wee are cast into the frame and mould of the Gospell untill Christ be formed in us a Gal. 4.19 so that in this worke the spirit is the principall efficient cause as our Saviour tells us Iohn 6.63 it is the spirit that quickneth §. 7. How the Gospell workes life 1. Hovv the Gospell workes not So then the Gospell works not this life in us in a Physicall or naturall manner as having vertue naturally inherent in the words to produce such an effect in those that heare it 1. Not physically For then men should be converted and regenerated in a naturall and not in a divine manner and also then the Gospell would worke alike upon all men that heare it that were alike disposed and did not ponere obicem or lay a barre of their owne to hinder it except God should restraine the naturall power of it in working but so the conversion of man must be within the power of his owne act and God could not be justified in his withholding grace The word is a supernturall instrument of salvation But the conversion of a sinner is wrought by a greater vertue than can naturally and subjectively be in the words and sentences of the Gospell for the word of God is not instrumentum physicum a naturall instrument but a morall or rather metaphysicall instrument of effecting such a supernaturall worke according to the will of the first agent 2. Not Ethically Neither in an Ethicall manner doth the Gospell worke this spirituall life in us onely by morall perswasion as morall Philosophers and Rhetoricians doe affect and draw their hearers by reasons and exhortations stirring up a latent power inherent in us and inclining our wills by rationall motives and objects to be made alive then must it depend upon us that wee are saved and be from a power of our owne exuscitated by the word 2. How God works by the Gospell according to his own will But God works by his word as a more puissant and independent agent that inintends and remits his power in working according to his owne will by the meanes and uses meanes not as necessary for him but that he can doe as much without them in regard that the effect is his owne and man the passive subject of it Mans will is the subject of conversion It is the will of a naturall man that is most dead to God-ward and most averse from him and therefore it is the will that is chiefly to be wrought upon and made alive in conversion whereupon all depends but wee know that nothing can make it selfe alive when it is dead but he that is the fountaine of life the Son of God Rom 1.4 Note Of the heart The illumination of the understanding which is common to the wicked and the godly is presupposed as requisite to fit a man for conversion and therefore in the worke of regeneration the scripture takes notice specially of the heart insomuch that the old Testament uses no other word to expresse the understanding because in Divinity no knowledge without intertainement in the heart and without conformity of the will and practise to the truth is saving action being the end of Theological knowledge in this life words of knowledge in Scripture commonly comprehend affections in them §. 8. Why God uses meanes Although that God could if he pleased convey grace into a sinfull man by immediate influxe or inspiration from which wee cannot utterly exclude all seeing the worke of grace depends absolutely neither upon the nature of the meanes nor upon the abilities and will of the converted and elected whereof many are not by that method of meanes capable but upon God who workes according to the good pleasure of his will yet he uses meanes not to help himselfe as if otherwise he could not doe the worke but in respect of us that are naturall men indowed with senses as well as reason hee appoints meanes Reasons of using of means 1. that by our using thereof we may be active about the worke of our owne salvation and may attaine the same by a way and course within the compasse of our owne power and indeavours as the reward and blessing of God upon our labours to our commendation before God and men 2. Againe meanes are appointed by God for our obtaining of salvation that by using of them our saith in Gods promises and power may be tried in expecting thereby so glorious effects farre above their nature and also our obedience may be proved by doing what God commands us to doe within the reach of our power to get life albeit it doe transcend reason how by this way it can be had as appeares by Naaman the Syrian 2 King 5.13 14. 3. And finally God appoints the use of meanes for our comfort that by our constant conscionable using of the same we may be assured of grace and life as certainly as we are of the use of the meanes appointed to get and by which God hath promised to give it by the working of his holy Spirit §. 9. How the Spirits power is manifested and seene Vse To finde the Spirits power by the meanes in us Now further from the consideration of the excellency of this spirituall life to be wrought in us by meanes our use should be to end eavour to find and feele both the Spirits quickning vertue of regeneration by the meanes powerfully working upon and in us and also to discerne this spirituall life to be in our selves seeing our comfort lyes herein and that the one can never bee without the other Manifest in 4. degrees of operation The vertue of the Spirit in us by the meanes manifests it selfe in foure degrees of operation not to speake of illumination First both in making us see and feele with griefe of heart our owne wretchednesse and sinfull deadnesse 1. Against sinne and also by turning us from our sins and ungodly courses with detestation of them and with resolution and constant indeavours against them it being the worke of the spirit to lust against the slesh because they are contrary the one to the other a Gal 5.17 c. both in nature and effects In which respect the Prophet Hosea tells us that if we will live we must turne Hosea 6.1 for our sinfull courses are the waies of death therefore we should labour to be and find our selves mortified to sinne with some kinde not onely of voluntary indisposition but also of strong antipathie and detestation of committing the same as formerly wee were prone and affected with delight to doe and that at the presence of sinne in its habit or act we may with indignation be displeased and sad having no joy nor contentment in that condition For the motions of sin entertained do worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death b Rom. 7.5 Which by a contrary life of grace are mortified and subdued but I confesse that
bent to do afterward notwithstanding that he knowes the same to be directly contrary to Gods will and to his own salvation Neither can any mans precedent prayer be effectuall with God for to obtaine pardon of a vile enormious sin that he desperatly and unresistably intends to perpetrate against the will of God which I will manifest by three strong reasons Reasons 1. Such prayer condemnes the self-murderer First Repentance and Prayer to God for pardon of the vile sin of self-murder that a man purposes to do doth manifest it is in him not a sinne of infirmity but a most presumptuous sin which he doth so advisedly deliberatly wittingly and willingly go about and therefore in that case is farre from true repentance and hath no ground for him to dare to come before God to pray for such a thing neither can he hope to be heard in such a prayer which helps onely to condemne him if he do the sinne because thereby he witnesses and testifies against himself that such an act of self-murder is wicked and sinfull and that he doth advisedly and presumptuously intend and do it and therefore for his doing of it may most justly and certainely looke to be damned And againe by such an antecedent prayer repentance and pretended reconciliation to God such a self-murderer doth but beg of God leave that he may securely sinne in that horrible manner and fact without feare or check of conscience or touch of punishment which is to desire that God would be unjust by shewing mercy contrary to his nature and truth to presumptuous sinners in their act of so sinning and so by that kinde of humiliation and prayer to God for favour in their purpose and act of self-murder they make God a partie accessary to their sinne and to be sinfull by his assistance of them in their vile practise Such persons abhorre not the sinne but the punishment and would have heaven by their owne way contrary to Gods which cannot be 2. Such prayer is not of faith The second reason proving the unlawfulnesse and uneffectualnesse of the antecedent repentance and prayer of self-murderers for pardon for the sin that they purpose to commit is because such a prayer cannot be of faith whereby they sue to God for a pardon ante factum before the deed be done which is nothing else but the grant of a dispensation for them to sin in most vile manner which is most unlawfull to be desired for which there is no warrant and it is most impossible for God to grant because thereby hee must not onely dispense with the punishment of the fact contrary to his justice but also he must approve of the deed to be done as lawfull contrary to his nature and will For both the allowance of the fact and also exemption from punishment are comprehended in a dispensation But God can neither lye by shewing mercy contrary to his truth nor yet can approve any sin so as it should be no sin in the doer and act of it which is a contradiction True repentance lyes specially in abhorring forsaking and reforming of sin both for the habit and for the act of it which in this case a self-murderer doth not and therefore doth not repent neither of his other former sins nor of this for the same reason of repenting for the one is for the other 3. It is unwarrantable The third reason of the vainesse of such repentance and prayer made by self-murderers is because the same wants all warrant For repentance can be onely of sins committed and past or present and not of sins to come whereof a man in that respect cannot be guilty because a thing to come is yet a non ens or nothing it is not certaine it shall be and all sins for time to come should be utterly resolved against and withstood with prayer to God for grace that wee may never bee able to doe them Pardon of sins is craved by prayer and granted by God onely for sinnes commited and not before they be done for pardon followes upon repentance which is properly of sins done and not of sinnes purposed to be done True repentance changes both a mans ill purposes and practise contrary to the course and disposition of such a self-murderer whose repentance and prayer tends to incourage him more boldly to sinne by a most vile fact of self-murder he cleaves to the sinne and practises it the punishment whereof he would avoid which are individuall companions It is a strange madnesse for a self-murderer to conceit or presume that God upon his prayer proceeding out of a wicked minde and from an ill intent will grant him his request and will for the salvation of his soule when as he will not yeild to the will of God who forbids the horrible sin of self-murder Note Touching such self-murderers beleeving hoping and casting themselves upon Christ for salvation I grant they may have desires of salvation but it is onely to be had in Gods way and therefore they cannot have it in their own True faith and hope they cannot have because the same cannot consist with such raigning and advised presumptuous sins neither have they any ground to beleeve or hope that any in that case can be saved To cast themselves upon Christ for salvation I deny not as the foolish Virgins that knocked to be let in but Christ will be Saviour to none that will not submit to him for to be their King to be ordered by him in all things Although multitudes come and cast themselves upon Christ for salvation by him yet hee receives and saves none but such as come first to him in all humilitie and obedience to be cured of their sinnes and to be ruled by his Lawes Presumption The hope and expectation of the salvation of such self-murdering persons when they die is but groundlesse presumption in regard that their abuse of religious practises of prayer and the like and wretched dallying with God in so wicked a minde and to so vile an end doth aggravate their sin and makes them much more culpable and subject to eternall damnation than if they had forborne the same the expectation and desire of the wicked and hope of the hypocrites shall perish a Prov. 10.28 Job 8.13 Psal 112.10 They that do to themselves an act of the greatest hatred and hostility in the world in murdering themselves cannot properly be in charity with others God or men And to die in peace and in a good minde they cannot whose mindes at their last gaspe are perturbed troubled and set upon a most horrible vile act of self-murder attended upon with all horror from Heaven and hell to their everlasting confusion So then it is apparent for ought that can be said in favour or hope of the salvation of any proper self-murderer that there is no probability of the salvation of any of them but that they are all damned according to the former conclusion And
bringing himselfe to destruction Page 111 § 10. How indirect self-murder of commission is wrought by desperate hazard in six cases Page 112 The first case is concerning Braves and desperate undertakers Page 112 The second case is concerning purchase and reskue Page 112 The third case is concerning some souldiers Page 113 The fourth case is concerning Mariners Page 113 The fifth case is concerning Duells Page 114 The sixth case is concerning desperate attempts upon daring and wagering Page 116 § 11. Of indirect self-murder committed by covenant and society with persons destinate to destruction in three cases Page 118 1. Of Leagues Page 119 2. Of Warre ibid. 3. Of presuming into infectious places or company Page 120 § 12. Of indirect self-murder of commission by doing that which naturally procures that which kills the doer of it Page 121 § 13. Of indirect self-murder of commission by wilfully doing capitall crimes against humane Lawes and Authority Page 120 § 14. Of indirect self-murder of commission by wilfull transgression of Gods Laws after two severall waies Page 120 § 15. Of three exempt cases wherein men may expose their lives to death without danger of indirect self-murder Page 125 The first case is concerning venturing life upon lawfull calling ibid. § 16. A question or case of conscience resolved about Souldiers in danger of their lives fleeing without order Page 127 § 17. Of the second exempt case about adventuring of life without danger of indirect self-murder which is in urgent unavoidable necessity in three points Page 128 The first whereof is about both uncertaine death for certaine and necessary good ibid. And also certaine death for Superiours and for some friends Page 129 § 18. Of the second point which is concerning certaine death for certaine more publick good Page 131 § 19. Of six questions resolved that belong to this second point Page 133 The first where of is about a man-slayer what he is to do for whose sake his friends are pursued to death ibid. § 20. Of the second question which is about a man under deadly displeasure of Superiours what he is to do for to pacifie their mortall wrath reflecting for his sake upon his friends Page 133 § 21. The third question which is touching the voluntary appearing of Fellons or the like at liberty upon baile to submit to Iustice for freeing of their bailes with danger of their owne lives Page 135 § 22. The fourth question which is about what an unquestioned or unsuspected guilty party is to do for saving of a guiltlesse person that is brought to the doome and danger of death upon triall by error or misprision for the capitall fact of the former Page 136 § 23. The fifth question which is about a mans voluntary revealing to the Magistrate his owne secret capitall crimes touching his life in case of importable distresse of conscience for the same crimes by him done Page 137 § 24. The sixth question or case which is about burning or sinking a ship in a sea-sight and how farre such a fight is to be mainteyned against the Enemies without danger of self-murder Page 138 § 25. Of the third point of the second exempt case which is about venturing of life without danger of indirect self-murder for saving of soules Page 141 In two cases 1. About infectious persons ibid. 2. About publishing of the Gospell upon danger of death to the doer Page 142 § 26. Of the third generall exempt case wherein men may expose their lives to death without danger of indirect self-murder which is about religion and our owne salvation in foure points or cases Page 143 § 27. Of the first point or case which is about defence of Religion in peace and warre Page 144 § 28. Of the second point of the third case about adventuring and laying down our lives for religion without danger of self-murder which is about the publick confession or profession of the truth with danger of life Page 145 § 29. Of the third point belonging to the third exempt case which is about not-omitting doing necessary duties commanded by God in perill of life upon humane command or threats to the contrary and of the severall sorts of those duties and how farre they bind us And of the obedience and disobedience of Ministers to suspension deprivation and the like censures Page 146 § 30. Of the fourth point of the third exempt case which is about not-commission of any evill of sinne upon any command or inforcement of man threatning death to the disobedient Page 149 § 31. Of the kinds of sins of commission to be avoided to death in things determinatly evill of themselves both by the law of nature and also by the positive Law of God Page 150 § 32. Of indifferent things and how the use of them may be sinfull and in that respect then to be forborne Page 152 § 33. Of the diverse properties of an indirect self-murderer Page 154 § 34. Observations from indirect self-murder in three uses Page 155 Chap. 12. Of direct bodily self-murder § 1. What direct self-murder is both in the generall nature of it in foure things and also in the specificall nature of it remote and neere Page 159 § 2. Of the imaginary good conceited to be in self-murder Page 163 § 3. Concerning the wills object and its faultinesse Page 167 § 4. Of diverse observations from direct self-murder Page 169 § 5. Of certaine exempt cases of some that kill themselves and are not direct self-murderers Page 172 Chap. 13. Of direct self-murderers § 1. That practise and habit gives denomination and why Page 175 § 2. How it is apparent by Scripture that many men have murdered themselves with diverse observations from the same about self-murder and horrible crimes falling out in the Church Page 176 § 3. How self-murderers are apparent by Histories both prophane and Ecclesiasticall amongst heathens and Christians and the reasons of the same Page 178 § 4. That self-murderers are knowne by continued experience and of two uses of the same and how the motions of self-murder cleave to men and prevaile over them Page 181 Chap. 14. Of the meanes and method of self-murderers murdering themselves directly § 1. Of the meanes of self-murder how none is lawfull of two uses shewing how hard it is to do good and easie to do evill Page 183 § 2. The self-murderers application of the meanes of self-killing in premeditation and determination of the end and choise of the meanes to effect it with observation of three things therein and of two observations for instruction and use Page 185 § 3. Of the self-murderers method in executing murder upon themselves with observation of three things therein upon two reasons and how hardly resolved self-murder is withstood Page 187 Chap. 15. The self-murderers motives whereupon they directly kill themselves § 1. That men by abused reason do sin worst and that there is no true reason why any should kill themselves Page 189 § 2. Of motives to
the doctrine elsewhere in Gods word and sound reason condemning of it 2. The antiquity of self-murder Secondly the Scriptures recording of such facts shews the antiquity of this vile sin which doth not justifie but demonstrate the inveterate maliciousnesse of it rooted and strengthened by age whose continuation from age to age brings forth every yeare new crops 3. It falls out in the Church Thirdly it manifests that even this horrible sinne hath fallen out and still doth fall out in the Church of God among the visible members thereof and by professors of the truth Observe Which points out unto us that what sins soever fall out elsewhere may and doe fall out sometimes within the visible Church a 1 Cor. 10.13 It is not therefore to be said that the doctrine or profession of the truth is the cause of the same or of any such horrible facts breaking out in the Church where the Gospell is professed and practised The truth is blamelesse neither is the Word nor Gods worship nor true Professors to be upbraided nor condemned for such things as are not by them caused nor approved but are condemned reproved and punished Horible crimes fall out in the Church Causes The causes why such horrible facts fall out sometimes in the Church among professors are two 1. The devills malice First the raging malice of the devill specially against the Church and Professors of the truth whereby he endeavours two things 1. To scandall the truth First to scandalize and disgrace the truth that so he may keep off others from embraceing of it incense them against it and harden them in their owne wicked self-pleasing wayes Woe to the world because of offences b Mat. 18.7 2. To blemish the Church Secondly hee endeavours thereby to blemish the Church and to disturbe the comfort and growth of godly professors and to sift and try them to fall that by such reproachfull crimes God may be dishonoured 2. Rage of mans corruption upon opposition The second cause of those notorious facts within the Church is the rage of mans corruption when it prevailes and gets head and vent against the damme and opposition of grace and truth restraining and mortifying of it which then is irritated and rages the more furiously when it gets advantage and breakes out Comparison as waters fed with continuall springs when they overswell the banks that shut them up doe impetuously and unresistably beare all downe before them where they breake out Why grosse sins are most offensive in professors Sinfull and grosse wicked facts breaking out in the Church and among professors of religion are more scandalous and more condemned because they reproach religion and subject the truth to blasphemy §. 3. Self-murderers are apparent by history The second way of discovery of self-murderers Histories 1. Heathen The second way whereby it is seene that divers persous doe murder themselves is humane histories both Heathen and Christian Civill and Ecclesiasticall which are full of such wofull examples as Livie tells us of Lucretia others of Cleopatra Cato Vticensis Empedocles Cleombrotus Ostorius Pomponius Atticus Tullius Marcellinus Cleanthes Dido and many others and Baldovin reports that Inter Turcas Barbaresque gentes Indiaesunt qui se in gratiam suorum dominorum a muris aut turribus praecipitant in signum summae submissionis observantiae Among the Turkes and barbarous nations of the Indies there are some that in favour of their masters doe throw themselves headlong from walls and towers in signe of the highest submission and respect Heathens did murder themselves But it may seem very strange that Heathens in whom nature was so prevalent with humane reason should kill themselves having so little hope of a better life and all their comfort bounded within this present world Reasons That they did it is apparent whereof three reasons may be assigned 1. Want of grace in Christ First their want of grace and faith in Christ to comfort and content their mindes and to strengthen and enable them patiently to suffer adversities and their want of wills to be in every state and thing obedient to God who leaving them to themselves they sunke under the power of their owne temptations So wretched is mans state out of Christ 2. Secondly many Heathens killed themselves out of an affectation of honour and immortality either by fame on earth or by happinesse in a better place after death whereof some of them had an obscure glimpse to which they knew no better speedier way than by this kinde of death which proceeded from their ignorance of a better course to bring them to what they desired and from want of foresight of destruction in the end of that meanes which they used So unhappy a thing it is to be without divine direction 3. Freedome from evills Thirdly of the Heathens that knew no better good than what they had in this world and aymed at no higher end in all their proceedings than their owne good divers of them being in calamitous conditions without hope of other freedome and under despaire of ability to endure as was fit by this course of self-murder laboured to free themselves from these evills after which they looked for no more This is the wisdome of flesh and blood of corrupt nature and carnall reason such as was taught by the Stoicks who were the best morall Philosophers among the heathen Observe They thought self-murder to be lawfull Where wee are to observe that it is no wonder that such did fall into such notorious enormities so long as they thought the same lawfull and fit to bee done and wanted both that illumination in the truth and also the power of grace in Christ which now God hath bestowed upon Christians But it is more to bee marvelled at that Christians who have meanes of more abundant knowledge and grace should dare willingly to run into the same flagitious and capitall courses of the Heathen being Christians in profession but heathens in manners and practise Whereas the consideration of the parties murdering themselves being Heathens should deterre Christians from such vile facts that they may not be worse than heathens in their practise from whom they are so far divided in profession Self-murdering Christians are heathens But Christians that kill themselves upon the same reasons that the heathen doe doe thereby declare that in this point they have nothing of Christians but the name and otherwise are heathens and in that respect are justly to be debarred Christian buriall 2. Ecclesiasticall histories Wee also finde the like examples in Ecclesiasticall and Christian histories as in Eusebius his history lib. 8. cap. 6. Where he sayes Quo tempore fama est viros mulieres etiam divina inexplicabili alacritate suâ sponte in rogum insiluisse In the which time of persecution the fame is that both men and women did of