely pretended vainegloriouslie to gainean opinion of more then ordinarie pietie What the conceit of an vnregenerate man is of the state of grace is plaine out of the conference of our blessed Sauiour and Nicodemus Nicodemus was a great Rabbi in Israel a famous Doctor in the Law and the Prophets in which no doubt hee had many times read the doctrine of regeneration yet when he comes to be examined of the power and practise of it he holds the new birth without which no man can euer see God to be as impossible as for an old man to returne into his mothers wombe and be borne againe Euen such is the iudgement of others in his state of the fruits effects and course of sanctification And therefore I maruel that any child of God wil afflict his soule hang downe the head or remit one iot of his zeale in goodnesse for vniust censures in this kind sith hee knowes that naturall men though neuer so wise so learned or glorious in the world want spirituall taste and therefore cannot rellish the fruits of the spirit are blind and cannot see or iudge of the light of grace are in darkenesse and cannot comprehend it Thirdly the formall hypocrite doth settle himselfe with more resoluednesse in his opinion of being in state of grace when he sees the world account the children of God but a company of fellowes who out of a proud singularitie diuide themselues from the common fashions and customes of the world not considering that if euer he meane to saue his soule he must be singular too in holinesse and sanctification for I meane not in vnwarrantable opinion or separation from the Church Except his righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees what singugular thing doth he that is except to his ciuill honesty and outward performance of religious duties there bee added a singularitie of sauing grace and except besides all other ornaments of mind if it were possible possest in full perfection there be yet moreouer inspired that blessed and pretious vigor that quickens him to eternall life he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen This note of singularitie hath in all ages bin imputed to those that with a good conscience haue laboured to keepe themselues blamelesse and pure in the midst of a naughtie and crooked generation Behold saith Isaiah chap. 8. vers 18. I and the children whom the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israel by the Lord of Hosts which dwelleth in mount Sion It had bin no wonder had they bin onely as signes and wonders amongst the enemies of God and nations of vncircumcision but that they should be signes and wonders in Israel God had chosen him but one little vineyard amongst all the spatious forests of the earth out of the glory of all the Kingdomes of the world he had chosen him but one handfull of people and yet in that vineyard his faithfull Ones are but as the berries after the shaking of an Oliue tree two or three in the top of the vâ—most boughs and foure or fiue in the high branches In that little people his children are but as the first fruits so that euen in Israel they are become as monsters and spectacles of amazement Then so it is indeed that a man drawne out of the darknesse of this world and illightned with grace is like a starre new created in the skie that drawes all the world to gaze vpon it Nay and he drawes not onely the eies of men vpon him but is an eie-sore vnto theÌ„ For thus speaketh the wicked of the righteous man Wisd. 2.15.16 It grieueth vs also to looke vpon him for his life is not like other moâ—s his waies are of another fashion He counteth vs as bastards and he withdraweth himselfe from our wâ—ies as from filthinesse he commendeth greatlie the latter end of the iust and boasteth that God is his father Fourthly the formall hypocrite is well pleased with his present state and very vnwilling to embrace more forwardnesse because it is commonly thought that the state of a true Christian indeed is a life full of vncomfortablenesse melancholy austeritie and sadnesse The heart of man is naturally greedie of ioy and contentment and is either weakely or strongly refreshed according to the vanity or soundnes of the comfort in which it reposeth but it
the worke wrought and not chieflie respected the inward affection of the worker had he required onely the ceremoniall action of sacrificing and not the spirituall conformitie of the heart to his will why he had not need to desire sacrifices of them nor expected supplie from their hands as appeareth in that sacred anti royall contestation of God with his people about the question of his worship Psal. 50. I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices sâ—ith God or thy burnt offerings that haue not beene continually before me I will take no Bullocke out of thine house or Goates out of thy folds For all the beasts of the forrest are mine and the beasts on a thousand â—ils I know all the sowlâ—s on the Mountaiâ—es and the wâ—ld bâ—asts of the fiâ—ld are mine If I be hungrie I will not tell theâ— for the world is mine and all that therein iâ— Will I â—ate the flesh of Bâ—ls or drinke the blood of Goatâ—s Nay if we consider God in his absolute soueraignty and essentiall glory euen that is true of the most sanctified works of Gods child which is in Iob. 35.7 If thou bâ—â— righteous whâ—t 〈…〉 or what receiueâ—h heâ— at thine hand and that of Dauid Psal. 16.2 My weâ—doing extendeth not vnto thâ— For what can that little sparke of holinesse in vs which doth first too proceed from him and is onely darkened in ouâ— corruptions adde vnto that infinite Gâ—ory and 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that no man can attainâ— vnto with which he hath incomprehensiblie liâ—n â—ncompassed froÌ„ alâ—terniâ—y Only iâ—pleâ—seth him of his infinit goodnesse and out of a gratious desire of our saluation to accept our sincerity though mixâ— with imperfections and to crown his owne graâ—â—â— in vs 〈◊〉 then shall appeare the bare outwardnes of hollowhearted Christians If the heart bee wanting what magnificence or glory of outward seruices shall be able to dazle his sight whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and sees cleaâ—ely our inmost thoughts Wherewith shall we come bâ—foâ—â— th◠〈◊〉 or what shall we offer vnto him Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rams or with ten thousand riuers of Oilâ— Shall we giue our first borne for our transgression euen the fruite of our bodie for the â—inne of our soule No though weâ— gaue all that wee had to the poore and our owne bodieâ— to bee burnt nay if it were possible that by our meanes we could vindicate the soules of all men now liuing from the iawes of eternall death yet all would profit vs nothing except our harts be first purged by faith pure from an euill conscience and possest of a sound and constant loue to God his word his honour his truth and seruants Let this then be the conclusion to this point Though a man were a moral Saint an Angell amongst the Phrisees absolute in all other perfections yet without the inward power of grace to giue them life he is but a spectacle of commisâ—ration to Angels to meÌ„ euen as that body is which adorned with sundry other exquisite beauties wanteth eye-sight the chiefest grace that nature hath in that kind to bestow Or as a cunning Organist skilful in the outward touch of his instrument yet without wind inspired cannot possibly strike the care or please the heart with any mâ—lodious noise so though his actions be flourished ouer with a faire tincture of outward religiousnesse and he exact in morall honesty yet without the breath and life of grace infused there can be no true spiritual harmony in his affections woâ—ds or conuersation thâ—t either will beget sound ioy and spirituall delight in the soule or be pleasing in the â—ares of almightie God You see then beloued in Christ Iesus that the performances of outward duties of religion euen the best sâ—â—h as are Prayers hearing the word of God recâ—iuing the Sacraments almes-deeds and the like though they bee good in themselues commanded of God necessarie to be done of euerie Christian yet if they be diuided from inward sanctification and sinceritie of heart are so farâ—e from putting vs into possession of true happines that they are odious and abominable in the sight of God I told you in the beginning if you remember that besides outward righteousnesse the formall hypocrite may beleeue for a time and therefore by the inward though more generall and infeâ—iour working of the Spirit may haue a temporarie faith begot in him and this faith may bring forth some fruits and some kinds of inward graces But that all this comes short of saluation appeares in the parable For there the hearer compared to the stonie ground which I call the formall hypocrite is one of the reprobate hearers vpon whom the word is not the power of God to saluation As for those fiue degrees added out of the sixth to the Hebrues of which I told you the formall hypocrite may be partaker it is manifest out of the same Chapter that they come short of the state of grace For a man but so furnished may not onely fall bâ—cke to a worse and more ordinarie state of a râ—probate but euen to the depth of all impietie and apostasie He may not onely haue his measure of inward illumination all his lighter ioy and comfort in Gods word quite extinguisht but become a wilfull and malicious scorner of true godlinesse He may not onely grieue and quench the spirit but hee may tread vnder foot the Sonne of God count the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing and despite the very Spirit of grace so that it may be impossible that hee should be renewed againe by repentance In the last place I told you that besides all these the formall hypoâ—rite might entertaine a perswasion of his being in the state of true happinesse and so with contentment and securitie walke in the path that leads to eternall death but how weak and false the reasons and motiues to this perswasion were I haue before largely deliuered It remaines therfore that I should now lay downe certaine markes and properties of difference betwixt the state of formall hypocrisie and sauing grace but I must referre a large prosecution and distinct treatise of them to some other place and time Yet at this time by the grace of God I shall deliuer so much that any man that will deale faithfully with his owne conscience and follow me with attention to the end may in some good measure be informed whether hee lie yet in the shadow of death or liue in the light of grace Some difference then first may arise out of the distinction of the degrees and workings of faith Which that you may better conceiue you must remember three sorts of faith Historicall Temporarie Sauing or Iustifying faith Historicall faith is not only a knowledge of the word of God but also an assent of the heart to the truth of it And this is of two sorts either Infused which is wrought in vs by the illightning spirit of
irregular and stirring heads of some busie and pragmaticall fellowes shadowed onely with a number of faire shewes and pretences but really existent and acted no where And that they may more securely and obstinately rest vpon this persuasion he furnisheth them with a notable art of misconceiuing and misinterpreting the actions of grace and of making by odious exaggerations a little hole in the coate of a sound Christian as wide as hell Hence it is that Dauid is many times made sport with and merrilie iested vpon by them with the false scoffers at their feasts and bankets and hath things laid to his charge with much confidence but without al conscience which God thou knowest he neuer knew Hence it is that many times those actions in which for the truth and vprightnesse of his heart and the iustnesse and innocency of his cause he dare appeale to the tribunal of God the impartiall searcher of the inmost thoughts and seuere reuenger of all falshood yet are racked by vile and base misconstructions and interprâ—ted to be the workes of darknes and deceit And if they take a godly man but tripping in some lesser error in his cariage and that perhaps but forged in their owne wilfull misconceit they thence raise matter not only of triumph and insultation but which is much more feareful of chearing applauding and confirming themselues in their present wretched state But if Satan meete with a man that by the grace of God is already entred into the panges of his trauell in the new birth and with sorrow for his sinnes is smitten downe into the place of dragons and couered with the shadow of death then he eagerly striues to stiffle the new man in the wombe and by presenting to his view the vgly visage of his many and outragious transgressions the curse of the Law and the wrath of God which he yet makes more grizlie and fierce by his owne hellish malice to plunge him into the bottomlesse gulfe of irrecouerable horror and desperation But if by the mercies of God hee sinke not but betime lay hold vpon the iustice of Christ and that boundlesse compassion which neuer knew how to breake the bruised reed or quench the smoaking flaxe but holds a broken and contrite heart farre more pretious then a sacrifice of the beasts on a thousand mountaines and then ten thousand riuers of oile why then he stands like a great red Dragon in his way at the very first entrance into the Kingdome of light and profession of sinceritie and casts out of his mouth flouds of persecutions vexations and oppositions that so he may ouerwhelme and crush him before he come to any growth or strength in Christ and a full comprehension of the mysterie of grace And to this end hee sets on foot and fire too and whets with keene razors many a leaud and prophane tongue to scoffe disgrace and discourage him in his narrow but blessed passage to immortalitie by reproches slanders exprobration of his former life by odious names of Hypocrite Singularist Puritane a fellow of irregular conscience and stirring humour of a factious and contradictious spirit and such like But if hee also passe these pikes and these sharpe swords for so Dauid calles spitefull tongues out of a consideration of that truth in Paul Euery one that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and that in the calmest time of the Church amongst many other he shall be sure at the least to bee continually scourged and vext with strife of tongues for euerie faithfull Christian knowes by good experience that euer now and then as he shall stirre in a good cause stand against the corruptions of the place where he liues with conscience and faithfulnesse discharge his calling hee shall presentlie haue the spirit of prophanenesse to slie in his face with brutish and implacable malice and insolencie But yet I say if he be able with his Lord and Sauiour to endure this speaking against of sinners and to esteeme it as it is indeed his crowne and comfort why then Satan casts about another way and hee labours sometimes to fasten vpon him some vnwarrantable opinions thereby scandalously and vnnecessarliy to disquiet him to defraud him of an entire fruition of the comforts of holinesse and to hinder and interrupt him in the prosecution of his glorious seruice of God Sometimes to puffe him vp with a selfe-conceit of his owne excellencie seeing himselfe aduanced as farre aboue the common condition of men and the richest and happiest worldling as heauen aboue earth light aboue darkenesse endlesse happinesse aboue eternall miserie that so as the Apothecaries ointment by a dead flie his good actions and spirituall graces may receiue staine and infection by priuie pride of the nature and remedies whereof I haue before discoursed These and many others be the temptations of a babe in Christ and fitted to the infancie of regeneration But if Satan meet with a strong man in Christ he tempts him by those two methods I told you of before somtimes by wasting his zeale sometimes by weakening his faith and a thousand moe Amid which infinite varietie he is for the most part constant in one point of policy and that is this He coÌ„ceales his greatest fury his most desperate assault vnto the last He reserues his fieriest dart his deadliest poison his sharpest sting his Gunpouder-plot vntill he meete vs on our deaths bed Wherefore beloued in Christ Iesus we had need euery man to be strongly and soundly prepared and armed against that great and last encounter with Satan vpon which depends our euerlasting estate either in the ioies of heauen or paines of hell Oh at that day and we little know how neere it is it is not our deepe reaches and vnfathomd policies and proiects the countenance and patronage of great personages our merrie and plesant companions or the pluralitie of liuings and preferments that can yeeld vs any comfort or assistance in that terrible and fearefull combat Nay though we now little thinke vpon it all the worldly contentments that we haue either indirectly purchased or vnconscionably imploid he will then turne vnto vs into Scorpions stings and wormes of conscience Onely at that day a good conscience will hold out as armour of proofe which as it hath bin on earth a continuall feast so their it will bee vnto vs a great and euerlasting Iubilee for euermore By this time you easily perceiue and I am very sensible of the digression I haue made but I haue done it onely to giue you a taste of that part of diuine knowledge about the depths of Satan and spirituall state of sanctified soules and afflicted consciences which I take to be Gods childs peculiar and in which the formall hypocrite hath little skil or exercise For the deepe and diuine ponderations of this nature vpon these points doe not much take vp or trouble his mind and meditations It is a pretious knowledge abstracted by an holy experience from
repentance and humiliation for some former sinne not thorowly repented of or in part resumed is to be renewed Perhaps the Lord hath thereby an holy purpose to reueale vnto him the omission of some duties in his calling or some smaller faults yet scandalous whereof before he was not sensible Or it may be to preuent some sinne to come either that with which he is falsly charged or some other to which his fraile nature is more inclining Or lastly by this experience to prepare him with courage and furnish him with wisdome to comfort others in the like case or to glorifie his name by patience in some more publicke and notorious disgrace and vexation to bee indured in this kind Hereupon the child of God doth presently make a priuie search into his soule doth narrowly fift the state of his conscience and after due and impartiall examination feelingly and faithfully addresse himself to prayer practise of these considerations and reformation of what he finds amisse Secondly this outward crosse vpon his good name by false surmises and suspicions makes him retire into himselfe and more fruitfully and cheerefully to enjoy all his inward comforts his hope and delight in heauenly things the assurance that his name is written in the booke of life which no malice of men or policie of hell is euer able to blot out It makes him with more feruent and greedy attention to listen for the trumpet of that last and fearefull day more longingly and with fixed eies to wait for the Lord Iesus in the cloudes who as he will punish all prophane Opposites to holinesse with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power so vndoubtedly with the brightnesse of his comming hee will then at the furthest before men and Angels bring forth his righteousnesse as the light and his iudgement as the nooneday Thirdly by the mercies of God for any such wretched and lying slander he is not so cast downe with worldly sorrow he doth not so farre gratifie Satan and malicious men as to ioyne hands with them for the afflicting of his owne soule with needlesse discomforts or discouraging himselfe in his calling but rather he raiseth matter of comfort encouragement and reioycing For thereby he is made more like and conformable to his head Christ Iesus who endured the crosse and such speaking against of sinners and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him Hee hath thereby more waight and degrees added to his blessednesse more massines and brightnesse to his crowne of immortalitie Blessed are ye faith Christ when men reuile you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falslie reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen And therfore in despite of malice and falshood he runnes on ioyfully in his race and hauing the attestation of a cleare conscience the acclamations of Saints and Angels hee little cares for the barking of dogs by the way bu◠followes hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Such as these are the thoughts and behauiour spirituall wisdome acquaints the child of God with when his good name is wronged wounded with slanders false reports I conclude the whole point The knowledge and practicall wisdome about heauenly matters in the formall hypocrite are dull cold plodding formall seruiceable and subordinate to his worldly happinesse His knowledge is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of knowledge Rom. 2.20 His practise is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of godlinesse 2. Tim. 3.5 All is forme and outwardnesse they are not deeply and soundly rooted in them by sanctifying grace nor inwardly inspired with supernaturall and spirituall life But diuine knowledge in the child of God is called the Spirit of reuelation Ephes. 1.17 his practicall wisdome is spirituall Colos. 1.9 that is quick actiue feruent zealous stirring not into irregularities and exorbitancies as worldly wisdom many times misconstrues but against the corruptions of the times and working out of all actions occasions and occurrents euen out of miseries slanders and infirmities some glory vnto God some good vnto his children some comfort vnto his owne soule I now proceed to tell you that the word of God is not rooted in the conscience of the formall hypocrite which is the hearer resembled vnto the stony ground The whole and entire worke of conscience as you well know out of the Schooles consisteth in a practicall syllogisine The proposition ariseth out of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an habit of practicall principles and generall fountaines of our actions The assumption is properlie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conscientia an actuall application of our knowledge to this or that particular act or obiect Whence followes the immediate and necessarie issue and office of conscience to testifie in respect of things simplie done or not done In respect of things to bee done either to excite and encourage or to restraine and bridle In respect of things done well o◠wickedly to excuse and comfort or accuse and terrific For example The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as it were a treasurie of rules and lessons for direction in our actions proposeth the iniquitie of a lie euen out of nature Aristotle condemnes it Eth. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lie is starke naught and discommendable The sounder Schoolemen demonstrate euery lie though it be officious for a greater good to be against nature and indispensable Natures purpose is frustrated and her law transgrest when speech and words which she intends to be euer the true messengers of the conceits and apprehensions of the mind are abused to falshood and equiuocation But this practicall principle of not lying howsoeuer it be cleere in nature yet it receiues further illustration from the booke of God Therefore the proposition may be thus framed Euery liar shall be banished from the holy mountaine of the Lord Psalm 15. and shall be barred out of the new Ierusalem for euermore Reuel 22.15 The conscience of the liar doth assume and tell him But I haue thus and thus lied for aduantage and greater good Then it followes Therefore I must be banished from the holy mountaine of the Lord and barred out of the new Ierusalem for euermore A conclusion of condemnation and terror Such is the arguing of conscience for things past But thus it worketh about things to be done Let vs imagine a man to deliberate with himselfe whether he should be Non-resident or no. His habit of practicall principles if he will deale faithfully with his owne soule especially by the helpe of the honester Casists may yeeld him matter enough out of nature against Non-residencie as might easilie appeare if the point were incident But sith the case is cleere Ezech. 33. he may thus frame his practicall syllogisme The Non-resident must answere for the blood of those soules which by his vnconscionable and vnwarrantable absence negligence in his charge haue perished