So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
euen the best regenerate man that feareth God and loueth righteousnesse that hath both his vnderstaÌ„ding enlightned his will sanctified so that he wanteth neither knowledge zeale nor humility yet can neither doe the good that gladly he would nor leaue vndone the euill that his soule abhorreth This is no smal burden to the man that wold please God and doe his dutie that hee becomes his owne troubler against his owne will and crosseth himselfe by corruption in that wherein he taketh pleasure by sanctification This made Paul the Apostle to crie out in these words O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death It was death to him that such corruption was so preualent in his fraile body And in another place he calleth the same law of sinne a pricke in the flesh the messenger of satan to buffet him because it was euer seruiceable to satan and armed his hand against the holy feruant of God so that whensoeuer the Apostle did set his heart to doe well the diuell did beat him with the weapons of his owne corruption This is no small burden to an honest minded man The second ranke of these spirituall burdens are accusing thoughts checkes and terrors of conscience the worme in thy bosome gnawing thine heart This burden often followeth the former as Zophar speaketh When wickednesse was sweet in his mouth he hid it vnder his tongue and fauoured it and would not forsake it but kept it close in his mouth then his meat in his bowels was turned the gal of aspes was in the middest of him That is at first sinne in the committing of it is sweet as ratsbane poison often is goeth downe merrily and is meate and drinke to the sinner and he can not bee wonne from it because it is his delight but at last the time commeth according to the saying of God in the Psalme I wil reprooue thee and set them that is thy sinnes in order before thee According to this saying God mustereth his sinnes together and presenteth a view of them before the soule of the sinner where the diuell as a great officer in that campe setteth them forth in their colours that al the contempt of God and of his commandements all their vnthankfulnesse and forgetfulnesse of their duty all the violence filthinesse fury and disorder that accompanied their sinnes appeareth fresh to the sinners vnderstanding and what wrathin heauen what shame on earth and fire in hell he hath made himselfe worthy of and must now looke for And this turneth the meat in his stomack into 〈◊〉 this is more deadly then the poison of aspes can be then feare increaseth nope decreaseth then the wicked are confounded and could wish â—…illes and mountaines to fall vpon them to couer them from the face of God and thinking to flie deserued destruction they oft times cast themselues into eternall destruction and with Saul Achitâ—…phel and Iudas kil themselues Yea the best seruants of God when it pleaseth him to lay this burden in any tollerâ—…ble measure vpon them are exceedingly affrighted for a time Dauids words being pressed with this burden shew the heauy load of it There is nothing sound in my slesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a waighty burden they are too heauy for me His affliction was great when the griefe of his minde changed the health of his body and left no soundnesâ—…e either in flesh or bones And so was it with the Prophet and the only cause of this so great disease was the remembrance of his sinnes and the feare of Gods angeâ—… by those sinnes deserued Another time laden with this burden as he was before he complained of his load as he had done before saying Innumerable troubles haue compassed me my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp yea they are more in number then the haires of my head therefore my heart hath failed me Needes must the assault of innumerable troubles follow the remembrance of innumerable sinnes and these troubles where they lay hold doe depresse the heart that the ouercharged waight cannot looke vp to the mercy feat of God Yea where faith wageth battaile against fear and keepeth the field well strengthened with many promises and in the end preuaileth restoring peace to the conscience yet there for a time vntil the houre and power of darknesse passe ouer terrors are great when the charge of sinne lieth vpon the soule See it in him that had the greatest assurance of all the sonnes of men when the glorious sonne of God our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ for our redemption was to take vp and beare the burden of our sinnes it did put him to vnspeakable paine and was vpon his mighty shoulders a mighty burden Hence came that tripled praier O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neuertheles not as I wil but as thou wilt Thence came that agony that Saint Luke speaketh of that being in an open garden and kneeling on the bare ground about the middest of night in a cold season of the yeere he fell into a great sweat and his sweat was like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Thence came that crie vpon the crosse which was not the singing of a Psalme but the true dittie of sorrow and of a depressed soule speaking as was before prophecied of him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All these grew from the burden of our sinnes laid vpon him that he bearing our sinnes in his body vpon the tree we might be deliuered from sinne to liue in righteousnesse The burden therefore of sinne when accusing thoughts once presse and charge the conscience citing vs to appeare and answer before God for our offences is a most heauy burden the burden of the humble and broken hearted man these are the two rankes of spirituall burdens Now vnder these six rankes fower of secular burdens two of spirituall I suppose all those burdens may be comprehended which lie heauy vpon vs in this world and cause feare care and griefe vnto vs first care of the world secondly domesticall troubles thirdly troubles more remote fourthly the difficulties that follow the duties of our callings fiftly the sinfull lusts of our flesh fighting against our soules lastly accusing thoughts breeding terrors of conscience CHAP. V. YOu haue heard what the burden is now let vs consider what it is to cast this burden vpoÌ„ the Lord. And hereof I will speake first generally without relation to any particular sort of these burdens and then particularly with relation to the particular sorts of burdens before named and in such order as they were named but first generally What it is to cast our burden vpon the Lord we may see by the words of Saint Peter repeating this
and said vnto me Goe prophecie to my people Israel That is I haue in those sermons which you call Conspiracie faithfully followed the commandement of the God of Israel So also did Ieremy when the Priestes and false Prophets and the multitude of the people had laid hands vpon him in the Temple and went about to kill him for his preaching he protested his innocencie saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this house against this Citie all the things that you haue heard And thine innocency being thus protested made knowne then secondly turne thee vnto God appeale to his iudgemē◅ rest vpon him He is the true discerner of all mens doings to whō it is manifest both what things are done and with what mind they are done and he is the iudge of all men and of their doings and he will reward them that truly serue him therefore taking no discomfort at the vniustice and vnthankfulnes of men pray God to iustifie thy well doing against misreporters Thou hast a promise of such mercie made by the Prophet saying He shall bring forth thy righteousnes as the light and thy iudgement as the noone day and pray him to remember thee and giue thee thy reward in heauen because on earth good seruices are not worthily valowed and in expectation of that reward at Gods hands comfort thy soule in this case And thus haue we spoken of the fower secular burdens wherein immediately we haue to doe with men in matters concerning this life and shewed how the burdens may be ought to be cast vpon God for the ◅ase of our soules CHAP. XII THere are diuers troubles wherein the man that is troubled hath to doe immediatly and at the next hand with God and the things wherin he hath to doe with God and looketh directly vpon him do concerne our soule and inward man and the good estate therof for holinesse and happinesse both now and hereafter And in regard hereof those troubles I call spirituall troubles And those I reduce to two heads The first of these spirituall burdens is the powerful lusts of the flesh enemies to the holinesse of the soule The second is the feareful accusing thoughts that are enemies to the happinesse of the soule The first is the burden of the lusts of the flesh fighting against the soule The multitude of our corruptions and the law of sinne in our members so potent and strong that we cannot doe the good we would in doing whereof God should be serued and the euil we would not that we doe by doing whereof the diuell is serued This is a grieuous burden to an honest minded man that is desirous to please God and keepe a good conscience Hee considereth who made him and desireth to glorifie his creator He considereth the manifold mercies of God towards him and desireth to approue himselfe a thankfull man He respecteth the end both of his creation and of his regeneration and desireth to come neare vnto God and to haue fellowship with his redeemer and to resemble him in holinesse and righteousnesse hee seriously thinketh vpon the end of vertue and reward of vice the first to be eternall life the other to be eternall destruction and with his whole heart and soule he desireth and striueth to auoid euill which hee abhorreth and to do good which he loueth And while he striueth to goe on in this course nothing hindereth him more then the root of sin that is deeply fastened in his owne flesh The Diuell offereth a temptation and his false flesh yeeldeth presently vnto it The flattering world presenteth showes of vanity and the flesh greedily imbraceth them Occasions are offered and presented to our eies and our traiterous flesh suddenly apprehendeth them and our actions fall out to be sinfull and euill sometime at vnawares before wee haue leisure to consider what we ought to doe Sometime against fore-fight yea against repugning will For that corruption that is in our flesh which for the authority that it vsurpeth and for the power that it exerciseth in vs the Apostle calleth the law in our members that corruption rebelleth against the law of our minde and leadeth vs captiue into all actuall sinne And wee are compelled in the campe of our enemies to serue against our beloued Lord. And this is no small griefe vnto a sanctified soule that desireth to serue and worship God in spirit and truth How heauy this burden is the Apostles words doe teach vs crying out by reason of it in this manner O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death It was vnto him more bitter then death that sinne was of such power in his mortall body Vpon men groaning vnder this burden compassion ◅is to be taken both in regard of God whom it grieueth them to offend and dishonour and also in regard of themselues so intangled and indangered not by any fo◅aine malice but by their owne inbred sinfulnesse Therefore for the case of such ouercharged soules to giue them some comfort notwithstanding the continuance of their burden these things are to be considered First that where God hath giuen an heart grieued for these infirmities he neuer imputeth vnto them the sinnes that they so vnwillingly and grieuedly commit their broken and displeased hearts being a pleasing sacrifice to him According to the saying of the Prophet The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that God taketh more pleasure to see them sorrow for their committing sinne then he doth displeasure for the sinne that they commit for to commit sinne is common to all mankinde and we cannot chuse but to doe amisse while we liue in this flesh but to mourne and to be grieued for sin to striue against it and not to commit it but with dislike offence taken for it is proper onely to them that truely loue the Lord. Secondly though they cannot attaine vnto such perfect holinesse vppon earth as they desire nor vnto such an absolute conquest ouer their corruptions and such a full measure of mortification that sin shal haue no life nor power of mou◅ng in them yet their good wil being true and vnfained and their holy desire beeing sound and not dissembled is before God as well accepted as if they were altogether without sinne Therefore is it that God requireth the heart saying My sonne giue me thine heart and let thine eies delight in my wayes He that can by the mercie of God attayne vnto this to delight in in the wayes of God and to haue a sound heart within his weake bodie he hath attained vnto as great perfection of holinesse as this present life is capable of if that desire and delight of his be ioyned with knowledge and vnderstanding so that hee be free from their errour whom the Apostle speaketh of saying They being ignorant of the righteousnesse
dead should become free from sinne and holy Saints to please God by abstayning from euill and to merit fauour O most absurd imagination to think that a man should become holy in Hell that was profane vnto the last point of his life on earth Hitherto properly belong the words of Salomon saying If the tree doe fal toward the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth in there it shall be In that place he exhorteth to liberality and vertue while we liue because when death comes then there is no place of bearing after any fruits of goodnesse after death there followeth no alteration of this kinde to make either the good man worse then hee was or the euill man better then hee was if the tree fall toward the South it turneth not it selfe after to the North and if it fall toward the North it turneth not to the South The good mans goodnesse continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he then inioyeth the goodnesse of God in Heauenly maner to raise his loue vnto God to the highest degree and measure and the wicked mans wickednes after death continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he now feeleth the wrath of God in the heauiest manner to raise his hatred against God â—…nto the highest straine Death can make no such change in a man that hee that was a sinner vnto death and in death should cease to bee a sinner after death this reason will deceiue thee if earth was able to make the a contemner then Hell is able to make thee a blasphemer for if correction intended for thy amendment could not make the cease from sinning while thou didst liue How much lesse can punishments laid vpon thee not by way of correction but by way of condemnation make thee cease from sinning the minde of the condemned how it stands affected toward God we may see by that which is written in the Booke of the Reuelations Men boiled in great heate and blasphemed the name of God which hath power ouer these plagues and they repented not to haue giuen him glorie When sinners are once tormented in those flames they are so farre from repenting of their sin to cease from it that their whole carriage is rage and blasphemy They can doe nothing else and therefore though being dead thou can doe no euill after the fashion of this world yet it followeth not that therefore thou shalt not sinne But say thou canst not commit any new sinne what aduantage is that vnto thee when thy olde sinne is vnforgiuen for want of repentance before thy death yea thy very death wrought by thine owne hands without warrant from God yea directly contrary to the commaundement of God addeth vnto thy condemnation deserued before Doth it helpe the thiefe fast shut vp in prison that he stealeth no more when for the olde theft vnpardoned hee must be hanged Surely no and his ceasing to steale while he is a prisoner will not bee interpreted to proceede from my new grace and purpose of amendment but to be want of libertie want of meanes and opportunitie Hee doth â—…ot steale because hee cannot steale it is no new mind in him but the streightâ—…esse of his imprisonment that maketh him for beare and though hee commit no new robberies yet hee must die for the olde And if thou couldest sinne no more after thy death the not committing of new sinnes would be as smal aduantage vnto thee that perishest for the olde vnpardoned and thy forbeating in thy graue will not be interpreted to be any fruit of repentance and a renewed heart but to bee a necessitie imposed vpon thee thy earthly members beeing tied and restrained by the condition of death and therfore thogh thou commit no new sinne thou must perish eternally for thy old not repented by thee and therefore not pardoned of God There shall not be laied to the charge of them that shall heare this sentence at the last day Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Any other sinne then those which they committed vpon the earth where they liued among the little ones of Christ for thus shall it be said vnto them I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged mee not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee visited me not These were no sinnes committed after they were gone out of the earth while their bodies were in the graue and their soules in hell fire Christ was not there among them in his members hungry thirsty wandring naked sicke and in prison and they there had neither bread nor drinke nor clothes not lodging chambers to relieue him withall they are their olde sinnes vnpardoned not any new sinnes after death committed that the wicked shall be condemned for at the last day And so much Saint Paul doth teach vs where hee saith We must all appeare before the tudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that hee hath doone whether it bee good or euill When thou shalt come to iudgement before Iesus Christ that shal iudge both quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome thou shalt not be questioned for any thing done out of thy body when thou art dead but onely for those things which thou did dest in thy body while thou wert aliue Where is then that aduantage that thou dreamest of by not sinning any more after death Seest thou not by this time what a strange delusion it was that thou sholdest sinne no more after death and that ceasing from sinne should winne thee some fauour with God and be takeâ—… for true repentance and that therefore it should be a benefit vnto thee to cut off thine owne life that so thou mightest withall cut off the too long continued course and custome of thy sinne if thou haue any such purpose indeed to cease from sinne which I beseech God to giue thee if thou haue it not and to continue in thee if thou haue it nourish thy life that God hath giuen thee and while thou art in the bodie cease to doe euill and learne to do welâ—… make haste to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day and whilest thou hast time bring forth fruits woorthy amendment of life This will be taken for true repentance this will cause all thy former sinnes to be put out of all remembrance And then whensoeuer God shall be pleased to call thee out of thee out of the world thou shalt end thy dayes in peace and comfort and then thou shalt indeede cease from sin and thy workes shall follow thee to the gaine of eternall life This doe and repent thee of thy former resolution for hitherto the reasons whereuppon it is grounded are vaine
cause vnquietnes Parents must be honoured and Children must be cared for though in some things they grieue vs and God may amend them at the last if wee in the meane while bearing patiently their infirmities continue our duety to them and our prayers for them If it be Masters or Seruants that cause vnquietnesse the Seruants in patience must bee subiect to their Maisters with all feare not only to the good and curteous but also to the froward they can not shake off their Maisters while the dayes of their seruitude continue and the maisters in patience must do vnto their seruants that which is iust not omitting any meanes whereby they may reforme them and in the end the master hath power to ease himselfe of an incurable euill seruāt by dismissing him If it be neighbour against neighbor that causeth vnquietnesse this rule teacheth not to render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contra◅iwise in patience to blesse and to doe all good offices in neede whereby thou shalt haue peace in thy heart howsoeuer thy neighbour bee disposed to contention And if thy home-trouble be painefull sickenesse either vpon thy selfe or vpon some of thy houshold or some other neare and deare vnto thee this rule teacheth thee whatsoeuer other meanes for recouerie of health be vsed to beare thy visitation meekely humbling thy selfe vnder the mighty hand of God in euery thing If thy trouble bee the death of any whose life thou didst desire this rule will teach thee knowing the death of the righteous to bee vnto them the beginning of true life to giue glorie to God with a quiet mind This patience in all things will giue thee ease of thy burden according to the saying of our Sauiour Take my yoake on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules This is one common rule A second common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God is that we pray vnto God crauing his helpe who for ought wee know hath therefore layed these troubles vpon vs because we haue been negligent in prayer that now feeling sensibly in our sorrow our neede of his helpe wee might amend our old negligence and fall to praier And surely whether God did send our troubles for that cause or no yet this is most sure that prayer is a most profitable course for the easing of our trouble which God commandeth with promise of ease saying by the Prophet Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And the Saints haue alwayes vsed it with happy successe of ease As the Prophet testifieth saying These called vppon the Lord and hee heard them So did Iacob when returning from his vnckles hee heard that Esau was comming forth against him with foure hundred men hee said thus vnto God I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him lest hee will come and smite mee and the mother vppon the children And according to his desire God deliuered him from his feare for his brother and hee met in peace and departed one from another in peace so did Moses when the Aegiptians pursued the Israelites and the Israelites feared the Aegiptians before the red Sea The Lord fayd vnto Moses Wherefore criest thou vnto mee for Moses in his heart prayed earnestly vnto God and God did deliuer him from his feare opening a passage for the Israelites thorow the waters of the red Sea and drowning in the floud the Aegiptians that presumed to follow so that Israel sawe the Aegiptians dead vpon the Sea banke Wee neede not stand vpon particular examples hauing a generall rule that neuer fayleth the Prophet saying The Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in trueth hee will fulfill the esire of them that feare him he also will beare their crie and will helpe them Now seeing the saints doe thus in their troubles pray vnto God for ease and do thus at the hands of God obtaine ease when they pray in their troubles it is euident that to pray vnto God in our trouble is a worthy rule of casting our burden vpon God in all domesticall yea in al whatsoeuer troubles And let no man say there is no need in these troubles to trouble God with our praiers because he knoweth both what we suffer and what himselfe hath determined to do for these reasons thou oughtest the more gladly to pray because God doth vnderstand thy want before thou complaine and is determined to succour before thou intreate him thy labour with such a God cannot be in vaine And this know thou hast great imploiment for thy praiers in these and such like troubles First thou hast neede to offer vp praiers vnto God for thy selfe that he will giue thee patience and wisedome to demeane thy selfe aright vnder these troubls that thou maiest neither be a murmurer against God grudging at those troubles nor increase thy troubles by dealing indiscreetly and frowardly with them that are the causers and occasion of thy troubles nor maiest erre and be wanting in vsing good remedies to heale and reforme them that are the causers of thy troubles And if thy domesticall trouble be sicknesse in thine owne body how necessary it is to pray vnto God to giue thee patience to send thee health to forgiue thy sins and to prepare thee for death when Iames the Apostle exhorteth to reioice for temptations and to continue in patience till patience haue her perfect worke because these things require an extraordinary wisedome he further aduiseth vs to pray vnto God for that wisedome saying If any of ◅ou lack wisedome let him aske of God who giueth vnto all men liberally Giuing to vnderstand by that aduise how necessary it is in the time of trouble to vse pra◅er for thy selfe that thou maiest demeane thy selfe patiently and wisely to glorifie God in thy trouble to profit by the same trouble and not to increase the same but safely to grow out of it and to recouer peace and health Secondly thou hast need to offer vp praiers vnto God for them by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sake thou art grieued Sometime thou art vnkindly vsed either by thy husband or wife either by thy parents or children or such as haue stept into the roome of parents and children and haue those names by law giuen them not by nature due vnto them or else by thy master or seruant or by some friend or neighbour For these thou hast great cause to pray vnto God that he will giue them better minds and let them see their fault with mislike of it and see what becommeth them to doe and giue them a heart to doe it If they continue in their frowardnesse shall they not continue to be troublers vnto
reason to thinke my self his child First the child ought to resemble the father Our Sauiour saith Ye shall therefore be perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect But there is in me no part of the perfection of God either in the vertues of my minde or in the workes of my life and the Apostle Saint Peter saith As obedient children fashion not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance but as hee which hath called you is hoâ—…y so be yee holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written be yee holy for I am holy And if yee call him father which without respect of person iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare By this rule of Peter they which call God their father ought to be holy as he is holy but I am altogether profane They ought to passe the time of their life reuerently in the feare of God but I haue beene and am a contemner of him and their doings should not be after the lusts of their own heart that beare sway in the daies of ignorance but I neuer followed other rule then the lusting of mine owne heart I neuer stroue to suppresse and mortifie them Yea my whole course of life doth proue mee to be the child of another father that hath no place in heauen but was cast out thence for sinne The Lord Iesus said vnto the Iewes Ye are of your father the deuill and the lusts of your father yee will doe Much more rightly by triall of my deedes may it bee said to mee thou art of thy father the deull and the lusts of that father of thine thou hast done While my sinnes thus daily come to remembrance how can I cal God my father And who can call God his father that hath not the spirit of God dwelling in him as the seale and earnest of his inheritance of which spirit Paul speaketh thus Yeâ—… haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God But this spirit dwelleth not in me if this spirit were in me I should feele at one time or other and in one measure or other the comfortable testimony of that spirit but I feele nothing but feareful horror in my conscience oh that I had and might feele the comfort of this spirit my present tentation witnesseth the absence of it Also if I had the spirit of God in mee the fruits of that spirit would bud and shew forth themselues in mee but all is contrary The Apostle Paul saith the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance There is none of these to be seene in mee but the fruits of the flesh are plentifull in mee With them I am ouergrowen both in body and soule The Apostle reckoneth them vp in this order The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication vnclâ—…annesse wantonnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulation wrath contention seditions herefies enuy murders drunkennesse gluttony and such like And in these sinnes I haue liued and dwelt and delighted if not in all yet in many of them and if not in many yet in some of them inough to quench the spirit of God if the fire thereof had at any time beene kindled in mee How then can it be that I should haue the holy Ghost And not hauing the holy Ghost how can I call God my father and if I haue no right nor power to call God my father that leaue to craue the forgiueuesse of sinnes and that hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes which are grounded vpon that commandement of Iesus pertaine not to mee Alas how ingenious men are in the daies of affliction when the burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy vpon them to dispute against themselues They haue not vnderstanding enough to apprehend and taste any thing that is spoken for their comfort but they haue wit to finde out and vtterance to pronounce and feruent passion to vrge any thing that may make for their discomfort But let vs helpe to remoue these stumbling-blockes from before these mens feete that they may walke on in hope and come vnto God by praier Thou thinkest that by that commandement of Christ there is giuen to thee no leaue to aske forgiuenesse of sinne â—…orhope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sin because it is to be craued of an heauenly father And thou canst not call God thy heauenly father thou thinkest thâ—… he is not thy father and that thou nâ—… not his sonne And thou hast two reasons to proue this to thine owne heart First because neither thy vertues noâ—… thy actions doe in any thing resemble God but rather proue thee to be the child of another father opposit to God and secondly because thou hast not the spiâ—…it of adoption to crie Abba Father For thou neither feelest the restimony oâ—… that spirit in thine heart neither doest thou see the fruits of that spirit in thy life but al things euery where contrary I mislike not that thou doest holdâ—… meane opinion of thy selfe and censâ—…rest thy selfe vnworthy the title of Godâ—… child and that thou thinkest honorably of the spirituall kinred that is betweene God and his saints But be of good comfort God saâ—…leth not to be thy father because thou thinkest him not to be neither failest thou to be his child because thou darest not thinke thy selfe to bee his child And these words vrged against thy selfe are no other then the words of the prodigall vnthrift spoken of in the Gospell who in his vertues and actions did nothing as yet resemble his father for hee hanted harlots and liued riotously being euery way as sinfull as thou canst with any words make thy selfe and when by aduersity he was brought to consider of his life and estate as thou now doest he had that opinion of himselfe that thou now hast thinking it not fit to take vnto himselfe the title of a sonne His words are thus set downe by Saint Luke I will a rise and goâ—… to my father and say to him father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Compare thy selfe with him thou canst not be worse then hee not in thy life more vnlike thy heauenly father neither canst thou be in worse case then he was He for sooke his fathers house and was departed far from God knowing very well from whence he was departed Hee neuer had minde to returne backe againe till misery compelled him of whom we neede not feare to say for it is plaine and cleare that no loue to his father nor to his fathers house but pinching necessity and extreame misery made him a conuert And while hee was abroad what was his course the euangelist telleth vs he wâ—…sted his goods with riotous liuing That is all the blessings
motion with assent and liking then from the first thought there is a progresse made vnto some sinfull action and in that action men continue sometime impenitent vnto death This is indeed a dangerous course and if thou giue such way vnto these euill thoughts and first sinfull motions that thou allowest their appearance without checke and sufferest their daily returne without controuling thē and harknest vnto them with pleasure or at least with patience then thou art as Iames saith inticed and drawne away and then it is likely that those thoughts will conceiue by the company of thy will and bring forth some monstrous birth of sinne whereunto when thou art once entred it is dangerous and doubtfull whether thou shalt finde grace to returne by repentance or no. And this first deformed birth of sin bringeth forth another deformed and fearefull birth namely death The first of these foule births namely sinne is thy shame and the second of them namely death is thy snare and destruction as the Apostle Saint Paul saith What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death But if at the first apparance of these thoughts and euill motions thou checke them and shew thy iust dislike of them if thou arme thy iudgement and thy will against them with-holding thy Iudgement from approuing them by shewing how false and vngodly they bee and with-holding thy will from assenting vnto them by shewing how sinfull and abominable they be if thou vse all diligence to expell them out of thine heart as thou art able and callest in better thoughts to occupie their places falling into some holy meditation of the glory the greatnesse the holines the riches the bountie the iustice power of God or into some meditatiō of the right worship of god of thy duty to him as thou art a christian by generall calling or as thou art bound by any other particular calling among christians or into some other meditation of the glory of heauen of the purchase of it for beleeuers by the death of Iesus Christ of the meanes by which we may come to the fruition of it and what manner persons in their conuersation they ought to bee that take themselues to bee coheires with Iesus Christ of that glory If thou fall into such meditations when thou art at leisure or set thy minde vpon thy worke ◅nd busines if thou then haue any in hand that by this good imploiment of thy minde and bodie there may be neither roome nor libertie for those euill thoughts to abide and wander in thy heart Certainly those thoughts though very busie with thee shall not be able to hurt thee they shall no more be imputed vnto thee for sinne vnto death then the motions of P◅tiphars wise were vnto Ioseph when shee said vnto him come lie with me was imputed vnto him And this course last remembred is the onely way in such a case of casting thy burden vpon God if thou bee carefull withall to pray vnto God for his grace to help thee to ouercome these swarmes of euill thoughts as he helped the Israelites to ouercome the swarmes of the Amalekites Philistims other enimies and that also thou take heed of idlenes and chiefely idlenes ioined with solitarines Idlenes is the sinne to be shunned solitarines doth but make the ◅dlenes to be more dangerous But certainely they that are troubled with the assault of such thoughts to them nothing is more dangerous then idlenes and want of imploiment for their mindes Then are they at leisure for the diuell then are they like the house spoken of in the Gospell whereunto the diuell entred As it is written When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh throughout drie places seeking rest and findeth none then he saith I will returne into mine house whence I came and when hee is come hee findeth it emptie swept and garnished then he goeth and taketh vnto him seauen other spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the end of that man is worse then the beginning Marke well this saying Hee found it emptie swept and garnished that is hee found it idle vnimploied God was not there with good thoughts becomming his presence and therefore the diuell entred with wicked thoughts becomming his presence Where the heart is not carefully manured by the owner thereof to bring forth good thoughts it will of it selfe to an idle owner bring forth euill thoughts It will be like to the field of the slouthfull that Salomon passed by And lo it was all growne ouer with thorne◅ and nettles hard couered the face of it and the stone wall thereof was broken downe as it was in this ground because the owner through sloth did not sowe good seeds in it euill weeds ouercame the same So will it be in thy heart if through idlene◅ thou haue no good thoughts tending to Gods glory the seruice of his Church thy heart of it selfe will abound with euill thoughts But if these thoughts rise not out of thine own heart through thy idlenes euil studies but be the suggestions of Sathan thrusting them into thine heart as he did thrust that thought of treasō into the heart of Iudas ◅f thou doe not open thy heart by thy sloth and other sinnes vnto those thoughts and be prepared for the intertainment of them as a man waiting at the dore of his house to open it to those guests whose entrance hee desireth or is pleased withall for so did Iudas hee did open his heart to the diuels suggestion by his enuie and couetousnes for when the woman powred the precious ointment vpon the head of Iesus and Iudas murmured at the waste saying it might haue beene solde for much and giuen to the poore and Iesus had defended her fact saying she did it to prepare him to his buriall then presently Iudas who caried the purse receiued the almes giuen to his master now missed this prey out of couetousnesse and enuy hereupon went presently to the high priests offring to betray him for a reward and was as ready to entertaine that thought as the diuell was to offer it vnto him and his enuie and couetousnes held open his heart vnto it if thou by thine idlenes and other sinnes doest not set open thy heart to such thoughts the offer of them in thy heart is the diuels sinne and not thine And if thou repell them as before hath beene shewed they shall no more hurt thee then the suggestions of Sathan in the wildernes offred to the Lord Iesus did hurt him What those suggestions were the Euangelists doe shew and that the diuell audaciously like a tempter did offer them to the Lord Iesus they also shew but in what manner they were offred to him they speake not as whether the diuell spake them audiblie to his eare or which is more agreeable to the nature of the diuell
be made righteous by faith This Law that accurseth thee with such ◅igour and seuerity euen in that curse serueth as a Schoolemaister to instruct thee by driuing thee from all liking of thine owne waies to seeke thy iustification by Iesus Christ that died for thee As the tempest by Sea maketh men flie with all speed and skill to safe harbour and as a storme by land maketh men flie with all possible haste into the house Euen so the thundering of the Law denouncing curses against transgressors maketh them with all speed and skill to flie vnto Iesus Christ our Sauiour who onely is the sure harbour and house of rest and safetie to all poore and weather-beaten and distressed sinners To him truely and in the first place belong those words of the Prophet That man shall bee as an hiding place from the wind and as a refuge for the tempest as riuers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land And as hunger and thirst kindle a desire of meat and drinke and as paine and sicknesse felt and knowne kindleth a desire of the counsell and helpe of the Physician so feare and anguish wrought in our hearts by the rigorous sentence of the Law accursing vs kindleth in vs a desire to slie vnto this man euen the man Iesus Christ our hiding place our refuge our fountaine of liuing waters our shadow that refresheth that in him we might find defence against the storme of curses that the Law powreth downe vpon vs. Be not therefore afraid of the Law but be aduised by it and confessing thy sinnes flie as the Law compels thee vnto Iesus Christ who as the Apostle Peter saith His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that we being deliuered from sin might liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed Turne thee therefore from the ◅igorous face of the Law to the farre more cheerefull countenance of Iesus Christ and behold him hanging vpon the tree where he suffered for sinnes not for his owne for in him was no sin nor guile in his mouth but for thy sinnes imputed to him as the Prophet Esay teacheth vs saying All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Looke therefore from the Law that was giuen by Moses vnto Iesus Christ by whom grace and trueth are reuealed behold him sweating in the Garden till droppes of blood fell from him to the ground behold him scourged with whippes and crowned with thornes till the blood issued from all parts of his body behold him nailed to the tree there reuiled most disdainefully by the Priests and all the people heare him crying out vnder the weight of thy sinnes and of Gods displeasure indured for them My God my God why hast thou for saken me Behold him giuing vp the Ghost his life search whether it were departed from him or no with a speare Then O troubled sinner then did he sustaine the curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs as Saint Paul te◅cheth saying Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when hee was made a curse for vs. For it is written cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee might receiue the promise of the spirit through faith Dooth the law thunder out curses Iesus Christ stepped in betweene the law and vs and receiued the stroke of that curse vppon his owne head whereof he gaue all the world assurance when he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse which manner of death was by a particular sentence of the law pronounced accursed and why should the law threaten againe the curse of God against thee which alreadie before it hath not onely pronounced but executed vpō another for thee Thou art discharged from the curse of the law in the curse that Christ sustained for thee yea thou art so fully discharged of the curse that in place there of thou art made heire of the blessing promised to Abraham for so are the Apostles wordes That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gētiles through Iesus Christ. Now this blessing of Abraham is the firme fauour of God to bee our God according to the couenant which hee made with Abraham and his seede after him in their generations for euer Which seed is not to be accounted by carnall birth but by spirituall faith without regard of line◅l discent in bloud for god is able of the stones that is of the heard stonie-harted Gentiles to raise vp children vnto Abraham For which cause it was said vnto him In thy seed shal all the nations of the earth be blessed By seed in this place he meaneth the Messias the redeemer that came of Abraham Isaack Iacob Iudah Dauid and in him all nations without respect of persons beleeuing in him as Abrahams heires walking in the steps of his faith shall become blessed by inheriting the couenant euen Gods fauour according to the couenant and thou among the rest Feare not therefore the sentence of the law but from the law turne thy face to Iesus Christ and the feared curse shall not fall vpon thee Reuerence the law as it teacheth a rule of life and feare it not as it pronounceth sentence of death God made his sonne vnder the law to redeeme them that were vnder the law And the same sonne of God is called by Saint Paul The end of the law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth If therefore being in the hands of the law thou wilt looke vnto Iesus Christ tho◅ hast attained to the end of the law and so art no more vnder the lawe but vnder grace And remember what Iesus Christ hath said in the Gospell As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernes s◅ must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue eternall life Looke vp therefore vnto that serpent lift vp vpon the tree of the crosse and the sting of death which is thy sinne and the strength of sinne which is the law shall neuer hurt thee Against all danger of death of sinne and of the law heare what the Apostle saith Thankes be vnto God which hath gi◅en vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXV ALL that is hitherto spoken cannot giue peace to this troubled minde but as one waue followeth another in the sea so one feare followeth another in his heart and new feares afford new obiections Now he pleadeth thus against himselfe I haue no reason to hope for mercy for I haue no heart to pray for mercy I want all things that pertaine to true praier First I haue no God to praie vnto that will lend any care to my praiers I find this saying of Gods recorded
from being lost in the first sence and meaning of that word And there is o◅e that will saue from destruction those that are ready to perish and thee among others that will deliuer from damnation those that are already iudged and thee as well as others and that wil pluck out of the iawes of death out of the snares of Satan and out from the gates of hell those that were ready to be swallowed vp and deuoured as a pray and thee assoone as others so to recouer thee from being lost in the sense and meaning of the word And this seeker is of that diligence wisdome that he cannot be disappointed of finding this sauiour is of that goodnes power that he will not and cannot be letted from sauing whom hee intendeth to deliuer of whom the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them And who is this diligent seeker that can and will so certainely finde who is this mightie Sauiour that can and will so certainely preserue it is the Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God the sauiour of mankind of whom the Euangelist yea himselfe the Euangelist onely reporting his words saith The sonne of man is come to seeke and saue that which was lost So that if any man be gone astray if any man bee out of the knowledge and care of God his keeper Iesus came to seeke him And if any were worthy to perish and already by sentence giuen adiudged to perish such is the condition of all men Iesu◅ is come to saue him And it is worthy obseruation that he saith The sonne of man came to seeke the sonne of man came to saue as making this seeking and sauing of them that were lost to be the onely end as indeed it was of his comming into the world For this cause was he conceiued by the Holy Ghost for this purpose was he borne of the Virgin Mary to this end and for the effecting of this saluation was the sonne of God made the sonne of man yea for this and for this onely did he fulfill all righteousnes and yeelded obedience euen to the death of the crosse that he might seeke and find them that were gone astray and that he might recouer and saue them that were lost so that hee that shall deny these things to be truely intended and fully performed by Iesus Christ doeth make idle and fruitlesse the incarnation and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and denieth the vertue of the death and bloudsheding of the sonne of God Let our afflicted sinner consider these things and set his heart on worke to meditate vpon them and it will come to passe that whereas before the remembrance of his lost estate was cause of heauines vnto him the same very condition shall giue him comfort and hope and saue him as an argument to proue him to be one of those for whom Iesus Christ died to saue them For if it be true that the lord Iesus came to seeke and to saue them that were lost and be also true that ◅e is lost then it must also be true that Iesus Chist came to seeke to saue him The Lord Iesus said to the woman of C◅naan I am not sent but vnto the lost ◅eepe of the house of Israel Vnto those lost sheepe hee was sent and to none other So that if our afflicted sinner see himselfe to be a lost sheepe there is hope that the Lord Iesus was ◅ent for yea it is most sure that he was sent for him sent to seeke him sent to saue him whereas if he had a proud opinion of himselfe as had the Pharises that he were not as other men for so gloried hee saying O God thanke thee that I am not as other men or if he nourished a careles opinion of himselfe as doe the contemners of the world that he were in no danger for so doe they flatter themselues saving Wee are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations Then Iesus indeed should not profit him for hee came for none such He saith of himselfe I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance In this very name therefore that he is a lost sinner a sinner worthy to perish he may comfort himselfe in Iesus Christ and hope to be saued by him that came to seeke and saue that which was lost Let me in a few words briefely and plainely open to this sinner his estate what it is in himselfe and what it is in Iesus Christ that as in himselfe hee seeth cause of griefe and feare so in Iesus Christ he may see cause of hope and reioicing if hee looke into himselfe and consider what he is by birth what he is by kind and what he hath manifested and declared himselfe to bee by his life and conuersation surely hee is and shall find himselfe to be a lost creature and a child of wrath for he shall find nothing in himselfe but sinne deseruing eternall dest◅uction he shall find that hee was conceiued in sinne that he was borne in iniquitie and that he liued in sinne not onely in the daies of his first ignorance whi◅e sinne reigned without resistance in his mortall body but also in the daies of knowledge sinne yet remaining and misleading him into many errors and it ◅ thus not onely in him but euen in all ◅en and among all others euen in the elect of God in Gods owne peculiar people euen they at home and in themselues are lost creatures dead in sinnes and by sinnes deseruing eternall death The Angell appearing to Ioseph said vnto him of the child conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary Shee shall ◅ing forth a sonne and thou shalt call his ◅me Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Those whom his father gaue vnto him therefore called his people them he saueth he saueth them from their sinnes By which speech it is plainly intimated that euen they considered in themselues are lost by their sins And so is our afflicted sinner considered in himselfe with respect to his kind to his birth and to his life hee is lost hee is a child of perdition and therein hee hath cause to be humbled and to feare the iustice of God But let not the sinner gaze so long vpon this his naturall estate that his dazled eies should after be vnable to look any higher such a view of this our naturall condition as may serue to beate downe the pride of flesh and bloud and to bring vs vnto true humilitie and to the deniall of our selues before God is sufficient Let him therefore after consider him selfe in another and view his conditiō estate in Iesus Christ by vertue of his holy calling of his second birth namely his regeneration and hee shall find himselfe another man He shall find that God hath
true and God often lets his wrath fall heauily vpon his elect for their sinnes To that end heare the words of Gods Church speaking to the malignant company of her enemies that reioice at her trouble I will look vnto the Lord I will wait for God my Sauiour my God will heare me Reioice not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise when I shall sit in darknes the Lord shall be alight vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgment for mee then will hee bring mee forth vnto the light I shall see his righteousnes The Church confesseth that she bare the wrath of God shee confesseth that that wrath fell vpon her for her sinnes and therefore promiseth to beare it patiently because she bare it iustly and she takes not that wrath of God for any euidence of reprobation neither ceaseth to esteeme her selfe the chosen of the Lord that shall inherit his fauour And therefore she exerciseth her faith in looking vp vnto the Lord and out of faith promiseth her selfe all gratious respect with God in her praiers shewes her selfe rich in hope that God himselfe will in due time plead her cause and bring her out of the darknes of her trouble into the light of ioy and so magnifie his loue and fauour to her that her aduersarie the malignant congregation shal be ashamed Therefore certainly God doeth often let his wrath fall vpon the elect for their sinnes and the manifest strokes of Gods wrath cannot bee said to be infallible euidences and signes of reprobation as our afflicted sinner affirmeth to his owne great hurt And if hapily vpon hearing of these things thus spoken his diseased mind should begin to cauill and to say that if other iudgements and strokes of Gods wrath be not euidences of reprobation yet that iudgement and stroke of wrath that is fallen vpon him is a plaine euidence of reprobation his iudgement being accusing thoughts a wounded conseience the most heauie of all Gods iudgements whereof Salomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare it For that stroke is the beginning of intolerable punishment it is the very gate of hâ—…ll iâ—… is that worme that shall liue euer in the bosome of the damned it is euen no other then hell vpon earth And why shold God set a mans sinnes against him in so terrible a manner as hee doeth in this temptation but because his meaning is to condemne vs for our sinnes aforehand to let vs see that hee shall doe it most iustly our sinnes being so many and solothsome against this cauill and for the remouing of this offence from his heart I will adde this vnto that that hath been already spoken that God doeth lay euen this particular stroke of his wrath namely a wounded conscience in the sight of sinnes vpon his elect and therefore that wrath is no euidence of reprobation The prophet Dauid bore this stroke of Gods wrath whereof he speaketh thus Thine arrowes haue light vpon 〈◊〉 and thine handlyeth vpon me there is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sinnes for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a weighty burden they are too heauie for me Here was a stroke of the wrath of God fot he complaineth that Gods hand was heauie vpon him and that Gods arrowes had pierced him and it was not a weake stroke or slight touch but forcible and fearefull so that it made the whole man languish and for the anguish of his soule his body also was consumed and oppressed with paine and feeblenes so that neither in his flesh nor in his bones remained any soundnes And what stroke of Gods wrath was it but euen this particular stroke of accusing thoughts and of a wounded conscience by reason of sinnes that were so heauie a burdthen that the vexation of them was his consumption and was Dauid vpon whom this stroke of wrath fell was hee a reprobate if he were he was such a reprobate as the Lord Iesus Christ was and no other nor otherwise whom the builders refused cast aside as vnfit for the building but God made him the cheefe corner stone as Peter saith This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner So in the kingdome of Israel Saul Doeg and other busie doers despised and cast aside the sonne os Ishai but God did chuse him to build the kingdome of Israel This therefore is most certaine that euen this stroke of Gods wrath when hee setteth our sinnes in order against vs is no more a signe of reprobation then any other stroke of Gods wrath whatsoeuer This part therefore of his obiection when he calleth himselfe a reprobate is a bold and desperate speech wherein he shews himselfe presumptuous against GOD and vncharitable against himselfe and whether he be a reprobate or not hee ought not to pronounce himselfe to be one the name of reprobation hauing reference vnto the vnknowne and secret counsell of God not vnto the knowne and manifest sinne of man And though our sinnes deserue reprobation Gods wrath falleth vpon them that are reprobate yet neither the sinne that wee are guiltie of nor the wrath that is fallen vpon vs for that sinne though it be this particular stroke of a wounded conscience can be said to be arguments of reprobation And whereas he saith that we deuise answers to his obiections that cary shew of strength among men but those his obictions are vnanswerable before God and our deuised answers before him will be of no vertue Let him know that the answers which wee haue made to his obiections are all grounded vpon the word of God by which word hee shall iudge all men and all the causes of all men As the Lord Iesus saith The word that I haue spoken it shall iudge in the last day And therefore our answers being grounded vpon that word shall stand as rules of trueth before the iudgement seat of God when all the obiections that he hath made growing onely from feare and from a weake heart distempered with a temptation of vnbeleefe shal be found to bee of no force And with this assurance of the sufficiencie of our answers wee waite to heare what he can further obiect why he may not hope for the forgiuenes of pardonable sins seeing Iesus Christ by his commandement hath giuen him leaue to aske forgiuenes of sinnes and God the father of our Lord Iesus hath promised to grant forgiuenes of sinnes as hath before out of the word of God beene truely declared CHAP. XXVII A Fresh assault this afflicted sinner maketh vpon vs and against himselfe for this fierie dart is not easily quenched And againe he obiecteth most vnkindly saying My sinne deserueth death and I must die I haue wronged the Lord of life
more then for ninetie and nine iust men that neede no amendment of life And when he saith there shall be ioy in heauen he doeth not exclude the God of heauen for what ioy can be in heauen and among the cratures of heauen if the God of heauen remaine displeased therfore thy repentance remoueth all cause of loathing from God and receiueth therein all content and in particular it giueth content to the Angels of heauen All cause of loathing offence is taken from them and in place thereof they reioice and are glad for thy conuersion It is said in the same place of the Gospel Likewise I said vnto you there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth See how thy conuersion altereth the case thy sinne maketh the Angels to loath thee as a filthy and abominable creature thou art no sooner conuerted and changed by thy repentance but they which loathed thee before doe now loue thee they which held the abomminable before doe now esteeme thee as honorable What neede is here of taking away of life to take away and remoue the offence of the Angels repent and it is done amend thy â—…se and thou hast their loue and as thy â—…epentance recouereth loue and grace iâ—… heauen so doeth it in the earth in the Church and among her children What else is the Church but the number of them that by the calling of God are turâ—…ed from their wickednes and infidelitie And can the Church hate the children that by repentance and regeneration are borne againe vnto her the Church inuiteth and calleth to repentance saying Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Lacob and he will teach vs his â—…ies and we will walke in his pathes The Church altogether calleth to repeÌ„tance the watchmen and pastors in the Church lift vp their voice as a trumpet and reproue the sinne of the people and teach them the way and will of God and call by doctrine the people and flocke set vp the example of their life according to the commandement of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen And they call by example all that are truly turned vnto God doe desire that all other may truely turne to God And how then can it he if thou repent thee of thy sinne and turne to the Lord in amendment of life but that the Church and her children that lothed thee before should now loue thee and what is then become of this great and fearefull obiection what neede haue we of killing and murdering the sinner mortifie thy earthly members war against thy fleshly lusts cease from thy sinne and doe that which is right in the sight of God and these reasons that seemed iniustice to vrge a necessity of thy death are vanished away And thou maiest liue to glorifie God and finishing thy daies on earth with comfort and maiest and shalt liue hereâ—…fter in heauen Al which is ouerthrown with thy wicked resolution Besides these reasons that seemed to proue it a matter of iustice when yet â—…othing can bee deuised more vniust â—…ou hast other reasons that seeme to â—…ooue it a matter of aduantage when â—…deed it were the greatest of all losses 〈◊〉 can hoppen vnto thee First thou â—…kest by doing execution vpon thy 〈◊〉 that thou shalt glorifie God in thy â—…th whom thou neuer haddest care to â—…lorifie all the daies of thy life and this cannot but turne to thy aduantage to 〈◊〉 found so zealous of Gods glory that 〈◊〉 art willing to furder it with the 〈◊〉 of thy life Secondly thou thinkest 〈◊〉 by cutting of thine owne life thou 〈◊〉 then cease to sinne which during 〈◊〉 life thou hast not done but hast continued to multiply iniquity euery day And indeed he that is dead is freed from â—…ning after the manner of the liuing â—…or when Achan was stoned hee could â—…eale no more When Zimri was thrust â—…orow the body by Phinâ—…as hee could commit fornication no more When Achitophel had hanged himselfe and Ioab had smitten Absolom they could conspire in treason no more And this cannot but turne to thy aduantage that thou shalt no more sinne against God Thirdly thou thinkest that thy death shall 〈◊〉 with it an end of all thy troubles of all thy paine of all thy feare and indeed it bringeth with it an end of all the momentary troubles of this life both past present and to come Famine hauing once killed the famished shall hunger no more the sword hauing once slaine the dead shal neuer feare wounds any more If sicknesse haue deuoured and brought to the graue the consumed parts shall grone and languish no more The fire the water the prison the racke the tyrant the hang-man can torment and kil no more And in one word death deliuereth from all the labours troubles dangers and euils of this life if there be not other troubles and euils of another world it freeth from all and this thou esteemest so great an aduantage as that euen the most fearefull should for it desire seeke and imbrace death These reasons also let vs examine that thou maiest not bee deceiued and perish The first reason seeming to proue it a â—…atter of aduantage is this thou thinkest by doing this execution that thou â—…alt glorifie God by thy death whom thou hast had no care to glorifie all the daies of thy life And some beneficiall reward must needs be due vnto thee for so great care of glorifying God I might wonder iustly to heare this reason come from thee for they which intend to doe 〈◊〉 such thing vnto themselues haue little care or thought of Gods glory and I am sure they haue no rule for it that by destroying themselues they do gloryfie God and may thinke that God would haue them by any such course seeke to glorifie him This was a tricke of the prince of darknesse cunningly â—…ut vpon thee who turning his selfe into an Angell of light when he goeth about both to destroy thee and to dishonour God by this vngodly fact would make thee beleeue that it were a holy and vertuous action seruing greatly to the glory of God And with this cunning the subtill Serpent hath preuailed too far with many weake ones God deliuer thee from him Indeed God is honoured greatly by the destruction of the wicked as he saith to Moses When the children of Israel going out of Aegypt were directed to goe by the way of the Red-sea through the Wildernesse Pharao will say of the children of Israel they are tangled in the land the Wildernesse hath shut them in and I will harden Pharaos heart that hee shall follow after you So I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his host And after when Pharao with his host was come forth after Israel and God
but thou hast beene able in body to stand vnder thy burden and to performe many good seruices in thy calling and he hath not smitten thee in thy children friends and goods with the rod of patient Iob but thy estate remaineth safe thy friends are cheerefull about thee such mercies of God haue accompained thy affliction and ministred comfort vnto thee in the time of it And in these things one part of that promise deliuered in Gods name by the Apostle hath beene performed vnto thee God will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able He himselfe that sent the temptation gaue thee strength to beare the temptation and vnto this day thou bearest it though not without griefe yet not without hope Why then shouldest not thou withall cheerefulnes hope and pray that God would performe vnto thee graciously the other part of that promise but will giue the issue with the temptation c Doth not the Apostle when he giues vs that promise in Gods name vse a preface to perswade our hearts to hope for it and pray for it commending God in whose name hee giues it by the title of faithfull saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that yee be able Hope then in that faithfull God pray vnto that faithful God who hath already approued his faithfulnesse in performing vnto thee theone part of his promise and as he is true and faithful he will hauing freely bound himselfe performe his whole promise and giue an issue of thy temptation and thou shalt liue to ouercome it And heere I will acquaint thee with an holy rule which God obserueth in the temptations of his seruants which rule offereth hope of deliuerance from thy greeuous temptation before death The rule is found in Deuteronomie where Moses speaking to the people of Israel and remembring their wearie wandring through a roaring and terrible wildernesse and the many heauie accidents that in that wildernesse came vnto them saith that God led them that way to humble them and to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end Gods meaning was after a hard beginning to bring them to a comfortable end when they were first humbled and prooued And very meete it is that Gods seruants should bee humbled and it is right in God to prooue his servants whether they loue the Lord with all their heart and will indure with patience his good pleasure and whether they will cleaue vnto him in danger and put their trust in his mercies and this proofe is best made by crosses and troubles for this cause doth God send troubles to his seruāts whom he loueth but alwayes with a reseruation in his good purpose to do them good in the latter end Apply this vnto thy selfe It was fit that thou shouldest be humbled to acknowledge thy selfe before God to be dust and ashes and laden with iniquitie to humble thee in this sort God hath sent this crosse doe thou therefore humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that hee may exalt thee in due time It was fit that thou shouldest be prooued that thou mightest see thine owne strength to bee but rotten◅es and dust and that thou mightest shew thy loue thy patience thy faith in God that it might appeare whether God or thine owne case were dearer vnto thee and whether thou wilt glorifie him in aduersitie as thou ma◅ kest shew to doe in dayes of peace and prosperitie and thus to prooue thee he hath sent this temptation therefore now shew thy selfe a man shew thy selfe a Christian shrinke not from God murmure not at his visitation suffer with patience and pray in faith and be constant vnto the end And hee that hath brought thee into this temptation as it were into a roaring wildernesse to humble thee and to prooue thee will surely doe thee good in the latter end Surely this rule offereth vnto thee comfortable assurance that before the end of thy dayes thou shalt see an end of thy temptation and such an end as shall bring thee more ioy then thy affliction doth now breed thee griefe But say that death do take thee away before thou hast ouercome this temptation and thou fearest it may doe so grounding thy feare vpon two reasons one is the possibilitie of it thou maiest die presently the other is the danger of it thou thinkest that then thou shalt die in infidelitie and without faith if this danger were not the possibilitie of dying and death it selfe whensoeuer comming could bee no iust ground of thy feare for the Patriarks and Prophets yea Christ himselfe the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles died and all the Saints of God die And it can not bee hurtfull to any that is so common to all except there be some speciall danger annexed to it that makes it hurtfull to one that is not hurtfull to an other This danger thou saiest is thine infidelitie And thine infidelitie and want of faith thou proouest by the qualitie of thy temptation which thou takest to be directly opposite to faith and the banisher of all faith If therefore it shall appeare that though thou die before thou hast ouercome this temptation to thy liking yet thou wātest not faith in Christ euen faith vnto saluation then there is no cause of feare Indeede this temptation argueth a roote of infidelity to remaine in thee for seeing the Lord Iesus hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and in bearing them hath taken them away and hath washed and cleansed vs in his bloud and seeing God the father of our lord Iesus Christ receiuing satisfaction in the sacrifice of his Sonne hath by an irreuocable word promised to forgiue our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and these things both concerning the meritorious sacrifice of Christ and concerning the faithful promise of God are knowne and haue been made knowne vnto thee Surely this temptation of accusing thoughts would long since haue receiued an answere if there had not beene some roote of infidelitie remaining in thee to giue continuall nourishment vnto it But because there is some infidelitie in thee doth it therefore follow that there is no faith That is not so there may be both together either in his measure and degree Doth not Saint Paul tell vs that in himselfe at the same time there was one power which he calleth the Lawe of his minde leading him to God and to the loue of his lawe and an other power which hee calleth the lawe of his members leading him from God and leading him to sinne his words are I delight in the law of God concerning the innerman but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members Can anie things bee more opposite one to an other then these two lawes of the mind and of the members either striuing to draw
seuerall sorts being counted Salomon saith Aiust man falleth seauen times a day riseth againe not so often falling still in the same kind but diuersly falling in seuerall kinds and obtaining helpe to rise againe from euery fall and these many falles may be reduced vnto two generall heads for either a man falleth into sinne or hee falleth into some misery and trouble that sinne maketh our life to be subiect vnto And vnder these two names of sinne and misery we will speake of these falles and consider how true this promise is that GOD will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first of these falles is our falling into sinne For the commandements of God being as so many paths beaten out before our faces for vs to walke in he that keepeth them is as one that walketh vprightly with God and hee that transgresseth and breaketh them is as one that stumbleth in his way and falleth downe flat to his great danger Therefore doe we call Adams sinne the fall of Adam Therefore doe we call the lighter errours of the Saints their slidings and their grosser errours we call their falles And this name of fall is giuen to the sinne that we commit by the Prophet Hosea saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thoâ—… hast fallen by thine iniquity This is a dangerous kinde of fall whereof it behoueth vs to take great heede Heli the Priest fell from the seat whereon he sate brake his necke Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab King of Israel fell thorow the Lattisewindow in his vpper chamber and brused his body whereof he died Yet is not such a fall as either of them haue taken any thing neere so dangerous as to fall into sinne This fall of sinne made the Angels fall out of Heauen and out of the fauour of God irrecouerably And it made our first parents fall out of Paradise and from that blâ—…ssed estate of innocency and immortality wherin God created them And many of their posterity by salling into sinne doe fall from God and sinke downe into hell and there perish eternally It behoueth all men therefore to take heed of it as the Apostle aduiseth saying Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall There is no man of so sure footing that can walke steedily in Gods commandements without sliding and falling for as Sant Iames saith In many things we sinne all And the more weake our footing is the more warily we had need looke vnto our waies that as much as is possible we may escape falles especially considering how dangerous it is in this kind to fall But â—…et such is the mercy of God that he will not suffer the righteous to fal for euer but in due time hee will raise vp them by repentance that are fallen by their sinnes To which end hee giueth vnto vs his word that teacheth vs the way wheâ—…ein we should goe and sendeth vnto vs his messengers with that word in their mouthes that they may be our guides to that end he prepareth our eares for the hearing and our hearts for the vnderstanding of that word that we may learne and profit thereby After this he humbleth our will and bringeth into order all our affections that our knowledge may not be idle for want of willing obedience And because neither knowledge nor willingnesse are able by reason of our weaknesse to effect any thing without him he also strengthneth vs and worketh in vs what hee would haue wrought by vs. As the Apostle speaketh It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede out of his good pleasure Thus he proceedeth in his good worke to raise vp by true repentance them that were fallen by their sinnes And to assure vs there of that we may with comfort hope for the helpe of his grace when our weaknes hath made vs fall into sinne Hee hath giuen vs many gracious promises For thus hee saith in the Psalme I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eie Thus hee promiseth in the Prophecy of Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And thus hee speaketh by the Prophet Ezekiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you a new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shal keepe my iudgements and doe them These and many such gracious promises hath God giuen vnto vs to assure vs that when the righteous fall into sinne hee will raise them vp againe by repentance Hence haue issued the calling of the Gentiles and the conuersion of all vnbeleeuers that for many succeeding ages liued in ignorance and sinne and yet in the end obtayned mercy to returne to God by repentance Hence hath issued the regeneration and new birth of the Saints that being originally shut vp in vnbeleefe and naturally dead in trespasses and sinnes haue beene quickned by Gods grace and begotten againe by the word of truth to be the first fruits of his creatures and by his mercifull worke haue been brought out of darknesse vnto his glorious light to liue thenceforth not as children of darknesse and of the night but as children of the light and of the day Hence hath this issued euen that God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer and from their daily slidings hee doth raise them that when they haue sinned as Adams children they may repent and amend as the children of God The Prophet saith in the Psalme The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Let the righteous therefore that either finde their owne ignorance in mischoosing their way or feele their owne weakenesse in walking in their way let them pray vnto God for grace that he will not suffer them to erre and fall for euer and let them say vnto God with the Prophet Teach mee thy way O God and leade me in a right path This is the first kinde of fall to fall into sinne and it is the worst because it draweth with it the second kinde of fall which is to fall into misery CHAP. XXXV THE second kinde of fall in which God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer is an effect of the former produced by the iust iudgment of God namely a falling into misery This kinde of fall mankinde had neuer beene acquainted withall if they had not taken the first fall for if man had neuer sinned against God God would neuer haue suffered man to haue felt any misery This kind of
Heb. 1â—… 10 Deut. 8. 16 2 Goâ—… 4. 17 Vse of this patience in domestic all troubles Mat. 11. 29 The second generall is prayer Psa. 50. 15 Psal. 99. 6. Ge 32. 11. Ezo 14 15 Exo. 14. 30 Ps. 145. 18. Need of praier First for thy selfe Iam. 1. 4. Secondly for them that trouble or grieue thee Mat. 5. 4â—… â—… Sâ—… 6. 18. 2. Sa. 6. 20. Gen. 25. 21 Gen. 49. 48 Ruth 2. 4. Dan. 6. 10. Ex. 15 26 Deut. 32. 39. 2. Sam. 12. 26 Mat. 8. 6. Act. 12. 5. Thirdly for all the rest Ioh. 6. 67. Ioh 17. 12. Iam. 5. 13. Particular rules of casting these troubles vpon God These troubles are wronâ—…s or griefes Wrongs occaâ—…oned sometime by our selues How to cast those wrongs vpon God Not occasioned by our selues 1. Sam. 12. 3 Psal. 7. 3. Prou. 16. 18 How to caâ—… these vpon God 1. Pe. 2. 20. Troubles not continued nor iterated 2. Sam. 16. 22. Troubles continued If for a short time This troâ—…ble may be remoued by reforming the troublers Iob. 2. 10. Pro. 31. 26 1. Pet. 3. 1 â—… Pro. 29. 15 Pro. 29. 17. Pro. 29 19 Pro. 29. 21. Ephes. 6. 4. Coloss. 4. 1 1. Sa. 19. 4. 2 Kin. â—… â—…3 Leu. 19 17 Maâ—… 18. 15 1. Pet. 4. 8. By weakening the power of the trobler Gen. 31. 24 Gen. 3â—… â—…9 1. Sa. 19. 10 How then to cast it vpon God 2. 5â—… 15. 31 Psal. 9. 19. Psal. 35. 19 Psal. 140. 8 2. Kin. 1. 10 Psal. 35. 4. Psal. 109. 6 Act. 8. â—…0 1. Tim. 4. 14. August in Psal. 35. Mat. 5. 44. By remouing the troubler from thee or thee from him If his remoue bâ—… by death Psal. 36. 9 Psal. 68. â—…0 Esai 57. 1. Ezo 20. 13 1. Sa. 26. 10 If it be by shift of place Mat. 10. â—…3 Rulet concerning remoue of children or seruants Mark 9. 43 〈◊〉 thy trouble continue long Consolations to comfort in long troubles Iob 14. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1â—… Matth. 11. â—…9 Math 25. 42. â—… Acts. 9. 4. 2. Sam. 16. 11. If thy troble be griefe â—… not wrong If griefe grow from sicknesse in thy selfe Deut. 32. 39. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Psal. 32. 4. Esa. 38 2. Esa 38. 18. 2. Chro. 16. 12. If it be any other calamity Iob 2. 10 Ion. 1. 5. Iob. 16. 23. If it be feare of death 1. King 2. 2 Iob 7. 1. Reu. 14. 13 1. Corin. 15 55. Phil. 1. 23. Iohn 14 3. â—…zoc 18. 4 Psal 68. 5. If thâ—…u â—…rt grieued 〈◊〉 others First help to ease theÌ„ what thou caâ—…st â—… Kin. 4. 20 Theâ—… patience and prayer Phil. 4. 5. If it be for the death of others 2. Sa. 12. 16 2. Sa. 12. 18 2. Sa. 12. 21 2. Sa. 12. 22 Esa. 26. 19 1. thes 4 13 The third secular burden is troubles more remote Generally 〈◊〉 patiâ—…ce 1. Ki. 11. 14 Psal. 39. 6. And â—…se praier Particularly for wrongs If thou gauest the occasion â—… Sâ—… 19. 18 If thou giue not the occasion Pro. 15. 15 1 Pet. 4. 15 If God will reforme the troubler Mat 18 15 Acts 7. 58. Acts 8. 1. Acts 9. 31. Acts 7. 60. Aug. Ser. 4. de Sanctis If God will remoue by death If God will remoue by shift of place Themistocles If God will continue thy trouble If thy trouble be griefe 〈◊〉 others Not usuall to be grieued for others Gen. 40. 2â—… Amos 6. 6. What to doe in griefe Col. 3. 1â—… The fourth secular burden difficulties of our callings Rom. 13. 1. If we be insufficient If we be sufficient but are crossed If we doe well and be misconstrued Iâ—… we be insufficient by 〈◊〉 owne fault And be not far from â—… sufficiencie If we be far from sufficiencie Zechar. 13 5. If we be not insufficient by our own faults Psal. 8. 2. 2. Cor. 1â—… 9. Phil. 4. 15. 2. Tim. 4. 15. If we be sufficient but crossed what then to doe 1. Thes. 2. 15. Psal 140. â—… Psal. 108. 12. Psal. 90. 17. If thy deed be misconstrued what to doâ—… Amos. 7. 10. Amos. 7. 15. Iere. 26. 12 Psal. 37 6. â—…urdens of spirituall troubles The first spirituall burdeÌ„ lustâ—… of the flesh Grieuous to the honest man Rom. 7. 23 Rom. 7 24. These men are to be potied Matter of comfort for them Psa. 51. 17 Pro. 23 26. Rom. 10. 3 Rom. 13. 10. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 6. 7. 1. Corin 15 〈◊〉 This comfort is some case of his burden To cast this burden vpon God first study the Scriptures Psa. 119. 105 Psa. 119. 4 Ps. 119. 98. Secondly vse the company of good men Phil. 3. 17. Psal. 56. Psa. 18. 25 Thirdly sly occasions that may stir thy lusts Pro 6. 24. Pro. 22. 24 Pro. 23. 32 Fourthly thinke vpon iudgements and mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praâ—…er Psal. 119. 33. 2. Cor. 12. 9 Two Spirituall burden accusing thoughts A most grieuous burden To cast thiâ—… burden vpon God looke into the circumstances of the sinne Ezec. 8. 7. If thou heâ—… vrged generally Gen. 4. 13. There is ease in that that thou hast not fallen into grosse actuall sinne Such is the originall estate of euery man conceiueâ—… in sinne Psal. 51. 5. Eples 2. 1 Iere. 17. 9â—… â—… Cor. 2. 11 Hebr. 4. 13 Eccles. 7. 22. Prou. 20. 9 Yeeld to be as thou art charged and make it a warning to craâ—…e Gods helpe 1. Sam. 2. 6 Psal 50. 15 Rom 11. 32. And haue care of the body to help the weakenes of it In dâ—…inct and â—…cular â—…sations Consider if in were done in the time of thy ignorance Acts. 26. 9. Ignorance maketh thy sinne the sooner pardonable Luke 12. 47. Examples of then 〈◊〉 that some of ignorance Acts. 3. 14. Acts 3. 17. Acts 3. â—… Acts 9. 13. 1. Tim. 1. 1â—… Iohn 9. 41. If it were done agenst thy knowledge Consider if thy wâ—… was not ouer swâ—…ed by som strong temptation Iere. 8. 12 There is 〈◊〉 hope in this circâ—… Examples of men pardoned that thus sinned in the time of knowledge Mat. 10. 32 Iob 2. 4. Mar. 16. â—…4 Mat. 26. 33 34 35 Luk 22. 32 Gen. 27. 19 Ge. 38. 15 2. 〈◊〉 16. 4 Is it were dâ—…n aâ—…niast knowledge aâ—…d wiâ—… fâ—… consent of 〈◊〉 will This is dâ—…ngerous yet there 〈◊〉 help Luke 1â—… 47. As appeareth in the example of Manasses sinning against knowledge 1 King 2. 1 â—… King 18. And with fâ—…ll course of will 2. Chr. 33. â—… And yet finding fauour 2. Châ—… 33. 11. And in the thâ—…efe that sâ—…ffered with Iesus Luke 23. 42. 43. Lu. 23. 42. 43. Câ—…m in Lu chap. 23. 10. There is one onely sin â—…npardonable Called blasâ—…hemie against the Holy Ghost Mark 3 2â—… â—…at this blasphemie iâ—… Maâ—… 12. 2â—… 24. Iohn 9. 41. Iohn 7. 〈◊〉 Luke 23. 34. Iohn 11. 4â—… Tâ—… sinne â—…nnot bee 〈◊〉 sinne It ' can not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 with general accusation Nor his that sinneâ—… of ignorancâ—… Nor his whoâ—…e 〈◊〉 is ouerruled Nor his that breaketh
God should forgiue vnto thee thy wrongs done against his diuine maiestie But in the fourth place marke well this let it enter into thy froward heart if thy peace were presently setled and thou hadst receiued from God as cleare and as assured discharge of all thy sinnes as Dauid had when Nathan said vnto him from God The Lord hath done away thy sinne thou shalt not die Crueltie against thy brother reuoketh Gods promise which hath euer included in it this condition of shewing mercy to thy brother and forgiuing him It is a true saying of Saint Augustin Redeunt dimissa peccata vbi fraterna charitas non est The sinnes forgiuen returne againe where there is no brotherly charitie And this is plaine in the parable of the king and his seruant that ought him ten thousand talents the king being humbly intreated forgaue him the debt that is promised to forgiue it him this seruant went forth and met with a fellow seruant that owed him an hundred pence and cruelly hee cast him into prison which when the king heard of hee was highly displeased and calling this vnmercifull seruant before him hee said vnto him O euill seruant I forgaue the◅ all that debt because thou praiedst mee oughtst not thou also to haue had pittie on thy fellow euen as I had pitie on thee So his master was wroth and deliuered him to the gailer till he should pay all that was due to him His vnmercifull dealing with his follow to whom he would not forgiue small offences reuoked the liberall promise of Gods most large mercy for the forgiuenes of his many and grieuous sinnes therefore suppresse all frowardnes of thy swelling heart and after the councell of Salomon say not I will do to him as he hath done to me I will recompence euery man according to his worke But be curteous mercifull and tender-hearted forgiuing thy brother and so God will gratiously forgiue thee There is a third condition to bee obserued of them that thinke to obtaine forgiuenes of sinne and that concerneth more directly God and his glory and praise namely faith in God faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God That is firmely to hold perswasion of the mercy of God that it reacheth to the forgiuenes of sinne without exception of any sinne or any sinner as if for sinne there were any greater then his mercy and therefore such as hee neither would nor could forgiue and for the person that there were any so farre out of fauour that vpon his repentance God would not could not be mercifull vnto him the Prophet Micah saying of God for his mercy in this point Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion on vs. He will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottom of the sea And firmely to hold perswasion of the merit and vertue of the death and bloud sheding of the Lord Iesus Christ that it is effectuall to take away the sinne of the world as Iohn Baptist saith of him Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Without exception of any sinne or of any sinner as if for the sinne there were any so grieuous that the bloud of Iesus Christ were not able to wash out the staines thereof and for the sinner that there were any so wicked that the sacrifice of the sonne of God were not sufficient to make attonement with God for him the Euangelist Iohn concerning sinne saying The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne And the Apostle to the Hebrewes concerning sinners saying He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession to God for them This is faith in God to hold this intire perswasion of the mercy of God without making exception which none can iustly make and this is faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God to hold this intire parswasion of the merit of his precious bloud and bitter passion without making exception which none can truely make And this intire perswassion without exception includeth particular application for he that excepteth no sinne excepteth not his owne sinne a◅d he that excepteth no sinner excepteth not himselfe Of the vertue of this faith to obtaine forgiuenes of sinne and all other graces at the mercifull hand of God for the merit and by the vertue of Iesus Christ the mediator these and many other places of Scripture doe speake fully and plainely Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in praier if ye beleeue ye shall receiue it And in another place If thou beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth These things are spoken by the Lord Iesus himselfe And Saint Paul saith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued It may bee the remembrance of this third condition breedeth some discomfort vnto thee as threatning vnto thee no forgiuenes because thou thinkest that thou hast no faith thou thinkest that thou hast it neither in possession nor in power whether thou haue faith in possession or no it may be a questiō because thou maist haue it without presēt feeling of it And sure if euer thou hadst it thou hast it still For as the Apostle Iude saith The faith is once giuen to the saints Faith hath his summerly beautie and winterly barrennesse it admitteth increase decrease but as the tree liueth in the winter though it be bare and when colde stormes are past sheweth his life by building in the spring so faith p◅ncht and benummed with the ◅ipping colde of frostie temptations assoone as it pleaseth God to send ease of trouble sheweth it selfe by reioycing and praising God as it were in a spring and then manifestly declareth the continuance of his being when yet it could not be discerned But if thou be indeed without it it is out of question that thou hast no power to command it it is not a matter of that facilitie to beleeue in God vnto saluation that some doe account it who vse to say they can beleeue what they list For to command silence to accusing thoughts and to stop the mouth of Sathan that accuseth thee of thy sinne and to suppresse the sentence of Gods law that condemneth thee for sin and to binde the hands of Gods iustice that is readie to doe execution vpon thee for sinne and to quiet a conscience disturbed and s◅t on fire with the feare of deserued wrath and condemnation and to beleeue in God vnto saluation is to doe all this is a worke of greater difficultie then hee vnderstandeth that saith he can beleeue what he list Credulitie to thinke this or that to be true because some bodie tels vs so or because we haue reade it or because
we so thinke of it is one thing but faith to rest vpon Gods promises for the forgiuenes of sinne is another thing The first namely credulitie when men are light of beleefe is a sault and infirmitie of nature the second namely faith whereby all accusations are auoided all the fiery darts of the diuell are quenched is the vertue of the spirit and meerely the gift of God The Apostle Paul saith By grace yee are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Yea the same Apostle makes it a worke of no lesse power of God to bring a sinfull man vnto this sauing faith then it was to raise Iesus from the dead as appeareth by his words written to the Ephesians where hee praieth for the opening the eies of their vnderstading that they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power to vs which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead So that if any man be able to raise vp the dead quicken them if he lift then he is able to beleeue vnto saluation if hee lift and else not Surely faith vnto saluatiō is not in the power of man to take vnto himselfe at his pleasure when he lusteth But while I make faith not to bee in thine owne power I doe not thereby take from thee all possibility of obtaining it if it were wholly wanting For I haue shewed thee that it is the gift of God Hee that quickeneth the dead he it is that maketh sinners to beleeue and if thou wouldest beleeue and wile pray vnto him to giue thee a heart to beleeue God will heare thy prayer and grant thy desire and that without faile◅ if thou pray vnto him in his Sonnes name who saith vnto vs Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you And while thou praiest thy faith will grow and while thou beleeuest thou shalt haue more heart to praier and these two within thee Faith and praier will afford mutuall help either to other and they will grow together and thou shalt become strong in faith and feruent in praier Augustine hath an apt saying to this purpose Vt oremus credamus vt ipsa non deficiat sides qua oramu◅ oremus fides fundit orationem fu◅a oratio fidei impetrat firmitatem Let vs beleeue in God that wee may pray vnto him and let vs pray that the faith by which wee pray faile not faith powreth out praier vnto God and praier powred forth obtaineth strength of faith from God Pray therefore imboldened by the promise of the Lord Iesus And seeing the chiefest meanes whereby God worketh faith is his word euen the word of the Gospel which therefore the Apostle calleth the word of faith that is the word begetting faith the word in which and by which wee beleeue saying The word is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which wee preach Therefore giue thy selfe to the study of the word heare it reade it meditate in it there shalt thou finde the sweet promises of mercy there shalt thou find Iesus the Mediatour in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen there shalt thou finde assurance for thy soule to bring it to true rest For thy priuat reading and what thou shalt gaine thereby heare the saying of our blessed Sauiour Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternal life and they are they which testifie of mee There shall we find the true knowledge of Iesus Christ and eternall life And for the diligent hearing of the word preached and for the fruit thou shalt reape thereby Paul doth sufficiently informe thee when hee s◅ith Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God In which words he giues thee to vnderstand that that faith which is the condition that wee doe speake of if it were wanting is obtained by hearing the word of GOD as by that ordinarie meanes which God hath appoynted to bring the vnbeleeuing Gentiles thereby to the faith of Iesus Christ as somewhat more fully he shewed in the same place before saying How shall they that is the Gent◅les call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Here is the ordinary ◅ay described by which God calleth the ignorant and vnbeleeuing Gentiles to faith and sa◅uation First hee putteth the word of reconciliation into the mouth of some chosen Messenger and sendeth him to preach without which sending he could not goe then by his preaching these ignorāt vnbelieuing come to heare the word of faith saltion without which preaching they could not heare Thirdly by that hearing he worketh in them knowledge faith in the Redeemer without which hearing they could neither know nor beleeue Then lastly by that faith are they imboldened to pray vnto God without which faith they could haue no courage nor comfort to pray And vnto their praiers growing from that faith is saluation giuen according to a saying of the Prophet Ioel which the Apostle alledgeth Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued So that thy diligence in hearing the word of God with gladnesse of heart will helpe thee to faith and by faith to forgiuenesse of sinnes which is saluation of soule And for thy meditating in the word of God and what benefit thereby thou shalt obtaine the Prophet Dauid teacheth thee in the first Psalme where he pronounceth him to be a blessed man that hath his delight in the Law of God and in his Law meditateth day and night Diligent moditating in the Law of God maketh a man to be blessed but blessednes comprehendeth the forgiuenesse of sinnes that followeth faith the same Prophet saying Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie In one word to shew thee fully how auaileable to the obtaining increase of faith the studie of the Gospel wil be the reading hearing and meditating thereon consider the saying of Saint Paul writing to the Romans I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also the Grecian for by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed from faith vnto faith as it is written the iust shall liue by faith It is the doctrine of faith for Iew and Gentile it breedeth nourisheth and increaseth faith bringing it forward by degrees vnto full ripenesse it iustifieth the beleeuer and saueth the iustified man and effecteth these things powerfully as the instrument of God for hee calleth it