but it is an ataxie or absence of goodnes and vprightnes in the thing that subsisteth therefore it is well and truly said in Schooles In sinne there is nothing positiue but it is a want of that which ought to be or subsist partly in the nature of man and partly in the actions of nature Thus we see what sinne is The second thing to be considered is what is a Sinner properly For the knowledge hereof we must consider in euery sinne foure things first the fault whereby God is offended then the guilt which bindeth ouer the conscience vnto punishment thirdly the punishment it selfe which is eternall death Of these three not the guilt or punishment but the fault or offence makes a man a sinner But here is a further difficultie Whē a man hath committed some offence and the saide offence is done and past it may be some twentie or thirtie yeares yet the partie offending doth not therefore cease to be a sinner Now then I demaund what is the very thing for which he is named and rearmed still a sinner in the time present the offence beeing past The answer is that euery actuall sinne beside the three former must be considered with a fourth thing to wit a certaine staine or blotte which it imprints and leaues in the offender as a fruite and that is an inclination or euill disposition of the heart whereby it becomes apter or pronener to the offence done or to any other sinne For looke as the dropsie man the more he drinks the drier he is and the more he still desires to drinke euen so a sinner the more he sinnes the apter is he to sinne and more desirous to keepe still a course in wickednesse And as a man that lookes vpon the Sunne if he turne his face away remaines turned vntill he turne himselfe againe so he that turnes from God by any sinne makes himselfe a sinner and so remaines vntill he turne himselfe againe by repentance Thus Dauid was a sinner not onely in the very acte of his adulterie and murther but euen when the acte was done and past he remained still a murtherer and an adulterer because a newe or rather a renewed pronenesse to these and all other sinnes tooke place in his heart by his fall and got strength till he turned to God by repentance vpon the admonition of the Prophet The thing then whereby a sinner is tearmed a sinner is the Fault together with the fruit thereof namely the blotte imprinted in the soule so oft as men doe actually offend The vse of this doctrine touching sinne is two fold First by it we learne and see what is Originall sinne whereby an Infant in the first conception and birth is indeed a sinner Euery Infant must be considered as a part of Adam proceeding of him and partaking of his nature and thereby it is made a sinner not onely by imputation of Adams offence but also by propagation of an aptnesse pronenesse vnto euery euil receiued together with nature from Adam And thus ought we to conceiue Originall sinne not to be the corruption of nature alone but Adams first offence imputed with the fruit thereof the corruption of nature which is an inclination vnto euery euill deriued together with nature from our first parents Secondly by this we are taught to take heed of all and euery sinne whether it be in thought word or deed because the committing therof though in respect of the act it passeth away in the doing yet it breedeth and increaseth a wicked disposition in the heart as hath beene said to the offence done or any other sinne Men deceiue thēselues that thinke all the euill of sinne to be only in the act of sinning to go no further wheras indeed euery offence hath a certen blot going with it that corrupteth the heart and causeth man to delight and lie in his offence which lying in sinne is a greater cause of damnation then the very sinne it selfe This therefore must admonish vs to take heed least we continue in any sinne and if it fall out that through infirmitie we be ouertaken by any tentation wee must labour to rise againe and turne from our sinne to God by new and speedy repentance Thus much of Sinne it selfe Now follow the differences thereof which are manifold The first sort are to be gathered from the causes and beginnings of sinne in man which are threefold Reason Will and Affection The differences of sinne in respect of Reason are these First some are sinnes of knowledge some of ignorance A sinne of knowledge is when a man offends against his knowledge doing euill when he knoweth it to be euill and this is greater then a sinne of ignorance for he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes A sinne of ignorance is when a man doth euill not knowing it to be euill Thus Paul was a blasphemer an oppressour and persecuted the Church of Christ ignorantly and in a blind zeale not knowing that which he did to be euill Nowe by ignorance here I meane an ignorance of those things which ought to be knowne and this is twofold simple or affected Simple ignorance is when a man after diligence and good paines taking still remaines ignorant this ignorance will not excuse any man if it be of such things as he is bound to know for it is faide He that doth not his masters will by reason he knew it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer And in this regard euen the Heathen which knew not God are inexcusable because they were bound to haue knowne him for Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature and lost the same through his own default for himselfe and his posteritie And it is the commandement of God whereunto euery man is bound to performe obedience that man should know him that is his will and word But some may demand how any man can be saued seeing euery man is ignorant of many things which he ought to know Ans. If we know the grounds of religion and be carefull to obey God according to our knowledge hauing withal a care and desire to increase in the knowledge of God and his will God will hold vs excused for our desire and indeauour to obey is accepted for obedience it selfe And the greater this simple ignorance is the lesser is the sinne and hereupon Peter lesseneth in some sort excuseth the sinne of the Iewes in crucifying Christ because they did it through ignorāce and so doth Paul his sin in persecuting the Church when he alleadgeth that it was done ignorantly in vnbeleefe But howsoeuer this sinne by such meanes may be lessened yet remaines it still a sinne worthie condemnation Affected ignorance is whē a man takes delight in his ignorāce and will of purpose be ignorant not vsing but contemning the meanes whereby to get and increase knowledge And that carelessely and negligently
all things created Created goodnes is that whereby the creature is made good and it is nothing else but the fruit of that goodnesse that is essentially in God Now the degrees therof are these There is a generall or naturall goodnesse in creatures and a more speciall or morall goodnesse Generall goodnesse is that whereby all creatures are accepted and approoued of God by whome they were both created and ordained Thus euery creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sunne the Moone the Earth Water Meate Drinke c. is good hauing the beeing thereof frō God Hence also the essentiall properties quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good By the same generall goodnesse also euen the Deuill himself and his actions as he is a substance and as they are actions hauing their beeing from God are good Things againe doe take vnto them the condition of goodnesse not onely by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certen vses and endes Thus the euil Conscience Hel Death are good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his iustice howsoeuer in themselues and to vs they be euill Besides this generall and naturall goodnesse there is also a speciall or morall goodnesse properly so called and it is that which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe wherein it is commaunded and things as they are therein commanded to be done by God are good morally Nowe of actions morally good there be two degrees for they are either good in themselues alone or good both in thēselues and in the doer In themselues alone some things be morally good for example when a wicked man giues almes it is a good worke onely in it selfe but not good in the doer because it is not done in saith and from a good conscience and so are all the vertues of the Heathen morally good in themselues but they are not good in heathen mē for in them they are but beautifull sinnes The next degree of goodnesse is whereby things and actions are both good in thēselues and in the doer also Of this sort were the praiers almes of Cornelius good in themselues in him also because he was a beleeuer Now opposite to things and actonis morally good or euill are actions and things of a middle nature commonly tearmed Indifferent which in themselues beeing neither good nor euill may be done or not done without sinne In themselues I say for in their circumstances they are and may be made either euill or good And here we must remember to put a difference betweene conueniencie and inconuenience which ariseth from the nature of indifferent things Conueniencie is when a thing or action is so fitted to the circumstances and the circumstances fitted to it that thereby it becomes a thing Conuenient On the otherside Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances which bring some hurt or losse to the outward man or stand not with decencie and therefore doe make it to be Inconuenient And by this that hath beene said we may discerne when an action is good euill indifferent conuenient or inconuenient The third Ground is touching the degrees or differences of Sinne. And here we must first of all search what is sinne properly and what is properly a sinner Sinne in his proper nature as S. Iohn saith is an anomie that is a want of conformitie to the law of God For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that there were in Adam before his fall three things not to be seuered one from the other the Substance of his bodie and of his soule the Faculties and powers of his bodie and soule and the Image of God consisting in a straightnes and conformitie of all the affections and powers of man to Gods will Nowe when Adam falls and sinnes against God what is his sinne Not the want of the two former for they both remained but the very want and absence of the third thing namely of conformitie to Gods will I make it plaine by this resemblance In a musicall instrument there is to be considered not onely the instrument it selfe and the sound of the instrument but also the harmonie in the sound Nowe the contrarie to harmonie or the disorder in musicke is none of the two former but the third namely the discord which is the want or absence of harmonie which we call disharmonie In the same manner the sinne of Adam is not the absence either of the substance or of the faculties of the soule and the bodie but the want of the third thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must be not onely an absence of goodnesse but an habite or presence of euill I answer that this very want of conformitie is not onely the absence of goodnesse but also the habite or presence of euill For as this want enters in and is receiued into mans nature it is properly a want or absence of goodnesse againe after it is receiued into the nature of man it continues and abides in the powers and faculties thereof and so it caries the name of an habit It may be said againe that lust and concupiscence that is Originall sinne drawes the heart away from the seruice of God and entises it to euill Now to entise or drawe away is an action and this action cannot proceede of a meere priuation or want Ans. We must consider sinne two waies first ioyntly with the thing or subiect in which it is secondly by it selfe in his owne nature If we consider it with his subiect it is an euill inclination or action but if we consider it in it owne nature it is no inclination or action but a want For example in a murther we must consider two things one is the action of moouing the bodie and of holding vp the weapon c. which is no sinne properly if it be considered as an action because euery action comes from God who is the first cause of all things and actions Againe in murther there is a second thing namely the killing or slaying of the man which is the disorder or aberration in the action whereby it is disposed to a wrong vse and end and thus the action is a sinne namely in respect it wants conformitie to the will of God The nature then of the sinne lies not in the action but in the manner of doing the action and sinne properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing for then God should be the author of it in as much as he is the creatour and ordainer of euery thing and action
vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuously but of set malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sinne against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Now follow other differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of the Law sinne is twofold either of commission or of omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherein some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking of the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of commission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie and abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner and measure thereof Thus the heathen men failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to common good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts void of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in all the duties of the law For they doe the good things the law commandeth as loue God and their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the law requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with them in the rigour of his iustice and examine them by the strict rule of the Law he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance and manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnes that ought to be in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sinnes of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe ofter offend then by sinnes committed and the least omission is enough to condemne vs i◠it should be exacted at our hands The next differēce of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous and in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and call downe for speedie vēgeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundrie exāples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abel whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmercifull dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech 16. and of this the Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha was great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppressiō indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongful withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them thē into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue eare vn to the cries of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in themselues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience and long sufferance vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporall punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punnish and as we may say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of Toleration the first is Originall sinne or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration for it is not in our conuersion quite abolished but remaines more or lesse molesting and tempting vs till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how of the offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for
of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall beginnes the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combate for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by seruent constant and earnest inuocation for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and setles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life whereupon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercie followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance whereby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needes be before light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauour to obey his commandements by a newe obedience And by these degrees doeth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is to giue the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first worke begun that a man may perseuere in grace to the ende Now then to come the Answer the holy Ghost hath propounded to vs this Question of conscience together with the resolution thereof in these examples following The men that were at Peters sermon beeing touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to another Men and brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and bee baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iayler who after that the stubbernnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs vvhat must I doe to bee saued To whome they gaue answere Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospell sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christ answers him Keepe the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tells him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie a mendement of life I answer then out of all these places that he that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe newe obedience vnto God For the first Humiliation is indeede a fruite of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect wherein it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himselfe and ashamed in respect of his sins The second is a confession to God wherein also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the Prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant wheÌ„ a sinner begins truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loe thou forgaâ—est the wickednesse of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning HumiliatioÌ„ all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and known sins but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknown sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commandements of God and yet after such examination and search made cannot call to remembrance his particular offences then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his parâ—icular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life Clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theife vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of
God Loue not this vvorld nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an ofsence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be chāged because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we knowe not so much of our selues Therfore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of all euery sinne in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie VVhereby he signifieth that those that can call vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themselues they are the Lords A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts first an Exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him all things are knowne but to ourselues in our owne hearts and consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doing the things before named in the 5 6 and 7. verses that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall law there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God whereby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meate drinke and attire By Patience is meant a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is another vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue wherby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehearsall of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation III. Question THe last generall Question touching man as he is a Christian is How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releiued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set down that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand DIstresse of mind which Salomō calls a brokē or troubled spirit is whē a mā is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspense and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call dispaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kinde of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily followe and so inseperably accompany each the other that no distresse of what kind soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therfore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the most grieuous temptation that can be it causeth the greatest and deepest distresse of conscience The second is the Triall of the Crosse that is of outward affliction whereby God maketh proofe of the faith of his children and not only that but of their hope patience and affiance in his mercie for their deliuerance Temptations of seducement be such as wherin men are entised to fall from God Christ to any kind of euil And these are of three kinds The first is the temptation of Blasphemies or the Blasphemous temptation which is from the Deuill immediately The second is from a mans owne sinnes originall and actuall and this also hath sundrie branches as we shall see afterward The third proceeds from Imagination corrupted and deceiued Now answerable to these seuerall kinds of temptations are the seueral kinds of distresses and as all temptations may be reduced to those fiue which haue beene before named so may all distresses be reduced to fiue heads arising of the former temptations Before I come to handle them in particular we are to consider in the first place what is the best most sure generall Remedie which may serue for all these or any other kind of
of which when they awake they shall be admitted and receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first where of is in this world before we die and it is then when we beginne to repent and beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off all sinne originall and actuall death frees vs from all worldly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie and soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlaâ—â—ing glorie in heauen Our third meditation is that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunction betweene Christ euery beleeuer and that not onley in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall rise at the last day in body to glorie by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied branches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued quickened beeing made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in Christ and that is by faith laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noe Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercy of God by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ And our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed dutie may be learned that looke as the children of Israel beeing stung with fierie serpents and that vnto death were healed by looking vp to the brasen serpent erected by Moses so when we are stung with sinne and death we must euer remember by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to fixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and confidence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are ful of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people intending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe and the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the sentence of death in themselues that they might not trust in themselues but in God From these examples it followes that they which desire with comfort to beare the pangs of death must die by faith that is they must set before their eies the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and depend vpon it wrapping as it were and infolding themselues in it as in a close and warme garment that will keepe them safe and sure against the winde and weather of temptation The second Practise in time of death is to die in obedience which is nothing else but willingly readily and ioyfully without murmuring to submit ourselues to Gods will in bearing the paines of death A most worthie president of this obedience we haue in our Sauiour Christ when he said vnto his father Not my will but thy will be done thereby submitting his will to his Fathers will touching the death which he then suffered And this his example at the time of his departure must be a rule of direction vnto vs vpon the like occasion True it is that obedience to God in death is against corrupt nature and therefore our dutie is the more to invre our selues to the performing of it and that which the blessed Apostle said of himselfe I die daily ought to be continually our resolution and practise If we shall inquire howe this may be done the answer is when God layeth afflictions vpon vs in our life time then by indeauouring to beare them with patience meeknes and lowlinesse For euery affliction is as it were a petty death and if we doe in it subiect our selues to the hand of God we shal the better obey him in the great death of all and thus doing whensoeuer God striketh vs with death we shall with comfort endure the same The Third particular Affliction is Satanicall molestation whereby both persons places of mansioÌ„ or abode are either possessed or otherwise molested by the malice of the Deuill Touching this affliction the Question of coÌ„science is How such persons as are possessed or feare possession or else indure molestations by the Deuill in their houses may haue their minds quieted and staied and consequently in that case be remedied And here 2. things are generally to be considered in way of answer First it is to be remembred that possession is known by two signes The one is when the deuill is euideÌ„tly present either in the whole body or in soÌ„e part of it