spirituall miseries doe conceive a desperatenesse of condition such do now begin to damme up all the springs of mercy and drie up the bloud of Christ and close up the doore of grace against themselves and that I may not bee mistaken in this point note with mee two things Note 1. That in strictnesse of divinity wee are to make a difference betweene a wounded and a desperate conscience the one runs beyond the other in many things 2. That in every wounded conscience Desperation in every vvounded conscience compleatly or incompleatly there is a degree of desperation sometimes and in some men it runneth in more compleatnesse when men take their sinnes in such an high manner and with such an over-reaching power as that neither mercy can or will ease them they set an eternall night within their soules without hopes of a morning framing to themselves an utter impossibility of pardoning mercy as Caine Gen. 4. 13. and Iudas Mat. 27. 5. and this is a distresse Note of distresses and a greater evill then the disease it selfe Sometimes againe some men under the wound of the soule are more incompleately desperate they onely thinke and feare that God will cast them away and shut up his mercies and loving kindnesse from them heare they lie languishing and bleeding and are only holpen with this that though they cannot apply yet they dare not deny unto themselves Gods mercy and Christ in merit and this was the case of David under his wound Psal 77. 7 8 9 10. 4. The time of mans feeling this misery and calamity I know well that the wound of the spirit is graduall in some it is more then in other and it hath not alike continuance in The degrees and the continuance of this woūd in men different all in some it is but for a little space they quickly recover of their disease and attaine refreshment and comfort as we may see in Peter he went out and wept bitterly there was his wound in spirit but hee could speake comfortably and confidently to Christ after his Resurrection this shewed that he was not long in the agony Paul lay three daies in the affliction and distresse of spirit and then least hee should bee swallowed up of too much sorrow Anani as was sent unto him to refresh and comfort him But as God gives speedie ease to some so hee is pleased to let others lie a longer time under the perplexities of a wounded spirit David cries out shall I never bee remembred Psal 19. 1. My soule is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Psal 6. 3. Now let the time be shorter or longer All the daies of the afflicted are evill Prov. 15. 15. and all the while a man doth feele this evill so long the wound doth remaine 2. Wee must know that though the wound of conscience is incident unto good and bad yet it is with a great and wide difference the wounds of spirit in wicked men are 1. Legall they spring up in the soule from the terrible operation The difference that is betwee◠the wound of the wicked the wound of the godly in 5. things of the law within their soules the Law of God hath an extreame curse written in it and this it writes in the conscience of every wicked man I say by its spirituall vigour it gets within the conscience of a wicked man and so the wound is made there is no worke of the Gospell as well as of the Law but all is done and made by the Law alone in all unregenerate men 2. Paenall and judiciall such men lie under the justice and wrath of God and for feare of hell and punishment are most of all cast downe so that were there no punishment to bee endured it were not the displeasure or offence of God by sin that should amaze them My punishment is greater then I am able to beare saith Caine Gen. 4. 13. whereas the wound in the godly is paternall and penitentiall a fatherly chastisement of God for tryall wherein the childe of God is wounded most at heart by the deepe apprehension of his sinnes and the displeasure of his Father against sin or 3. Violent the wound in them worketh with more and greater violence having more of the fire of hell in it such men are wholly under the terrors of the wound having no assistance from God no hope of ease no glimpse of light and no allayment by the saving power of the Gospell which the godly doe finde first or last more or lesse in degree 4. Mortall the wound in the issue prooveth desperate and incurable and though for a time their spirits may be benummed by the application of false meanes that so there may seeme to bee a cessation of the raging thereof yet the wound remaineth still they carry it with them to the grave to the judgement seate of God yea and to hell it selfe whereas God doth in due time and by good meanes make a compleat cure of all the wounds in the spirits of his there being no disease in their soule but as it is possible of cure so it is actually cured 5. Hurtfull the wounds of wicked men do them no good but hurt they are hereby driven from God and fall away more and more whereas the The benefit of spirituall vvounds in the godly serve in 6. things 1. Sense of sin Three vvaies of feeling sin wound in the godly is an occasion of much good unto them by the wounding of their spirits they are wrought unto these six things 1. Sensiblenesse of the bitter and sad effects of sinne God hath waies enough to make his feele their sinnes as his Word which strikes hard on the eare threatning sinne and wickednesse then if men hate reproofe and harden their hearts God hath his rod he sheweth man his judgement and in that mans sinne and his anger by which if man will not learne righteousnesse and feele the bitternesse of his sinne then troubles arise in conscience that shall be awakened and dis-eased that shall come upon man with feares and horrors for the sins that hee hath committed so that hereby he shall bee made to possesse the sinnes of his Job 23.26 Psal 51.3 youth and to know his own wickednesse as Iob and David did 2. Humility and emptinesse 2. Humility of soule of soule the wounds of the spirit doth weaken the proud and perverse conceits of mans owne strength and righteousnesse God by these doth make men vile in their owne eyes and opinions it is strange to see what rising humours are found in the godly before the wound befalleth them their blood is exceedingly over-heated but now by an humbled spirit God doth worke them to an humble spirit carrying them as to sin deniall so to selfe deniall 3. Enquiry after sinne these 3. Search after sin wounds of the spirit doe make us reflect on the evill of sinne and to search more seriously and narrowly into what wee
but he gets out quickly the wicked falls backe into the courses of sinne againe lying downe in their falling backe their end being worse then their beginning Relapses 1. Voluntary Thirdly Relapses are 1. Voluntary 2. Involuntary Voluntary Relapses are such as have the propension complacencie of the heart in them the sea doth as naturally ebb as it doth flow and wicked men make their returnes unto sinfull courses with much more delight then their departures O how glad is a Jayle bird of the opportunity of liberty to goe to his old haunts and much more joyfull is every wicked man when hee is at liberty to feed himselfe upon his sinfull pleasures hee doth even bewaile his misery that hee was kept so long from them Involuntary Relapses are 2. Involuntary such as arise contrary to the intention and affection of persons it is not the pure love of sin that drawes backe the godly into sinning againe which may appeare in the consequent of their relapsing they are not now as a fish newly taken out and newly leapt againe into the water in their proper element a sinfull way and course cannot bee agreeable to their soules they finde no rest in a sinning condition but their soules are sicke and sad they weepe and are troubled exceedingly and can receive no comfort in themselves untill they see themselves recovered againe as wee may see in David and Peter Fourthly there are Relapses in 1. Conquest 2. Combate Relapses 1. In conquest Relapses in conquest is when a man out of malice and obstinacie of heart without all ground or cause is carried backe againe as a slave unto his sinfull doings some men never sticke at the matter their hearts find no manner of stop and nothing within puts an impediment to their returnes the heart and the sinne are now in league and they like the way of sinne exceedingly the state of wicked men in returning to their sinnes is much answering to the returnes of a man unto his bed to take his rest and sleepe hee loveth his bed and vexeth at every thing that keepes him from going into it just so the heart of every wicked man likes the sin but hates the impediment nothing at all doth awe him from sinning againe but the shame and punishment of sin and he accounts that word and friend his enemy which stops him in sinning Relapses in combate is when 2. In combate a man is reduced to his old sin but it is with much feare secret reluctancie and some opposition I see another law in my members warring against the Rom. 7.23 law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne saith Paul a good man relapseth resisting his reducing into sinne is much after the manner of the bringing backe of an escaped prisoner when hee espies such as would take him hee runnes from them and hides from them and hee is not easily laid hold of or brought home againe many escapes he makes by the way and would rather die in the place then returne and so surely doth a Christian strive with griefes and teares and prayers against all returnes into sinne Fifthly Relapses in respect Relapses â— Hurtfull of their effects are 1. Pernicious 2. Profitable The unsound heart by falling backe into sinne growes more and more hardned and insensible more carelesse and froward in sinning more free and forward in sinning acting his old sinnes with greater love and delight then ever God doth good men good â— Helpfull by their relapsings though there bee no good in sinne yet it is good that sinne bee and the wisedome of God can and doth turne it unto the good of his I say this is the accidentall effect of the godly mans falling into sinne greater humiliation and sorrow greater watchfullnesse and feare greater dependance on God stronger covenants and resolutions deeper loathings and greater conquest over sinnes In these five didistinctions you may observe the difference of relapses in good and bad men 4. That the sinne of relapsing is pardonable it is such a sinne which God hath pardoned and hee can and will pardon Christ doth tell us that all manner of sinne and blasphemie shall bee forgiven unto men excepting that against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12. 31. under that phrase of all manner of sinne relapsing is included God doth not shut the gate of mercy against all relapsing sinners and because this is made a ground of trouble unto many Christians that they doe conceive such a sinne cannot bee pardoned I will briefely evidence the pardonablenesse of Relapses First that sinne unto which the promise of curing is made is pardonable to Gods children for God never cures sin but where hee first covers it but the promise of healing is Tvvo reaâ—ons prooâ—ing the ardonaâ—lenesse of â—â—lapses made unto backsliding Returne yee backesliding children and I will heale your backslidings saith God Ier. 3. 22. Hosea 14. 4. Secondly that sinne is pardonable to Christians unto which is annexed a possibility of repentance for God hath promised pardoning mercy to penitent sinners but a Christian may repent of it for repentance was required of backsliding Israel Returne saith God yea and it was practised also Behold wee come unto thee for Ier. 3. 22 thou art the Lord our God consider seriously of Peters condition were not his bitter and brinish teares the repenting of his folly in so often denying his master 5. That as there are meanes to keepe from relapsing so there are meanes to deliver out of relapsing into sinne wee may not weakely conceive that because wee have made our returnes into sinne contrary unto our promises and purposes that wee shall never get out of them againe this is the way to keepe the soule in hell Delivery from relapses upon earth I grant you 1. That revolting into sinne is greatly displeasing to God 2. That it is a difficult thing 1. Difficult to get out of a sinne into which a man hath often relapsed a man cannot be healed and recovered without much paine and much adoe the second or third time of the same disease Yet I pray you despaire not 2. Possible your hearts suppose the worst that the sinnes which you have fallen into againe are great and grievous sinnes and that they were not unwilling omissions or suddaine passions but had knowledge and premeditation in them that they were sinnes once repented of and solemnely vowed against 1. All this and much more makes the recovery to bee difficult not desperate 2. The sinnes that Abraham Lot and Peter fell into were great and hainous sinnes and yet they recovered againe 3. There is no disease beyond Gods cure or sinne above his pardon cannot God pardon sinne oft surely God that hath once mercifully recovered his falling backe will also doe it the second and third and fourth and every time for his Ob. But many fall backe into sinne and doe never recover themselves againe and this
make shipwrack of it 1 Tim. 1. 19. a sinfull course will wound and wast conscience but take me sinnes committed against the light of nature of Scripture and of grace and those doe exceedingly gore conscience 4. By disquieting and vexing conscience to bring trouble and torment into the soule is no small abuse of the soule it is the greatest injurie that can bee done unto it and this men doe 1. In forcing sinne upon it Conscience vexed and how 2. In linking sin with it 3. In hindering the operations of it 5. By tempting conscience some men proove divels unto their owne consciences partly Two wâ—ies of tempting conscience in laying baites before it setting conscience in the presence of vilenesse and using it to sinfull companies or sinfull occasions certaine I am that it is a hard matter to keepe all faire with conscience when and where there is nothing but vilenesse and partly in trying conclusions upon it men play the Empericks with their consciences putting them upon the practise of things the lawfullnesse whereof they know not or are not yet resolved of 6. By deading and searing conscience conscience is and would be living and sensible now when men brawne it by the daily and customary practises of horrible and grosse sins and by disusance they doe abuse it and so disable it for all spirituall service 7. By smoothering the scruples of iâ— conscience is many times full of reall and personall cases and sometimes it is not able to resolve it selfe now if a man thorough pride or bashfullnesse shall keep all close and not seeke the satisfaction and resolution thereof this maketh the inward ranckling and festering and languishing thereof 8. By blinding and darkening conscience knowledge is the eye and light of conscience for it seeth no more then it knoweth now ignorance is the thing that blindes conscience and without knowledge it is not good it is a madnesse in men to take away or to put out the light which should guide and direct their owne consciences in things to be beleeved and done 9. By abasing conscience conscience was made for goodnesse to uphold and maintaine that and for high and holy imployment to doe that now when it shall be used for a colour and cloake for sinne and wickednesse and men shall either make their sins to carry the name of conscience as unwarranted opinions and practises now adaies doe or make conscience the cause of sinne as too many do who cannot come to Church and receive the holy Sacraments under a pretence that conscience will not let them a great belying and abusing Conscience abased and how of conscience or to make conscience a false witnesse fastning untruths on it as doe such men that will take it upon their consciences that it is not so nor so as they are accused when indeed it is so conscience is put to sweare against conscience and to speake against conscience and to accuse and condemne and to execute conscience this is the putting of conscience unto the basest offices that can be and this way men do notably abuse conscience 10. By silencing conscience conscience within us can and would speake unto us when as others cannot or dare not to speake unto us Now when men command it unto silence and stop the mouth thereof and cannot endure that it should be a voice either of direction or correction unto them but bribe or choake conscience it is a great abuse unto it 11. By neglecting it conscience is worthy our best respect and attendance and wee cannot do too much to cherish and refresh it Now when men shall runne from it as many a Whore doth from her childe leaving it upon the Parish and let who will looke after it when men shall never enquire after its health but suffer it to take grievous falls and hurts when men shall passe over its wounds not minding its cure when men shall suffer it to want the best meanes of information consolation and corroboration and let it cry it selfe to death they shew most horrible cruelty unto conscience and doe as grossely abuse it as a Nurse doth her sucking babe to whom she denieth her care and breasts 12. By overloading and entangling conscience conscience can and will beare much but yet as the overlading of a ship is her sinking so the over-lading of conscience by sinnes and sorrowes and feares and impertinent scruples is the abusing and wronging of conscience 2. Lay out for the true good and strengthening of the spirit within you wee must endeavour to maintaine it in a state of goodnesse cherishing and keeping up its goodnesse that it die not it will quit cost for us so to do the good and strength of conscience is our good and strength at all times let this then be your worke 1. Remoove daily the evillnesse of sinne from within it and before it nothing is the undoing of conscience but sinne and wee must endeavour after the daily bathing of it in the blood of the Lord Jesus the increasing of its renovation by the Spirit we must be much in the practise of repentance and washing away those sins which lie upon conscience by the teares of godly sorrow 2. Feed and nourish it with its appointed food the strength of our naturall spirits stands in their nourishment it is as true of our spirituall spirits conscience must not be overfasted nor overphysick'd but we must give it the Word in promise Christ in merit and the sense of pardoning mercy and wee flesh and refresh it 3. Make use of the strength of conscience for your supportance conscience was made for use the excellencie of it stands in its use and if wee doe put conscience unto it it will bee our confidence in times of common feares and dangers it will steele our hearts and beare up our mindes as stoutly and as safely as the waters did the Arke of Noah nay it will proove an Arke or Garrisonunto us for our safety learne therefore upon the accesse of all calamity to retire into conscience and commune with thine owne spirit and call upon conscience to doe its office and worke keepe not conscience idle within you the lesse you imploy it the unfitter will it bee for your strength and service call upon it to act its owne proper operations and you shall find the comfort of it unto you in your afflictions 4. Secure the sound spirit within you it is our upholdment and security and therfore by an holy care and watchfullnesse keepe it above all keepings Prov. 4. 23. Some men have made shipwracke of conscience and lost it 1 Tim. 1. 19. and our condition in this life is full of danger conscience within us is in the midst of many and malicious adversaries and in as much danger by evill men and divels as ever and it stands us much upon to bee watchfull and to bee alwaies fearefull and jealous least both we and it become a prey unto Satan to this end 1.
of their unworthinesse they stand in their owne light Satan hereby taking advantage against them This I finde to bee a maine master-peece of Satans cunning that before a man is convinced of sinne hee maketh him so full and rich and worthy that hee cares not for the merits of Christ or the mercy of God he will not beg but buy a place in heaven Laodicea was rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing not knowing that shee was wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. The Corinthians did so shine in their owne opinions and were in such selfe credit that they were rich and full raigning as kings but when a mans eyes are opened to see the sinnefullnesse of his sinnes then hee makes him very poore and his unworthinesse to bee such and so great that it is not for him to thinke of heaven or mercy or Christ a great temptation under which lieth lurking a white divell To relieve the soule in this case I shall propound these few considerations 1. That if unworthinesse were a sufficient ground to keepe men of from divine favour and eternall happinesse none of all the sonnes of men could ever bee saved for all have sinned and by sinne made themselves unworthy of mercy 2. That there is no subjective worthinesse antecedently required unto justification and salvation God well knew the unworthy condition of Israel when hee made them his people entering into the Covenant of life and peace with them Ezek. 16. can you conceive that there was any inherent worthinesse in them that did lie weltring in their owne blood beggars are not worthy of almes traitors are not worthy of pardons nor sinfull men worthy of Christ or mercy Luke 15. 21. and why should we dreame of having a requisite worthinesse of our owne if man had any thing in him he were altogether unfit to come in unto the free offer of grace we see the invitation is made to the monie-lesse and merit-lesse Christian Esa 55. 1. 3. That though worthinesse be not in the streame yet it is in the fountain and though there bee no subjective worthinesse in men yet there is an objective worthinesse in Jesus Christ which is tendred to sinners by grace and accepted by faith there is enough in Christ to make our persons lovely and acceptable to God without whom if we had all selfe-worthinesse wee should remaine in Gods eyes most unworthy persons This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased saith the Father Mat. 3. 17. 4. That notwithstanding mans owne great unworthinesse Assurances for acceptance under unworthines there is enough to assure him of divine acceptance for First Mercy in God is full and free it hath enough in it selfe to incline it selfe to gratious pardons and favourable acceptances God doth blot out transgressions not for mans sake but for his owne sake Esa 43. 25. Secondly mans chiefest selfe-worthinesse is to see his owne unworthinesse and to be humbled for it certainely such Esa 64. 6. Luk. 15. 21. as have base low esteemes of themselves and can dwell upon the guilt and merit of their owne sinnefullnesse judging themselves to hell for it such Phil. 3. 7. as can with Paul disclaime from all worth in themselves and doe see in all their parts and gifts and performances an inability to engratiate them with God such as can in the best of conditions and after the best of performances bewaile their weake expressions of duty acknowledging themselves to be most unprofitable Luk 17. 10. servants needing the mercy of a God and the merit of Christ these I say are men of the greatest worthinesse with God according to the old truth hee paies best for Heaven that seeth hee hath nothing at all to pay for Heaven Thirdly an unworthy sinner may plead out the Covenant of grace with God and the freenesse of the tenders of his mercy I know no man that can or doth more admire and magnifie divine mercy then a sinner truly sensible of his owne unworthinesse I know none more desirous of mercy then such I know none will be more ready to accept of Heaven and favour out of freenesse of grace then such I know none to whom the offer of salvation purchased by Christ is made but such and what now doth hinder them from comming in unto God pleading with him after this or the like manner Gratious Lord I am here before thee for mercy and for thy Christ I see in my selfe nothing worthy thee or thy Christ for I am wholy sinnefull if thou now wilt receive mee for thine owne and pardon mee my sinnes out of thine owne free grace and for the merit of thine onely Sonne alone thou shalt shew thy selfe a gratious God indeed O Lord that which draweth mee in unto thee for grace is thine owne free grace thou gavest mee the word and hope of comfort and therefore I durst not stand out Lord loe heere I am before thee without all confidence in my selfe O let it be unto mee according to the freenesse and richnesse of thy mercy refuse mee not though I am unworthy to be called thy sonne 5. That too much standing on selfe-unworthinesse is many times an argument of secret pride and opinion of merit men would faine bee some body with God and doe something for Heaven Lord how willing is man to have a finger in his owne salvation and to be at the least a co-adjuâ—or with Christ in the office of his Redemption when as in truth it is mercy alone that must doe all and such are most in the way of comfort that referre their spirituall condition unto mercy setting up and advancing the free favour of God as the onely cause of their spirituall estate 1 Cor. 15. 10. tell mee sadly and seriously thou troubled soule if thou hadst more goodnesse in thee if thy graces were more perfect in thee and thy services had beene or could bee better performed by thee then thy hopes and assurances could and would rise within thee then thou couldest have confidence and settlement within thee yes and what is this I pray thee but the spice of pride and secret dependance on merit what wilt thou looke upon thy selfe and within thy selfe and draw out principles of salvation from thy selfe how art thou onely beholding to grace and to Christ for thy salvation when thou thus porest and priest into thy selfe if thou wilt be a cause of thine owne good thou must bee a ground of thine owne glory and if thou wilt bring thy penny thou wilt make thy selfe joynt purchaser with Christ tell mee O Christian hadst thou all thy desired qualifications would they or can they equall the favour of God and durst thou to stand upon this so as to build thy eternall welfare on it bee perswaded out of this vaine and empty conceit of thine and cease further to perplexe thy soule under the thoughts of thine unworthinesse God indeed lookes not out
Mat. 5. 28. Rom. 13. 14. Pro. 6. 18. and harbouring the same in provision arting and skilling it selfe in the cunnings and methods thereof that it may become wittie in wickednesse and is continually framing Esa 32 7. plotting and devising wickednesse within it selfe 2. That sinnefull and evill Two sorts of evill thoughts thoughts are of two sorts 1. Ascending thoughts which flow from the corrupt heart of man Out of the heart proceed evill thoughts saith Christ Mat. 15. 19. there is not a more entire cause of sinnefull thoughts then sinfull corruption evill thoughts must have an evill principle waters doe not more issue out from a full fountaine then sinfull thoughts do spring from a sinnefull nature 2. Injected thoughts whose working is inward but cause outward Satan doth venture upon the thoughts and gets his entrance into the soule by them one of the Fathers tells us a Mala co gitatio Diaboli primogeni ta Hieron that a wicked thought is the divels eldest daughter this one thing I am sure of that as naturall corruption is mother so Satan is ordinarily father unto vile thoughts in men Satan put into b 1 Chron 21. 1. David the thought of numbring his people and Satan filled the heart of Anani as that hee lied to the Holy Ghost Acts 5. 3. Happily curiosity may here enquire into the just difference betweene those sinfull thoughts which ascend from mans nature and such which are injected by Satan Certaine it is that there is a reall difference but for my part I cannot peremptorily conclude it a Christian may know that the divell hath beene in his heart and layd his egg there and shuffled in his motion there but because there is such a mixture of seeds in the generation of sinfull thoughts which are monstrous and that both of them are like Simeon and Levi brethren in evill it is to mee a point of great difficulty to determine their apprehensive difference yet I reverence those Divines and their opinions who have given out the probable differences betweene Diabolicall and Naturall thoughts in their unnaturallnesse unreasonablenesse suddainesse and uncessantnesse unto whose reasons I leave my Reader and doe proceed to teach you 3. That sinfull thoughts divide and multiply themselves Diversities of thoughts in men severally Sometimes into thoughts of blasphemie against God and Christ and the Scriptures men wretchedly imagining and thinking negatively Psal 94. 19. unworthily of either O how meanely conceited are many Psal 53. 3. men of Christ making him the Carpenters Sonne a man of sorrowes and no way to bee regarded for salvation and as 2 Pet 3. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 21. for the Scriptures their authority and verity is questioned and men deeme it to be but the word of man vaine and foolish and as for God hee is directly or virtually shut out in his being and Attributes men thinke him not to be at all or not to be so just present powerfull gratious and mercifull as he hath revealed himselfe to bee witnesse these Scriptures Psal 14. 1. Iob 22. 13 14. Ephes 2. 12. Somtimes into thoughts of infidelity against the power and promise and providence of God and these arise principally in times of mens distresses now Mat 6 25 7 28 31. men take thought what they shall eate and for to morrow how they and theirs shall doe the Prince thought in himselfe that the present scarcitie was such that should God open windowes in Heaven it could not cause such a plenty as the 2 King â— 2. Prophet spake of Sometimes into thoughts of pride men Luk. 18 11. Luk. 15. 7. have selfe-justifying thoughts and selfe-advancing thoughts distentorious and curious Rom. 12. 3. thoughts many times they climbe up unto the exploration of secrets beyond reason to the ruine of their parts and estates Sometimes into thoughts of folly mens thoughts are empty and incoherent they carry the scumme and foaming of the water in them men many times doe not know what to make of them neither are they able to give a good account of them unto God or men There are also unsetled thoughts which have no steadinesse or fixednesse in them they come and goe having a fluencie in them as bubbles rise up and sink againe so doe the thoughts of many rise and fall men doe thinke and unthinke againe even as Simile men by the quick suggestion of their phantasie doe loose one dreame by another so doe men by the slipperinesse of their thoughts loose one thought in another nay of such a roaving disposition are our thoughts that they are much like to the wanton Spannell that will run after every bird even to the loosing of his Master truly there is no staying of thoughts but they will be gone and many times they take their flight beyond the call and command of Christians themselves There are strange horrible thoughts that many times doe come into mens minds as for a man to abhorre God renounce Christ Heaven and all for a man to murder himselfe for a parent to murder his child c. There are distracting and withdrawing thoughts such as creepe into us when wee are about the performance of duties alienating us from the more spirituall performance of them as Benjamin found Iosephs cup in his sack and he knew not how it came there so Gods children doe finde such dartings and droppings in of strange thoughts when they are upon duties that they wonder whence they should arise Also there are unseasonable thoughts thoughts that are good materially may become circumstantially evill it is Satans policy to prevent and interrupt a convenient and present good by thrusting in some unseasonable good a good that is not well placed and tim'd for a man to have praying thoughts is good but when hee should have hearing thoughts to have these praying thoughts is unseasonable c. To conclude there are despairing thoughts men conceiving themselves to bee reprobated and rejected of God to whom the possibility of pardoning mercy and heavenly happinesse doth no way appertaine I said in my hast I am cut off Psal 31. â—2 from before thine eyes saith David there was his perishing thoughts 4. That sinnefullnesse of thoughts are a just cause of soule-trouble unto Gods Saints you shall heare them bitterly thus complaining seldome doe thoughts of God or goodnesse rise up within mee my soule is so dry and barren that I seldome thinke of any good but then when I am to doe it yea and oftentimes when I am doing good I thinke not of it I have occasions enough before mee for good thoughts but my nature is dull and will not or inexpert and cannot make use of them and if my thoughts begin at any time to worke upon good objects if I take God or Christ or the Word or my sin into my thoughts I soone loose the sent and am farre from insisting on them the Bee may Simile sometimes light upon a