Knowe also God can cause wolues lions leopards to dwell louingly with lambes calues and kids and that that is vnpossible to men is possible with god euen to cause a cable to go throgh a needles eie that is to change the hard hart of the vnbeleuing couetous man much more yours yea knowe that all things are possible to him which beleeueth Cry then I beleeue O Lord help my vnbeliefe I dare promise ye in the name of Iesus Christ that you shall haue your heartes desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must end commending you to God and the word of his grace which is able to builde you vp giue you the right of inheritaunce among them that are sanctified The verie God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soul and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is hee which hath called you which will do it Amen I pray you pray for me I trust as I haue so I shal pray for you and much more Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in anie need R. G. AN OTHER COMfortable Letter by Master R. G. BRother beloued in the Lorde and Sauior IESVS CHRIST seing you haue had hertofore not onely knowledge but also experience of Gods gratious and mercifull goodnes in Iesus Christ your owne vnbeliefe and Satans subtlenes I coulde meruaile why you should giue such place and not keepe your grounde no surer if I were not much acquainted with such occurrences I know not therfore whether with wordes of rebuke or comfort I shoulde seeke to releeue you Because I cannot come vnto you my counsell and desire is that you woulde come vp to London the next Tearme at the farthest that so I might aske of God to frame my speeche according to your good In the meane season I bessech you call vnto mind that which you cannot be ignorant of that in the lawe sacrifices were offered for Gods people not onely at their first entrance into couenant with the Lorde but also afterwards many times and that not onely by ignorance but also by error that is forgetfulnes frailenes retchlesnes carelesnes c. It is manifest that the sinne of errour is there opposed against the sinne committed with an hie hande that is to blaspheme with contempt of GOD and making his Law of none effecte but to bee in vaine Which sinne I am sure you are most farre off from I would you were as farre off from vnbeliefe and distrust that Gods children may fall into diuers foule faultes as it may appear by many proofs First in the Lawe when the Lord speaketh in his Maiestie and proclaimeth his glorie yet in howe many wordes commendeth he his mercie and for howe many seuerall sorts of sinnes in Exodus the twenty foure Chapter sixe and seauen verses Doth not Esay the holy Prophet call the people of his daies the people of Gomorrha and and their Princes the Princes of Sodome Doth not he accuse them as grieuous transgressors both of the first and seconde Table Esay the first Chapter ten and eleuen verses c. And yet dooth afterwardes promise them in the eighteenth verse that though their sinnes were as crimson they shalbe as white as snow though they were redde like scarlet they shall be as wool Dooth hee not charge them that they were sunke deepe in rebellion and yet exhorteth them to returne vnto the Lord Esay the thirty one Chapter and sixth verse Yea doth he not charge them not onely with rebellion but aâ—so with vexing the holy spirit of of God Esay sixty three and tenth verse And reade what is written Esay nine eleuen Pray as there you may learn Esay tenth Cha. fiue sixe c. What dooth not the holy Prophet Ieremy in the thirty one Chapter and the eighteenth nineteenth and twenty verses shew that Ephraim was an vntamed Calfe c. yet so soone as hee mourned and was ashamed of himself doth not the Lord shew that his bowels of mercie were troubled for his estate Doth not the Lord offer mercy vnto the prophane and forgetfull transgressours of his holy couenant Psalme fiftith from the fifth verse to the two and twentith Is not this part of the couenant made with all the sonnes of Dauid in Iesus Christ that if they not onely omit many good thingeâ— also committe rebellions and iniquities that though hee may visit them yet it shall be with the rodde of his children and that his mercie hee will not take from them nor breake of his couenant made with them in Iesus Christ. Therefore remember that the holy promises threatnings and examples are written that we should not sinne but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconcilliation of our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Doth not the blessed Apostle Paule charge the Corinthians whoÌ„ he affirmeth in the first Chapter to bee rich in Christ and destitute of no spirituall gift to be more carnall than spirituall yet babes in Christ yea to bee falne into idolatry coÌ„mitting of euill thinges fornication tempting not onely of God but of Christ yea murmuring against them yet doth hee not herein comfort them that no temptation hath taken hold on them but such as appertaineth to man and that God will bee mercifull vnto Dauid prayeth against presumptuous sinnes that they should not raigne ouer him Psalme ninetenth Chapter thirteenth verse Signifiyng though he sinned presumptuously yet if hee did not perseuer in presumption obstinately without desire to repent that such sinne or sinnes were pardonable Nowe the Lordes couenant towards his in Iesus Christ is not to deale after their sinnes not to rewarde them after their iniquities much lesse will hee not regard in wrathfull displeasure their infirmities But if he should so marke what is saide or done amisse who were able to abide it But with him is mercie in Iesus Christ that hee may be feared therefore lift vp your handes which hange downe strengthen your weakknees and say vnto your soule why art thou so cast downe and so vnquiet within mee I will yet trust in Iesus Christ and wait vpon the mercifull graces of God purchased by his mercies Consider that true humillitie ariseth of faith in Iesus Christ and that is true faith that ingendreth humillitie as wee may not diminish our sinnes so may wee not too much aggrauate them nor diminish Christs merits haue euermore in your minde the examples of the prodigall son who saith not I am not thy sonne but I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne he saith not let me bee thy bondslaue nay hee saith not let me be thy hyred seruant but as one of thy hyred seruants his father came and met him fell on his neck c. So shall it come to you good brother I neede make no more aplication the holy annointing which you haue receiued will bring the olde mercies of God vpon others and vppon your selfe vnto remembrance and lead you into all truth which shall bee requisite for your saluation Put your trust in the Lord you shall prosper The Lord Iesus came not to breake the brused reede nor to quench the smoaking flaxe his grace shall bee euer more sufficient for you and his vertue shall vnto the end manifest it selfe in your weakenes Nowe therefore I beseeche him to preserue your body soule spirite vnto his most glorious appearing Faithfull is he that hath called you and promised you who will performe it Amen Yours in Iesus Christ as he hath beene Richard Greeneham Sweet and sure signes of Election to them specially that are brought low A cleering of iudgement by conceauing of the truth and true meaning of the Scripture making for vs or against vs. A rebuking of sinne in wardlie a pouertie of spirit fioÌ„ thence and a mourning therefore A being cast downe in our own conceipt and a meeknesse to beare our owne punishment thereby wrought An hungring after the righteousnes which is in Christ and a praising and esteeming it aboue all earthly things A musing vpon and a desire to thinke and speake onely of heauenly things A conflict of the flesh spirit and therin by praier practise the force of the spirite euer breathing out A sowing into the spirit by vse of the meanes as by the word praier c. A purpose vnfayned vppon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe wholly to the glorie of God and health of his brethren A resignation of our selues into Gods hands An expecting of the daily increase of the hope of our souls health and our bodies resurrection The forgiuing of our enemies An acknowledging of our offences with our whole heart whiles we are sicke and a verie dooing of it indeed when we be recouered A delight in Gods Saints A desire that after death the Church of God may flourish and haue all peace A spirit without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwaies to doo well how soeuer our infirmities put vs by it FINIS
armed souldiers If our friends were the Princes and all the Gouernours of the earth If our possessions wer as long as betweene the East and the west If our meate wer as Manna from heauen If our apparrell were as costly as the Ephod of Aaron If euery day were as glorious as the day of Christs resurrection yet if our mindes bee appalled with the iudgement of God these thinges would little comfort vs. Let experience speake If a troubled minde impayreth not health dryeth not vp the blood consumeth not the marrowe pineth not away the flesh consumeth not the bones if it maketh not al pleasures painfull and shortneth not the life surely no wisedome can councell it no councell can aduise it no aduise can asswage it no asswagement can cure it no eloquence can perswade it no power can ouercome it no Scepter affray it nor inchaunter can inchant it And yet on the contrary if a man languish in sickenes so his hart be whole and is perswaded of the health of his soule his sickenes doth not grieue him If a man bee reproched so he be precious in the sight of God and his Angels what losse hath hee If a man be bannished and yet doubteth not that heauen is his Country and that hee is a Citizen among the Saints it doth not appall him If a man be in trouble of minde and findeth peace of conscience hee will quietly digest his trouble But if the minde bee troubled who dareth meete with the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts who can put to silence the voyce of desperation who will step out and make agreement with the hills to spare vs who dare make a couenant with the diuell that hee would not lay claime vnto vs If then a good conscience helpeth all euills and all other benefites in this life cannot helpe a troubled conscience wee see it true in proofe which here is in prouerbe The Spirit of a man vvill susteine his infirmitie But a vvounded Spirit Who can beare it Againe in all other afflictions we may haue some comfort against sinne this is euer accompanied with sinne A man may be sick reproched imprisoned and banished yet in all these haue a cleare conscience his owne hart telling him that there is no speciall cause of these crosses in him but that hee may suffer them for the triall of his faith or for righteousnes sake and well dooing But when the Spirite is wounded there is a guiltines of sinne and where a mans spirite is troubled hee suspecteth all his wayes hee feareth all his sin he knowes not what sin to begin with it breeds such hurly burly in him that when it is day hee wisheth for night when it is night he would haue it day his meate doth not nourish him his sleep often forsaketh him his dreames are feareful vnto him If he speaketh he is little eased if he keepeth silence hee boyleth in disquietnes of hart the light doth not comfort him the darkenesse doth grieue him To prosecute our comparisons where all other euills are more intolerable because they bee temporall and pursue vs but to death this beeing not cured endeth not in death but becommeth eternall For euen the heathen men thought that death was the end of all misery the perswasion whereof made them beeing in some misery to make an end of themselues and hasten their owne death as Sathan doth make many nowe a daies who are ignorant of hell which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this worlde whatsoeuer Howe be it a tormented conscience if before it was begun is now continued or if it was not before now beginneth and neuer endeth world without ende For though true it is that sickenes pouerty imprisonment or bannishment haue ended their terme in death yet a wounded heart which was temporall in this life is nowe eternall after this life that which before death was in hope recouerable is after death made both vncurable vnrecouerable It is good therefore to consider if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull how much more grieuous is it to susteine it in hell where that is infinite which here is finite where that is vnmeasurable which here is measurable where is the sea of sorrowe whereof this is but a droppe where is the flame of that fire whereof this is lesse then a sparke But to shut vp this argument Some there haue beene who thorowe out all their life time haue been free from all other troubles so as either they felt them not all or else in very small measure and by that meanes neuer knewe what outward trouble meant As for example some men there haue been who for sicknesse neuer knew the head-ache for pouertie neuer knewe what want meant who for discredite were neuer euill spoken of who euer put frō them the euill daye of the Lorde who haue made a league with death as it were a couenant with hell who thought they could crucifie anie crosse rather than come vnder anie Crosse yet they could neuer escape a wounded conscience either in this life or in the life to come True it is that Gods Children doo often escape it but the wicked and such as are borne vnto it as to their sure inheritance the more they flie from it the more it pursueth them If we haue transgressed the Ciuill Lawes the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted if a man haue committed some capitall offence by flying the Countrey hee maye escape the Magistrates hands but our Consciences telling vs that wee haue sinned against God what bribe shall wee offer or whether shall wee flie whether shall we goe from his spirite whether shall wee flie from hys presence If we ascend into heauen is not hee there If we flie to the vtmost parts of the sea is hee not there also There needeth no Paritor to summon vs there needes no Baylie arraunt to fetche vs there needes no accuser to come in agaynst vs sinne will arrest vs and lieth at the Doore our owne Conscience will impanell a Quest against vs our owne heartes will giue in Euidence agaynst vs and our owne iniquitie will pleade vs to be guiltie to our owne faces Now let vs shew how we may preuent it and by what means Gods children falling into some degrees of it for if it rage in extremitie it is an euil vnrecouerable may safely and quietly bee deliuered from it And here a iust complaint is to be taken vp and it is a wonder to be marked if we may wonder at GODS workes that we see so manie carefull and watchfull to auoyd other troubles and so few or none take anie paines to escape the troble of mind which is so greeuous We see men louing health and loathing sicknes in diet temperat in sleep moderate in Phisick expert skilfull to purge and to auoyde such corrupt humours which in time maye breed thogh presently they doo not bring forth sicknes yet to auoyde the
and serch our owne hearts at the bottome whether we respect our sins past or present whether we we looke to our priuy pride hidden wants or secret corruptions And to retourne from whence wee were digressed to the examination of our heartes In sinnes to come let vs obserue that in Gods children there is such a iealousie that they tremble at the verie first motions and quake at the least occasion to sinne although because vice will sit in residence very nere vnto vertue there may be in thē somtime too much scrupulousnes this feare causeth the dearest of the Saintes of God to reason on this sort O Lord I see how many excellent men in gifts and constant in profession for a long time whose end hath not answered their Beginnings whose death was not like to their liues This is true whether we looke into the word or into the world and it is a thing that maye much humble vs. For though we maye remember what wee haue been and knowe what wee are yet who can tell what may come vnto him heereafter Oh that the serious meditation heereof would dwell long vpon our consciences that with a holie iealozie wee might preuent that sin that is to come But alas there bee some wayne people whych thinke it no masterie to offer themselues to masking minstrelsie and dauncing nor to runne into quarrells braules and contentions as though they had theyr eares theyr eyes theyr hands and theyr feete in their owne power and at commaundement to vse gouerne as themselues list Howbeit GODS Children better fenced with hys grace than those bolde buzzardes are afrayde of these occasions as knowing full well that theyr eyes maye soone bee prouoked to lust their eares maye quicklye listen vnto vnchast delightes their handes maye sodainely strike a deadly blowe and their feete may easely be snared in the spreaded nettes of carnall pleasures Beware O man bee circumspect O Woman that thou prostitute not thy selfe to too much libertie for althogh in comming to such lasciuious cōtentious places thou diddest purpose none euill yet for thy ventring with out warrant thou mayst bee ouer thy shooes in sinne and plunged in some wicked attempts ouer head and cares ere thou beest aware And yet because vice is so confine vnto vertue beware also of superstition for still the enemie laboureth to make thee too hardie in sinne or else he will cause thee to be too fearfull and superstitious eyther hee will puffe thee vp with presumption or assault thee with desperation To these tentations our nature is very appliable first to presumption as maye appeare by our common speech tush the Preacher is but a man as I am I am sure he hath infirmities as others haue wee are no Angels our nature is corrupt we are but men I am sure you would not haue vs Gods Thus the diuell commeth to tempt but he apparelleth himselfe in another sute when hee commeth to accuse and then of a flye he maketh an elephant of the very smallest pricke of a pin a gloabe of the whole earth of a moal-hill a mountain presseth silly soules with fear terror that they know not how to winde themselues If he cannot bring thē to make conscience where they shuld make conscience hee will labour to bring them to make conscience where they need make no conscience He careth not whether thou be remisse or superstitious so thou be one of them If he cannot get you to follow the epicurisme of the world as Libertines in diet and apparell hee wil make you so precise as to thinke it a hainous sinne to eare one bit of meate or to weare one ragge of cloath more thā for necessity How needfull therefore it is to saile with an euen course we may coniecture by other thinges which will bewraye the corruption of our nature In the time of a plague we shall see some will be so bold that without anie lawfull calling or godly warraunt they will rush into places infected and then falling sicke their conscience pricks them for their tempting of God by an vnaduised boldnes in the instaunt moment of theyr death Others plunged as deeply in a quite contrarie extremitye are too fearefull when they doo but heare of sickenesse and for very feare haue been brought to deaths dore onely by imagining themselues to haue been infected when they haue beene most free who oftentimes haue euen died and that without anie naturall cause that euer could be knowen but onely through immoderate fear the iudgement of God comming vpon them for their infidelitie and vnbeliefe Thus it is with vs in Christianitie in that as well the oppressing our selues with too much feare to be ouercome as the carnall securitie in not fearing to bee ouercome maye bring sinne vpon vs. God his childrē must labor for a measure and that must be sought for in the Word which wyll teach them how they shall neither decline on the right hand nor on the left but wil guide them in the narrowe way showing in euery thing what is the vertue what is the vice what is the meane what is the extreame Among manie Examples let vs consider of zeale a most precious vertue in Christianitie so long as it is free from the extremities If we be cold in zeale it is a sinne on the left hand if we bee zealous without knowledge it is preposterous and becommeth a sinne on the right hand But can wee not come to some perfection No if you vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes albeit to that perfection which the Scripture taketh for soundnesse truth and sinceritie of hart which is voyd of careles remissenes we may come Neither doth the lord deal with vs after our sins nor reward vs after our iniquities in whole eies the most glorious actiōs of men are but as waters flowing purely from the Conduit but defiled by passing through a filthy chanell Wherefore although wee haue our imperfections let vs not seeke to be more righteous than we can be saying for euerie errour of this life Oh I am none of Gods hys sonnes I am none of hys daughters for I cannot find that perfection in me which is to be required But let vs comfort our selues in the truth of our hearts and singlenes of our desires to serue God because he is God and so wee shall bee accepted of God I speake this to this end that poore soules might haue cōfort know that if they abhor sinne as sinne if they examine themselues for it if they feare to fall into it the Lord will not pursue them with the rigor of his lawe but wil giue them the sweetnesse of his promises they are no more vnder the curse but vnder grace But farther to inforce our Exhortation to auoyde too scrupulous feare which hindereth the true examination of our heartes let vs thinke that it happeneth in the spirituall conflict as in ciuill war Wee read that manie Citties being in great securitie haue sodainly both
praier the Sacrament of the supper the companie of gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it bee verie grieuous yet it is neuer daÌ„ger us much lesse is it fearfull vnlesse anie bee so wilfull that they persevere and continue in desperate refusing al good means vnles they perseuere I say for through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie and his forceable power wherby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to wexe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fittes yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake verie euill of them But all this is but temptation and therefore God will bee mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake Thus Iob cursed the daye of his birth wished to be straÌ„gled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstain from blasphemie Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition though dutifully admonished wilfully weÌ„t on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriouslye presuming of his owne strength being most wisely effectualy admonished of his weaknes euen by our Lorde Iesus yet wittingly rusheth as the horse into the battel then verie cowardlye yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengthneth his sinne with a threefold coard and fastneth it with banning and cursings yet all these obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Satan desired to winnowe them so our Lord Iesus praied for them that theyr fayth though it was vehemently assaulted it should not be ouercome although it was battered yet that if should not bee destroied and though it was oppressed yet it shuld not be extinguished And here bee you fully perswaded that albe it Luk. 22. 31. the wordes seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter vz. I haue praid for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he praied for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon sathan hath desired to winow thee but you Why then saith hee I haue praied for thee Verely because hee should more greeuously offend than the rest although their offence was verie great therefore hys and our most blessed Sauior applyed to him the promise but not appropriated it vnto him onely and restrained it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. you shall see that the heauenlye verity affirmeth that he praied not only for the Apostles but for all those that shoulde beleeue through their word yea farther Our Lorde Iesu Christ was yesterdaye is to day shalbe for euer And as the fore-fathers were baptized vnto him and did eate his flesh and drink his blood so was his praier effectuall euen to them vnder the lawe then more to vs vnder grace And when you can find testimonie in your hart that wheÌ„ you would doo well euill is present with you and that ye doo the euil you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more when sataÌ„ works with al buffeting you assure you GOD hath pity on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weaknes If you beleeue according to your faith it shalbe done vnto you Bâ—â—â—ou will say you cannot beâ—â—â—â— that this vile crooked hardnes of your hart can be remitted and renued and eueÌ„ this was the second point which in the former part of my Letter I gaue you to vnderstaÌ„d was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirite nor to your self who hath receiued it Tell me what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and frute of faith therefore there may be faith without feeling aswell as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without anie appearance of frute yea of sap for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward show of his owne indnment and feeling so may a spiritual man be fore wounded by satan and diseased by the present sight and feeling of his sinful corruptions speally in temptation that hee may think yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholly faile as you haue heard or else the praier of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid in the one and fiftie Psal. the twelueth verse declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirite crooked or vnstable and in the fourteenth verse that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet in the thirteenth vearse hee prayeth that GOD would not take his holie spirit from him therefore hereby it appeared hee was not depriued of the spirite of sanctification Heere seemeth to bee repugnaunce but there is not anie hee was depriued indeed for a time of the graces of the sanctifiyng spirite but not of the holie Ghost wherwithall hee was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will do vnto you Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy partly Satan working therewith make you doo iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the Spirite in you which I beseech you to take heed of But the messenger cannot staye and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedie which you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall enable me and I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in perticular somwhat more and by this Bearer if you can becaus he is of your acquaintance and will bring it to me faithfully Onely I doo adde now vnto you that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the Woorde Create which Dauid vseth in the one and fiftie Psalme declaring that he had no feeling of his hearte To this ioyn that which the Prophet Esay speketh in the person of God 57. 23. I create the frute of the lips to be peace peace to him that is far off as to him that is nere Therfore in faith you may as well praye with hope to obtain as did Dauid therfore say with him often and with Gods people Esay 64. 12. O Lord thou art our Father we indeed are claye but thou art our maker wee are the worke of thy hands