THE Comforter OR A COMFORTAble Treatise wherein are contained many reasoÌ„s taken out of the word to assure the forgiunes of sinnes to the conscience that is troubled with the feeling thereof Together with the temptations of Sathan to the contrarie taken from experience written by IOHN FREEMAN sometime minister of the word in LEWES in SVSSEX AT LONDON Printed for Edw. VVhite and are to be sold at his shop at the little North dore of Paules at the signe of the Gun 1606. To the Worshipfull and his very good friends Maister George Goring the elder M. George Goring the younger his son M. Harbart Pelham M. William Morley M. Iohn Shurley M. Robert Chester M. Richard Shelley M. Henry Bowyer together with the whole congregation of Lewis Iohn Freeman wisheth grace peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ TVllie hauing intreated much of old age knew not what fitter man to chuse to commit his writings vnto than Titus Pomponius Atticus a man well striken in age And hauing compiled a treatise of friend ship he picked out the same Atticus a man full of friendship to send the same vnto alwaiâ— chusing pratrons according to the matter Not much vnlike vnto Luke the Euangelist who writing of the things of God chose out Theophilus that is a freÌ„d of God as a most meet man to write vnto So I hauing according to my weaknes written somthing of comfort haue found none more meet vnto whoÌ„e to dedicate my writings thaÌ„ your worships at whose hands my self haue receiued as I must still acknowledge exceeding much comfort For who ought to haue more interest in comfort than the comforters And what fitter patrones of comfort can a man imagin to find than the authors fathers thereof For this cause therefore haue I made choise of your Worships and of your brethren beloued in the Lord as of all men most meet to commit these my writings vnto And this the rather haue I done as on the one side in regard of my selfe to whom there is nothing more deare or more due than to recompence spiritual for temporall things that you which haue sowne temporall might if there be any in mee receiue from mee spirituall comforts that thus you seeing a haruest of your corne fruit of your labor comforts to spring of your comfort mercies of your mercies that is the riches of the treasures of the mercies of God opened vnto you for the mercifull vse of your riches might not think that either you plowed the barren sand or sowed in a reproued field which bringing forth nothing but thorns or briars is therefore as some thought neere to the fire so on the other side in a more especiall regard of your selues to whom the Lord hath in a more plentiful manner opened the treasures of his hidden riches insomuch that you are filled therwith I therefore haue laboured it lieth in you that I may say I hope not in vaine that you might also abound with spirituall and inward comforts That thus you being comforted in bodie and comforted in soule comforted outwardly and comforted inwardly abounding in heauenly and earthly comforts in the honest comforts of the flesh and the glorious comforts of the spirit might want nothing that might be for your sound comfort especially for your spiritual comfort without the which all earthlie comforts are vaine and fruitles For what shall it profit a man to bee comforted in body afflicted in soule To haue the comforts of the flesh and to want the comforts of the spirit To liue as Diues deliciously and be cloathed in purple if after this life hee should be tormented with Diues in that flame What should it benefit a man to eat the fat and drinke the sweet to be fed with the kidneis of the wheat to eat the honie of the rocke the calfe of the stall the Lambe of the fold to drinke wine in bowles to haue instruments of musicke like vnto Dauid to stretch himselfe vpon his Iuorie beds and after this life to haue fire brimstone storme and tempest for to drink to haue his portion in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death What shall it profit a man to haue Achabs life with Achabs death Hamans glory with HaÌ„ans shame Dauids musicke with Saules misery Salomons prosperity with Cains aduersity Darius his kingdoms with Iudas hellish paines Nay how is it possible that that man should haue much comfort in bodie that hath none in soule And what sound comfort can a man take in this life euen in the middest of his cheare his wife and his women his vessels of gold and of siluer if he should with Baltasher Dan. 7. see the hand of God writing against him that fearfull sentence Mene Mene Tekel Vphursin that is the Lord hath weighed thee in the ballance hath found thee too light And therefore should hea e as the rich man in the Gospell that saying of the Lord vnto him Thou foole this night shall they that is the Deuils fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall these bee that thou possessest My labor therefore is that with a good feast you might haue a coÌ„tinual feast that is a good conscience that in youâ— good cheere you might bee of good cheere in the Lord that you might eate of the fatted Calfe that immaculate and paschall lambe Iesus Christ that his blood might be your drinke and his bodie your meat that his righteousnes may be put vpon you as that armour of light that wedding garment full of glorie that you might eate that hidden Manna and drinke those waters of life of which whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer hunger nor thirst more that Christ that knocketh at the dores be not shut out of the gates but that he may come in and sup with you so that you eating with him of his mirrhe with his spices of his hony combe with his honie and drinking his wine with his milke may heare those often cheerings and welcomes of the Lord being at one table with him saying Eat oh my friends drinke be drunken oh my beloued That so you may not see the hand writing against you vpon the wall but fastened on the crosse may not heare that fearefull voice Thou fool this night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee but that comfortable saying of Christ Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Without the fâ—ll perswasion whereof I doe not a little marâ—ell how it is possible for any man to take plesure comfort in any eaâ—thly thing For euen this one bone to gnaw vpon might occupy them so that they should haue little pleasure or leisure to eate of their dainty dishes this one doubt of the mercy of God might bee like vnto Damacles sword which hanging ouer their heads as by a horse haire might make them to take little pleasure in the variety of their meats in the points of musicke in the
maner which I will also set downe that thou maiest conser them together saying This â—s the couenant that I wâ—ll maâ—e with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord. I will put my lawes in ther inward parts wr te theÌ„â—n the r harts And I wil be their God they shal be my people And they shal not teach euery man his neighbour saying Know the Lord for al shal kâ—ow me froÌ„ the least to the greatest of theÌ„ For I wil be mercâ—ful vnto their vnrighteousnes I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more In which words thou seest the very couÌ„terpane of the former IndeÌ„ture of the Lords couenaÌ„ts almost word for word So that now thou hast a pair of these IndeÌ„tures of couenaÌ„ts to warrant thee forgiunes of thy sins And least thou shouldst lose or lay vp that Indenture that is with thee at thy heeles and so should not haue it to shew when need requireth behold the kindnes of God to thee ward who hath taken the paine to coppie out the sum of the couenants in the 10. to the Hebrues in these words following This is the couenaÌ„t that I will make vnto them after those daies saith the Lord. I wil put my lawes in their harts in the r minds wil I write them And their siâ—s and iniquities wil I remeÌ„ber no more So that thou seest how faithfully the Lord as one that ment not to deale deceitfully with thee hath dealt in this behalfe What can he do more Thou wilt not take his word nor his oath he hath entred into couenants bound himselfe by his Indenture to performe his couenants And this Indenture he hath caused to be made interchangeably and so a paire of them to be drawn one for the principall on the behalfe of the Lord the other for euer to remaine with thee And that which is more he hath giuen withall a coppie thereof if thou shouldest forget where to find the Indenture it selfe And least thou shouldst take some exception against the hand or the scriuener that wrote the same the Lord as before I said drew the couenants Indenture it selfe with his owne hand and finger which is the holy Ghost who is with the father and the son God blessed for euermore As plainely appeareth by the witnesse of the holy Ghost himselfe who saith that no Scripture came of any priuate motion bâ—t holy men wrote as they were moued and g â—ded by the holy Ghost â—nd therfore Christ Peter and Paule with all the rest of the Apostles when they spake of the writings of the Prophets and their witnes called it the witnes and writings of the holy Ghost So that these Indentures were drawen and written by the holy Ghost which is the hand and finger of God So that thou hast the couenants of God drawne also with the Lords owne hand for thy better and full assurance And least that this Indenture should want any thing of his ful vertue power and strength the Lord hath added his Sacraments which are fitly by Paule in the fourth to the Romane speaking of circumcision which was a Sacrament to Abraham and the same that Baptisme is in the particular or that the Supper of the Lord is in the generall vnto vs called the seals of the couenant of God So that the Lord hauing added his Sacraments to his couenants hath therein added his seale to his Indentures For his Sacraments aâ—e his seales The matter whereof consisteth not as doe the seales of kings and princes of the earth either of yellow or greene or red wax but of the red bloud of the Imaculat and vnspotted Lambe the Son of God Iesus Christ which is visibly exhibited in the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord. For which cause the Lord himselfe and the Apostle Paule in the 11. of the first to the Corin. calleth the cup in the Lords supper the bloâ—d of the new couenaÌ„t for that this new couenaÌ„t before set down is ratified established coÌ„firmed therwith sealed as it were with a seal Wherin also least thou shoâ—ldst take some exception against this seale as if it were either counterâ—ait or by stealth added and affiâ—ed thervnto thou art to vnderstand first that it is the Lords broad seale For euen as in the kings broad seale there is imprinted ingrauen and so represented the person of his maiestie so in this Sacrament of the Lords supper which is his seale is imprinted in grauen and so represented the veâ—y body and blood and so the very and liuely person of the son of God Iesus Christ the bread representing his bodie the wine representing his bloud that in such a liuely maner forme as that Christ himselfe calleth the bread his body and the wine his bloud it selfe So that the person of the King is not so liueâ—y represented in his broad seale as the person of the Son of God is represented in his broad seale Secondly thou art to know that therein also is his seale of armes ingrauen For therin is shewed forth the arms of Christ nailed to the crosse which is the cognisance of a true Christian his bodie broken and his bloud shed for the remission of thy sinnes And this is in such a liuely maner by the breaking of the bread which is his bodie and the shedding of the wine which is his bloud shewed forth vnto the eies of our body as that we there behold visibly as in a mirror Christ crucified before our eies his body broken and his bloud shed for the forgiuenesse of our sins So that our eies may there see the worke of our redemption fulfilled so with all his seale of armes his armes being spread vpon the crosse and his bodie wounded for our transgressions So that euen as the broad seale of England hath on the one side the person of the Prince and on the other side the armes of the land ingrauen so hath this seale of God fixed to his Indenture of couenants the person of the Lord on the one side his armes on the other side liuely and euidently imprinted Thirdly thou must coÌ„sider that this is his seale which is vsually affixed in such cases and to such writings For it hath been alwaies the vse of the Lord to seale these and such like couenants of spirituall graces by the shedding of blood As may appear in the 15 of Genesis where the Lord confirming and sealing his couenant of the land of Canaan which represented that heauenly Ierusalem vnto them which he promised vnto Abâ—aham and his seed caused him to slâ—y a calfe a goat and a ram of three yeares of age and to cut them a sunder according to the vse of those nations So the Lord in the 17 of Genesis being to enter into a new couenaÌ„t with Abraham concerning the child of promise sealed the same with circumcision which was a Sacrament of blood But most liuely of all this appeareth in the 24 of
vpon the crosse wherin thou hast promised to forgiue all my sinnes and my transgressions Be it vnto me thy seruant I beseech thee according to thy free promise and according to thy gracious couenant Oh let me feele I pray thee the accomplishing hereof in my owne soule And as thou hast written this couenant in thy word with thine owne finger and sealed the same with thy bloud So gracious Father vouchsafe to write it in my hart by thy spirite and to seale it vnto my conscience by the powerful applying of the same thy blood thereunto that it may wash me from all my sins and my transgressions and so create in me that peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding Gracious God thy free offer maketh mee freely to offer these my requests vnto thy name and with a full confidence of hope to haue accesse vnto the throne of thy grace knowing that thou O Lord that hast promised art able wilt according to this thy scripture the writing of thine own hands performe it This course if thou shalt take it is not to be doubted but that as thy hart shall find faith so thy soule shal receiue comfort in and from the liuing Lord feeling according to his couenant of the Lord thy selfe to be washed clensed and iustified in the name of Iesu Christ and by the spirit of our God The Fourth Section But yet further if with Gedeon we shal desire a token or with Ezekiah a signe to confirme our faith Behold the Lord fitteth not in a Rainebow in the clouds as hee did to Noah he maketh not the sunne to go tenne degrees backward as he did for Ezekiah he maketh not the fleece to bee wet in the drie floure nor drie in the wet deaw as he did for Gedeon but he giueth thee being but one man euen two signes nay more than signes euen two Sacraments the one of Baptisme the other of the Lords supper both of them being visible signes to confirm vnto thee the inuisible grace of the free mercy of god in Iesus Christ And therefore did the Lord himselfe in the seuenteenth of Genesis when he first instituted the Sacrament of Circumcision call it a signe saying vnto Abraham that it should be a signe of the couenant that was between himselfe and them that is that it should be that signe that the Lord would giue vnto him to assure and to approue vnto him the fulfilling and accomplishing of his couenant Whereupon the Apostle Paule in the fourth to the Romanes speaking of the same Sacrament calleth it in like manner a signe saying that Abraham receiued the signe of Circumcision that it might seale the righteousnesse of faith which was in his vncircumcision That is that he receiued circumcision which was an outward and an euident sign to confirme vnto him his free iustification by faith Thus as one of the Iewish Sacraments is called a signe so likewise was the other which was the Paschall lambe or Passeouer as plainely appeareth in the twelfth of Exodus where it is said of the bloud of the Paschall lambe which represented the bloud of Iesus Christ the vnspotted vndefiled lamb that it should be vnto them for a signe vpon their houses that the Lord when he destroyed the Aegyptians their and his enemies would passe ouer them so that they should liue in peace and rest when their enemies were consumed So that hereby it plainely appeareth that both the Iewish Sacraments were not onely seales of the couenants but also giuen for signs and tokens vnto them which shuld be continually before their eyes to confirme vnto them the graces of God in Iesus Christ Whereupon it foâ—loweth that as their SacrameÌ„ts were vnto them so are our Sacraments that is the Supper of the Lord Baptisme giuen for signes vnto vs to confirme as all other the graces of God so our free forgiuenes and pardon for all our offences For the same is Baptisme vnto vs that Circumcision was vnto them as plainely appeareth in the second to the Colonians the eleuenth twelfth verses And the same is the Supper of the Lord vnto vs that was the Paschall lambe vnto them as infinite places and the generall consent of all men approoueth The visible signe only according to the time being altered into another which is far more significant and more liuely to signifie and so to confirme vnto vs this inward grace of God of which now we speake And therefore is a Sacrament verie fitly according to this their vse defined by Augustine to be a visible signe of an inuisible grace As therefore the signe of the Rain-bow iâ— the clouds coÌ„firmeth vnto vs that promise of God which he made with Noah that is that hee would destroy no more the whole earth with waters as the returne of the Sunne tenne degrees backward was a signe vnto Ezekias that 〈◊〉 should be recouered out of that disease As the fleece of Gedeon being wet in thâ— drie and drie in the wet was vnto him a signe that hee should ouercome hiâ— enemies so is the water in Baptisme wherwith we were washed a signe and token vnto vs that we should be washed from all our sinnes and our offences So likewise is the breaking of the bread the powring out of the wine in the supper of the Lord another as euident a signe that by the death of Iesus Christ by the shedding of his blood we are purged from all our sins According to the saying of Iohn in his first epistle who saith that the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all our offences And againe in the ReuelatioÌ„ Christ saith he hath washed vs by his blood from all our offences And again in the the 5. to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul speaking of Baptisme saith that Christ sanctified the Church and purged it by the lauacre of water in the word So that now when thou seest other or remembrest that thy selfe was washed with water in Baptisme And again when thou seest the body of Christ to be broken in the Supper of the lord and his blood to be powred out and giuen vnto thee thou art to coÌ„sider with thy selfe that these are two signes tokens which are shewed giuen to thee of the Lord fully to assure and persuade thy conscience that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and that thou art washed that thou art saâ—ctified and that thou art iustified by the blood of Iesus Christ and by the spirit of our God So that now doest thou seeke with the Scribes and Pharisies a signe Behold the Lord hath giueÌ„ vnto thee not one but two tokens in stead of other miracles and wonders euen two visible signes of this inuisible grace euen Sacraments to confirme thy faith and yet doubtest thou The incredulous Iewes said vnto Christ shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee See the Lord sheweth thee two yet wilt thou not beleeue him One raine-bow was ynough for Noah one fleece for Gedeon the sâ—nne once to
god as mucâ— as the other If one part be true then aâ— is true if one bee false theâ— all is false If thou beleeue one part beleeue alsâ— the other if thou beleeue not the oneâ— beleeue not the other but both in hiâ— time place if thou beleue not his promises despaire not for his threatnings The second Section I adde further that the Lord considering our weaknesse and how hardly wâ— are brought to beleeue the stablenes oâ— his promise and this grace of God in Christ bestowed vppon vs contenteth not himselfe thus barely to haue promised but goeth farther bindeth himselfe with an oath to the performance as of his promises in genera l so of the forgiuenesse of sins which is one speciall thereof as plainely appeareth in the 22. Chapter of Genesis where the Loâ—d to shew vnto Abraham and vnto the heires of the promise the stablenesse of his counsell as the spirit beareth witnes swore by himselfe than whom there is none greater to sweare by that because Abraham had not spared his only sonne therefore the Lord would not spare his only sonne or rather as there it followeth that hee would giâ—e him a seed wherein all the nations of the Earth should be blessed where we see that the Lord sweareth not only to send into the world his sonne but to giue the blessing vnto all nations in and with him Now by the blessing hee meaneth not onely after this life eternall life and saluation but eueÌ„ in this life the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according as Dauid describeth this blessing saying blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is hee to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne So that it is manifest that the blessing that the lord swore to giue vnto all nations in one especiall regard concerneth the forgiuenes of our sins and that therfore the Lord hath sworne to forgiue vs our sinnes in and through Iesus Christ our Lord. But yet that we might more reuerence the truth of this his promise he sweareth the secoÌ„d time to accomplish them And that in the 54 chapter of the Prophesie of Esay where the Lord speaketh after this maner saying This thing is vnto me as the waters of Noah For as I haue sworne that the waters shall no more couer the whole earth so haue I sworne that I wil not bee angry with thee nor rebuke thee though these hiâ—les should fall downe and these Mountaines be mooued yet my kindnesse shall not depart from thee nor my league be remoued In which wordes as the Lord bindeth himself by outward sacâ—ameÌ„ts so by an absolute oth to the continuance of his loue to his-ward and also to the accomplishing and fulfilling of the league of his peace which is that league or couenant before mentioned made with Abraham or rather that which is expressed in the 31. of Ierem e one speciall clause or article whereof as in the same place appeareth that the Lord will forgiue our â—niquities and thinke neuer any more of our offences so that hereby it appeareth euidently that the Lord hath sworne by himselfe that God hath sworne by God and that not once but twice euen againe and againe to performe his promise made vnto vs concerning the free forgiuenes of all our sins and our offences This therefore is that oath of the Lord which when thou art brought to doubt of the forgiuenes of thy sinnes thou shouldest set before thine eies still hauing rerourse therevnto to strengthen thy faith in the promises of God And that after the example of the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God as Zaâ—harie in the first of Luke who remembreth to assure himselfe of the mercie of God shewed to his fathers his deliuerance from the hands of all his spirituall enemies as sin hell and the deuill and the remission of sins afterward mentioned the oath which he swaâ—e to our forefather AbrahaÌ„ which was that he would grant vnto vs that we being deliuered oâ—t of the hands of our enemies should serue him without fear in righteousnes and true holynes all the daies of our liâ—e And also as the Apostle to the Hebrews and 6. chapter who to perswade them to bee followers of theÌ„ that through faith patience inherited the promises alleadged that oath with the which the Lord bound himself to Abraham and the heires of the promises to performe fulfill his promises that thus thou hauing the same oath that they had to confirme thy faith shouldest as they haue strong consolation hauing thy refuge to lay hold vpoÌ„ that hope of mercie that is set before thee and so tarying patiently enioy the promises of mercie which therefore with a ful persuasion of faith thou maisâ— looke for because the Lord hath tyed himselfe with an oath to accomplish the same For an oath as the fore-mentioned Apostle testifieth is with the Lord an immutable thing that is such a thing as cannot bee changed The heauens as the Prophet Dauid saith shall waxe old and as a garment will the Lord chaunge them The Sunne shall loose her light and the Moone shall bee turned into blood before the great and fearefull day of the Lord. The Hils shall remooue the foundations of the earth shall shake The earth it selfe shall perish with the works that are therein but the promises of the lord established by his oath are immortall and cannot be changed Vntill therefore thou see the earth consumed and the elements melt with feruent heat nay though when thou seest these things dissolued yet know that the oath of the Lord is exceeding constant that there is no end nor change thereof For it is immutable Nay as the same Apostle farther in the same place addeth it is such a thing as it is impossible that the Lord should lye therein So that that Lord to whom al things els are possible who can by his word at one instant create all things make things that are seene of those things that doe not appeare giue life vnto the dead and againe with a word consume all thinges whatsoeuer That God I say to whom all things els are possible euen to him this one thing is impossible which is to lye against his oath And therefore if it shall come into thy minde that it may be that the Lord will not do as he promiseth know for a certaintie that it may not no nor cannot be that the Lord should breake his promise or his oath It is in possible for him hee cannot doe it It is such a thing as is immutable wherin it is impossible that the Lord should lie The oath therfore of the Lord should bring an end to thy fear and to thy doubting Especially considering that an oth for confirmation is among men an end of al controuersie For euen in the sâ—spition of the wiues honestie an oath must cleare the woman and satisfie the husbands iealousie In the matter of contract or hire if the partie that borrowed his
Exodus where the Lord being to establish his fiâ—st which is that old couenant with the Iewes in the hand of Moses the Mediator of the old Couenant caused diuers beasts to be sacrificed and their bloods to be taken in two vessels acco ding to the two persons that is God and the Iewes with whom the Couenant was to be made and the blood to be sprinkled vpon the pillars erected for that purpose the one representing the Lord the other the people which being accordingly performed by Moses he added saying This is the blood of that couenant which the Lord hath made with you That is to say this blood is that blood by the which the Lord sealeth vnto you the couenant that before hee coâ—enanted with you Thus as the Lord sealed his old couenants with the blood of bullocks goats and rammes which were but tipes of Christ the body of all the shadowes So he sealed according to his vsuall maner this his Indenture of the new couenant in like maner with blood and that with the blood of his only begotten sonne And the reason why the Lord after this manner sealed his couenants was this for that vnto those people a will or a testament and a couenant were all of one nature And therefore the Apostle to the Hebrues the spirit of God in diuers places beside comprehendeth them both vnder one name or word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth either a will or testament also a couenant Now we know that a testament or wiâ—l and so a couenant is neuer ratified vntill the death of the testator that is the man that made the will but he being once dead the will cannot be altered but must stand vnchangeably For a man that is dead cannot alter his will or couenant The Lord therefore being immortall and therefore could not die that he might by the same vnchangeable manner ratifie and confirme his promises caused certaine beasts which represented his bodie as tipes and figures of himselfe to be slaine for him and in his stead vntill that Christ himselfe who was aboue all things God blessed for euermore should in his owne person by his owne death and the shedding of his most precious bloud estab ish and confirme this his owne good will and testament that is this new couenant afore mentioned And thereby seale sinnes and purge iniquitie so bring in euerlasting peace as the Angell speaketh to Daniel in his ninth Chapter Christ therefore by his death and bloodshedding hath established this new couenant of the forgiuenes of our sinnes in such sort as that it cannot be changed For the man being dead as the Apostle sheweth to the Hebrewes the wil is not to be altered God therfore that he might assure vs that he would not alter this his good will couenant of grace laid downe his owne life and so by his death which was by the shedding of his blood hee hath so sealed this his couenant as that it cannot be broken nor disanulled And as hereby hee hath inuincibly confirmed his couenants so hath he herein vsed no other seale to seale them withall thaÌ„ that which hath been alwayes vsuall in the like cases For as all his former couenants especially the old couenant were confirmed by blood so likewise is this his Indenture sealed and so ratified by the blood of Iesus Christ which is therfore as before I said verie fitly called the blood of the new couenant for that thereby this couenant is ratified sealed vnchangeably confirmed Thus then thou hast the Lords Indenture written with his owne hand and sealed with his owne blood which is that broad seale and that seale of Armes that is vsually affixed vnto such couenants escripts And herein least thou shouldest thinke that this seale were a counterfeit or added by stealth thou art to know that the institution of this seale or Sacrament came not from man but froÌ„ God himselfe who the same night that hee was betraied ordained the same coÌ„maunded it to be ioyned and added vnto the word of grace and the preaching of the forgiuenesse of sinnes as infinit proofes might be alleaged if it were a mater of any doubt The truth therfore and the lawfulnes of the seale is a matter out of all doubt and controuersie What is there els then that thou requirest for the confirmation of this his or rather thine euidence Desirest thou witnesse Behold the testimonie of all the Prophets and Apostles who were the pen-men and writers hereof who therfore ought to stand for double witnesses Behold the witnes of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the witnes of all the faithfull of God who with one mouth as afterward in part shall appeare do confesse the same But what shalt thou need to bee carefull hereof when thou mayest bee assured that the lord if thou shew him his own writings and scriptures will neuer deny his owne hand Hauing therefore this Indenture writing of the Lords own hand follow herein the example of that godly king Ezekiah who wheÌ„ he had receiued letters from Zenacherib that were blasphemous against God entred into the temple of God vnfolded them and layd them open before God to mooue the Lord the rather thereby to bowe downe his eares and to heare his requests that hee powred out before him So thou hauing receiued not from maÌ„ but from God himselfe writing euideÌ„ces not of wrath but of his free meâ—cie and the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes enter into thy chaÌ„ber take these euidences couenants of the Lord with thee vnfold them spread them lay them open and read them before the face of God And withall after the example of Ezechiah poure forth thy prayers supplications before the Lord and say vnto him as followeth OH most merciful God the father o all comfort and consolation thou that art that strong God that forgiuest offences and passest by iniquitie in the remnant of thy possession thou that preparest the heart of the poore then openest thine eare to hearken therevnto Incline O Lord thine eare heare open O Lord thine eies and see behold O Lord the word of thine owne lips the writings of thine owne hand Of a truth Lord I haue sinned and done exceediÌ„g wickedly in thy sight I acknowledge it confesse it before the throne of thy grace But thou O Lord according to the riches of thy mercy and louing kindnes hast promised to forgiue mine offences Yea the more to shew the stablenes of thy counsell thou hast tied thy selfe by an oath thereunto And that which is more thou hast couenanted and indented with me by thiâ— thy couenant to passe by mine iniquities to remember my sinnes no more And now Lord regard I beseech thee thy gracious and free mercie the oath of thy holinesse and behold the words of thine owne mouth the works and the couenants of thine owne hands sealed with thine own most precious blood confirmed by thy death
readie to whip vs steppeth in between the Lord and the sinner and keepeth vs as the mother doth her child from the fathers rod. Yea as our aduocat our daies man who is ready to make our defence for our offence against God by pleading our weakneâ— â—our infirmities our childhood and young yeares to reconcile vs to God and mooue his father to pardoÌ„ vs. Yea as the bishop of our souls and that faithful high priest which ceaseth not day nor night to poure out his praiers with all watchfulnes and feruencie euen as he did vpon the earth as the holy Ghost beareth witnesse for vs vnto God the Father And this he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„tinually because we continually sinning might continually be pardoned For if he ceased to make intercession for vs there would bee an intermission of remission of sinnes But when he neuer ceaseth to importune intreat the father for vs we are fully assured that al our sins are for euer washed away For the Father cannot by reason of his merite and will not by reason of his mercie denie any thing vnto his requests Father saith Christ I know thou hearest me in all things and thereby we know that he heareth him in the continual intercession that he maketh for the sonnes of men And this so much the rather may we assure our selues of for that the sonne is more deare vnto the father than the seruant the mediatour of the new Testament which is Christ than the mediator of the old which was Moses And Moses as we know stood in the gap and stopped the wrath of the Lord fell before the Lord on his face and fasted fortie daies and fortie nights for the sinnes of the people of Israel obtained pardon for the same much more then Iesus Christ who for euer and not fortie daies onely ceaseth not to make request shal obtain pardon at the hands of the Father himselfe being the Son for all the true Israelites euen Israell which is of God as Paul speaketh What shall I speak of Ezekiah who when the people sinned in eating the Passeouer being not before sanctified and hallowed praied vnto the Lord and the Lord healed the people What shall I speake of Iosuah of Elias of Dauid and other the men of God at whose intercession the Lord wrought wonders in heaueÌ„ aboue and in the eaâ—th beneath Do not euery one of these prooue vnto vs that the sonne of God making intercession for vs vnto the forgiuenes of our sins shall assuredly obtaine the same at the hands of his father And this is yet further assured vnto vs by considering on the one side the fathers gentlenesse and kindnesse who is not a chuâ—lish cuâ—rish God rough and full of displeasure but one in whome there is no anger as the Father himselfe protesteth in Esay who is therfore the slowest to conceiue a wrath and readiest to forgiue as Dauid singeth in his 103. Psalme and on the other side the sonne who by reason it is his office to pray for vs will not be negligent therein who because he hath been tempted in all thinges like vnto vs sinne onely excepted will be a faithfull and a mercifull high Priest in those things that are to bee done with God concerning his people who by reason of the loue hee beareth to vs ward in that he gaue his life for vs will be carefull and mindfull of vs who by reason of the oportunitie of the place in that he is in the heauens at the fathers hand euen at his right hand of the time in that hee liueth for euer of his grace and fauour in that he is the sonne of his loue of his merite in that hee hath deserued it shall bee heard in all whatsoeuer he shall craue at the Fathers hands in our behalfe For here meet together the sonnes readinesse the fathers willingnesse the sonnes carefulnesse the fathers cheerefulnesse the sons importunitie the fathers facilitie the sonnes merite the fathers mercie the sons mindfulnesse the fathers gentlenesse the sonnes disposition the fathers inclination the sonnes practise the Fathers purpose the sonnes grace the fathers graciousnesse the fauour of the sonne the fauour of the father they fauouring the one the other and they both sauouring vs the one readie to craue the other as readie to giue the one pâ—esent in representi g our prayers the other presently presenting him with his requests the one watchfull in asking the other striuing to bestow the sonne being glorious for asking the father being glâ—rified for bestowing the father willing to gratifie the sonne in all thinges and the sonne readie to craue all thinges from the father the one being not vnwilling to graunt the other not vnreadie to aske whatsoeuer we a ke no though it be euen his holy spirit much lesse if it be the forgiue-of our sinnes 2 I adde herevnto that the bloud 〈◊〉 Christ crieth vnto God the Father and speaketh vnto the Lord for mercie for them that are sanctified therewith For the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ speaketh farre better things than the bloud of Abel as the Apostle testifieth to the Hebrues For the bloud of Abel spake vnto the Lord for iustice but the bloud of Christ speaketh vnto the father for mercie The one cried for wrath the other for peace the one for vengeance vpon his brother for shedding of innocent bloud the other for pardon either for shedding innocent bloud or murder or theft or whoredome or vsurie or blasphemy or for any other whatsoeuer sinne If therfore the bloud of Abel cried so loud in the eares of the Lord that it moued him to execute vengeance vpon Cain much more the bloud of Iesus which stil crieth in the ears of the Lord will mooue him to mercie euen to pardon our sins and our offences For the crie of the bloud of the sonne of God which crieth vnto god for better things shall not haue worser entertainment thaÌ„ the bloud of Abel had 3 I adde further that euen the spirit as the Apostle speaketh in the eight to the Romanes helpeth also our infirmitie and maketh intercession for vs with grones vnspeakable So the spirit also of God intreateth for vs God intreateth God the spirit of God intreateth God the father for vs and how then can God denie any thing to God God the Father to his spirit which euen with vnspeakeble grones crieth within vs vnto his maiesty for pardon for our offences 4 I adde yet further that the Saints of God I say not which are in the heauens for as the Prophet saith Abraham knoweth vs not and Iacob remembreth vs not but the Saints of God which are on earth pray also for the forgiuenes of thy sins For Christ hath taught them to say Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs willing them thereby to make mention of thee also as well as all other the elect of God in their praiers And therfore he teacheth them to say
we haue redemptioÌ„ by his bloud the forgiuenes of our sins And Peter in his Epistle telleth that wee were redeemed from our vaine conuersation not with corruptible things as gold and siluer but with the most precious bloud of the sonne of God Whereby the Apostle teacheth vs that as the pardon of our sinnes from the hands of God is farre more excellent than the Popes pardon which may whether it be for murder or theft or whordome or any such like be purchased for gold or siluer or wool or such like trash so it is to be purchased with a price farre more precious euen with the bloud of the son of God which onely was able to purchase our pardon for vs. And therfore if the same had ben wanting alas what had there beene left in vs able to haue procured the same A man would fast water and bread all the daies of his life yea hee would trauell to Rome to Ierusalem and farther bare footed and bare legged yea he would whip himselfe with cords wreathed with yron yea launce himselfe with pennekniues â—s the Priests of Baal he would giue abundance of gold and siluer hee would keepe open house giue great doale releeue many poore by many trentall of masses build Abbies Monasteries Churches Schooles and Colledges as the Papists do for the Pardon of their sinnes yea he would as they lay open their shame to the Priestes eares in auricâ—lar confession if that would purchase him pardon for his sin yea he would with the Iews come into the courts of the Lords house and offer many Bullocks Rams and Goats he would shed riuers of bloud poure out streames of oyle vnto the Lord yea hee would as Micheas saith giue the fruit of his wombe for the sinne of his soule and as the Idolatoâ—s did make his sonnes to go through fire and offer them to deuils if all this would prâ—cure vnto him pardon for his sin Yea what would not a woundâ—d conscience giue to be disburdened of the weight of his sinne and to purchase vnto himselfe a pardon not from the Pope but from he Lord for his offences But it will cost to great a price for him to redeem his own soule or the sin thereof with any thing in himselfe He must therefore set that alone for euer and look for the pardon of his offences by the bloud of Iesus Chirst which is that onely price by the which it might be procured which being accordingly offered vnto God the Father and that vpon the aulter of the crosse he hath with the value and price thereof purchased that which all both heauen and earth could not otherwise haue procured euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes And thereby hath left vnto vs an assurance for the attaining of the pardon of our offences For farâ—e be it from vs that we shuld account the Lord either a cosener who would deceiue vs or aâ— oppressor or an extortioner that would by violence keepe from vs any suâ—h thing as we had right vnto by the way of purchase Hauing therfore right vnto the pardon of our sinnes because Christ hath purchased the same with his blood we are assured that our sins must and shâ—ll be for euer forgiuen and blotted out That Lord that giueth more than we deserue will not keepe from vs that which is our due aâ—d hee that giueth all thinges freely will not debarre vs of that which is purchased for vs so deerely as with the blood of Iesus Christ The 10 Chapter VVherein are touched two reasons taken froÌ„ the spirit of God the holy Ghost being the third persoÌ„ in the Trinity The first as the spirit is considered to work repeÌ„tance contrition in vs so washeth vs froÌ„ our sin The other as the spirit breedeth and worketh peace in our conscience wherewith the forgiuenesse of our sins is sealed VNto those reasons taken from the Father and the Son I might adde two other principall reasons taken from the spirit of God 1 The first whereof is this namely that one and the selfe same spirit that is called by Paule Rom. 8. the spirit of bondage to feare and also that worketh godly sorow in vâ— vnto repentaâ—ce mentioned 2. Cor. cap 7. is also that sanctifying spirit of God which washeth and cleanseth vs from all our sinneâ— and therefore it is compared to fire and water because as fire it purgeth as water it cleanseth vs from all our sâ—nnes and therfore is it that the Apostle saith Cor. 6. that ye are washed that ye are cleansed that yee are sanctified in the name of Iesus Christ and by the spirit of our God So that they that sorrow rightly for their sinnes and are possessed with the spirit of bondage to feare euen to feare hell Gods wrath the deuill and their owne estate may be assured that the same spirit that worketh the sorrow washeth the soule that breedeth the feare bringeth the fauour of God that defileth their cheeks with teares cleanseth their soules from sinne also for one spirit worketh all and in all the elect of God So that while we lay open our sins we lay them vpon Christ who beareth them and taketh them away While we hide not our sins the lord hideth them He that sorroweth rightly for theÌ„ looseth all sorrow for them and hee that rightly seeth them looseth the sight of them for euermore 2 The second reason is taken from the peace of conscience which the spirit working in vs dooth seale the forgiuenesse of our sinnes as the Apostle plainely sheweth in the fift to the Romans where he saith being iustified by faith we are at peace with God So that if euer since we sinned we felt the peace of conscience it was the worke of the spirit that sealed our iustification that is the full forgiuenes of our sinnes And therfore hauing once felt the same wee need not doubt whether our sinnes be forgiuen vs yea or no. But as I haue breefly omitted the other reason so I will defer this vnto a more proper place And so concluding those reason that arise froÌ„ God considered in his persons I will come vnto other reasons taken from man being considered in his sins The 11. Chapter VVherein is contained the first argument or reason which to proue the forgiuenes of sins is taken from the câ—eatuâ—e the reasons beiâ—g before taken from the creaâ—oâ— and that fâ—om man coâ—sidered in himselfe with his estate being naturally in lined to sin THe first whereof is taken from the consideration of the naturall inclination of man vnto sinne For as Dauid saith of himselfe In sin was I conceiued and in iniquitie did my mother bring me forth And Iob demandeth saying Who can make that cleane that is borne of vncleane seede And Paul plainely teacheth vs that by the sinne of one man sinne raigned ouer all and that in Adam all sinned So that as we drew froÌ„ Adam our being so our sinning as our flesh and bone so our corruption as our nature so
To this reason I might adde one other from that name of sinne where it is called our infirmity or disease and our phrenzie and madnes as the Philosopher calleth it Which might therefore seem the rather to bee pardoned because it was done in our madnes But I will omit this reason and come to the consideration of other reasons taken not as these from euerie man in himselfe being considered with his sins but from others euen men and deuils The 15 Chapter VVherein is â—ontained the first reason taken from man as he is considered in others which is drawn from the examples of other men by which the eternitie of the forgiuenesse of sinnes is further assurd vnto vs. ANd first we will consider the examples of other men by the which assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sins is yet further assured vnto vs. For what on sin haue we commited which other the Saints of God haue not either before or after their calling committed and yet as the spirit testifieth receiued pardon for the same Hast thou committed adulterie why so had the woman that was brought vnto Christ in the eight of Iohn so had the woman of Samaria in the fourth of Iohn for Christ said vnto her thou hast had fiue husbands and him whome now thou hast is not thy hu baÌ„d So had Dauid with Berseba and yet the Prophet said vnto him the Lord hath taken away thy sinne that thou shalt not die therefore Hast thou been possessed with the deuill so was Mary Magdalene who had seaueâ— diuels cast out of her Hast thou distrusted the Lord so did Moses at the waters of strife Hast thou as it were despaired so almost did Ieremy who said in the third of his Lamentations that he was a cast away and there was no hope for him in God So did Dauid in his 77. Psalm saying Will the Lord cast me off for euer should he be no more intreated should his louing kindnes faile for euer his promise from one generatioÌ„ to another come vtterly to an end Hast thou murdered and slaine thy brother so did Dauid murder Vrias So did the Iews put to death and slay the Lord of life as Peter chargeth them in the second of the Acts and yet they were by the same Apostle baptised to the forgiuenes of their sins Hast thou stolne and robbed thy brother So did the theefe that was crucified with Christ to whome notwithstanding Christ said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Hast thou been an oppressor an extortioner and an vsurer So was Zacheus who notwithstaÌ„ding repenting and making restitution heard that comfortable saying of Christ vnto him happie art thou Zacheus this day is health come vnto thine house Hast thou contended and fallen out with thy brother So did Paul and Barnabas betwixt whom the contention was so hot that they departed a sunder one taking Luke and the other Iohn But hast thou being but one man committed all these sinnes Hast thou beene an Idolater defiled the Temple of God beaten down his truth erected Idolatrie hast thou been a witch a coniurer a southsayer hast thou shed abundance of innocent bloud so that the streetes flow therewith hast than committed more abhominations than the Cananites or the Emorites whom for their filthines the Lord cut out of the land of the liuing hast thou offered thy sonnes and daughters and sacrificed them to deuils in fire All these thinges did Manasses as it appeareth in the 21. chapter of the second booke of the Kings and yet he returned vnto the Lord and found fauour and mercie for all his sinnes as it appeareth in the 33. chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles Are thy sinnes greater than the sinnes of Manasses or is the mercie and the arme of the Lord shortened is the Lord a respecter of persons did he forgiue Manasses repenting him of his sinne and will hee not forgiue thee returning vnto himselfe and calling vpon his name is not the Lord rich in mercie vnto all them that call vpon him faithfully whether they be Iewes or Gentiles Greekes or Barbarians there is no difference in the Lord. Are these things left vnto vs in the word either to follow or to comfort vs withall Doth not Paule teach vs that whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope euen bee comforted while wee hope that the same Lord that hath been thus mercifull vnto others will as well be mercifull vnto vs also that hee will make our sins that are in like manner as red as skarlet as white as snow and that are like vnto the purple to be as the wooll as himselfe hath promised by the mouth of his Prophet Esay This is the first reason which is taken from other men The 16. Chapter VVherin is contained the secoÌ„d reason taken from man being coÌ„sidered in others whiâ—h is drawn fâ—om the testimonie of others as of the Ministers of the word of God of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles and all other holy men of God who as faithful witnesses announce and confirme the forgiuenesse of sinnes THe second reason is taken from the testimonie of others who affirme and so confirme this vnto vs. And herein wee will first consider the testimonie of the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell of God to whom thou being afflicted oughtest to repaire for comfort And that both by the expresse commandement of the Lord himselfe who by the mouth of his Prophet Malachy saith that the Priests lips shall contain knowledge and the people shall enquire the law at his mouth And also by the example of the Iewes in the second of the Acts who being wounded in conscience came to Peter and the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shal we do For the Ministers are the Phisitions Surgeons of the soule to heale the same as well as they are the Lords warriors and so by the force of his spirituall weapons of power to cast down euerie high hold euerie strong thought and euerie name that is exalted against the name of God and Iesus Christ And therefore as by the armour of God on the left hand they can wound thy conscience so by the armor of God on the right hand they can wound the spirituall enemy As by the law they can kill thee so by the Gospel they can quicken thee as by the one they cast thee down so by the other they can lift thee vp For they are the dispensers of the manifold graces of God and the Lords stewards to giue to euerie one his portion in due time Iudgement to whom iudgment appertaineth and mercie vnto thee vnto whome mercie belongeth So that if thou repaire to them for comfort and â—f they shal giue thee comfort thou maist be comforted indeed If they shall giue thee thy portion in the forgiuenesse of sinnes they giue vnto thee as vnto the Lords seruant that thy
beauty of their boies in the loue of their womeÌ„ in the furniture of their table in all other things besides And howsoeuer the wicked are lulled asleepe in securitie that they are carelesse and so come to be past sorrow hauing a brawne ouer their hearts and their consciences seared with a hot burning iron yet I am sure that the elect of God the vessels of mercie desire nothing so much as the assurance of his mercie And therefore euen their life it selfe is vnpleasant without the tast hereof Insomuch that they cannot rest in peace vntill by the peace of God raigning in their conscieÌ„ces his loue shed abroad into their hearts by the holy Ghost they are fully assured that they are washed they a e clensed they are iustifiâ—d in the name of Iesus Christ by the spirit of their God so the free ful forgiuenes of their sins be fully freely sealed vnto their own soules For they are not ignorant how loathsome a thing sin is in the face of God and how fearefull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing lord Knowing therfore these things and the feare and terrour of the Lord I wil not cease during the time of my abode to put you in mind by those meanes that I can of these things that you may not rest contented as the world doth with earthly but may aspire higher seeking for heauenly comforts in the Lord labouring alwayeâ— for those things that are most excellent according to the excellencie of your place striuing to increase in all fulnes of God of the holy Ghost that you may be filled with comfort true ioyes and your ioy no man might take away froÌ„ you This because I could not otherwise do but by writing I haue vsed the same as that onely meaâ—s which the Lord hath left vnto mee and haue according both to your deserts and my debt at the last presumed notwithstanding that diuers reasons of no smal importance which would be neither pleasant nor profitable in their repeating might haue perswaded me to the contrary to dedicate this my labor which what it is I referre to the iudgement of others vnto your Worships the rest of the Churches of God about you to whoÌ„ I acknowledge my selfe a debter also howsoeuer I acknowledge notwithstanding my selfe not to haue receiued from some that experience of loue to speak no hardlier that I looked for And herein as neither the mutterings of others the suspition of flattery not the opinion of pride which might be by the malicious falsely couceiued against me haue more preuailed with me than dutie so I doubt not but that suspition disdain vices too great to raigne in personages of worship professors of the Gospell of God shall find no place in your very raines For both the good opinion that my selfe haue conceiued the world receiued coÌ„cerning your sinceritie will cleare you hereof neither suffer you to entertain any such affectioÌ„ nor me to admit any such suspition And now brethren worshipful beloued in the Lord what remaineth but that I shuld bow the knees of my soule to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the God of all mercy the Father of al comfort consolatioÌ„ that according to the riches of his mercie he would make you feele and fill you with all spirituall comforts That you may with glorying in the lord look for the hope of glory and the appearing of the mightie God and our sauior Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God immortall inuisible and onely wise be all glory power praise dominion now and euer Amen Yours alwaies in the Lord Iohn Freeman The Epistle to the Reader A Son the one side gentle Reaâ—er I am not ignoraÌ„t either of the spee hes of those that cry out against the coÌ„fortable opening of the prom ses of the grace Gospell of God as that which wil breed as they thinke licentiousnes of life or of the corruption of mans harâ— that maketh his liberty a cloke for the flesh turneth the gâ—aâ—es of God into wantonnesse so on the other side the affâ—ictâ—ons of Sathan in mine own soule who haue been a man that haue had good experience of infirmities the manifold like temptations that I haue seeâ—e to be accomâ—l shed in others my brethren in the world haue been most profitable schoolemaisters to instruct mee in the fearefull miserable estate of the desperate man I therfore comparing the the danger that might grow by the manifestation of the comfortable promises of God in Iesus Christ to the senseles such as are intangled in security with the danger that the ignorance of the same promises of mercie might bring to them that are afflicted The corruptâ—ons of those that corrupt the promises of God with the corruption or â—ather the rottennes of the bones that cleaueth to them that are corrupted for want of the comfort of the promises and finding the one to be ready to peâ—â—sh for the abuse the other foâ— lacke of the vse of the comfoâ—ts of God the one to peâ—â—sh with comfort the other without comfort the one to be gorged or rather to be choked with plenty the other â—o pine away and to starue for want of sufficiâ—ncy and so the estate of them both to be dangerous the one for want the other for wantonnes I resolued in the end to follow the example of PhisitioÌ„s who if they find two or more diseases combined togetheâ— labour first to take away that disease that most endangereth the life or coÌ„meth nerest vnto the hea t. So I seeing the abuse of true coÌ„fort to be dangerous to the abusers but the want thereof to bee deadly to theÌ„ that are afflicted in conscience I haue wholly employed my selfe to take away this later with the effect therof which is despaire a disease that striketh imediatly against the life both of body soule for that it lyeth as we vse to say at the hart And that I might the beâ—â—er doe this I haue applyed cordials that is saâ— h things as are or may be coÌ„foâ—table for the hâ—râ— wherein I haue followed the prescriptioÌ„ of that aâ—â—ient of dayes that only wise Arch Phisit oÌ„ of our souls who giueth coâ—nsâ—l nay charge to comfort his people yea to â—omfort them at the hart which althoâ—gh pe chance by reason of mine owne weaknes or weaknes of the patient I haue not fully attained yet I doubt not but that it wil appear that I haue faithfully atteÌ„pted the performâ—â—e therof applying according to the mesure of the vnderstaÌ„ding of God giueÌ„ vnto me the coÌ„forts of the conscience to the bâ—oken and wounded hart that in such sort as that they may not only take away dispaire but also by the blessing of God security it self that liberty of sinning that some think perthance will ensue by the setting abroch the
by sorce vsurpest the inheritance of Iacob an Achab that oppressest Naboth with his vineyard a theefe that takest the goods of other men a dogge that eatest vp the childrens bread The curse of the law together with the threatnings therof arâ— those things that are proper vnto thee First therfore clense thy hands thou hypocrit thy hart thou doble minded man then come talke with the Lord anâ— then though thy sins be as the skarlet the Lord wil make theÌ„ as the snow thogh they be as the purple the Lord wil make them as the wooll then shalt thou finde comfort in the comforts of the Lord be comforted in deed It lyeth therfore in thee that both that which thou readest may bâ— comfortable that that which I haue written may be profitable The framing of thy self to the obedieÌ„ce of faith together with the right vse of these other the coÌ„forts of the Lord may both stop the mouths oâ— those that inueigh against ouermuch comfort as that which wil lay opeÌ„ as they say a gap to al sin Epicurisme also cause me not to repent my selfe of my labor wheÌ„ I shall see thee bettered the weak comforted thee cast downe the humble lifted vp thee to be full of obedience the mourners ful of comfort when God shall be glorified man shal haue cause to glorie in the liuing Lord. For these causes good brother haue I entred into this actioÌ„ contriued coÌ„piled this discourse concerning the forgiuenes of thy sins A matter though plentifull full of comfort insomuch that it might in either regard haue excited many to haue handled the same yet either with such breuity or with so light a hand passed ouer as that I feared not least I should as they say wash a tile sow of another mans seed if I wrote any thing therof I therefore although I acknowledge my selfe to be theÌ„ most vnfit of many or rather any other to wade in a mater of so great importance yet not at the least experieÌ„ced perchaÌ„ce of all other haue vndertaken this whether labor or losse haue committed to the presse that which I haue writteâ— here not preuenting any man hereby that meant to vndertake the managing of the matter for I haue left a sufficient large field for any other thâ— is better able to exercise himself hauinâ— only dilated at large that but rudelâ— in this discourse but those few principall reasons that I deliuered before iâ— one of my sermons vpon the Colossians froÌ„ vvhich by reason of the length I haue seuered this discourse into a seueral booke as that which exceedeth the length of a sermon but rather giuing an example by mine example to others of greater giftes to wade in this argument as that whicâ— requireth by reason of the depth of sathaÌ„ and the weaknes of many the care of â— saithfull the paine of a diligent the gift of a learned the feelings of an experienced man vntil the performance wherof accept of this my labour of loue vsing the same as to the gloâ—y of God so tâ— thine own coÌ„fort that this whiâ—h is written for thy comfort be not vnto thy condemnation either through the contempt or abuse thereof Now the God of al glory sanctifie thy heart throughout anâ— make thee to abound in all full and sound feelings of the manifold benefits graces of God in Iesus Christ our Sauiour and Redeemer Iohn Freeman The first Chapter Wherein it is declared that there is liuely hope of comfort left vnto all them that mourne vnder the burden of their sinnes As there is no estate either in bodie or soule more dangerous or more miserable than that which is desperate so there is no speech either more lamentable or lesse true thaÌ„ that which commeth therefrom which in effect is either the same that came from Cain that crieth out that his sins are greater than can bee forgiuen or that which came from Ieremie inferred as it were vpon the former that concludeth that there is no hope left for him in the lord Wherein albeit they speake according to the sight of their sinnes that seem to be monstrous and therefore vnpardonable or according to the feeling of the wrath of God which seemeth vnremoueable therfore intollerable yet not according to the verie truth it selfe For it is not to bee denied but that the blood of Christ which is that price wherwith they were redeemed froÌ„ their sins far excelleth the value of all sinne whatsoeuer in the sight of God that the holy ghost which is that sanctifying spirit that washeth vs from all our sins being God therfore of infinit power is able to clense vs and wipe away as all teares from our eies so all sins from our soule to make those offences that are as the skarlet that is the most bloody as the skarlet is mostred to be like vnto the snow and them that are as the purple to be like vnto the wooll For the Lord is rich in mercie to all them that call vpon him faithfully and abundant in kindnes And therfore as the Prophet Dauid coÌ„cludeth there is mercy with him that he may be feared and with the Lord there is plenteous redemption It followeth therefore that howsoeuer it appeareth not vnto that soule yet there is hope of coÌ„fort left vnto him so to all theÌ„ that come vnto the father by Iesus Christ our Lord. For euen God the Father is called by the spirit the God of all comfort and the Father of all mercy consolation and Iesus Christ is that fountaine of gardens as the spouse calleth him in whom all fulnes yea euen of the comforts of God dwelleth without measure and the spirit of God is called by Christ himself the comforter So that we being by the spirit which is the comforter lead through Christ the fountaine of the gardens of the comforts of the Lord vnto God the father the father of all comfort and consolation how is it possible that wee should want either comfort or spirituall consolation Aske them that haue been heretofore as thy selfe afflicted therfore for the present as thy selfe perswaded aske them I say whether though they spake according to their present feeling yet whether they spake according to the words of truth yea or no. They can tell thee and that both out of the word and by experience that although sorrow lodge with thee for a night yet ioy shall come in the morning that they are al blessed that now weep for they reioice that they are blessed that mourne for they shall be comforted that a broken contrite hart is a sacrifice sweet smelling vnto God the Father and acceptable in Iesus Christ our Lord and that both this thy sorrow which is for thy sins if it be so great as that it breed repentance and so little as that it breed not despaire is that godly sorow which is a notable
go back for Ezek ah and will it not suffice thee to haue not once bâ—t often one signe giuen nay to haue not one but two signs to coÌ„firm nay to performe vnto thee the thinges that are promised For the other were but signs coÌ„firming but these are more euen signs confirming and conferring signa confirmantia conferentia For that which is signified is giuen conferred so ioyned together with the sign it selfe And therfore the Lord to teach this soundly vnto vs calleth the outward signe by the verie name of the thing it selfe that is signified caâ—ling circumcision the couenant the Paschall lambe the Passeouer the water in Baptisme the fountaine of regeneration the bread in the Supper of the Lord the bodie of Christ and the wine the verie blood of Christ to teach vs that these signs are not as the raine-bow is or the going backward of the sun or the fleece of Gedeon which were bare signes that serued onely to confirme vs but that they are more euen such as alwaies haue the things themselus that are promised and signified annexed knit and ioined vnto theÌ„ in regard of the Lord. And therefore as verily yea and euen then when the water washeth thy body in Baptisme euen as veriâ—y yea and euen then when the bread is broken the wine poured out in the supper of the Lord and giuen vnto thee euen so verily yea and euen then if thou be rightly prepared doth the spirit of God wash thee by the blood of Iesus Christ from all thy sinnes and thine offences For these signes are not only significant but effectuaâ—l also they doe not only confirme but giue that which they should confirme thee in I meane not that the Sacrament ex opere operato that is by the verie bare worke therof giueth this grace but that the Lord giueth with by these signs his forepromised graces euen the forgiuenes of thy sinnes And so as hee giueth the signe to confirme thy faith so the thing signified to comfort thy conscience although perchance thou presently feel not the power therof So that sith the Lord is so gracious as by two continual visible signs which he will haue often shewed vnto thee euen as it were wonders more precious and of greater power and force than any signs or tokens in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath sith the Lord I say is so gracious as by two such signes to confirme vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes nay to giue thee forgiuenes of thy sinnes with what reason canst thou doubt thereof For hee giueth it vnto thee verily and indeede if thou wilt receiue it together with the signe it selfe and then why doubtest thou whether thou shalt haue it when alreadie thou hast it What could the Lord doe more or thou require more than this Thou desirest forgiuenesse of thy sinnes and assurance thereof the Lord promiseth nay sweareth nay indenteth to giue it He sheweth and giueth thee two signes to assure thee thereof and that which is more with the signes hee offereth the thing it selfe And this is the first reason taken from the promises of God confirmed by so many vndoubted meanes The 3. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sinnes is prooued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substance and nature The first Section THe second reason to prooue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes is taken from the coÌ„sideration of the essence and the substance euen the natures of the Lord which are part of the essence the substance and the being of God yea God himselfe For whatsoeuer is in God is God and in him there is no accident nor qualitie but whatsoeuer is in him is of his essence and his substance And therefore his nature as his mercie patience iustice and such like are of his essence and are euen very God His mercie therefore is verie God and God is mercie it selfe Hee therefore that denieth mercie vnto God which is to forgiue our sinnes denyeth God to bee God denieth one speciall nature which the spirit of God ascribeth vnto God that verie often in the Scriptures and the written word of God As namely in the second of Ioel wheâ—e the Prophet speaketh thus of the Lord saying The Lord your God is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes such a one as repenteth him of the euill And again in the 34. of Exodus the lord himselfe proclaimeth his name before Moses all the children of Israel saying crying The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnes truth reseruing mercy for thousaÌ„ds forgiuing iniquity sin transgressioÌ„ so forth as there followeth more at large again in the 103. Psalm the Prophet Dauid saith that the Lord is ful of compassion and merâ—ie slow to anger of great kindnes Many and manifest are those proofs that proue the Lord to be by name nature merciful Now we know that the nature work of mercie is to respect to pitie and to help our misery For euen as the eie hath colors the tongue tasts the eare sounds the nose the sauors for his obiect to be busied in to respect and worke vpon so the mercy of God hath mans miserie sinne the principall cause thereof as his obiect to worke vpon to cure and to remedie insomuch as if there were no miserie there could be no vse of Gods mercie And therefore the Lord shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the RomaÌ„s that he might haue mercie vpon all and so by that meanes made away for his mercy which else could not so euidently haue manifested it selfe vnto our vnderstanding Herein therefore appeared the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God so much admired of Paul in the same place in that he would rather haue man fall than his mercie faile he would rather haue man cease to be righteous than himselfe cease to be mercifull he would rather haue man cease to shew obedience than himselfe cease to shew mercie hee would that man should sin that he might appeare to be a gracious God in the forgiuing of his sin True it is that there appeared a notable euidence of the mercy of God in framing this beautifull world out of that deformed Chaos and rude eaâ—th in the begiâ—ning in making the Sun to rule the day and the Moone to gouern the night as the Prophet at large describeth in the 136 Psalme But the Lord not contented therewith as a sufficient manifestation of his mercie thought it not ynough to create except he did recreate man to giue life except he redeemed life to giue life to them that were not except he gaue life to them that were dead to make man righteous of nothing except he made him righteous of a sinner to giue him righteousnes except he did also forgiue him his vnrighteousnesse his disobedience and
sinne committed against his glorious maiestie So that it being the propertie of mercie to respect miserie and God being rich in mercie euen the God of al mercie the father of all comfort and consolation whose mercie reacheth vnto the heauens and his faithfulnes vnto the clouds we may no lesse truly then boldly inferre that as it is naturall for the fire to giue heat or the sun to giue light so is it naturall for God to forgiue thy sinnes and thy offences And as the fire giueth thee heat and is not moued as the sun giueth thee light and is not vexed and troubled therewith fith it is his nature so to do so the Lord forgiueth thee thy sinnes and is not as Sathan would perswade thy conscience either troubled or vexed or greeued or vnwilling therewith and why because it is his nature so to do And therefore as man doth those things cheerfully and willingly which he doth naturally so God doth forgiue our sinnes and that with out any trouble or molestation to himselfe because his heart driueth him thervnto as the Prophet speaketh Thou comest to the fire for heat and it is not painefull for the same to giue it thou coâ—est to the sun for light and it is no offeÌ„ce for it to afford it thou comest to God for mercy for thy sin and it is not troublous for the Lord to yeeld it No he taketh a singuler delight in forgiuing thy sins as Micah in his last chapter plainâ—y sheweth Where he saith VVho is so strong a God as thou art forgiuing sin passing by â—niquity in the remnaÌ„t of thy possession which keepeth not his anger for euer because he is delighted with mercy And the Prophet Dauid in his 147 psal telleth vs painly that the Lord delighteth in theÌ„ that feare him and come to him for mercy So that the spirit speaketh euidently that the Lord delighteth both in them that sue to him for mercy and also in shewing of mercy and therfore in forgiuing our offences And no maruaile for first his mercie being one part of himselfe he must needs delight in the vse therof For aâ— man desireth delighteth in the vse of the parts of his body of his tongue to speak his eies to see his ears to heare his handâ— to feele his feet to walke withall insomuch that the contrarie therevnto is painefull as for to haue his tongue tied his eies closed his eares stopped his handâ— manacled his feet chained or fettered so is it a delight for the Lord to vse the parts of himself as of his iustice to the iudgement of the obstinat so of his mercie to the forgiuenes of the sin of the humble and the mourners and the contrarie therevnto which is to be debarred of the exercise and vse of his meâ—cie is rather troublesome and painefull vnto the Lord than is the fâ—rgiuenes of our sinnes For the forgiuenes of sinnes is the vse and exercise of Gods mercie which is one part of God himselfe yea God himselfe For as this is true God is loue so this also iâ— true God is â—ercie and therefore God must needs delight in his being euen in his being mercie in being merciful to his elect though miserable both men and sinners And in this first regard it is manifest that God taketh a singular delight in the forgiuenes of our sins Secondly lastly the forgiuenes of our sins turneth to the praise of the glorie of his grace For the Saints that tast and trie the mercy of the Lord sing praise in the memoriall remembrance thereof as Dauid willeth them yea and hauing felt the mercie of God in the forgiuenes of their offences with Dauid they acknowledge to the praise of the glorie of God that the Lord is very kind and mercifull also and that in God compassion doth plentifully flow And with the elect of God they fall downe before the throne of his grace giue honor and glory and power and praise vnto God that hath redeemed them from this wicked world their offences and made them kings and priests vnto the Lord a holy nation and a royall priesthood And as Schollers accept pardon from their Tutors seruants from their maisters sons from their parents subiects froÌ„ their priâ—ces with all humble thanks so the elect accept with all thanks vnto the Lord the cup of their saluation the pardon for their sins bowing the knees of their soules vnto the God of all mercie and the father of all comfort falling down vpon their faces giuing thanks to him that liueth for euer and euer that washeth them by his bloud from all their sinnes and transgressions And therefore sith it turneth vnto the aduaÌ„cing of the glory of God vnto the magnifying of his mercie and is also of the essence and nature of God to forgiue our sinnes we may be assured that as the Lord hath a singular delight therein so a speciall readines therevnto For euen men we see by experience willingly do those things wherein they are delighted We may therfore hereto conclude that as the fire cannot chuse but burn sith it is his nature so God cannot chuse but forgiue vs our offences sith it is naturall vnto him He is mercifull for he is mercie it selfe and that especially vnto miserable sinners for where there is no miserie there can be no mercie The second Section The mercie of the Lord stretcheth it selfe euen to the beastes of the field Thou Lord saith the prophet Dauid in his 30 Psalme doth saue both man and beast And againe in his 147 Psalme the Lord saith the Psalmist is good to all his mercies are ouer all his works Doth the Lord shew mercie to the beasts of the field and will he not extend the same to man created according to his own image is he gracious vnto sencelesse creatures and will he not be gracious vnto reasonable creatures Doth his mercie stretch it selfe to the baser workes of his hands and shall it thinkest thou be shut vp from thee the most excellent workmaÌ„ship of al other whatsoeuer creatures vpon the earth Thou hast had experience of the manifold mercies of God towards thy body He gaue thee life wheÌ„ thou wert not he brought thee vp vnto mans estate wheÌ„ yet thou wert but weak thou wert sicke and he healed thee weake and he strengthened thee hungrie and he fed thee thirstie and he satisfied thee naked he cloathed thee sorrowfull and he comforted theerin misery and he releeued thee he is the God of thy body and therefore good vnto thy body so is hee the father of spirits and God of all mercie and therfore will be fauourable vnto thy spirit I meane vnto thy soule as wel as vnto thy bodie For the father of all mercie is the father of spirits as well as he is the God of thy body And therefore thou maiest look for the same fauour in healing the infirmities euen the sinnes of thy soule that thou foundest in curing
the sicknes and weaknes of thy bodie The Lord is mercifull euen towards his enemies euen to the froward and vngodly man he maketh his rain to fall vpon the good and the bad his sun to shine vpon the iust and the vniust He giueth foode euen vnto the godlesse and vnrighteâ—us man euen to him that stubbornly opposeth himself against his maiesty If the Lord be so mercifull to his enemies how merciful will he be to his friends If to the reprobates what mercy will he shew to his elect If to his slaues what to his sons If to the vessels of wrath what to the vessels of mercie If to the froward what to the meeke If to the obstinate what mercie will hee shew to the mourners especially sith all the promises of God are made either only or especially to them that are filled with sorrow for their sinnes Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Mat. 7. Blessed are they that weepe for they shall laugh and reioyce Luke 6. And againe to whome shall I looke saith the Lord Es 66. euen to him that is poor that is broken in spirit and that trembleth at my wordes and for the most part all other the promises of God are made to the sicke to the sinners to the lost and to them that are heauy loden Thou therfore that mournest that tremblest and art grieued with thy sinnes maiest after a more especiall manner assure thy selfe of Gods mercie to releeue thy miserie euen the miserie of thy soule and thy sinne Thou thy selfe shewest mercie euen vnto thy brother thy seruant offendeth thee and thou pardonest him thy sonne dishonoreth thee and thou for bearest him thy neighbor despiseth thee and thou forgiuest him yea thy dogge and thy beast resisteth thee yea displeaseth thee and yet thou passest by it is there more mercie in thee to thy neighbour than is in thy God to thee Art thou more kinde to thy seâ—uant nay to thy dog than God is vnto thee Canst and doest thou forgiue thy brother that offendeth thee aâ—d will not God forgiue thee offending his Maiestie Is there more mercie in man than in God Nay is not this mercy in man an image of the mercie of God according to the which wee were framed So that thou maiest behold the mercie of God towards thee in the vse of thy mercie towards thy brother Dooth not Christ plainly teach vs that if we forgiue men that trespasse against vs our heauenly Father will and shall forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs If therfore thou being greeued for thy sinnes desirest to be assured that they are forgiuen reioyce when thou seest any man offend thee Knowing that thereby the Lord hath offered vnto thee an outward signe and an assured argument to prooue the forgiuenes of thy sinnes vnto thy owne soule and conscience For if thou forgiuest thy brother thy God also will forgiue thee For the Lord will contend and striue with thee in the forgiuenesse of sinnes as whether thou shalt forgiue more offences to thy brother or thy God vnto thee and the Lord will ouercome and goe before thee herein For as he is infinit so his mercy is endlesse And as in a line one poiâ—t is continued to another so in the meâ—cies of God the end of one is the beginning of a new mercie from the Lord. It is therefore a very profitable way to feele the mercie of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eueÌ„ to pâ—ouoke the Lord to mercie towards our selues by shewing mercie towards our brethren For if wee shall contend with the Lord in shewing mercie namely whether we shal shew more mercy to our brethren or our God to vs we shall be sure to be ouercome and the Lord will get the victorie And herein it is both glorious and profitable and also comfortable for vs to be ouercome of the Lord for his victorie is our triumph The wicked and those that are lulled asleepe in the depth of their owne sins can confesse and acknowledge the truth of the mercie of the Lord and can say though in the flatterie of their owne soules that God is mercifull that God is mercifull Can the Scorners to whom the mercie of the Lord doth not appertaine acknowledge the mercie of God and the forgiuenesse of their sins And canst not thou to whom all the promises of meâ—cie do belong apply the same vnto thy selfe and acknowledge with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart that thy sins are forgiuen Why shouldest not thou doe that fruitfâ—lly which those men doe vnprofitably Why not thou do that truely which they do falsly Why not thou do that comfortably which they do but flatteringly Imitate the Bee that sucketh honie out of that flower out of the which the Spider draweth poyson This is the first reason that is taken from the mercie of God which is naturall vnto him The 4. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by the â—onsideratioÌ„ of Gods iustiâ—e which is aâ—other nature essentiall vnto him by three speciall wayes First by reason that the Lord both promised to forgiue our sins in regard wheâ—eof it standeth with hiâ—â—ustice to performe the same Secondly for that he hath already punished Iesus Christ for our offences and therefore cannot in iustiâ—e punish them in vs also And lastly because he hath alreadie punished our persons in Christ so cannot iustly punish vs againe THe second kinde of reason is taken froÌ„ the iustice of God which is another nature essentiall to the Lord. From which also as well as from his mercy there ariseth a necessarie reason to perswade vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that many waies The first Section First for that the Lord hath promised to forgiue our sins as before hath been sufficiently proued in regard whereof it standeth with his iustice to performe the same And that also in such a necessitie as that either he must forgiue vs our offences according to his word or els wee must account him vnfaithfull in the breach of his promises or els which were horrible to think or iudge him to be an hypocrite or a dissembler in pretending one thing and intending another or else inconstant in altering that which he hath spoken with his lips he must be thoght which were moÌ„strous to be vniust in lying against his truth For iniustice dooth not consist onely in workes but in words also and it appertaineth vnto a iust man to deale not only vprightly but truly also This iustice therefore of the Lord either must flatly be denied which were to denie God to be God or els the remission of our sins must of necessitie be both enforced and inferred And therefore Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter vrgeth this especiall reason saying If we confes out sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie And Dauid in his 103 Psalme in effect vseth the same reason
to perswade the forgiuenesse of our sins saying The mercie of the Lord endureth from age to age towards them that fear him and his iustice or as some translate it his righteousnes towards Childrens childreÌ„ And againe in his 116. Psalme the Prophet gathereth the saâ—ing health of the Lord not onely from his mercy but also from his iustice and therefore he ioyneth them both together to approoue the same saying The Lord is gracious iust our God I say is mercifull the Lord that saueth the simple when I am brought low sheweth his saluation vnto me Many other are those places that vrge the same reason to confirme vnto vs the forgiuenes of our sins and therfore in this first respect we may boldly and truely proue vnto our selues the remission of our sinnes from the iustice of God for it is a iust thing with the Lord according to his promises to forgiue vs our offences The second Section Secondly the Lord hath already punished Iesus Christ for our offences therefore cannot in iustice punish them in vs also For as Esay testifieth in his 73 chapter hee was punished for our sins he was broken for our iniquitie we all erred as a sheepe euerie one of vs turned to his own way and the Lord made the punishment of vs all to fall vppon him What could be spoken more plainly for the proofe hereof than this which the Prophet heâ—e by the spirite of God deliuereth vnto vs For we offended Christ was punished the seruaÌ„t displeased his Lord the father beat his son for it dealing herein with vs as hee did with Dauid Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie and the child that was borne in adulterie died for it Dauid caused his subiects to be numbred and the people in great multitudes were slaine therefore Or rather as Tutors vnto Princes childreÌ„ deale with their pupils if they commit a fault their seruants are beaten but herein is the difference there the seruant is beaten for the son but here the son for the seruant the naturall sonne for the vnnaturall child the onely begotten for the adopted son the gracious son for the sonne by grace the beloued for his enemies So Christ was punished and we are pardoned Christ was charged with and wee discharged from our sins For the Lord tooke him for the offendor and punished him as the offendor It standeth not therefore with Gods iustice to punish those our sins in our selues that he alreadie charged vpon his son and our Sauiour Iesus Christ But the equity of this shal the better appeare if we shall consider that our sins are called and are indeed those debts which wee ought vnto the Lord. For the payment whereof Christ entred into bonds with this condition therein â—ndorsed that if we in any part failed he of his owne substance would satisfie the whole Now such was our beggery that we were not able to satisfie the same such was the wisedome of God that he would not seek by rigor of law to recouer the debt of vs poore men the best richest of vs being but beggarly mates and therefore in no likely-hood able to make payment therof to his Maiesty albeit he troubled suâ—d vs neuer so loÌ„g The lord therfore seeing that it was but lost lâ—bor that was spent vpon vs commenced his action in great wisedome against Christ being fully as rich in glory in graces righteousnes as hiâ—self therfore euery way able to satisfie the whole who accordingly of his owne substance euen of the substance of his bodie and blood paid vnto God the Father whatsoeuer in iustice either hee could demand or we ought We ought to die he satisfied the same we ought to haue born the heauie wrath and displeasure of the father he satisfied the same we ought to haue ben cast into hell and he satisfied also the same as we beleeue in our Creed and generally whatsoeuer we ought he fully contented and payd vnto the Lord insomuch that the father himselfe acknowledged and confessed in thunder from heauen that in him hee was well pleased euen fully satisfied and contented So that eueÌ„ by the confession of the Father himselfe solemnely made from the heauens by his owne mouth in the hearing of many witnesses who haue left the same for a matter of record for our selues our heirs and all posteritie it plainely appeareth that by Christ he himselfe is fully satisfied contented paid and pleased and wee therfore and therby are fully and freely acquitted and discharged from the beginning of the world vnto the end therof froÌ„ all whatsoeuer debt of sin we ought vnto the Lord. And that euen in the iustice of the Lord who cannot demaund that as debt of vs which Christ hath so fully satisfied for vs especially hauing for euer this general quittance writteÌ„ by the Lords own finger to shew for our full discharge So that euen by law we haue a discharge from law and from all our offences and sinnes which were those debts for the paiment wherof we were bouÌ„d vnto the Lord. So that the Lord cannot enter into iudgement with vs nor by the rigour of the lawe claime any debt at our hands For with what iustice can the Lord demaund any debt at our hands when Christ our suretie who stood bound for vs hath by the Lords owne confession satisfied whatsoeuer he could demaund and hath cancelled the hand writing that was against vs So that how or by what means would the Lord recouer any debt from vs can bee sue his band against vs why he hath none for it is cancelled Or be it that he hath why yet we haue both the Lords own confession recorded and also sufficient witnesses yea a generall quittance in these words mentioned and fully set downe written by the Lords owne hand for our full discharge The Lord hath quite claimed all interest in our debts and therefore can claime no interest in them against vs The law of nations the law of nature the law of our land and the law of God cleere vs of all euen of all our debts of all our sinnes of all our transgressions and offences whatsoeuer Thus then it appeareth euen by the iustice of god that our sinnes are cleane blotted out and forgiuen And this is the second reason therfrom that argueth the same The third Section Lastly the Lord hath alâ—eady punished not onely our sinnes but for and with them our owne persons in Christ For Christ did not beare onely the punishment for our sinnes but our sins themselues also According as Esay beareth witnesse in his 53 Chapter where hee speaking of Christ saith that hee bare our infirmities and caried our griefes And againe in the same place My iust seruant saith hee shall iustifie many whose sins he hath taken vpon himselfe And again he carying the sins of many made intercession for sinners For he is that true Goat mentioned in the 16 of Leuiticus vpon whome the sinnes of all the people of God were
to pardon and to procure the forgiuenes of our sinnes at the hands of his father laid downe his owne life much more hauing power in his owne hands to forgiue vs will giue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Being therefore iustified by his bloud much more being now iustified shall wee be saued from wrath by him For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saued by his life As Paul reasoneth in the fift to the Romans And therefore this first reason may perswade vs that Christ that hath power in his hands to forgiue vs our sinnes will easily be mooued to pardon them 2 Secondly this is farther perswaded vnto vs by the consideration of his practise and behauiour being here vpon the earth which alwaies was most ful of mercy of kindnesse of gentlenesse and of meeknesse who euer came vnto him for sight and went away blind for hearing and went away deafe for speech and went away dumbe for legges and went away lame for health and went away sick for comfort and went away sorrowfull for the forgiuenesse of hiâ— sinnes and went away a sinner who euer came to the Lord and went away confounded and ashamed The sicke of the Palsey vnto him but for health of the body and he gaue him also vnsought for the health of soule saying vnto him son thy sins are forgiuen thee The woman that was brought vnto him for iudgement being taken in adulterie found mercy at his hand in stead of iudgement and life in stead of death Woman quoth he where are thine accusers hath no man condemned thee neither do I go thy waies and sin no more The Iewes that crucified him and put him being the Lord of life vnto death beleeuing and being baptised into his name for the remission of their sins were receiued to mercie yea hanging vpon the crosse hee praied for his persecutors saying Father lay not this sinne vnto their charge for they know not what they doe His disciples would as Elias haue commaunded fire to come downe from heauen and consumed his enemies but he reproued them saying Yee know not of what spirit you are Such a one is Christ still hee hath changed his place but not his nature his mercie is rather increased with his honour and his meekenesse with his glory The heauens make him not more churlish which were rather hellish than heauenly but more kinde and louing to all that faithfully call vpon him For we must not thinke the God of all glorie to be like vnto corrupt prophane man whom honor puffeth vp and maketh so much the more proude and scornefull by how much the more glorious he is but we must rather take him measure him by the farthest distance therefrom euen by the cleane contrarie therevnto For therefore is the manner of Christ his life with men described that we may know how hee liueth with God That we knowing his meeknesse on the earth might looke for his mercie froÌ„ the heauens And this iâ— the second consideration that may induce vs thereunto 3 Lastly this his mercie and readinesse to forgiue vs may the rather appeare vnto vs by the promises of mercie made vnto all those that come vnto him As namely theâ—e where he saith come vnto me all yee that are heauie loaden and I will ease you And again standing in the temple in the great day of the feast he cried a loud saying If any man thirst let him come to me and I will satisfie him And again to the woman of Samaria if thou knowest who it were that saith vnto thee giue me water thou worldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen vnto thee waters of the well of life of which whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer hunger nor thirst more So that by these promises of Christ both to giue and to forgiue to giue graces and to forgiue our sinnes we are most fully resolued in this point Knowing that that Christ that is able is also wâ— ling that hath power hath also promised that hath full authoritie of himselfe hath also full will as himselfe to forgiue vs our offences So that Christ hauing full power of himselfe to forgiue our sinnes and we being assured of his willingnes therevnto both by his promise his practise and the bloud of his crosse we may be fully hereby perswaded of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Oh if a theefe had such assurance of his Iudge or a traitour of his king how would it cheâ—â—e his dying soule wee haue this strong assurance of our Iudg of Christ our Lord and King and why doe wee not cheere in the knowledge hereof Oh let no feare of death or sin feare vs so long as the Lord of life and â—ighteousnesse is our King and gouerneth vs it is the Lord that iustifieth and who shall condemne vs it is Christ that dyed yea which is risen from the dead yea which sitteth at the right hand of God the Father who also intreateth for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or nakednesse or daunger or sword no we are more than Conquerours by him which hath loued vs as the Apostle teacheth vs in the eight to the Romanes This then is the third consideration of Christ that confirmeth vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes The 8. Chapter VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is proued by consideâ—ing Christ as hee is our Physitian that with his own blood cureth and healeth all our infirmities both corporall and spirituall FOurthly the forgiuenes of our sins is argued by considering Christ as a sacrifice for sinne sweet smelling holy and acceptable vnto God as a peace-offering Yea a sinne offering yea as that immaculate and Paschall lambe by whose blood we for euer attaine the forgiuenes of our sins and that in a double respect First for that Christ is that good Phisition who not by the roots of China or the trees of America by Paraâ—elsus his minerals or Gallens his simples but by his owne most precious blood helpeth all our infirmities For the blood of Christ is that purgation that clenseth and purgeth away euen from the verie soule and not from the bodie onely which were but small thing in respect of this all the corruption infection and filth thereof For as S. Iohn saith the bloud of Christ purgeth vs from all our sins that therefore is the onely purger of the soule which worketh according to the Dos or gift of Christ the phisition of the soule strongly vpon the corruptions thereof and bringeth them and expelleth them all quite and cleane out of the same Oh if Galle or Hyppoâ—rates or Paracelsus or other doctors of phisicke had been consulted with if they had ben sent for to practise vpon the same if they had ministred either pils or potions or confections or boles or electuaries if they had ministred Rubarbe or Cassia or Tamarnidi or the Greeke pill or any such
portion therein which is due vnto thee If they shall say vnto thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee it is all one as if the Lord himselfe had said so much vnto thee For they are the Lords seruants not onely as other men to doe their maisters will but his message also not onely to serue him in doing but with going also not onely to come when they are called but to runne when they are sent For they are as it were the Lords footmen which are sent by him to doe his message and to signifie his minde vnto thee And therefore is it that the Apostle asketh in the tenth to the Romanes how they shall heare without a Preacher and how they shall preach except they be sent So that when the Minister commeth vnto thee to comfort thee to assure thee of the forgiuenes of thy sins thou must know for a certaintie that he is sent vnto thee by the Lord to do this his message vnto thee to tell thee euen from the Lords owne mouth that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And this thou maiest and must assure thy selfe of whether he come vnto thee either voluntarie without thy procurement as Nathan did vnto Dauid who said vnto him hearing the confession of his sin and the Lord hath taken away thy sinne that thou shalt not die for it and as Christ came voluntarily vnto the Iewes without their sending for him the spirit of God hauing annointed him and sent him to preach the glad tidings of the Gospel euen vnto so many as were a far off or whether hee come vnto thee being sent for by thee as Peter was by Cornelius who although hee came vnto Cornelius being sent for by him yet both was Peter by the vision which hee saw warned by God himselfe to goe also Cornelius commanded to send for him by an Angell but thou by the spirit And therefore when the Minister commeth vnto thee to tell thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee assure thy selfe as the truth is in Christ Iesus that whether hee come by thy procurement or without thy procuremeÌ„t he was sent to thee by the Lord to signifie so much of his gracious pleasure vnto thee For euerie faithfull Minister is the seruant of the Lord sent from the Lord himselfe to doe his message yea he is the Embassador of the Lord. For as Paul sheweth 2. Cor. 7.20 we are Christâ— embassadors for you As therefore the embassador representeth the person of the Lord his king that sent him so doth the Minister of the gospel being the Lords embassador represent the person of the Lord his Prince Christ Iesus and so ought to be taken euen as an earthly embassador is with the kings princes of the world As therefore this is true which Paule in the fore-mentioned place saith namely that wee come as Embassadours in the name of Christ as though God himself intreated you by vs so we intreat you in the name of Christ to be reconciled vnto God So likewise this is true namely that wee come as Embassadours in the name of Christ as though God himself spake vnto you so wee say vnto you in the name of Christ that your sins are forgiuen you And therefore when thou seest the embassador of the Lord which is his Minister come vnto thee and tell thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee think with thy selfe that the Lord as it were by his owne mouth hath now told thee that he hath pardoned thine offences Yea the Ministers of the lord are the Angels of the Lord and so are called in the third of Malachy and the first verse in the second and third of the Reuelation in diuers other places For there Iohn Baptist the forerunner of Christ is called the Angell of God againe the Minister of Ephesus of Philadelphia of Smyrna of Pargama is called the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Philadelphia Smyrna Pargama â—nd so forth to teach vs that so we should account of the Ministers of the Gospel as of the Angels of God and of their message in the name of Christ as if an Angell of glorie from heauen should haue told vs the same Now if an Angel should haue spoken to thee as he did vnto Manoah or vnto Mary the mother of Christ at his conception or vnto Mary Magdalen at his graue or the Disciples at his ascention or vnto Iohn in the Reuelation or as vnto Christ in his agonie thou wouldest I hope be satisfied and comforted therewith And why then art thou not aswell certified by the testimonie of the Ministers which are in like manner as thou knowest aswel the Angels of god as they although indeed herein they differ the one is an heauenly the other an earthly the one a more glorâ—ous the other a more baser Angell yet they are both the Angels of the Lord both the one and the other And theâ—fore thou oughtest in this message of God to giue as much credite to the one as to the other as much vnto Esay as vnto Gab iel vnto Paul as vnto Michael if we may tâ—uely cal him an Angell as much vnto Moses and the Prophets as to a man rising from the dead as much vnto the earthly Angels as vnto the angels of heauen For thou oughtest not to respect so much the messenger as the Maister the seruant as the Lord the Embassador as the Prince the beautie as the officer of the Messenger except thou wilt be an accepter of persons But if thou wilt needs respect the person regard the person of God which is common to the Ministers with the Angels of glory For aswell doth the Minister of god as the angels of God beare and represent the person of God Thou must not think the grace to be lesse gracious sith the messeÌ„ger is not so graced nor the treasure to be of lesse value beâ—â—se it is brought vnto thee by or in an caâ—â—heÌ„ vessell For the word of the Lord is the same in the mouth of a man of a throne in the earthly in the heauenly Angell Notwithstanding it is more for thy profit to haue this message done vnto thee by a man than by an Angel of glory And that both because such is thâ— excellencie of the glorie of an Angell oâ— light that thou canst not endure thâ— brightnes of his presence and also because thou neither canst bee so familiar with him as thou desirest and shouldest be to deliuer thine estate nor yet canst at al times when thou desirest being oâ— the earth haue conference and recourse vnto the Angels being in heauen The Lord therefore ascending vp on high gaue among other gifts this gift also of great value vnto his Church and vnto thy selfe euen Pastors Doctors thâ—â— is the Ministers of the Gospell of God 〈◊〉 euen the earthly Angels that should bâ— continually and familiarly conuersant 〈◊〉 dwelling with earthly men that mighâ— after a more familiar lesse fearful maner declare vnto theÌ„ the
therefore wee can neither straine him nor constraine him to fu fiâ—l his promise wee cannot sue him vpon an assumpsit But be it that we couâ—d he would find some one cause or other he would finde some demurre or pick some quarrell against vs and so would easily find a staffe to beare a dogge as the prouerbe is And herein he setteth the Lord before vs as it were a tyrant who albeit he promise neâ—er so much performe neuer a deale yet no â—an is able by reason of his force to inforce him thereunto And by this counter buffe he so buffeteth vs that we are reaâ—ie to staggeâ— at the pâ—omises of God But if this will not serue he will run with vs to the second reason which is taken from the mercie of God And hee will graunt it yea and say it is true God is me cifâ—ll indeed he gaue thee this and that blessing and benefit thou wert sicke and he healed thee poore he enriched thee base and he honoured thee miserable and he releeued thee yea he gaue thee of his spirit the ioyes of the holy Ghost the peace of conscience hee lifted the light of his countenance vpon thee and reuealed vnto thee himselfe his sonne Iesus Christ These benefits will he say as thou knowest should haue mooued thee vnto repentance but thou according to the hardnesse of thine own hart that cannot repent hast sinned against the Lord and so heaped and hoorded vp wrath against the day of wrath the reuelation of the iust iudgmeÌ„t of God Indeed will he say if thou hadst neuer receiued these graces from God then had there been left vnto thee some more hope but now after thou hast receiued all these graces to fall away to quench the spirit and grieue the holy Ghost whereby thou wert sealed vnto the day of redemption is such a sinne as cannot be pardoned And to this purpose he will alledge the saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes in the sixt Chapter where hee saith that it is impossible that they which haue been once enlightened and haue tasted the heauenly gift and been partaker of the holy Ghost and haue tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to be renewed by repentance And by this meanes and testimonie of the spirit of God hee exceedingly terrifieth the conscience and will neuer suffer it to haue peace vntill it shall please the Lord to giue thereunto the right vse sense of this place wherwith Sathan being repulsed assaulteth them afresh reasoning from the former mercie of God to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes after this manner saying thou haddest sinned before in the like maner and in the same matter and that not once or twise but oftentimes and the Lord pardoned thee and now doest thou think that he will pardon thee againe Why art thou not ashamed to come againe vnto the Lord and craue pardon for this sinne With what face will hee say canst thou look vpon the Lord Why me thinketh that thou shouldest be ashamed to trouble the Lord so often with thy prayers and requests Indeed will he say if it had been the first or second time then it had beene more tollerable but now after the fift or sixt time or more again to trouble the Lord with thy requests it is neither for thy honestie nor for the Lords ease to be troubled so often about one matter and by this means he maketh vs sometime for shame to ruâ— From the Lord and with Adâ—m being ashamed to hide our selues in the woods fâ—om the presence of the Lord and not to dare to craue pardon againe for our sins vntill wee haue learned the nature of the Lords mercie with the prodigall sonne setting all shaâ—e aside to retuâ—ne to our father and to confesse that we haue sinned against heauen and against our God that we are not worthy to be cal ed hiâ— sons and also that shame and confusion belongeth to vs but mercie forgiuenes vnto the Lord If he see that this reason will not serue the turne hee will turne ouer the leafe with vs and come to the third reason which is taken from the iustice of God And from thence hee will reason after this manner saying Thou knowest that the Lord is a iust God a reuenger of all disobedience offered vnto his Maiestie and such a one as in the middest of his mercie thinketh on iustice and therefore he will not no nor cannot bee appeared vntill he hath eased himself of hiâ— enemies and auenged himselfe of thy sinnes And the rather to perswade this he will tell vs that it is a fearefull thing to fal into the hands of the liuing Lord and that no adulterer fornicator couetous person murderer or such like shall enter into the kingdome of God or Iesus Christ but shall haue his portion in that lake that burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death as the spirit testifieth And the more deeply to perswade this vnto the conscience hee will set before vs the son of Gods loue Iesus Christ and tell vs that the Lord spared no not his owne sonne who had put our sinnes vpon him and how then shall he spare vs yea he will set before our eies the wrath of God poured vpon Cain for his murder vpon the Beniaminites for their adulterie vpon Corah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion who went downe quicke into hell and vpon the Sodomits whom the Lord destroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen for their sinne yea he will set before our eies the threatnings of God who hath threatned death and damnation to all that shal transgresse his laws and those curses contained in the law of God denounced against the wicked And as they which are in securitie shall hear froÌ„ Sathan nothing els but mercy mercie so they that are afflicted shall find nothing from Sathan but iustice iustice wrath vengeance and displeasure And by this means it is incredible what feare and trembling he breedeth in the hearts of the mourners and by that means how hardly they are broght that hear nothing see nothing feele nothing but Gods iustice to imbrace and beleeue his mercie And by this reason he continually terrifieth the conscience vntill it knowe that both the wrath of God was appeased in Christ Iesus who in our person and for our sin was punished and so the iustice of God was executed in and vpon him and also that as the law with the threatnings thereof appertaineth vnto the obstinate so the promises with the grace of God not the lawe appertaine vnto them that are trulie humbled and in Iesus Christ For they that are in Christ saith the Apostle are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Now if Sathan see that none of these reasons from the Father will serue his turne hee will run with vs vnto Christ and will tell vs that there was neuer any such man as Christ was or
the diuels throat with his owne sword and as a bee suck hony out of that flower out of the which he as the spider sucketh poyson FINIS The Contents of the Chapters contained in this Booke Chap. 1 Wherein it is declared that there is liuely hope of comfort left vnto all them that mourne vnder the burden of their sinnes Fol. 1 Chap. 2 In the first part whereof are set downe the expresse promises of God concerning the free forgiuenes of sins in the latter is declared first that the same promises of mercie are deliuered vnto vs in the word of God then that they are bound by his oath thirdly that they are also bound by his Indenture of couenants lastly that they are confirmed by two visible signs and tokens in stead of wonders to wit Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Fol. 7 Chap. 3 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is proued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substaÌ„ce and nature Fol. 55 Chap. 4 VVherin the forgiunes of sins is proued by the consideratioÌ„ of gods iustice which is another nature essentiall vnto him by three especiall waies First by reason that the Lord hath promised to forgiue our sins in regard wherof it standeth with his iustice to performe the same Secondly for that he hath alreaddy punished Iesus Christ for our offences and therefore cannot in iustice punish them in vs also And lastly because he hath already punished our persons in Christ and so cannot iustly punish vs againe Fol. 69 Chap. 5 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by a reason taken from the seâ—ond person in the Trinitie to wit the woâ—d Incarnate euen Iesus Christ being considered as he is the vine and the braunches Fol. 85 Chap. 6 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is pâ—oued by considering Iesus Christ as hee is our aduocate and intercessour and the mediator of the new Testament Fol 89 Chap. 7 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by considering Iesus Christ as he is our king and spirituall prince Fol. 98 Chap. 8 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is pâ—oued by considering Christ as hee is our Physition that with his bloud cureth healeth all our infirmities both corporall and spirituall Fol. 107 Chap. 9 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by considering christ as hee is our redeemer who hath with his own body purchased of his Father the pardon for our sins and with his owne bloud ransomed vs and paid the price of theredemption of our sins Fol. 114 Chap. 10 VVherin are touched two reason taken from the spirit of God the holy Ghost being the third person in the Trinitie The first as the spirit is considered to worke repentance contrition in vs and so washeth vs from our sin The other as the spirit breedeth worketh peace in our conscience wherwith the forgiuenes of our sins is sealed Fol. 118 Chap. 11 VVhereâ—n is contained the first argument or reason which to proue the forgiuenes of sins is taken from the creature the reasons beeing before taken from the creator and that from man considered in himselfe with his estate being naturally inclined to sin Fol. 120 Chap. 12 VVherin is contained the second reasoÌ„ taken from man to proue the forgiuenes of sins by the consideration of our infancie we neuer being but new borne babes so long as we liue Fol. 125 Chap. 13 VVherin is contained the first reason taken from sin it selfe which is drawne from the name of sin being called our debt Fol. 128 Chap. 14 VVherein is contained the second reason taken from sin it selfe to proue forgiuenes of sins which ariseth from the effect of sin seruing to setforth the abundance of the grace of God and to magnifie his power Fol. 131 Chap. 15 VVherin is contained the first reason taken from man as he is considered in others which is drawne from the examples of other men by which the eternity of the forgiuenes of sins is further assured vnto vs. Fol. 134 Chap. 16 VVherin is contained the second reasoÌ„ taken from man being considered in others which is drawne from the testimony of others as of the Ministers of the word of God of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles and all other holy men of God who as faithfull witnesses announce confirme the furgiuenesse 〈…〉