of a thing that is not remembred For our owne parts let vs know that as Sathan laboureth to root out of our hearts generally all the seede of the worde that thereby keeping vs in blindnesse and ignorance hee maie make vs runne riot at his pleasure so especially he trauaileth either to hinder vs from receiuing or hauing receiued from making good vse of the sweet comfortable promises of the worde the verie matter if I may so saie and a speciall meane I am sure of our spirituall comforte For the redressing and repressing also of which enormities in vs a godly man that is in some sorte ignorant should laboure to abound in the knowledge of them as he that is forgetfull should refresh his memorie by often reading meditation and cōference in them and that not onely by and with his owne heart but euen by other men also and they that want feeling of them should looke vnto Iesus Christ in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen and should be much and often in the vse of all the meanes wherby Christ is become ours as the word sacraments praier sasting c. But aboue all they should regard and labour for the holie spirit to be shed abroad in their hearts both to make all these things before named powerfull in them and to pledge vp also the truth and certaintie of the promises themselues because it is the carnest pennie of our adoption and inheritance That so sith sathan there laboureth to assault vs most and shake our faith as in that behalfe wee might thither bring all our aides and defences as they doe that are in a besieged hold and so we better made able not onely to indure the assault but to driue our foes with their forces from our gates walles And hee or shee or they whosoeuer that can do this they maie wel assure their hearts that howsoeuer they maie now then or for a while be buffeted beaten yet they shal neuer be vanquished or ouercome because he that is in thē with them for thē by himself his blessed spirit and all other effectuall meanes of consolation and comfort is stronger greater than al. Secondly it is verie fit and meet for confutation of a conceit that riseth vp in mens minds yea is deliuered also by the mouthes of some specially our popish aduersaries who tell vs that this propounding of comfort in the promises of the Gospell acquainting the people therwith maketh mensecure carelesse But herein surely they shew themselues blinde blockish as who haue not yet learned to distinguish betweene a thing good in it selfe and mans corruption abusing that which is good They may by the selfe same reason abolish all the other parts of the word and disanull or euacuate the sacraments because infinite thousands in the world abuse them to the increase of sin and licentiousnesse in themselues yea if they will or can make frustrate Gods grace because manie turne it into wantonnes and say sith is this true that where sin hath abounded there grace hath superabounded therefore let vs continue in sinne that grace maie abound And if for or in outward things we should reason as they doe and haue it followed that so is deliuered we might easily bring all disorder and confusion into the world and ouerthrowe the whole course and rase of mankinde Some abuse drinke to drunkennes and other some meate to gluttonie and gourmandise therefore there must be no vse of meate and drinke what is this els but to starue the excellētest of Gods creatures man I meane Many abuse apparell to pride and puffing vp It were best therefore to haue men goe naked which what were it els but to become or bring in new Adamites Diuers turne magistracy authoritie into tyrannie and therefore with the Anabaptists away with all ciuill authoritie and gouerment which what were it els but to bring in Anarchie worse than tyrannie by much But to the point indeed The promises of themselues and in the seruants of GOD bring forth no such effect For as they are deliuered for the comfort and consolation of them that are afflicted and mourne in Sion as may appeare in euerie place where they are alledged namely in the two first verses of the 40. chapter of Isay and tend indeede to manifest Gods loue and mercy that so in the truth and performance of his word wee might bee well assured that nothing should put an eternall separatiō between him and vs that hath loued vs so tenderly and giuen vs such gracious promises of truth life So surely the doctrine euery where adioyned to those promises in the word doth plainely shew that God meaneth not to make men secure and carelesse thereby or would haue them to inferre anie such thing thereupon And therefore when in the latter end of the sixt chapter of the second epistle to the Corinth hee had alledged manie promises of peace goodnes he beginneth the seuenth Chapter thus Seeing thē wee haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all fi lt hines of the flesh the spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God And the like he doth in the second chapter of the second epistle to Timothy saying The strong foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his but withall let euery one that calleth vpon the name of Christ depart frō iniquity And let this suffice for these wordes of the 28. vers with the rest I cannot proceed because we haue been somewhat long and as I am wearie in my selfe so am I loath to bee troublous or tedious vnto you God may be pleased hereafter to giue both occasion time and place to pursue these things and to finish the residue In the meane while it shall not bee amisse in a word or two to apply that hath been saide to our persent assemblie and causes thereof and so to shut vp this exercise The causes that haue moued vs thereto are great grieuous iniquities preuailing vpon al euery one of vs the heauie rod of penurie and scarsity that ouerfloweth the land warres and rumors of warres and the same intended and threatned against vs both outward and inward at home and abroad To diuert or turne away the punishments for our sinnes and the iudgements that wee confesse and acknowledge we haue iustly deserued therefore no outwarde thing will serue though it bee neuer so great glittering or seeme neuer so pleasant or painefull but soundnes of heart and humble walking with our God in all our waies and all the dayes of our liues To this we haue been exhorted and prouoked by manifolde good meanes and namely by propounding singular comforts and consolations which the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto vs the better to meet with our backwardnes from approching to him wee being sometimes discouraged from doing of that dutie by his almightie greatnes and excellencie and sometimes let from it by the consideration of our owne base and vnworthie estate But yet sith hee hath so louingly and fatherly called vs and for our better incouragement giuen vs gracious promises let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our inward parts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water And so no doubt the punishments wee presently feele shal be remooued the feare of our foes at home and abroad shall be put farre away and wee shall not need to dread the curses of that Balaam of Rome not the vaunts and attempts of that proud and persecuting notion of Spaine nor of anie other our enemies bodily or ghostly because that our consciences being quieted with the comforta blefeeling of all Gods fauours and specially of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules wee may comfortably say as the saithfull that haue gone before vs haue done I will not bee afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Nay though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will yet feare none ill for thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comforte mee Yea that wee are perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now let vs pray that God would giue a rich and plentifull blessing in our seuerall hearts to al the good things that haue been deliuered vnto vs at this time and let vs humbly intreat him to make them profitable in vs not onely for this present but for all the daies of our liues to his glorie and our euerlasting comforte thorowe Christ FINIS
acknowledge the trueth of this namely that the state and condition of a man or woman wounded in spirit is not so hard or heauy so dangerous or deadlie as many times we take it or men make it to be But now let vs descende to the vses of it By all this wee may see howe much they are out of the way that iudge the disquiet and distressed estate of Gods people in this worlde either by God to bee layde vpon them for sinne which is false for God doth not alwayes punish his for their iniquities and there are many causes that may mooue the godly to mourne as well as for their owne sinnes for examples the mischiefes intended and practised against the Church the disorders and breaches of the common wealth the generall ouerflowing of sinne and iniquitie in others with sundry such like or els take it to be meer madnes in them or at least superfluitie and predominance and ouerruling of melancholie As for madnesse surely call it by what name you wil frensie lunacie or I cannot tell what it cannot be so for then it should goe and come according to the increase and waning of the Moone and should cause them affected therewith to be so vnorderly yea so vnruly as no man or matter almost should be able to holde or guide them But those that are in this way touched we know to bee for the most part in one estate and so farre from vnrulines that they are very meeke patient and ready to be guided hauing so profited vnder the hand of God and by the feeling of their owne vnworthinesse that if any come to them and handle them roughly in word or deed they beare it with quietnesse and say in some measure as the faithfull doe in the Prophet Micah J will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgment for me at which time hee will bring mee foorth to the light I shal see his righteousnes And as for melancholy I will not deny indeede but that the conflict of conscience may be somewhat increased by abundance of that perillous humor And I thinke no man that knoweth what it meaneth and the conceits it worketh in them in whom it aboundeth will euer gainesay it But there is not all For if it were onely from thence why shoulde not all melancholike persons haue it in proportion according to the superaboundance of that humor in them But that is not so as dayly experience sheweth Or why should others and of other complexions also besides the melancholicke be sicke of this disease and that many times more dangerously then diuers of those that haue aboundance of melancholy bearing sway in them Surely God sheweth vs hereby not onely that their iudgement is corrupt that thus thinke but also that they are blinde and buzze out a word touching a matter that they haue small skill in and lesse experience of yea none at all Small skill because they knowe not the Scriptures nor the power of God without which indeede no man shall bee skilfully acquainted with these causes No experience because they neuer felte hell in their heartes or Gods wrath against men for sinne vnlesse it haue bin in them either as a flash of lightning for a while to make them without excuse or as a mighty fire and flame to torment them without ease that so they and the wicked that deny God heauen hell immortalitie of soule and all might see in themselues though they haue no comfort thereby but wonderfull terror rather how much they are seduced We say and we say truely that a blind man cānot discerne of colours And why so because he that must iudge thereof must both haue sight and wisedome One of these the blinde man lacketh if not both Yea we see many that notwithstanding they haue their eyes are not yet able for want of iudgement experience to discerne of the diuersitie of colours specially if so be they be mingled or compounded Hee that must determine rightly of this matter either as in regard of himselfe or as in respect of other men must haue more then the eyes of his head and more then the vnderstanding of his naturall heart for the naturall man perceiueth not the things that belong to the spirit of God neither indeed can he because they are spiritually discerned and he is carnall and sold vnder sinne Yea he must haue euen the eies of God and wisedome vnderstanding from aboue that is spirituall and such as he vouchsaueth to bestow onely vpon his owne children and to which also for their better incouragement of them in it of his owne mercy he promiseth a blessing in the 41. Psalme saying Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble The Lord wil keepe him and preserue him aliue hee shall bee blessed vpon the earth and thou wilt not deliuer him vnto the will of his enemies The Lord wil strengthen him vpon the bed of sorrow thou hast turned all his bed in his sicknes Wherefore when the afflicted person hath many times his griefes inlarged within him not onely by the sight and sense of his owne sinne and Gods wrath against the same but by this also that such a man and such a man thinketh so of him and sayth so of him wee may see hee hath in a readines and may easily answere euen for himselfe in this behalfe with the Apostle or as the Apostle did in another not much vnlike saying It is a small matter for me to be iudged of man or of mans daies the rather too because God hath not giuen iudgement vnto men but reserued it in his owne handes as who is best able euery way most rightly to pronounce Agayne hee may well and truely say thus to his owne soule they that so censure me are ignorant or vnexperienced or hard hearted or partiall and one way or another souly ouertaken and vnfitte to giue sentence they know not themselues or their owne estate howe shoulde they knowe mine We must stand or fall to the Lord and not vnto men With these such like are they to rayse vp their heartes and cheare their spirits against the blind vnexperienced rash yea vncharitable iudgement of other men hudled out thicke and threefold against them in the dayes of their affliction and sorrow And if in other cases of farre lighter waight the Apostle wil not haue vs to iudge one another but sharply reproueth it saying What art thou that iudgest another mans seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne Lord yea he shall be established for God is able to make him stand Shall we thinke hee woulde approue or beare so grosse a corruption and foule a fault as this No verely Let vs learne therefore to lay our hands euē vpon our hearts our mouths both not giue our selues libertie either to thinke euill of or to speake hardly of those
and he told vs not of it but as a vaine glorious person would take all to himselfe and more indeede then did belong vnto him then shall hee bee wrapped vp in a double transgression the one against his father towards whom he hath caried himselfe vnfaithfully whilest he hath not reuealed vnto vs all his counsels communicated vnto him for our good and the other towards man because he hath dealt deceitfully with vs in that he hath depriued vs of hope helpe that we might haue from others with or besides him But all these things are most false and vntrue for he was the faithfullest in all the house of God euen as a sonne and comming out of the Fathers bosome hath communicated vnto vs all his counsels and we knowe and beleeue that there was neuer guile found in his mouth And therefore that sense must of necessitie be true yea the onely true sense It followeth in the verse All ye that labour and are heauy laden As the former words respected the person calling and exhorting or commaunding vs to come vnto him so these words concerne them that are called exhorted or commaunded Wherein Christ first sheweth that he is free from all partiality or respect of persons in as much as indefinitely or generally hee calleth all heauie heartes and as it were commandeth them to repayre vnto him Which doth not onely serue to shew his great care and loue towards them whilest he both calleth them all and calleth them when they thinke least of any such matter for if we would respect him in his magnificence or men in their owne vnworthines what are they that should receiue any fauour specially so great a grace as this but also answereth that that many distressed spirits imagine that God hath promised or shewed fauour to such and such because of some rare singular grace in them and not for his owne mercies sake or for their miserable distressed estate But he that will well weigh the course of Gods workes that way or the trueth of the word he shall find this to be but an imagination of mans heart and head or a suggestion and temptation of Satan rather to hinder the course and passage of Gods grace and goodnes from troubled and afflicted soules For as for Gods mercies they are and must bee altogether free or else they are not mercies For who knoweth not that man in his best estate after regeneration cannot merit the meanest mercies of God not in thinges appertayning to this life no not in a crumme of bread or droppe of water much lesse spirituall graces and eternall life And though it be true that God acknowledgeth his owne graces in his owne seruants as the fruits of their fayth and good testimonies of their willing obedience yet he may if he will by reason of the imperfection that cleaueth thereto reiect all And no doubt would doe it as in regard of his absolute and exact iustice but that he hath prouided in Christ as a gracious meanes for the forgiuenesse of all our sinnes thorow his death so a plentifull supply of whatsoeuer is wanting in vs thorow the most perfect righteousnes that is in him And me thinketh we may see this to be true thorough the disclaime that Gods people haue made of all or any good thing in themselues as Dauid for example in the xvi Psalm My goodnes O Lord reacheth not vnto thee Isaiah for himselfe all the faithful Chap. 64. Our righteousnesses before thee are as filthie stained cloathes Yea wee may see it by the course they haue kept in powring foorth of prayers vnto God in which they haue respected simply and onely these two thinges Gods mercy and their owne miserie and vsed them as principall arguments both to vphold their owne hearts and to prouoke him to pittie as wee may playnly see in many Psalmes of Dauid but specially in the 86. thorowout So that we may safely say God respecteth nothing in man no not his miserie though I doubt not but that many times he is much moued therewith for if it were so he should either leaue all or none in miserie and that our owne experience teacheth vs the contrary or if mans misery should be the working cause in him then those that are most miserable should soonest and most of all be respected but that is not vriuersally true neither And againe if misery should be the first mouing cause in God why doest not thou that art distressed and in thine owne iudgement so much as no man before thee from thine owne estate and confession gather comfort vnto thy selfe from the Lorde Wherefore let the troubled spirit cast away these conceits and fully assure himselfe that as in no respect God is a respecter of persons so not in distributing and bestowing his graces specially spirituall graces And that therefore so often as this or such like thoughtes come into their heads they should know that they are either frō the ignorance or diffidence of their owne soules or from the malice of Satan against them and therefore they should beware how they admit thē for men can hardly carry such fire in their breasts and not be burnt But let vs proceede Least this generall and indefinite tearme of our Sauiour should be stretched further than his meaning hee knowing also euen wicked men to be more forward that way then they ought he doth restrayne it by two particular adiuncts or attributes saying yee that labour and are heauy laden Where first wee are to marke that as in other places of the Scriptures and other cases also God is wont to resemble spirituall things by bodily and to speake of thē by metaphoricall and borrowed kind of speeches whether they be things in himselfe or without him so here he doth the like for vnder these termes of labouring and being heauy laden which are properly referred to outward actions and bodily burdens he meaneth sense of sinne conflict of conscience and tugging and wrestling as it were with and vnder the wrath of God sometimes in outward afflictions sometimes in inward sorrow yea condemnation for the same And as this is an vsuall thing with the spirit of God here and in other places of Scripture namely Isaiah 55. saying Ho euery one that thirsteth come yee vnto the waters yee that haue no siluer come buy cat come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money vnderstanding there by thirst that which he doth in this place by labour and burdening and by water wine and milke that which he doth by refreshing ease so he doth it not without cause specially as in regard of vs who doe not onely vnderstand outward things better than inward but volesse that we be taught of the inward by the outward we can hardly comprehend them He not meaning vnder these borrowed termes to signifie that these outward are able to the full and as it were liuely to set out the inward and spirituall for that
exceedingly merciful as sometimes to disgrace a base colour or to make a colour that is perfect indeed to appeare more beautifull and orient wee set by it another that is nothing so glorious and good But to our purpose I say howe comfortable is that of Isaiah 41. where the Lord commaundeth his ministers to comfort yea to comfort his people and to seeke out for them and to speake such things vnto them as may delight and affect their heattes and to proclame vnto them that the set time is accomplished that their iniquitie is pardoned and that they haue receiued double at the Lords hands for all their sinne And this is yet further made plain by this that though al the word generally be the obiect of our faith teaching vs indeed what wee should beleeue and do for Gods glory heer and our endlesse glorification els where yet the principal props and stayes of our consciences for comfort consolation indeed are no where els to befound but in the gracious and sweet promises contayned therein which also is manifest euen by the very practise of God himselfe euery where propounding them to an afflicted and distressed heart as the principall and peculiar remedie against the sicknes of our soules that way In the 103. Psalme he saith that look how much more high the heauens are ouer the the earth so much doth his goodnes preuaile vpon them that feare him Againe he remooueth our sinnes as farre fromvs as the East is from the West By two fit similitudes taken froÌ„ things that are subiect to our fight amplifying the grace and mercie of God opposing the same against our transgressions And in Isaiah 1. he saith thus Though your si nes were as skarlet they shall be as snow and though they were as crimosin yet they shall be whiter than wooll And fearing least men woulde not willinglie come how doth he there intereat vs saying Come now I pray you and let vs reason the caus together as though he should say let vs friendly conferre of the matter If you will but lend and bend your care and be touched with the true sense of my righteousnes and your owne sinnes I promise faithfully that I will for mine own mercies sake put away all your transgressions whatsoeuer though they be neuer so great or grieuous That shall not let my worke in you my mercy shall surmount all yea your misery if you soundlie turne shall magnifie the greatnes of the abundant riches of my mercy The newe couenant that God maketh with his people in the 31. chap. of Ieremie and to the end that we might know it indeed to be a promise of the new testament it is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 8. how comfortable and full of sweet promises is that After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inwarde partes and write it in their heartes and I will be their God and they shall bee my people and they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest saith the Lord for J will forgiue their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more And if the olde testament be so plentifull what shall we thinke of the new which doth as of purpose propound and handle this point or question Christ himself saith Mat. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you seeke and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened vnto you And in the 7. of Iohn in the last and great day of the feast he stood crying out said He that beleeueth in mee as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life and in the 12. of that Gospell He that beleeueth in me yea though he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die Is not that of the same nature which hee speaketh of in another Euangelisst The whole need not the Physition but they that are sicke I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And what may we think of that which is alleaged in the 12. of the Gospell after Mathewe out of the prophet Isaiah A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoking flaxe shal he not quench till he bring foorth iudgement vnto victory Out of Paules epistles wee haue spoken somewhat before in the first point of doctrine that was gathered out of this text yet take one or two In the 2. to the Corinth chap. 6. he saith We are the temples of the liuing God as God hath said I will dwel amongst them and walk there and I will be their God and they shal be my people Yea I will be a Father vnto you and ye shall bee my sons and daughters saith the Lorde almighty And the same Apostle deliuereth a notable promise with a glorious comfortable preface prefixed before it also 1. Tim. 1. This is a true saying and worthy to be receined of all men that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am the chief May we not of these and thousandes such like say as the Apostle Peter doth that most great precious promises are giuen vnto vs that euen for that end which he expresseth there namely that by them wee shoulde bee partakers of the diuine nature whilest we fly the corruption that is in the world thorow lust Are not these great promises and may iustly bee so called because they proceed from the great God propounde vnto vs great and excellent matters May wee not esteeme them precious not only for the raritie and excellencie of them but also because they vnderprop our precious faith Are wee not made in a double respect by them partakers of the diuine nature 1. that as in regard God is ioyfull and chearefull we are also become comfortable and replenished with spiritual ioy 2. That as be ceaseth from sin and is continually occupied in well doing so we learne thereby in our measure and maner to die the death of sinne and to liue the lâ—fe of righteousnes What other men may think I know not but to me it seemeth that God thus in his worde setting promises against sin mindeth nothing els but to shew that as sin is it that most stingeth the conscience so the meane to heale that byting as if it were the brasen Serpent set vp to cure the bytinges of fierie Serpents to bring comfort against the same is the promises of God propounded vnto vs in the word and selt in our hearts by faith And this is so plaine and euident a truth that euen there where God seemeth most to terrifie I meane in denouncing the threats of his law or iudgments against sinne he yet thinketh vpon not only his mercy in himselfe but as it is manifested vnto men he euen there either plainly expressing promises of blessing grace and fauor or els