stab most monstrously their owne bodies with Daggers or such like instruments of death all which men woulde seeme to haue great courage in susteining many harmes so long as their mindes were not ouermastred But when the diuine and supreame Essence which they acknowledged did by his power crosse and ouerturne their witty deuises and headstrong attempts so as without hope of remedie they were hampered in pensiuenes and sorow of minde then beeing not able to turne themselues vnder so heauy a burthen they shrunke down and by violent death woulde ridde themselues of that disquietnes and impatiencie of their troubled mindes But let vs come nearer and whether wee behold the Papists or the Familie of loue or the common sort of Christians wee shall see they will passe quietly through many afflictions whether for that they haue a spirite of slumbring or numbers cast vppon them or whether because they haue brawned themselues through some senceles blockishnes as men hewen out of hard Oakes or grauen out of marble stones I know not But yet when the Lord shall let loose the cordes of their consciences and shall set before their faces their sinnes committed see what a fearfull end they haue whilst some of them by hanging themselues some by casting themselues into the water some by cutting their owne throates haue rid themselues out of this intollerable griefe Nowe wherein is the difference that some dye so sencelesly and some dispatch them selues so violently Surely the one feeling no sinne depart like brutish Hogs the other surcharged with sinne dye like barking Dogs But let vs come to the children of God who haue in some degree felt this wound of minde and it will appeare both in the members and in the heade of all burthens to bee a thing most intollerable to susteine a wounded Conscience And to begin with let vs set in the first ranke Iob that man of God coÌ„mended vnto vs by the holy Ghost for a myrrour of patience who although for his riches hee was the wealthiest man in the land of Huz for his authoritie might haue made afraid a great multitude and for his substance was the greatest of all the men in the East Yet when the Shabeans violently tooke away his cattell when the fier of God falling from heauen burnt vp his sheepe and his seruaunts when the Chaldeans had taken away his Cammels when a great winde smote down his house vpon his children although indeed he rent his garments which was not so much for impatiencie as to shewe that he was not vnsensible in these euils Yet it is saide that hee worshipped and blessed the name of the Lorde saying Naked came I out of my mothers vvombe and naked shall I returâ—e thither againe The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away Blessed be the name of the Lord. Howbeit beholde when at the strange conference of his comfortles friends his minde began to be agast which was not so in all his former tryall when his conscience began to be troubled when he saw the Lord fasten on him sharp arrowes and to set him vp as as a Butte to shoote at when hee thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth this glorious patterne of patience coulde not beare his griefe he is heauy now may commende to all the Image of a wounded spirite that shall come after Dauid a man chosen according to the Lords owne hart Ezekiah a pure worshiper of God and carefull restorer of pure Religion Ieremiah the Prophet of the Lorde sanctified and ordained to that Office before hee was formed in his mothers wombe were rare and singular in the graces fauour of God yet when they felt this wound piercing them with griefe of hart they wer as Sparrows mourning as Cranes chattering as Pellicans casting out fearefull cries they thought themselues as in the graues they wished to haue dwelt solitarily they were as bottels parched in the smoke they were as Doues mourning not able without sighes and grones to vtter their words their harts cloue to the dust and their tongues to the roofe of their mouths But aboue all if these were not sufficient to perswade vs in this doctrine there remaineth one example whom we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted Conscience This is the Lord Sauior IESVS CHRIST the Image of the father the head of the body the myrror of all graces the wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption of all the Saintes who susteined the Crosse euen from his youth vpward and besides pouerty basenes hunger did willingly goe vnder the great trouble of contempt and reproch and that among them where he shuld haue had a right deserued honor in respect of the Doctrine he taught them and in regard of the manifolde myracles wroght among them as the healing of the sicke the giuing sight to the blinde the restoring of life to the deade This vnkindnes neuertheles did so much strike him as at what time hee was set as a Sacrifice for al when he was to beare our infirmities carry our sorrowes at what time hee was plagued and smitten of God humbled and wounded for our transgressions when hee should be broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him then he cryed out My soule is heauie euen vnto the death Then hee prayeth Lord if it be possible let this Cup passe from mee But how prayeth hee euen with sweating howe sweateth hee euen droppes of blood how long prayeth hee Three times when ends his agony not vntill he was dead What saide hee beeing ready to depart My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Was this for his humane death as some haue imagined No no wicked men haue died without coÌ„plaint whose patience them might seeme to exceede his it was his suffering in his humane Spirite which incountred with the wrath of God his Godhead suppressing it self for a while he suffred indeede many torments in body but the wrath of God did much more lye vpon his soule If this consideration of an afflicted spirit in these examples doe not sufficiently shew what a grieuous thing it is to susteine a wounded Conscience Let us proceede to the comparing of this with other euills which fall into the nature of men There is no sickenes but Phisicke prouideth for it a remedy there is no sore but Chirurgery will affoorde it a salue Friendship helpeth pouertie There is no imprisonment but there is hope of libertie Suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment Authoritie and time weare away reproch But what Phisicke cureth what Chirurgerie salueth what riches ransome what countenance beareth out what authoritie asswageth what assault dismaieth a troubled Conscience All these banded togeather in league though they wold conspire a confederacie cannot help this one distresse of a troubled minde And yet this one comforte of a quiete minde doth wonderfully cure and comfortably asswage al other griefes whatsoeuer For if our assistance were as an host of
diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleepe no man abridgeth his diet no man prepareth Phisicke for it no man knoweth when to be ful and when to be emptie how to want and how to abound Others carried away with the loue of riches and verie nigh to fall into pouertie will not sticke to rise early to take sleep lately to fare hardly to teare taw their flesh in labour by lande and by water in faire soule weather by rockes and by sands from far from nere and yet to fall into spirituall decaies to auoyd the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines as though saluation and peace of mind were not a thing worthy the labouring for Some ambitiously hunting after honor not easilye digesting reproaches behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepely but are actiue in euerie attempt by loue and by counsell by prudence and prowesse by wit and by practise by labour and learning by cunning and diligence to become famous and to shun a ciuill reproach yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angells to fall before the heauens and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of conscience we make none accompt as they who neyther vse anye meanes to obteyne the one nor auoyde those Occasions which maye bring the other Others verie vnwilling to come within the reache and daunger of the Lawe that they may by reading get experience howe to escape imprisonment of bodye or confiscation of goods wyll be painfull in penall statutes skilful in euery branch of the ciuill law and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons murthers fellonies and such like offences of life and death yet where the Lord God threateneth the seazure both of soule bodie the attaching of our soules the confiscating of our consciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation for the breache of his Commaundements few men sercheth his eternall Lawe few men careth for the Gospell neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorsement from the Lord neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs. And to reache our Complaint one Degree farther The more we seek outward pleasures to auoyde the inward trouble of minde the more we hast and runne into it and wee speedely plunge our selues in a wounded spirite or wee be a ware Who posteth more to becom rich than the merchant man who hopeth lesse to become pore than hee that aduentureth great treasures who hazardeth his goods who putteth in ieoperdie of his life and yet suddenly he either rusheth vpon the rocke of hardnesse of heart or else is swallowed vp of the gulphe of a despairing mind from which happely he cannot be deliuered with a ship full of golde Woful proofe hath confirmed how some men whollie set on plesures such as could not away to be sad and hedged vp alwaies of godly sorrowe haue had their tables made snares and euen theyr excesse of pleasures hath brought excesse of sorrowes and whilest they laboured to put the euill daye farre from them they haue vsed follyes that haue beene the most bitter and speedie hang-men of their fearfull trembling consciences There be some of another sort who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde haue had their harts set on nothing but howe they might get some great fame and renowme therfore haue slipt into such vaineglorious attempts and foule flatteries as they haue not onely lost the peace of their Consciences but also fallen most deeply into reprochfull shame which they sought to shun Now therefore as the peace of conscience and ioy of minde is such a treasure as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the tung expressed but passeth al vnderstanding as they only knowe what the peace of minde meaneth that feele it so they alone can in trueth speake of a troubled minde that haue tasted of it by experience But let vs shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vs from this wound of the spirit It is the vse of Phisicke as to cure vs of diseases when wee are faln into them so to preserue vs from sicknes before it hath takē hold of vs it is the power of the Word as to asswage the trouble of Conscience when it doth once presse vs so to preuent it before it hath ouertaken vs. It is a chiefe point of worldly wisedome not to tarie for the vse of phisicke vntil we be deadly sick but to bee acquainted wyth Gods mercifull preseruation to defend vs from it likewise it is a chiefe pollicie of a godly Christian not only to seek comfort when the agonie is vpon him but also to vse all good helpes to meet with it before it comes And if we condemn them of folly who will not as well labor to keep themselues out of debt as to pay the debt when they owe it so it is a madnes not to bee circumspect to auoyd all occasions which maye bring trouble of mind vpon them as wee would bee prouident to enter euerie good waye which maye drawe vs out of this trouble when wee haue once entred into it These remedies preseruatiue are first the searching of our sinnes the examining of our faith The examining of our sins is either the due acknowledging of our sinnes or the true sense and feeling of our sinnes The acknowledging of our sinnes is eyther of those that bee past whether wee haue vnfeinedlye repented vs of them or of those which bee present whether wee be truely greued for them Thirdly of those secret corruptions which in the course of our life are likely to come whether wee are reuerently afraide of them and resolue to suppresse them with all our indeuour Concerning sinnes past we must call to minde the sinnes done of old in our youth in our middle age in our olde age iudging our selues we maye not bee iudged of the Lorde that accusing of our selues sathā haue no occasiō to accuse throwing down our selues before the Lord he may lift vs vp For manie going quietly away and sleeping in carnall securitie notwithstanding the sins of their youth neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long ago sodainly haue falne into such horrour of minde that the violent remembrance of all their sins surcharging them they haue been ouerwhelmed This Examination then dooth rightlye proceede when it doth reach to the errors of this life to the sins of our youth because many men euen from their childhood by a ciuill righteous life hauing escaped grose sins wherewith the world could neuer charge them haue not withstanding caried the burthen of more secret sins done in their youth Dauid Psal. 25. 7. prayeth the Lord not to remember the sinnes of his youth Iob 23. 6. the man of God confessing that the Lord writeth bitter things against him saith he made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth What shall
wee think that Dauid or Iob wer giuen to notorious wickednes in their youth No they knewe they were subiect to youthful wantonnes and vnstaiednes of their affections which thogh it did not burst out yet it made them lesse carefull to glorifie GOD which loosenes is the way to leaudnes which weakenes the waye to strange vanities which wantonnes the waye to open wickednes is euen in the best of Gods children in the dayes of their youth which beeing afterwards in the time of their regeneration brought as it were to iudgement and layde before their consciences doth cause them to repent But here is a thing to bee blushed at which maketh mens eares to tingle when they heare that manie men farre no doubt from thys true repentance can largely indeed discourse of theyr sinnes done in theyr youth but in such a brauerie with such boastings and pleasing themselues in the remembraunce of them as besides that they prouoke others to sinne they likewise set them selues a flatter backe-byas against Repentaunce and in stead of this Christian examination they seeme to renue the decayed colours of their olde sinnes with the fresh suite of their second plesures conceiued in them But alas what pleasure haue they in those things whereof they haue no profit what profit haue they in those thinges whereof they should bee ashamed neither in this strein can we forget the madnes of them who may seeme to step one degree farther towardes this examination of sin than did the former by thinking that the leauing of sinne and repenting of sinne is all one Against this both daily experience and the word of God doth sufficiently declare Iosephs bretheren Iacob hys sonnes who deuised euill against their brother put him into the pit and sold him vnto strangers did cease from this crueltie but yet are not read to haue remembered their sins with anie remorce vntil thirteene yeres after the sinne was committed as we may see in the processe of the Historie Dauid had left hys sinnes of murther and adulterie as thinking all quiet and well the space of a whole yere after which time being admonished by the Prophet Nathan hee repented of it And experience hath tried in manie that though they left their sinnes manie yeares agoe hauing had some working of God in them yet because they repented not truly for them they haue rebounded on them with terrible sights and fearfull visions to humble them to bring them to serious examination of them being done and left long since Examples whereof wee need not fetch from farre seeing so manie preachers which are acquainted with fearfull spirits will giue witnes hereof The frute of which amazed mindes for sinnes alreadie left is ours to beware of sinnes which are to come And that other mens harmes might teach vs blessed wisdome let vs labor not onely to leaue sin which one may doo for profite for feare for prayers or for werisomnes but also to repent of it for conscience sake This Examination of sins past must bee partly of those that wee committed before our calling partly of those which were done after our calling Euerie man especially hauing his reason reformed by the Word of God wil grant an examination of the life before our true knowledge of God in Christ to be most needfull But it may be some will thinke that wee need not be so precise in the searching of those sins which were after our knowledge but seeing of all other sinnes these byte sorest and pierce deepest for that they are aggrauated with all the menaces of God going before and after sinne Sinne is then most sinfull when after we know the truth after we haue ben deliuered from sin after we haue been inlightened wyth the grace of God wee haue falne into it I thinke that examinatiō most specialy ought to be had of those sins Wherfore to it erate our former examples in a new matter as we maye see the former kinde of examining first for sinnes before our calling in the sonnes of Iacob so wee haue a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid who at the hearing of his sin was so troubled in spirit that he could not rest though the Prophet tolde him his sinnes were forgiuen him but still he was disquieted as though hee found no comfort in hys spirite For as it fareth with sores it commeth to pas with sinnes we are loath to haue our wounds often grated vpon we cannot so well away to haue our sores rifled seared lanced but to be fed with healing salue so we are hardly brought to haue our Consciences grownd or our sins ransacked sifted searched ripped vp but could stil haue them playstered with sweete promises and bathed in the mercies of God whereas it is farre safer before incarnatiue and healing Medicines to vse corrosiue and mundifying waters without which though some sores may seem to cloase and skin vp apace yet they proue worse and be rotten still at the coare they haue aboue a thin skin vnderneath rotten flesh In like manner wee would cloake we wold hide and couer our sinnes as it were with a curtaine but it is more sound Chirurgerie to pricke and pierce our Consciences with the burning yron of the law and to cleanse the wound of the Soule by sharpe threatenings least that skinne being pulled ouer the Conscience for a while wee lament the rotten corruption which remaines vncured vnderneath and so we be constrained to crie out of our sinnes openly As it is a follye then to dissemble our soares whilst they be curable and after to make them knowen when they be vncurable so it is a great follye to dissemble our sinnes whilest they may be remedied and so after be constrained to blaze them all abroade when they are remedilesse But of this by the waye because wee shall more largely touch it in the last part to come It is sufficient to commit sinne before knowledge but after some good light of the spirit to sin breedeth eyther hardnes of heart or a troubled spirite both which wee shall auoyd if in truth we be careful to watch ouer our affections and beware least after our deliuerie we fall into sinne againe Seuerall men subiect to seuerall sinnes haue their seueral checkes in their consciences some are ouercom with wrath and yet after theyr moodie fit they can tell that the wrath of man dooth not accomplish the righteousnes of God some are subiect to lust and after they saye that mans life hath another ende some slip deeply into worldlines and yet they bee often weakened with most terrible checkes of conscience Wel blessed are they whose hearts be truly grieued let them beware that make a daliance with sinne for either hardnesse of heart will ouertake them or a troubled conscience will quite confound them Whereby it comes to pas that many spending their bodyes on lust lament that euer they haue so abused then strēgth many giu'n too much to the pleasures
of thys life haue griefe comming vppon them to remember howe they haue spent Gods graces banished his good giftes and misspent their time or else if they haue not this grief they fall into voluptuousnes and drawe such a skin vpon their harts as will cause the strongest denouncement of Gods iudgements to rebound bee they driueÌ„ on neuer so hard And sure it is the sinne of this world that men beeing controuled in their consciences whilest they are a praying feele a secrete charge said vppon them to beware of guile in buying and selling either haue theyr checkes and so grow to be prophane or els afterward they are wonderfully wounded that they haue beene so worldlye so greatly pursuing earthly and vaine things so coldlye purchasing heauenlye and permanent things Thus euen our priuy thoughts not profited are breeders of farther trouble Now the remedie against this is willingly and wittingly not to cherish anie sinne to with that the Ministers should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes to bee glad priuately to be admonished to profite by our Enemyes when they doo reproach vs and rather desire in such a case to be humbled than suffer our selues to be flattered This trying of our selues must yet stretch it self farther not onely to the committing of euill but also to the omitting of good As when after some good working of the spirite and feeling thereof we begin a fight and conflict with our consciences thogh I must pray I must haue time also to prouide for my familie if I go to heare the word of God surely I shall bee in danger to loose this profite if I thus attend vpon the exercises of religion I shall be cut short in the vse of my plesures Wherefore it shall be good to search our heartes both in the careles not vsing of the meanes but also in the negligent watching ouer the frutes of the meanes saying to our selues in this manner I haue heard a Sermon but alas without anie feeling or working vpon my affections I haue bin praying but with no power of the spirit I haue receceyued the Sacrament but without those ioyes glorious vnspeakeable which I was woont to taste of it I sawe the Discipline of the Church executed but without anie feare of sinne at all in my selfe or compassion of the member censured And heere I dare from my owne obseruation assuredly affirm that outwarde sins haue not beene at some times so grieuous to Gods Children as that they haue some tymes vsed very good meanes with little reuerence lesse frute And no maruell we shal see many men at some times not so much grieued for the sicknesse it selfe as for that they haue willingly neglected the meanes which might haue preserued their health or abused the Phisicke that might haue restored their health to them againe in like manner I saye it fareth with them who eyther vnreuerentlye haue refused the meanes which shoulde keepe theyr soules from surfetting or else vnthankfullye haue abused those helpes which might haue recouered them again From hence it commeth that some are much grieued for not vsing their good giftes to the benefit of Gods Church as others are troubled for abusing their good gifts to the hurt of Gods Church as we shall see a rich man somtimes humbled for not giuing money to the poore which hee might haue done as also for heaping vp riches falsly that hee ought not to haue done And thus manie hauing receaued good giftes and graces from the Lord are seasoned and sanctified by afflictions wherby they are taught to put their gifts in vre and to offer their seruice to Christ and others are feare â—o hide their gifts which cannot bee without some decay of Gods glory without offence to the weake without the losse of manie soules which otherwise might bee wonne to the Gospell and without strengthening the hand of the Aduersarie to slander our darke and dumbe profession All which things will in the end bring terror gf mind because if the Lord cannot work vpon vs by taking away goods credit wife children or such like to bring vs to Repentance he will surely whippe our naked consciences hee will enter euen into our very entrayles and pierce our secrete bowells As wee must examine our selues thus for sinne past and present so must wee vse this practise in sinnes that are to come and this is verie needfull for were it so that our life and conuersation were such as neither before nor after our calling any man could iustlye accuse vs Yet the hidden corruption of our nature may threaten some haynous downefall in time to come Which hath made men of verie good report and conuersation hang downe their heads and feare their secret hypocrisie as that which may breake foorth to the shame of all their former life in time to come But because we forgate to speak of them that in the examining of their liues past are much grieued for the want of sinceritie and priuie vainglorie in themselues let vs beware we go to the searching of our hearts in sinne To come to speake somewhat of those men troubled for this priuie pride they are touched or not touched If the veyle of sinne was great in them that it hid Christ froÌ„ them it is the good will of god that by this sight of their most secret sinnes they shuld come to see the righteousnes that is in Christ Iesus and so they shall be kept the better from being Iusticiarie Pharisies for when beeing a long time well brought vp leading a ciuill life the Diuell would perswade vs of some inherent righteousnes in vs It is the wisedome of God to touch vs with the conscience of most hidden corruptions as allso to make knowen vnto vs that euen from our birth there was a secret feede of sinne in vs which without the Lord watching ouer vs woulde surely haue broken forth to his dishonor As for them which haue had some woorking in them and yet are often plunged in sore distresses this trouble commeth to them for two especiall causes either for some hypocrisie which they did more in showe than in truth wherefore the Lorde bringeth them backe agayne to see their corrupt proceedings that they may knowe that al their religion is but hipocrisie and all their righteousnes to bee but vnrighteousnes or for the abusing of their knowledge in that they made it but a mask to iuggle in and that they made theyr affections to fight with their owne iudgments Wee must remedie this by not thinking of our selues aboue that that is meete and by labouring to embrace the truth And here let vs note that many of gods Children accuse themselues of hypocrisie when indeede they offend not in it And yet this accusation ariseth from some fault for though they haue done things in truth yet becaus they stroue not to see their secrete corruptions in some other matters they susteine this troubled minde So that there is nothing harder than to sift
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
been assaulted ouerthrowen as also how some Countries too much negligent in the meanes thorough an excessiue fearefulnes haue incouraged theyr Enemies with more greedie violence to pray vpon them With such kinde of stratagems our aduersarie the diuell beeing well acquainted doth often practise this pollicie If hee see vs without all fear too quietly to rest in our selues he thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger because our assistaunce is the weaker Againe if he descrieth in vs a cowardly fear and fainting of heart before wee once begin to ioyne battaile with him hee will set vppon our immoderate feare and as villainously as sodenly stab vs to the heart make a present spoyle of vs. Common practise dooth farther teach vs that when we can heare the word without all trembling at God hys iudgements when wee can pray without all feare before the Maiestie of God when wee can come to the Discipline of the Church without all reuerence of the ordinance of the Lorde all is in vaine Againe let vs heare with too much trembling wee shall learne nothing let vs pray with too seruil a fear our worshipping of God will be without all comfort vnchearfull Thus if we neither lessen sinne that is sinne indeed neither make sinne of that which is not sinne in â—â—uth it is good to proceed to this threefolde examination and to laye the edge of this doctrin nere our affections because manie will be found in this ripenes of knowledge and hardnes of conscience to speake dispute and declare of all these things very skilfully with flickring in the circumference of the brain and not sitting at the ground of the hart doo seale vp a more iust sentence of condemnation against them To help this euil we must meditate deeply of the Law the Gospell together with the appurtenances of theÌ„ both that finding our selues farre from Gods blessings by the law seing our selues ouer to the curses due to the breakers of the Lawe wee maye raise vp some sense of sin in our selues Yet herein we must not stay our foote but goe a farther stryde for whereas manie by a diligent view of the lawe haue come to the sense of sinne in themselues and saw plainly their own condemnation yet because they labored not to see their guiltinesse acquited by the remission in Christ they plunged themselues into a bottomles sea of sorrowes Others haue passed these degrees and hithertoo haue made these steppes to auoyd this wound of Conscience and yet haue come also too short and missed of the marke who because of the sence of sinnes pardoned by the death of Christ they felt not also the vertue of his passion crucifiyng sinne in them but sawe that with the remission of sinne was not ioyned the mortification of sin and feared that there was no forgiuenes for them but still languishing with sorow they thought them-selues to stand charged with their former guiltines Yea that which is more for that such men haue not beene instructed nor surely haue beene grounded in the Doctrine of Christes death and resurrection it is for that they sawe not as well power flowing from his death to slay sinne in them as vertue to pardon sin in them for that they felt not as well strength to Sanctification streaming from the rising againe of Christ as they were perswaded of iustification righteousnes therein They haue lyne still bleeding at the heart in such sort as the wound of griefs could hardlye or neuer bee staunched Wherefore let vs strengthen our weake soules wyth thys seuen-fold coard of consolation agaynst these bitter assaultes let vs first labour to know sinne then to sorrowe for sinne after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiuen further to looke for power to crucifie the same then to lay holde on iustification by his resurrection and lastly hope for strength to proceed from thence to further vs in sanctification and holines of life euen vnto the end And thus much briefly for the second thing which wee matched in companie with the examination of sinne euen the tryall of faith both which rightly vsed shall in some measure sauegard vs from the trouble of an afflicted minde Now let vs hasten to the third part of our Deuision to shew how Gods children being fallen into this wound of spirit may be holpe out of it which God willing wee will also performe after we haue aunswered a necessarie obiection which in the former part might seeme to encounter against vs. There is no man but will graunt that Dauid Iob and others of the Saints of God had a sight of their sinnes a sorow for their sinnes a taste of the remission of their sinnes and yet how commeth it to pas that these men were so troubled in minde To this I answere that their trouble so befell theÌ„ either for falling in some of these former things or els they were rather afflicted for tryall of their faith than for persecuting of sinne in them And therefore be it alwayes prouided that wee thinke not euerie conflict of Conscience continually or chiefely to bee for the pursuing of our sinnes but sometimes and principally that it commeth for the trial of our faith and yet secondarily or lesse principally for the scorging of sinne as wee may see in Iob. Whereuppon let all men bee admonished when they see good men thus humbled and throwen down in mind to laye their handes on theyr mouthes from saying Surely these men are but hipocrites doubtles these men be great sinners the Lord hath found out their iniquitie the Lord hath discouered their hypocrisie For good reason there is that such silence should be vsed for the Lorde maye as well make triall of their faith as take punishment of theyr sinnes For if such affliction should alwaies and chieflye be sent for sinne then it shuld follow that all others as they exceeded them in sin should also exceed them in the punnishment of sinne But now comming to the saluing of this soare I shall seeme verie straunge in my cure and so much the more to bee wondered at by how much in manner of proceeding I discent from the most sort of men herein I am not ignoraunt that manie visiting afflicted Consciences crye still Oh comfort them oh speake ioyfull and comfortable things vnto them Yea there bee some and those most excellently learned who in such cases are full of these and such lyke speeches Why art thou so heauie my brother Why art thou so cast downe my sister Bee of good cheere take it not so greeuously What is there that you should feare God is mercifull Christ is a Sauiour These bee speeches of good comfort indeed but they often doo the poore soules as much good herein as if they should powre cold water into their bosomes when as without farther searching of their soares they may as well minister a maladie as a medicine for as nutritiue and cordiall medicines are not good for euerie sicke person especially
when the bodye needeth rather a strong purgation than a matter restoratiue and as incarnatiue medicines for the time allaye the payne of the patient but after the greefe becommeth more greuous so the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for euerie one that is humbled especiallye when their soules are rather to be cast downe than as yet to bee raised vp so the sugred consolations may for a time ouer-heale the conscience and abate some present greefe but so as afterwardes the smart will be the sorer the grief may grow the greater whereof insueth this effect that comfort seemeth to cure for a while but throgh want of wisdome in the right discerning of the cause wee minister one medicine for another and so for want of skil the latter fitte grindeth them sorer than the former Some there be who without precept and practise wilbe theyr owne Phisitions and these so soone as the fit commeth vpon them thinke it the best to chastise and to chase awaye their sorrowe by drinking at tauernes by minstrelsie in merrie companie by purging melancholy in phisicke all which seeme to weare away the paine for a while but yet after it byteth more deeplye when the burning feauer of the spirit shaketh them wyth a seconde recourse and for that before they were not truly searched purged seared and launced it commeth to passe that the seconde relaps is more dangerous than the first To come to our purpose wee must knowe that all griefes are either confused or distinct and sure it is that the minde is appalled eyther for some cause verye well knowen to vs as certaine or for something vnknowen to vs and vncertaine To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes whereof they can see no reason as often it happeneth to Gods Children who either neuer knew God or had but a general knowledge of him I answere that as I denie no Phisicke to bee ministred if it in part proceed from a naturall cause so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule And this I doo the rather because I would haue wisedome both in considering the state of the bodie if need so require and in looking chiefly to the soul which so few thinke of If a man troubled in conscience come to a Minister it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing all to the bodie if hee commeth to a Phisition hee onely considereth of the bodie neglecteth the soul for my part I would neuer haue the Phisitions counsell seuered nor the Ministers labour neglected because the soule and bodie dwelling together it is conuenient that as the soule should be cured by the word by prayer and by fasting by threatening or by comforting so the bodye also should bee brought into some temperature by Physicke by purging by dyet by restoring by musike and by such like meanes prouyding alwayes that it bee styll done so in the feare of God and wisedome of his spirite as we thinke not by these ordinarie meanes to smoother or smoake out our troubles but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues whereby both our soules and bodyes may bee made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after As we require these things to bee the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie so I would wish the persons ministring to be men learned and of sounde iudgement wise and of Godlye experience meeke and of most louing spirites for when the troubled patient shal be perswaded of our knowledge and discretion and therewithall shall perceiue vs to come in tender and louyng affections I thinke an enteraunce is in a manner made and all preiudice is taken away so as wee may the more freely woorke vppon the greeued Conscience first bringing them to the sight of sinne as to some cause of their trouble Heerein wee must labour to put awaye all confusion and blindnesse of sorrowe endeuoring by wisedome to bring the parts wounded to some certaine obiect matter of their trouble and so drawe out of them the confession of some especiall secrete and seuerall sinne I say secrete and seuerall sinnes because I know how manie through a palpable blindnes or disordered discerning of sinne talke nothing so much as of sinne and yet they eyther discrie seuerall sinnes or they will not bee brought to acknowledge theyr secrete sinnes whereof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the Lawe of God the other of selfe loue which maketh vs loath in our trauel of mind to shame our selues Now that the confession of perticular sinnes is requisite it maye appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme wherein beeing a Psalme of instruction concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes the Prophet by his owne experience teacheth vs that hee could finde no reliefe of hys sicknes vntill he had remembred and made confession of his sinnes What shal we thinke that the Prophet of God taught so wonderfully by the word and by the spirite did not see his sinnes before Be it farre from vs. Rather let vs know that he had not seuerally and perticularlye ripped vp hys sinnes before the Lorde in a seuerall confession of them Which things the Lord knoweth farre better than wee our selues yet such kinde of sacrifice is most acceptable vnto him Now if in this trouble the persons humbled can not come to the perticular sight of sinne in themselues it is good to vse the help of other vnto whom they maye offer their hearts to bee gaged and searched and their liues to bee examined more deeply by hearing the seuerall Articles of the law laid open before them wherby they may square the whole course of their actions For as we said before the grosest hypocrite will generally complaine of sinne and yet deale wyth them in perticular poynts of perticular precepts proue them in applying of things to bee done or vndone to their owne consciences and wee shall see manie of these poore soules tossed too and fro now floting in ioies now plunged in sorrowes not able to distinguish one sin frō another Now when we see the wound of the spirit arise of any known sin it is eyther for some sinne alreadie committed wherein wee lie or els for some sinne as yet not committed whereunto wee are tempted For the former It pleaseth God oftentimes to bring old sinnes to minde when wee not truely repented of them before that so as it were representing them to vs afresh we might fal into a more misliking of them And yet herein is not all to mislike our selues for some perticulars although it bee good to bee occupied about some speciall sinnes for as it is not enough for the auoyding of hypocrisie to see some generally so it is not enough to eschue the deceauablenes of the heart euer to bee poaring busily in one perticuler and to be forgetfull of the great and generall sinnes And let vs learne by the perticulers to passe by the generalls When anye such
one sinne then dooth pursue thee rest not onelye therein but saye thus rather to thy selfe Oh Lord is thys one sinne so grieuous and dooth my God punnish thys one sinne so soarely Howe great then should be my punishment if thou shouldest O Lord so deale with mee for al my other sinnes I haue committed Let vs learne to haue a sense both of generall and of perticular sinnes least in tyme our griefe passe away wythout frute whilest that beeing not displeafed as well wyth one sinne as with another we either looke too superficially to generall and not to perticulars or els too superstitiously obserue perticulers and not the generals Concerning those sinnes whereunto we are tempted as when a man is mooued to think blasphemously of God the Father or to doubt whether there be a Christ or no or to imagine grosely of the holy Ghost or to deny God or to doubt of the Trinitie to be mooued to murther adultrie or such like in which temptations he feeleth Gods spirit to check him for them so as he knoweth not in thys case what to doo for that on the one side he dares not listen willingly to these fearefull and monstrous temptations and on the other side he feareth least in time by long sute he might fall into them or at the least yeeld for that he seeth not how to be deliuered frō them I suppose these motions are not so much to bee disputed with as we by them are to be prouoked to more instant and zealous praier Surely these are dangerous temptations and therefore are not to bee kept cloase which our nature will easely encline vnto but perticularly are to bee confessed of vs. For the diuel will come somtime to thee to keepe thee still in a generall acknowledging of thy sinne and vrge on this manner Surely thou must needes doo this sinne thou seest thou canst haue no ease vntill thou hast assented thou art ordained to it the reason why thou art thus incessantly tempted is because thou doost not take thy pleasure Go too delay not denie God beleeue not his word it is but a pollicie to keepe men in awe Religion is no such matter as men make it Thus for feare of yeelding on the one hande and for shame of disclosing the tentations on the other hande many men haue pined away and almost haue beene ouercome by them If we should disclose this say these men what would people say of vs They would count vs Atheists they would thinke vs the wickedst men in the worlde Well for our instruction and consolation herein Let vs learn that these kind of tentations are either corrections for some sinnes past or the punishment of sins present or forewarners of some sin to come Wee shall see many tempted to adultery who now no doubt cannot bee be brought to commit it and yet because in their youth they haue committed it and not repented of it it coms to them againe The like may bee obserued in theft in gluttony and in other tentations which are not so much sent vnto vs presently to ouercome vs as to put vs in mind that hertofore we hauing bin ouercome with them should now repent for them Sometime a man shall lye in some sin wherof when he will not bee admonished neither by the priuate nor publike meanes then some strange tentation shall fall vpon him differing from that wherein he presently lyeth to admonish him of that other sinne As when a worldling shal be tempted to adulterie a thing which hee hath no desire to do yet it is to make him look to his worldlines whereof he hath so strong and through a lyking Whereas if then he will not bee awaken he may sodainely fall into that too and so by the punishment of GOD in punishing one sinne with another both his sinnes shall bee to his great shame laid open and one sin shall make knowne another Sometime also it commeth to passe that one shall bee tempted with such a sinne as neither heretofore nor presently hee hath giuen any liking or entertaignement vnto and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him how hee may fall into it hereafter as also to shew that hee hath stoode all his former life rather by the grace of god than by the strength of flesh and blood Wherefore when thou art moued to doubt of God and of Christ of the word or of iustification doo not so much stande woondring at these strong tentations as thinke with thy selfe that it is the mercie of God by them to cause thee better to discerne of those tentations in others Wherefore thou shouldest haue obserued with feare trembling howe they make the first entry into a mans heart howe they gather strength howe they agree with our corrupt nature in what degrees they come to some growth how the spirite of God dooth resist them what bee the meanes best to preuaile against them And thus if thou make thy profite by them thou shalt so woonderfully search and descrie by seuerall veines the body age and sleight of these tentations in others by an holy experience which GOD hath taught thee in others that besides thou shalt lay foorth mens secrete corruptions as if thou wast in their bosomes thou shalt be able by the seed of sorrowe in thy selfe to beget an vnspeakeable ioy in others who in time may bee tempted to sin as thou nowe art Thinke moreouer and besides that such is the efficacie of sinne that they who are nowe no Papistes Heretiques Adulterers or Theeues may for their secure contemning and passing ouer these tentations sent vnto them sodainely shortly after fall into them because they woulde not seeke to make some vse of them nor confesse before the Lorde both their pronenesse and worthinesse to fall into them But if wee will humble our selues in such tentations and learne by them meekely to discerne the corruption of our hearts we shall not only presently deliuer our selues from imminent perill but bee also further enhabled to assist others hereafter in the like danger But some wil oppose against these things which wee haue deliuered Doo you thinke it a remedie to cast downe them that bee already humbled this is rather to bee a Butcher than a builder of a mans conscience To whom I answere that I desire Preachers to be Builders and not Butchers and it is one thing generally to apply and another perticular to lay the medicine vnto the wound It is good to begin with searching first to purge the sore by the vineger of the Lawe and after to supple it with the oyle of the Gospell Both which must bee done in wisedome vsing them to some in greater to some in lesser measure For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature and no mortall humor neede rather restoratiue than purging medicines So some rather troubled for spirituall wants than for grosse sinnes needes not so much the threatninges of the Lawe as the sweete promises of the Gospell But if
the body thorough some extraordinary repletion hath gotten some great surfet not so much to the weakening of nature as to the threatning of imminent death and therfore requireth rather some strong purgation than comfortable and cordiall medecines then the soule also being brought to some extraordinary sinne is rather to bee boared and pierced with the denouncing of Gods iudgement thā otherwise But because wee woulde deale more plainely lesse confusedly it is good in our accesse to the afflicted consciences to lay these two grounds First we must perswade the persons humbled that their sins are pardonable their soules curable And after that this visitation is not so much a signe of Gods wrath and anger as a seale of his loue and fauour in that it is not either blind or barren but plentiful in good effects and fruitefull in Godly issues The former howe needefull it is the experience of so many as haue beene throwne downe is a sufficient witnes who haue had this as a tagge tyed in their tentations The Lord wil surely make an end of them in some strange and vnknown tentation Wherein they are not vnlike vnto men fallen into some dangerous disease who thinking to bee without the fadome of the Phisitians skill and not to bee within the compasse of thinges recouerable adde a second and sorer griefe vnto their former Wherefore as these men seeme to bee halfe healed when any man of knowledg can bee brought who by experience hath cured the like malladie in like degrees in others So then the fearefull soules are not a little by hope refreshed and strengthned to looke for some ease when they see none other tentation hath ouertaken them thā such as hauing fallen into the nature of man haue found mercie at the handes of God that hee might bee feared This ground worke framed it is good to build vp and repaire the decayed ioy of the minde partly by the Law to make a preparatiue for these ioyes if the minde not truly humbled is not fit truly to be comforted and partly by the gospel if the conscience kindly throwen down is become a fit subiect to apply the promises of Iesus Christ vnto it And here againe to answere thē that denie the law wholly or at all to bee vsed when we wold breed comfort in one I demand whether if it be necessary to maintaine the righteousnes of Christ it bee not also as necessarie to preserue the righteousnes of the Law Seing the righteousnes of the Law of vs not fulfilled wyll drawe vs vnto the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed And sith the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed is neuer throughly and truly esteemed vntil we see the righteousnes of the law of vs to be vnperformed Again if our Sauior Christ did fore shew his Disciples that the first worke of the holy Ghost at his comming should bee to conuict the world of sinne to make men know that without Iesus Christ ther is nothing but sinne and then that he shuld rebuke the World of righteousnes that they might see Christ died not for his owne but the sins of others I see not why it should not be very conuenient first to lay opē the righteousnes of the law that men maye see their sins and then the righteousnes of Christ that men may see their sinnes discharged in him Besides wher the Lord saith by his Prophet At vvhat time soeuer a sinner dooth repent of his sins from the bottom of his hart I vvill put all his vvickednes out of my remembrance that it may well be gathered there must be a sound sorrow for sin going before and then the true ioy of sinnes pardoned may the more frely be looked for afterward Moreouer seeing al the promises of God in the gospel are cōmended vnto vs vnder the title tenor of restoring sight to the blind hearing to the deafe strength to the lame health to the sicke and life to the dead it is manifest not onely that there is no disease of the soule that Christ cannot heale but also that wee must first finde our selues blinde deafe dumbe lame sicke dead before he wil meddle with vs because they that are whole need not the Phisition and he came to call sinners not the Righteous to repentance Now to doo this in wisedome by neither pressing the conscience too seuerely nor releasing the conscience more vnaduisedly it shalbe the safe way to vse the wel tempered speech of the Apostle to the sorcerer Repent if it be possible thy sinnes may bee forgiuen thee Where hee dooth not wholly discourage him because it may bee his sins may be pardoned neither yet too boldly incourage him that without repentance he sheweth it altogether impossible to be pardoned And that we be not too preposterous in our consolations let vs bee warned by the blasphemous speeches of the detestable Arrian who of late yeares was put to deth at Norwich This hellish heretique a little before he shuld be executed afforded a few whorish tears asking whether he might bee saued in Christ or no When one told him that if he truely repented he shuld surely not perrish hee brake out most monstrously into this speech Nay is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeede as you say Then I defie him care not for him Oh howe good a thing had it been not to haue cast this pretious stone to this swine Oh how safe had it bin to haue dealt more bitterly and dwelt more vehemently on the conscience of this caytise Now to attaine some discretion in curing this wounded spirite wee must learne wisely to iudge both of the person afflicted and of the nature of his affliction First we must note whether it be a man or a woman becaus we may vrge more carefully the vse of the law to a man as hauing the stronger vessell And as Sathan knew the woman to be most easie and frameable to be wrought vppon at his first temptation so is hee not ignoraunt that shee is the weaker partie to susteine an accusation Then let vs consider whether they that are thus humbled haue knowledge or no Because if they haue none they thinke trouble of minde to be so strange a thing as neuer any before it if they haue knowledge then Sathan is readie to accuse them of sins agaynst the holye Ghost as though anie sin done against knowledge were a sinne of presumption Farther we are to enquire how strong or weake they are that if they be not sufficiently wounded to touch thē with some deep sense of sinne Also we must be circumspect to finde out whether by nature they are more fearfull or melancholy or no As also whether they be vsuall sinners or haue faln once of infirmitie that so vppon their disposition and inclination we may builde our speech the better To these it is good to adde this consideration of the persons age estate and ability as if the partie bee troubled for worldlinesse whether hee bee not a
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
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