secret counsell and hiddeÌ„ mysteries of God Giue therfore credit vnto the Lords ministers anâ— glory vnto God that hath giuen in hiâ— great loue this blessing and grace vnto thee that thou shouldest continuallâ— haue abiding with thee his Prophets his Angels at whose mouth thou maiâ— be certified of the forgiuenesse of thy â—â—ns Yea the Lord hath not giuen onâ—y this name vnto his ministers to conâ—inue vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes but hee hath further giuen vnto them power authoritie vs ministers of the word to forgiue thee thine offences For is those keies of the kingdom of God that the Lord gaue in Peter vnto the Church saying Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sins ye retaine they are retained whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen So that if the Ministers of the Gospell of God shal in the spirit of God and power of Christ forgiue thee thy sinnes if they shall say vnâ—o thee as Nathan did vnto Dauid The â—ord hath taken away thy sinne or as Christ vnto the sicke of the palsie Sonne by sinnes are forgiuen thee assure thy â—elfe that insomuch as they haue loosed â—hee from thy sinnes on earth the Lord â—ath loosed thee from thy sinnes in heaâ—en insomuch as they haue remitted and forgiuen thy sinnes they are reâ—â—â—â—ed and forgiuen indeed And taâ—â— heed â—hat thou do not as the most part of tâ—â— world doth that depriue themselues oâ— this comfort and other the like by the contempt and base account of the Ministers of the grace of God beleeue thâ— Lord and his Prophets saith Iehosophat and thou shalt prosper Despise not this gift which God hath giuen thee for it is one of the principall gifts mentioned by Paul in the fourth of the Ephesians that Christ when hee tooke his farewell from the earth gaue thereunto I speak not these things to maintaine the Popes auricular confession or vsurped authoritie but the lawfull power giuen by God to his ministers and theâ—fore herein must meet together I meane in the forgiuenes of thy sinne by the minister his discretion thy contrition his faithfulnes thy faith his wisedome thy repentance hiâ— calling and thy calling his calling must be lawfull thy calling must be true he must be faithfull thou must be penitent he must be faithfull thou must be faithfâ—ll he faithfull in his office thou in thy conuersion vnto the Lord. And then if these things be ioyned 〈◊〉 â—ether in thee and in him thou mai◠〈◊〉 assured that the Lord in heauen â—â—th forgiuen thy sinnes as his ministers on the earth haue pardoned them â—nd that God hath loosed thee in heaâ—en that art loosed in the earth from â—hy sinnes Thus from the testimonie â—itnes of the ministers of the kingdom of God thou maist approue vnto thine own conscience the forgiuenesse of thy â—ins And this shall be the more strongly confirmed vnto thy soule if thou shalt â—erevnto adde the testimonie of Moses Dauid Salomon Esay Ieremy Ezekiel Daâ—iel and all the rest of the Prophets the testimonie of Christ Peter Paul Iames Iohn Mathew Marke Luke and all the other Apostles Euangelists holy men of God who as it were out of the dead being dead speak vnto thee auouching and confirming with one voyce one mouth one spirit that thy sinnes are forgiuen and all in offences clean blotted out so that being compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses and those such as are gâ—eater than all exception wee ought to rest peaceably in the forgiuenes of our sins which these so many and so faithfull witnesses confirme vnto vs. These are the testimonies of men wstich confirme vnto as the forgiuenes of our sinnes The 17 Chapter VVherin is contained the third reason taken from others which is deriued from the Deuill he testifying and in his owne language confirming vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes THe third reason being taken from others is taken from the testimonie of the deuill who very sufficientlie in his naturall language if we rightly vnderstand the same confirmeth vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore for the better vnderstanding of his speech and language I will set thee down but two precepts rules as it were characters by the which thou shalt easily vnderstand the darkest and hardest words in the deuils toong and so shalt in short space become a good languager The first rule shall shew thee when he speaketh the second what he speaketh Concerning the first know for a certain that whensoeuer thou receiuest any answer in thy conscience contrarie to that which is promised or spoken in the word contrary to the forgiuenes of thy sin to the receiuing of the spirit of adoption to the increase of the graces of the holy Ghost to the attaining of the inheritaÌ„ce of the Saints in light or the possession of eternal life or any such like that then the deuill tempteth thee and speaketh that word and maketh that answere in thy soule For this perswasion and this answer and this word that the Lord wil not forgiue thy sin or giue thee his spirit or eternal life saluation commeth not froÌ„ God For the word of God saith the cleane contrarie And we know that the Lord speaketh not one thing in his word and another thing in thy conscience one thing in his scriptures another thing in thy soule Learne therfore this for a true and an infallible precept that whensoeuer thou receiuest an answere in thy self contrary to that which the Lord hath promised that then the deuill speaketh this thou must know to be true althogh the perswasion come from thine owne concupiscence corrupt nature For the Apostle calleth the prick of the flesh which is the motion and worke of original sinne the messenger of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. This then is the first precept by which thou maiest know when he speaketh The second rule which must make thee vnderstand his wordes must make thee first vnderstand his nature which is to lie For it is naturall for the deuill to lie For he is naturally a lyer as appeareth both by the testimonie of Christ in the eight of Iohn wheâ—e he saith the deuil was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth There is no truth in him as ofteÌ„times as he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own because he is a lier and the father of a lie and also by the practise of the deuil himself who both lied to our mother Eue saying that if shee did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill that shee shuld be like vnto the gods in the knowledge of good and euill and that they should not die and also was a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets of Achab and so deceiued Achab and his Prophets Out of this knowledge of the deuils lying nature thou shalt presently picke the meaning of his speeches and
full vndoubted assuraÌ„ce of the forgiuenes of sin to theÌ„ that commit sin For howsoeuer the knowledg of the free grace of God offered in Iesus Christ in the word of peace and truth through the corruptioÌ„ of mans hart that turneth as the Spider hony into poison may wheras it should coÌ„fort the conscience corrupt the affections whereas it should take away dispaire increas senselesnes so while it should cure one disease procure another yet such shold be such is the power aâ—d profit therof in such as are ordained to eternall life shal be saued as that as it begetteth coÌ„fort in the mourners so obedience eueÌ„ in them that once were disobedieÌ„t it doth not only cheere but sanctifie the conscience and purge it from dead works For the same word of grace that containeth the promises is not only hidden Manna to feed vs but immortal seed to regenerate beget vs anew This preaching therefore of the kingdom of God the riches of the mercy of God offred vnto sinners should breed in theÌ„ repentance as well as saith newnes of life as well as peace in coÌ„science According as the holy Ghost beareth witnes saying dispisest thou the riches of this kindnes patience long suffering not knowing that the bouÌ„tifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentance The end therfore of all the gra es of God giueÌ„ offered and reâ—eiued is holines of life godliâ—es of conuersatioÌ„ For we are redeemed that we should be freed from euil freed vnto righteousnes VVe aâ—e reconciled by the body of the flesh of Christ that we should be without spot and blame before God we are mortified that sin in the body thereof might be abandoned we are iustified that sin in the guiltines therof might be abolished to speak in a word we are sanctified that we might be saints by calling That man therefore that laboureth not for the perswasion of the forgiuenes of his sin to this end that he may surcease to sin laboureth in vaine for he seeketh not and therfore attaineth not the end of his labor He laboreth therfore as the man that looseth his hire he striueth as one that ouerâ—eÌ„meth not he ruÌ„neth as one that getteth not the garland he trauaileth as one that attaineth not the end of his iourney he iourneieth as one that standeth in the middest of his course Alas brethren what is this but to fight as one that beateth the aire to striue but now lawfully to run but as one that getteth not the garland to labor but in vain So striue therfore that you may â—e câ—owned VVhat a perswasion were this I beseech you to thinke that therfore the Lord cleÌ„sed vs that we shuld bewary your selues washed vs that we shuld defile our selues purged vs that like dogs we should retâ—rn to our vomit tooke away our sins that we should sin still forgaue our offences that we should still offeed him and destroyed crucified sin in vs that we should liue in sin still Alas should the graces of God make vs more vngracious his kindnes more vnkind his loue more d â—sloi d were this to walk worthy of the Lord BrethreÌ„ deâ—eiue not your selues the same death of Christ that forgiueth your sins destroyeth aâ—so your sins For Christ by his own death once offering vp himselfe vpon the Altar of his crosse hath destroyed the body as well as the soule the being aswel as the guiltines the power as wel as the merit of sin be died as well to sin as for sin to destroy the old man as wel as to make thee a new maÌ„ as well to make thee liue purely as in thy life to be purified And therefore if thou art partaker of the death of Chrst thou must both attaine the forgiuenesse of thy sinne which is one fruit and part thereof and also the mortification and abolishing of the bodie of thy sinne which is the otheâ— part and fruit thereof As therfore this is true that there is no coÌ„demnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ so this also is as true that no man is in Christ but hee that walketh not afâ—er the flesh but afâ—er the spiâ—it and againe if any maâ— be in Christ he is a new creature In vaine therfore dost thou perswade thy self to be partaker of the forgiuenesse of thy sin if also thou doest not denie sin with the power therof For assure thy selfe that the samâ— spirit that washeth thee sactifieth thee also that clenseth thee renueth thee that taketh away thy sin destroyeth sin in thee And learn this that thy faith that apprehendeth the forgiuenes of sins worketh alwaies by loue which is the keeping of the coÌ„mandements of the Lord the fulfilling of the law If faith therefore purifie thy heart from sin thou wilt sease to sin For the hart being clean the hands wil not be vnâ—lean a good tree wil not bring forth euill fruit a sweet fountain sowre water a good man an euil life a man clensed froÌ„ sin a life stained corrupted with sin I adde hereunto that there is no forgiuenesse of sin where there is not a true repentance for sin therefore the Lord lyeth alwaies his turning froÌ„ his wrath to our turning from our sins and telleth vs plainly that except we do repeÌ„t we shal all perish So that except thou leaue sinne thou art left in thy sin except thou foâ— goe sin God wâ—ll not forgiue sin except thou forsake thine offeÌ„ces thou forsakest Gods mercy How canst thou looke that the lord shuld forbeare his punishments wheÌ„ thou wilt not forbear thy sin how dost thou looke that the Lord should repent him of his wrath when thou wilt not repent thee of thine offences Moreouer know this if thou mean not to surcease to sin that the promises of grace benefits of Christ appertaines not vnto thee For as ther are 2. parts of the word of God I meane the law the Gospel so there are 2. kinds of men to whom these 2. parts especially appertaine The law belongeth to theÌ„ that are contemners of the law to the disobedient to the vvicked sinners to the vngodly prophaÌ„e to the killers of their father of their mother to manslayers te vvhoremongers to buggerers to theeus lyers to periured persons if there be any thing else that bee contrary vnto holesome doctrin But the Gospel with the promises of graue appertaineth vnto theÌ„ that are heauy loden that mourn are oppressed with their sins which being truly humbled are by the law as by a school-master brought vnto so into Christ in whoÌ„ whosoeuer is he is not vnder the law but vnder grace If therefore thou he not in some regard of the number of this latter sort assure thy selfe that the promiseâ— of mercie appertaine not vnto thee Anâ— therefore if thou being an obstinate person appropriate them vnto thy selfe thoâ— art but an Ammonite that incrochest vppon the possession of Israel and Esau thaâ—
grace of God and a singuler vertue created in thee by the spirit consisting between two extreames despaire on the one side and sencelesnesse on the other side and also that euen this thine as it seemeth seruile feare is that spirit of bondage to feare which is mentioned in the eight to the Romans That is that fruit of the spirit of God wrought in thee to bring thee to the true feare of God which is as the holy Ghost beareth witnesse the verie fountain and offspring of wisdome And that therefore this sorrow and feare are but those foundations or ground workes vpon the which the spirit of God whose worke-manship now thou art in Iesus Christ will build the other graces of God euen sanctification that is righteousnes true holines the fruit wherof as the Apostle Iames telleth vs is sowne in peace spirituall comfort with the fulnes of God and of the holy Ghost which being once felt after thy sorrow will make thee sing a Psalme of thanksgiuing vnto the Lord and make thee to reioyce with ioy vnspeakable For the end of godly sorrow is ioy in the spirit comfort in the holy ghost After Peters teares ensued the fulnes of the holy Ghost Dauid that in one place complaineth that his sinnes are continually before his face and gone ouer his head as a burden too heauy for him to beare in another Psalme addresseth himselfe to sing of the mercie and iustice of the Lord and to extoll his long patience louing kindnes The Iewes that by the preaching of Peter were pricked in conscience were afterward by the same Peter baptised to the remissioÌ„ of their sins The Iaylor that had drawne out his sword to kill himselfe withall was after comforted by Paule and reioyced that he with his whole houshold beleeued in God And to conclude what one man hath there euer ben that rightly sorowed for his sins that hath not found his sorrow to be turned into ioy and his mourning into comfort Comfort thy selfe therefore with their comforts and so make thy selfe partaker of their comforts Knowing this that the Lord that hath giuen thee wine to glad thy heart oile to make thee haue a cheerful countenance sweete flowers to delight thy sences musicke to refresh thy mind generally to speake in a word manifold comforts for thy body is as rich in the comforts of the spirit which he will as richly in his time appointed shed into thy heart by the holy Ghost the knowledge wherof may be a good step to the attaining of that spiritual comfort that thou desirest and thirstest after For to a sicke man it is euen health it selfe to know that his disease is curable that there is remedie inough for the same But as it is not ynough to know that there is a salue for his sore except hee know the confection and the same be applyed so in this disease of the soule I meane despaire it is not sufficient to know that there is a remedie except the same be applyed accordingly The one which is to apply the remedie I commit to the worke of the grace of God and to thine owne care and desire of peace and ease The other which is to describe the comfort I will by the grace of God labour in And herein I will describe those particulars onely which my selfe know to haue been profitable vnto others that haue been as thou art afflicted The 2. Chapter In the first part whereof are set down the expresse pomises of God concerning the free forgiuenes of sins and in the later is declared first that the same promises of merâ—y are deliuered vnto vs in the word of God then that they are bound by his oath thirdly that they are also bound by his Indenture of couenants and lastly that they are confirmed by two visible signs tokens in sted of woÌ„ders to wit Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. The fi st Section FIrst therefore I will that thou mayest not relye vppon the vncertainety of man but the vnchaungeable truth of God set thee downe those expresse promises of God concerning the free forgiuenesse of thy sinnes that the Scriptures most euidently plentifully for the most part in euery one of the Prophets afford As namely in the 18. of Ezekiel where the Lord expressely promiseth that if the wicked will return from his sinnes that hee hath committed and keepe all his statutes and do the thing that is lawfull and right that he shall surely liue and shall not die and that all his transgressions that hee hath committed shal not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue And againe in his 33 Chapter the Lord by the mouth of the same Prophet promiseth that if the wicked turn from his sinne none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall euermore be mentioned vnto him And this is that also which is promised by the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Ieremie in his 33 chap. to all them that repent who promiseth that he will cleÌ„se them from all their iniquities whereby they sinned against him yea that he will pardon al their iniquities wherby they haue sinned against him and wherby they haue rebelled against him And this is yet further confirmed by the mouth of the Prophet Esay who in his 43. chapter bringeth in the Lord himselfe speaking after the same maner and saying I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquitie for mine owne sake and will not remembeâ— thy sins any more And again in his 44. chapter he saith I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sins as a mist turne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Infinite are those promises of the Lord that are liuely and in euerie one of the Prophets euen as many as haue written from Moses from thence forward and that oftentimes expressed All which it shall bee needlesse to repeat These few in stead of all the rest may suffice to shew vnto thee that the Lord hath passed his promise to passe by thy sins and to forgiue thine offences trasgressions The consideration whereof may be a strong and infallible comfort vnto thy conscience Knowing that the Lord that hath promised is able by reason of his power to whome it only appertaineth to forgiue sins is willing by reason of his promise to performe it For we are not to set the Lord before our eyes ae those vaine men of the world that promise more than they are able to accomplish or as those deceitfull men which being in the ballance are lighter than vanitie it selfe who make a face but haue no heart make an offer but haue no purpose to performe that which they promise For who hath euer put his trust in the Lord and went away confounded Who hath euer relyed vppon the Lord and the Lord lied vpon him Who hath euer depended vpon him did not by experience find that it is better to trust in the
Lord than to put any confidence in man yea that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes With whom did the Lord euer make a couenaÌ„t broke it To whom did the Lord euer make a promise and fulfilled it not Call to mind all the promises of God made in former times in the ages that are past and see if euer he failed in any one iote of his promises He promised to giue vnto Abraham a son and by him a seed that should be multiplyed as the starres as the sand by the sea shore How hard a matter was this and in reason impossible to be performed For if wee consider either the body of Abraham it was dead he being almost an hundred yeares old or rhe deadnes of Saraes womb with whome it ceased to be after the manner of women we shal see the accomplishing hereof to be in the iudgement and opinion of flesh and bloud impossible And therefore howsoeuer Abraham being stronge in faith staggered not through vnbeleefe at the promises of God but laughed for ioy yet Saâ—a laughed them to scorn as things not to be hoped for and thereby might through her vnbeliefe haue depriued her selfe of the blessing of God yet the Lord would rather worke miracles alter the course of nature than he would not accomplish that promised seed that he promised vnto Abraham Insomuch that neither Abrahams dead bodie nor Saraes dead wombe no nor Saraes dead faith for so in this regard I may call it could make the promise of God of none effect Again he promised vnto the same Abraham to giue vnto his seed after him the land of Canaan for their possession Now doe but consider with thy selfe how many lets there might haue seemed to haue hindered this that was promised Abraham himselfe had no possession therin at all as Stephen mentioneth no not the bredth of a foot his seede consisted onely in one Isack Those that should be borne of him must be in bondage foure hundred yeares to a strange nation and there they must be euilly intreated The Aegyptians were more in number than they were and therefore able by violence to keepe them in bondage still Pharaoes hart was hardened so that he would not let them goe The redde sea might haue stopped their passage the long and barren wiâ—dernesse might haue consumed them and beene their graue the fierie Serpents might haue deuoured them the Amalakites might haue ouercome them in battell hunger and thirst might haue pined them away their rebellion against Moses their murmuring against Aaron their idolatrie against God their whoredome with the daughters of Moab might haue razed them out of the face of the earth The townes of the land of Canaan were mightie and walled vp to the heauens The people thereof were of the sonnes of Anaâ—k euen giants and of a tall stature The people of the Iewes were weake vnarmed not exercised in the warres and that which is more full of vnbeleefe and of a hard heart All these might haue mooued the Lord to haue broken his promise if any thing possible could procure him therevnto but none of all these neither the hardnes of Pharaoes heart nor the power of the Aegyptians nor the depth of the sea nor the barrennesse of the wildernesse nor the sting of the Serpents nor the force of the Amalakites nor the strength of the Cities nor the might of the Gyants no nor the sinnes of the seede of Abraham could make the Lord to chaunge his promise or alter that which hee had spoken with his lipps Moreouer the Lord promised to send his sonne into the world made of a woman of the seede of Abraham and of the stocke of Dauid and by him to redeem mankind Now how many things might haue mooued the Lord to haue broked his promise God himselfe must make himselfe voyde and emptie as the Apostle speaketh he must take vpoÌ„ him the shape of a seruant and be made the creature he must be a man that should haue good experience of infirmities bee counted so vile that all his people should hide their faces from him he must be subiect to cold heat hunger thirst nakednesse and pouertie he must be tempted by Sathan despised of men tormented of God he must bee whipped and scorned yea hee must bee hanged vpon the crosse and die a most shamefull death he must be made sinne the curse of God for vs he much descend into hell and haue the portion of the reprobate and damned soule for to redeeme vs. All these might haue moued the father to haue pitied and so to haue spared his onely son especially they might haue moued God not so to haue abased himselfe but to haue continued in his owne glory and blessednes But most especially might that prayer that Christ the sonne of God made to his father in the garden where hee intreated him in the bitternes of his soule to remoue if it were possible that cup away from him that is that he might not indure those tormentes and suffer that death together with the contempt and infidelitie of the Iewes haue caused the father either for his sonnes request or the peoples desert to haue repented him and so to haue changed his promise with his purpose But neither the regard of Gods owne glorie in his son nor the abasing nor the abusing nor the miserie nor the torments nor the curse nor the death no nor the damnation as it were I meane the portion of the damned allotted vnto his son nor yet his intreatie nor mans infidelity could bring that to passe What should I stand in repeating of the promise of God made to Noah which was no more to destroy the world with water although no doubt the sins since the flood haue ouerpassed all that euer went before The promise made to Dauid which was that he would giue him the kingdome of Israell which he brought to passe notwithstanding the might the malice the rage of Saule The promise that he made to the Iewes concerning their returne out of the captiuitie of Babilon which when they saw effected they were as it wete one that dreamed and their mouth was filled with laughter What shall I need to repeat euery one when it is manifest that neuer a one euer failed or came to naught Let these suffice to assure thee that that Lord whose promises haue bin euer euen as himselfe immutable and vnchangeable notwithstanding all lets and hinderances will not now begin with thee either by reason of the monstrousnes or multitude or manner of thy sinnes or weakenesse of thy faith to breake his promises and to retaine thy sinnes which he promised to forgiue I do not denie but that thy sinnes might be monstrous and many yea and malicious also and therfore they might seeme to bee great reasons to stay the accomplishment of these forenamed promises but if thou compare them with those mountaines which the Lord ouerpassed and
forgiue vs and not forgiue me onely but forgiue my brother also yea euen thee and all other that are as thou art afflicted and pressed down with the sight of thy sins So that the elect the holy and the beloued of God poure forth their prayers for thee that not one of them aâ—one althogh perchance some one more especially but all of them intreat the Lord for thy sinne euen for the paâ—don thereof Now thou knowest that the prayer of the faithfull auaileth much as Saint Iames telleth thee it caused the Sun to stand still it stopped the heauens it brought downe plentie of raine and is able also to bring downe plentie of grace of pardon and of mercie for thy sinnes to open the heauens and to stay the wrath of God against thee deserued by the same 5 Adde lastly hereunto thine owne prayers which thou continâ—est with the widow in the Gospell vn o the vnrighteous Iudge with the woman of Canaan vnto the righteous Christ with all feruencie in the spirit and importunitieâ— so that thy continuance in praier strengtheneth thee against all length thy importunitie against all sâ—rength in temptation the one against all delaies the other against all deâ—â—ies and assure thy selfe that thou shalt finde the Loâ—d as gracioâ—s vnto thee foâ— thy importunity as the widdow sound the vnrighteous Iudge and as merciful as the woman of Canaan found the righteous Christ For howe can the Lord denie so many so continuall so importunate so gracious and so earnest suiters in thy behalfe some of them hauing so well deserued that the father should gratifie theÌ„ herein His son intreateth for thee the blood of his sonne intreateth for thee his spirit intreateth for thee his spouse which is his Church and all his deeâ—e and beloued seruants intreat for thee thou thy selfe humblest thy selfe before God also for thy sins and how thinkest thou can God say nay to aâ—l these suiters in thy behalfe Imagine that thy seruant had offended thee and thy son readie to die if thou deniest him did intreat thee thy wife intreated thee thy seruaÌ„t intreated thee and the offendor himselfe intreated thee how harâ—ly couldst thou deny their requests The vâ—righteous Iudge could not denie the iâ—portunitie of one poor widdow and therefore the righteous God who is the iudge of all flesh cannot deny not one but many petitioners crauing pardon at his handes for thy transgressions Thus theâ—foâ—e thou maiest see how by the intercessioÌ„ of Christ thou maist assure thy self of the forgiuenesse of thy sinne And this is the second reason taken from the consideration of Christ that prooueth the same vnto vs which is also the same reason that Iohn in his first Epistle and first chapter vseth saying If any man sin we haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the righteous The 7 Chapter VVherein the forgiunes of sins is proued by considering Iesus Christ as he is our king and spirituall prince THirdly this is prooued vnto vs by condering of Christ not onelie as the Priest but as the Princ of his church not onelie as our Aduocate but as our King not onely as our mediator but as our Iudge for he beareth both those offices As he beareth the office of the mediator he intreateth for vs as he beareth the office of a Iuge we intreat him as he beareth office of the mediatour we pray in his name as he beareth the office of the king we pray vnto his name as he is a Priest he praieth for vs as he is a prince we pray vnto him as he is our aduocate he intâ—eateth the father to forgiue vs as he is our king and gouernour he himselfe with the father forgiueth vs. For as himselfe testifieth of himselfe all power is giuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth and the father iudgeth no man but hath commmitted aâ—l iudgement vnto the sonne that all men should honour the sonne euen as they honour the Father Yea the sonne of man as he testifyeth to the Iewes in the healing of the man sicke of the palsey hath power also to forgiue sinnes And thiâ— as he saith hee would that they should know and therefore also that we should acknowledge and beleeue For that the knowledge hereof is especially profitable and comfortable to the soule that is burdened with the sight of his sins For what and bee more for our comfort than to know that our Prinâ—e is our Priest our aduocate iâ— our king our iudge is our Sauiour and that he that intreateth for â—he forgiuenes of our siâ—â— can of hiâ— self forgiue vs our sinnes To speake in a word what can be more comfortable than to know and to beleeue that Iesus Christ hath absolute power in himselfe to forgiue vs our offences For wheÌ„ the soule once knoweth that it hopeth easily to obtain the same and that for certaine especiall good reasons 1 First for that it knoweth that Iesus Christ to purchase the forgiuenes of our sinnes did lay downe his owne life and therefore hauing nowe purchased the same for vs he wil bestow it vpon vs. For hauing puâ—chased the same so deerly he will not let it perish vnprofitably which yet notwithstanding it should doe if it were not giuen vnto vs. For Christ gaue his life vnto death that he might giue vs the forgiuenesse of our sins for as for himselfe he had no need of the forgiuenesse of sins because he had no sin It was therefore for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that he paid the ransome of his blood If therefore he hauing purchased the same for vs should not himselfe hauing no vse thereof bestowe it vpon vs in vaine should hee haue died in vaine should hee haue pâ—â—chased the same with his owne blood in vaine should he haue suffered the shame of the crosse and so the crosse of Christ should be made vain if the forgiuenesse of our sins should not be by Christ giueÌ„ to vs for the vse thereof is in vs as the end thereof was for vs. Now we know that Christ would not lay downe his life in vaine and tehrefore that he will readily and cheerfully forgiue vs our sinnes And this so much the rather we do beleeâ—e for that he gaue his life that he might giue it vnto vs and therefore much more hauing it in his own power to giue freely he wil most willingly giue it vnto vs The father that to purchase an inheritance to bestow vpon his son will indaunger his life would much more willingly if it lay in his hands his bands to giue the same freely freely bestow it vpoÌ„ him The friend no doubt that to saue the life of his friend and to purchase his pardon at the hands of the king would giue his life vnto death would much more willingly bestow his pardon vpon him if hee might doe the â—ame with the safety of his own life if â—e had power in himselfe to forgiue and â—o pardon his offence So that Lord that
to pardon and to procure the forgiuenes of our sinnes at the hands of his father laid downe his owne life much more hauing power in his owne hands to forgiue vs will giue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Being therefore iustified by his bloud much more being now iustified shall wee be saued from wrath by him For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saued by his life As Paul reasoneth in the fift to the Romans And therefore this first reason may perswade vs that Christ that hath power in his hands to forgiue vs our sinnes will easily be mooued to pardon them 2 Secondly this is farther perswaded vnto vs by the consideration of his practise and behauiour being here vpon the earth which alwaies was most ful of mercy of kindnesse of gentlenesse and of meeknesse who euer came vnto him for sight and went away blind for hearing and went away deafe for speech and went away dumbe for legges and went away lame for health and went away sick for comfort and went away sorrowfull for the forgiuenesse of hiâ— sinnes and went away a sinner who euer came to the Lord and went away confounded and ashamed The sicke of the Palsey vnto him but for health of the body and he gaue him also vnsought for the health of soule saying vnto him son thy sins are forgiuen thee The woman that was brought vnto him for iudgement being taken in adulterie found mercy at his hand in stead of iudgement and life in stead of death Woman quoth he where are thine accusers hath no man condemned thee neither do I go thy waies and sin no more The Iewes that crucified him and put him being the Lord of life vnto death beleeuing and being baptised into his name for the remission of their sins were receiued to mercie yea hanging vpon the crosse hee praied for his persecutors saying Father lay not this sinne vnto their charge for they know not what they doe His disciples would as Elias haue commaunded fire to come downe from heauen and consumed his enemies but he reproued them saying Yee know not of what spirit you are Such a one is Christ still hee hath changed his place but not his nature his mercie is rather increased with his honour and his meekenesse with his glory The heauens make him not more churlish which were rather hellish than heauenly but more kinde and louing to all that faithfully call vpon him For we must not thinke the God of all glorie to be like vnto corrupt prophane man whom honor puffeth vp and maketh so much the more proude and scornefull by how much the more glorious he is but we must rather take him measure him by the farthest distance therefrom euen by the cleane contrarie therevnto For therefore is the manner of Christ his life with men described that we may know how hee liueth with God That we knowing his meeknesse on the earth might looke for his mercie froÌ„ the heauens And this iâ— the second consideration that may induce vs thereunto 3 Lastly this his mercie and readinesse to forgiue vs may the rather appeare vnto vs by the promises of mercie made vnto all those that come vnto him As namely theâ—e where he saith come vnto me all yee that are heauie loaden and I will ease you And again standing in the temple in the great day of the feast he cried a loud saying If any man thirst let him come to me and I will satisfie him And again to the woman of Samaria if thou knowest who it were that saith vnto thee giue me water thou worldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen vnto thee waters of the well of life of which whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer hunger nor thirst more So that by these promises of Christ both to giue and to forgiue to giue graces and to forgiue our sinnes we are most fully resolued in this point Knowing that that Christ that is able is also wâ— ling that hath power hath also promised that hath full authoritie of himselfe hath also full will as himselfe to forgiue vs our offences So that Christ hauing full power of himselfe to forgiue our sinnes and we being assured of his willingnes therevnto both by his promise his practise and the bloud of his crosse we may be fully hereby perswaded of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Oh if a theefe had such assurance of his Iudge or a traitour of his king how would it cheâ—â—e his dying soule wee haue this strong assurance of our Iudg of Christ our Lord and King and why doe wee not cheere in the knowledge hereof Oh let no feare of death or sin feare vs so long as the Lord of life and â—ighteousnesse is our King and gouerneth vs it is the Lord that iustifieth and who shall condemne vs it is Christ that dyed yea which is risen from the dead yea which sitteth at the right hand of God the Father who also intreateth for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall oppression or nakednesse or daunger or sword no we are more than Conquerours by him which hath loued vs as the Apostle teacheth vs in the eight to the Romanes This then is the third consideration of Christ that confirmeth vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes The 8. Chapter VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is proued by consideâ—ing Christ as hee is our Physitian that with his own blood cureth and healeth all our infirmities both corporall and spirituall FOurthly the forgiuenes of our sins is argued by considering Christ as a sacrifice for sinne sweet smelling holy and acceptable vnto God as a peace-offering Yea a sinne offering yea as that immaculate and Paschall lambe by whose blood we for euer attaine the forgiuenes of our sins and that in a double respect First for that Christ is that good Phisition who not by the roots of China or the trees of America by Paraâ—elsus his minerals or Gallens his simples but by his owne most precious blood helpeth all our infirmities For the blood of Christ is that purgation that clenseth and purgeth away euen from the verie soule and not from the bodie onely which were but small thing in respect of this all the corruption infection and filth thereof For as S. Iohn saith the bloud of Christ purgeth vs from all our sins that therefore is the onely purger of the soule which worketh according to the Dos or gift of Christ the phisition of the soule strongly vpon the corruptions thereof and bringeth them and expelleth them all quite and cleane out of the same Oh if Galle or Hyppoâ—rates or Paracelsus or other doctors of phisicke had been consulted with if they had ben sent for to practise vpon the same if they had ministred either pils or potions or confections or boles or electuaries if they had ministred Rubarbe or Cassia or Tamarnidi or the Greeke pill or any such
by sorce vsurpest the inheritance of Iacob an Achab that oppressest Naboth with his vineyard a theefe that takest the goods of other men a dogge that eatest vp the childrens bread The curse of the law together with the threatnings therof arâ— those things that are proper vnto thee First therfore clense thy hands thou hypocrit thy hart thou doble minded man then come talke with the Lord anâ— then though thy sins be as the skarlet the Lord wil make theÌ„ as the snow thogh they be as the purple the Lord wil make them as the wooll then shalt thou finde comfort in the comforts of the Lord be comforted in deed It lyeth therfore in thee that both that which thou readest may bâ— comfortable that that which I haue written may be profitable The framing of thy self to the obedieÌ„ce of faith together with the right vse of these other the coÌ„forts of the Lord may both stop the mouths oâ— those that inueigh against ouermuch comfort as that which wil lay opeÌ„ as they say a gap to al sin Epicurisme also cause me not to repent my selfe of my labor wheÌ„ I shall see thee bettered the weak comforted thee cast downe the humble lifted vp thee to be full of obedience the mourners ful of comfort when God shall be glorified man shal haue cause to glorie in the liuing Lord. For these causes good brother haue I entred into this actioÌ„ contriued coÌ„piled this discourse concerning the forgiuenes of thy sins A matter though plentifull full of comfort insomuch that it might in either regard haue excited many to haue handled the same yet either with such breuity or with so light a hand passed ouer as that I feared not least I should as they say wash a tile sow of another mans seed if I wrote any thing therof I therefore although I acknowledge my selfe to be theÌ„ most vnfit of many or rather any other to wade in a mater of so great importance yet not at the least experieÌ„ced perchaÌ„ce of all other haue vndertaken this whether labor or losse haue committed to the presse that which I haue writteâ— here not preuenting any man hereby that meant to vndertake the managing of the matter for I haue left a sufficient large field for any other thâ— is better able to exercise himself hauinâ— only dilated at large that but rudelâ— in this discourse but those few principall reasons that I deliuered before iâ— one of my sermons vpon the Colossians froÌ„ vvhich by reason of the length I haue seuered this discourse into a seueral booke as that which exceedeth the length of a sermon but rather giuing an example by mine example to others of greater giftes to wade in this argument as that whicâ— requireth by reason of the depth of sathaÌ„ and the weaknes of many the care of â— saithfull the paine of a diligent the gift of a learned the feelings of an experienced man vntil the performance wherof accept of this my labour of loue vsing the same as to the gloâ—y of God so tâ— thine own coÌ„fort that this whiâ—h is written for thy comfort be not vnto thy condemnation either through the contempt or abuse thereof Now the God of al glory sanctifie thy heart throughout anâ— make thee to abound in all full and sound feelings of the manifold benefits graces of God in Iesus Christ our Sauiour and Redeemer Iohn Freeman The first Chapter Wherein it is declared that there is liuely hope of comfort left vnto all them that mourne vnder the burden of their sinnes As there is no estate either in bodie or soule more dangerous or more miserable than that which is desperate so there is no speech either more lamentable or lesse true thaÌ„ that which commeth therefrom which in effect is either the same that came from Cain that crieth out that his sins are greater than can bee forgiuen or that which came from Ieremie inferred as it were vpon the former that concludeth that there is no hope left for him in the lord Wherein albeit they speake according to the sight of their sinnes that seem to be monstrous and therefore vnpardonable or according to the feeling of the wrath of God which seemeth vnremoueable therfore intollerable yet not according to the verie truth it selfe For it is not to bee denied but that the blood of Christ which is that price wherwith they were redeemed froÌ„ their sins far excelleth the value of all sinne whatsoeuer in the sight of God that the holy ghost which is that sanctifying spirit that washeth vs from all our sins being God therfore of infinit power is able to clense vs and wipe away as all teares from our eies so all sins from our soule to make those offences that are as the skarlet that is the most bloody as the skarlet is mostred to be like vnto the snow and them that are as the purple to be like vnto the wooll For the Lord is rich in mercie to all them that call vpon him faithfully and abundant in kindnes And therfore as the Prophet Dauid coÌ„cludeth there is mercy with him that he may be feared and with the Lord there is plenteous redemption It followeth therefore that howsoeuer it appeareth not vnto that soule yet there is hope of coÌ„fort left vnto him so to all theÌ„ that come vnto the father by Iesus Christ our Lord. For euen God the Father is called by the spirit the God of all comfort and the Father of all mercy consolation and Iesus Christ is that fountaine of gardens as the spouse calleth him in whom all fulnes yea euen of the comforts of God dwelleth without measure and the spirit of God is called by Christ himself the comforter So that we being by the spirit which is the comforter lead through Christ the fountaine of the gardens of the comforts of the Lord vnto God the father the father of all comfort and consolation how is it possible that wee should want either comfort or spirituall consolation Aske them that haue been heretofore as thy selfe afflicted therfore for the present as thy selfe perswaded aske them I say whether though they spake according to their present feeling yet whether they spake according to the words of truth yea or no. They can tell thee and that both out of the word and by experience that although sorrow lodge with thee for a night yet ioy shall come in the morning that they are al blessed that now weep for they reioice that they are blessed that mourne for they shall be comforted that a broken contrite hart is a sacrifice sweet smelling vnto God the Father and acceptable in Iesus Christ our Lord and that both this thy sorrow which is for thy sins if it be so great as that it breed repentance and so little as that it breed not despaire is that godly sorow which is a notable
those lets which yet could not let the performance of his promises they will be little or none at all Why should that God that neuer was found to haue broken his promise be by thee accounted a truce-breaker And how canst thou thinke that that God that will reuenge with flaming fire and eternall reprobation from the face of his glorie brightnes of his presence all deceitfulnesse in man suffer the same to remaine and dwell in his owne person Adde herevnto that these promises of mercy are deliuered vnto thee in the word of God the truth whereof is such as that as Christ testifieth heauen and earth shall passe but not one iot nor title of his word And for this cause hath the spirit giuen vnto the word most glorious titles calling it sometime the immortall seed of God because it neuer dieth sometimes incorruptible because it neuer fadeth sometimes the guiles milke because it neuer deceiueth somtime the word of truth because it neuer lyeth Sometime he compareth it to siluer that hath been tried seuen times in the furnace that is without all drosse sometime to gold and precious stones built vpon the foundation Iesus Christ which when the fire commeth that shall trie euerie mans worke shall abide and shall not perish Sometimes he compareth it with the continuance and firmenesse of the heauens and the earth and preferreth it before all things whatsoeuer in the eternitie truth and constancy therof And therfore doth not the Prophet Dauid speake in vaine or vntruely of the word of God when he frameth as it were a whole Booke I meane the hundreth and nineteene Psalme for the most part in the extolling and magnifiing of the word of God wheâ—e he is not afraid to say and that according to the feeling of the spirit the same spirit bearing him record that the word of God is true yea that it is the truth it selfe For this cause is Esay bold to preach that which the Lord commandeth him to publish concerning the truth of this his way saying all flesh is grasse and all the beautie therof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth the flower fadeth away but the word of God indureth for euer And no maruaile for it commeth not from the chaungeable braine of mortall and corruptible man but froÌ„ the spirit of truth life which is not the author of lyes but the Father of light and of eternitie So that now these promises being contained and made part of the word of God are also immortall incorruptible guiles true yea the truth it selfe firmer than the heauens and the earth more pure than fined gold and vnchaungeable as the holy Ghost iâ— who is the author therof Either therfore thou must embrace and beleeue them or else thou must account that to be immortal that perisheth that which is guiles to bee deceitfull that which is more sure than the heauens the earth to be moueable that which is truth it selfe to be a lie Thou must denie the word of God to be the word of God and in flat and expresse termes tell the Lord and the holy Ghost that he lieth For God himselfe expressely and his spirit auoucheth vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinne in his owne words If theâ—efore thou gaine-saiest either secretly in thy heart or openly in thy mouth thou giuest god the lie for thou deniest his words to be true And therfore is it that Iohn in his first Epistle telleth vs that hee that receiueth not the witnes and testimonie of the Lord hath made God a lier And now do but think what villanie thou offerest vnto God what bâ—asphemy it is to his person to account god to be a lier do but think with thy selfe whether it be more likely that either thou or God should lie Consideâ— with thy selfe that thou maiest erre lie and be deceiued for that is proper vnto man But giue vnto God his glorie beleeue in him as thou protestest that thou doest euen in the entrance of the Creed or els thou shalt be worse thaÌ„ the deuils for the deuils belieue treÌ„ble as the Apostle Iames beareth witnesse Let therfore God be true and euery man a her and therefore assure thy selfe that this is a lie in thee to say in thy heart that the Lord will noâ— foâ—giue thee thy sinnes and thine offeâ—ces For the Lord who lyeth not witâ— whom there is no change nor shadoâ— change hath promised and said that bâ— will forgiue thy sinnes and thy tranâ—gressions And this Lord as the Prophet Dauid telleth thee will not alâ—o that which he hath spoken with his lips neither will he lye against his truth I would willingly know of thee whether thou beleeuest that which thoâ— sayest that thou doest beleeue if thoâ— doest not beleeue it and yet sayest thâ—â— thou doest beleeue it thou proouest thâ— selfe to be a lyer and then what question is it but that thou mayest lye wheâ— thou sayest in thy heart that thy sins arâ— greater than that they can be forgiuen but if thou acknowledg thy selfe to belieue that indeed which thou saiest thou doest beleeue how cast thou say thy Creed wherin thou makest a confession of thy faith professest that thou beleeuest the holy Catholike Church and the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes except withall thou fulâ—y beleeue and bee perswaded that thy sinnes are forgiuen either therfore thou must deny thy faith and shew thy selfe to be a Christian or thou must on the one side acknowledg thy selfe and God himselfe to be a lyer or else on the other side thou must asâ—ure and fully perswade thy selfe that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee by Iesus Christ our Lord. I doubt not but that thou easily beleeuest the threatnings of God and that that is true which Christ sayeth that except thou repent thou shalt bee damned And that also which Paule testifieth who saith that no adulterer no idolater no theefe no murderer nor such like shall enter into the kingdome of God or Iesus Christ If thou beleeuest the threatnings why beleeuest thou not the promises are they not writteÌ„ all in one word by one spirit by one God did not the same God that said except thou repent thou shalt be damned and againe that no adulterer idolater theefe nor murderer shall enter into the Kingdome of God or Christ say also that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne from the bottome of his hart that the Lord will blot our all his offences out of his remembrance or what is the Lord true when he treatneth arâ— a lyer when hee promiseth doest thoâ— count him iust in the one and false 〈◊〉 the other will he thinkest thou execuâ—â— his iudgements will he not performâ— his promises are not his promises paâ—â— of his word as well as his threatningâ— And then why doest thou beleeue oâ—â— part of the word more than the other 〈◊〉 are they not all alike the word of God is not the one the word of
god as mucâ— as the other If one part be true then aâ— is true if one bee false theâ— all is false If thou beleeue one part beleeue alsâ— the other if thou beleeue not the oneâ— beleeue not the other but both in hiâ— time place if thou beleue not his promises despaire not for his threatnings The second Section I adde further that the Lord considering our weaknesse and how hardly wâ— are brought to beleeue the stablenes oâ— his promise and this grace of God in Christ bestowed vppon vs contenteth not himselfe thus barely to haue promised but goeth farther bindeth himselfe with an oath to the performance as of his promises in genera l so of the forgiuenesse of sins which is one speciall thereof as plainely appeareth in the 22. Chapter of Genesis where the Loâ—d to shew vnto Abraham and vnto the heires of the promise the stablenesse of his counsell as the spirit beareth witnes swore by himselfe than whom there is none greater to sweare by that because Abraham had not spared his only sonne therefore the Lord would not spare his only sonne or rather as there it followeth that hee would giâ—e him a seed wherein all the nations of the Earth should be blessed where we see that the Lord sweareth not only to send into the world his sonne but to giue the blessing vnto all nations in and with him Now by the blessing hee meaneth not onely after this life eternall life and saluation but eueÌ„ in this life the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according as Dauid describeth this blessing saying blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is hee to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne So that it is manifest that the blessing that the lord swore to giue vnto all nations in one especiall regard concerneth the forgiuenes of our sins and that therfore the Lord hath sworne to forgiue vs our sinnes in and through Iesus Christ our Lord. But yet that we might more reuerence the truth of this his promise he sweareth the secoÌ„d time to accomplish them And that in the 54 chapter of the Prophesie of Esay where the Lord speaketh after this maner saying This thing is vnto me as the waters of Noah For as I haue sworne that the waters shall no more couer the whole earth so haue I sworne that I wil not bee angry with thee nor rebuke thee though these hiâ—les should fall downe and these Mountaines be mooued yet my kindnesse shall not depart from thee nor my league be remoued In which wordes as the Lord bindeth himself by outward sacâ—ameÌ„ts so by an absolute oth to the continuance of his loue to his-ward and also to the accomplishing and fulfilling of the league of his peace which is that league or couenant before mentioned made with Abraham or rather that which is expressed in the 31. of Ierem e one speciall clause or article whereof as in the same place appeareth that the Lord will forgiue our â—niquities and thinke neuer any more of our offences so that hereby it appeareth euidently that the Lord hath sworne by himselfe that God hath sworne by God and that not once but twice euen againe and againe to performe his promise made vnto vs concerning the free forgiuenes of all our sins and our offences This therefore is that oath of the Lord which when thou art brought to doubt of the forgiuenes of thy sinnes thou shouldest set before thine eies still hauing rerourse therevnto to strengthen thy faith in the promises of God And that after the example of the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God as Zaâ—harie in the first of Luke who remembreth to assure himselfe of the mercie of God shewed to his fathers his deliuerance from the hands of all his spirituall enemies as sin hell and the deuill and the remission of sins afterward mentioned the oath which he swaâ—e to our forefather AbrahaÌ„ which was that he would grant vnto vs that we being deliuered oâ—t of the hands of our enemies should serue him without fear in righteousnes and true holynes all the daies of our liâ—e And also as the Apostle to the Hebrews and 6. chapter who to perswade them to bee followers of theÌ„ that through faith patience inherited the promises alleadged that oath with the which the Lord bound himself to Abraham and the heires of the promises to performe fulfill his promises that thus thou hauing the same oath that they had to confirme thy faith shouldest as they haue strong consolation hauing thy refuge to lay hold vpoÌ„ that hope of mercie that is set before thee and so tarying patiently enioy the promises of mercie which therefore with a ful persuasion of faith thou maisâ— looke for because the Lord hath tyed himselfe with an oath to accomplish the same For an oath as the fore-mentioned Apostle testifieth is with the Lord an immutable thing that is such a thing as cannot bee changed The heauens as the Prophet Dauid saith shall waxe old and as a garment will the Lord chaunge them The Sunne shall loose her light and the Moone shall bee turned into blood before the great and fearefull day of the Lord. The Hils shall remooue the foundations of the earth shall shake The earth it selfe shall perish with the works that are therein but the promises of the lord established by his oath are immortall and cannot be changed Vntill therefore thou see the earth consumed and the elements melt with feruent heat nay though when thou seest these things dissolued yet know that the oath of the Lord is exceeding constant that there is no end nor change thereof For it is immutable Nay as the same Apostle farther in the same place addeth it is such a thing as it is impossible that the Lord should lye therein So that that Lord to whom al things els are possible who can by his word at one instant create all things make things that are seene of those things that doe not appeare giue life vnto the dead and againe with a word consume all thinges whatsoeuer That God I say to whom all things els are possible euen to him this one thing is impossible which is to lye against his oath And therefore if it shall come into thy minde that it may be that the Lord will not do as he promiseth know for a certaintie that it may not no nor cannot be that the Lord should breake his promise or his oath It is in possible for him hee cannot doe it It is such a thing as is immutable wherin it is impossible that the Lord should lie The oath therfore of the Lord should bring an end to thy fear and to thy doubting Especially considering that an oth for confirmation is among men an end of al controuersie For euen in the sâ—spition of the wiues honestie an oath must cleare the woman and satisfie the husbands iealousie In the matter of contract or hire if the partie that borrowed his
neighbors beast sware that it perished not through his default the lender ought and that by the law of God to giue credit vnto him and to rest satisfied How much more then not man but the Lord hauing sworne to forgi e thy sinnes oughtest thou to rest satisfied So that now euen in reason in coâ—science in equitie and in law the forgiuenes of thy sinnes ought to be a matter out of all doubt and contâ—ouersie If thou receiuest the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater And yet euen with men if they haue not cast of al I say not feare of God but humanitie there is such a religion of an oath as that rather than they will forswear themselues they will sustaine any inconuenience Examples whereof we may haue plentie not onely from dayly experience but euen out of the testimonie of the word of truth Hâ—rod swore to giue to that dancing daâ—sell euen whatsoeuer shee asked yea though it were the one halfe of hiâ— kingdome she demaâ—nded the head of Iohn Baptist. The scripture testifieth that albeit Heâ—od feared the people and so a ciuill insurrection that might haue cost him his life kingdome also yet for his oaths sake hee sent his executioners I will not now dispute how lawfully to cut off his head Iephtha a Iudge of Israell if he returned with victory vowed to sacrifice vnto the Lord the first liuing thing that he met withall after his returne The Lord so disposed of the matter that his owne daughter was the fiâ—st that offered her selfe vnto him Neither the regard of nature nor of the life of his own daughter nor of his sinne against God although perchance hee knew not that hee sinned therein no nor any thing else could make him to break his though but vn-aduised vow But what shall I speake of these men with whom a shew of religion might seem thus to haue preuailed when it is manifest that there haue been amongst the heathen many such especially one Marcus Attilius regulus that would for their oaths sake returne againe from their owne friends countrey where they might haue rested iâ— peace and safetie into their enemies hands notwithstanding that they knew that there were most exquisit and picked torments theâ—e provided for them how many haue we known with vs who being constrained by their oath haue layd open their owne shame and secreâ—ie to their greatest and vttermost peâ—ill If such be the reuerence of an oath taken but by God what thinke we will be the reward thereof when it is taken of God If man whose heart is aboue al things most deceitâ—ull will not be mâ—oued to breake his oath doe we thinke that the Lord who is the righteous iudge of the whole earth can be moued to forsweare himselfe The Lord will not suffer that man that sweareth to his neighbour and disappointeth him to dwell within his tabernacle nor to rest vpon his holy hill and then is it likely that he will suffer the sinne it selfe for the which hee reprooueth the man to haue place in his owne person God forbid that we should so conceue of the Lord acco nting him to be lesse constant than inconstant man If it were possible that such an imagination shuld creep into our heads as that we should thinke that the Lord would lye yet far be it from vs that we should think that the Lord would forsweare himselfe EueÌ„ this one word therefore which is that the Lord hath sworne to forgiue vs our sins should strike into our hearts such a full assurance therof as that we should rest in peace be fully satisfied and resolued therin no longer wauering as the vnconstant doubtfull minded man but rather reioice be comforted glorie in the Lord euen as my selfe haue known many of the elect of god to haue done who although before they were horribly afraid and disquieted in their own souls yet so soon as they heard this once that God hath sworne to forgiue their sins haue been exceedingly comforted and refreshed therwith haue presently shaken cast off all feare together with their doubting so that they neither feared nor doubted any longer The third Section But yet further if we measuring the Lord by our owne foot shall not giue credit either to his word or to his oth but shall for better assurance require writings and as we say euidences thereof behod herein the loue of God also who hath by his Indenture of couenaÌ„ts bound himselfe to forgiue our sinnes all our offences The couenants for the more assurance you may see drawen as it were by the Lords owne hand in the 31 chapter of the prophesie of Ieremy set downe very authentically as in the very and right forme of an Indenture of couenants in this manner following This is the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my laâ—â—es in the r inward parts wrâ—te it in their haâ—ts I wil be their God they shal be my people And they shall teach no more eâ—eâ—y 〈◊〉 neighbour saying Know the Loâ—dâ— for they shal all kâ—ow me froÌ„ the least of theÌ„ vnto the greatest of the sa th the â—orâ— foâ— I wil forgiue their iniquities wil remember their sins no moâ—e This is the Indenture of the couenant of the Lord dâ—awn eueÌ„ by the singer of the Lord the holie Ghost Wherein in the very entrance thereof thou maiest see First the very stile of an Indenture contained in these words Thâ—s is the couenant so forth Secondly the parties themselues mentioned betweene whom this coueuant is made the Lord of the one side the house of Israel that is the elect houshold of God which is the Church Catholike on the other side contained in these wordâ— That I will make with the house of Israel Thirdly the time the date as it were the term of those couenants when they should enter begin and that was especially at the time of the death of Christ coÌ„prised in these words after those daies Fourthly the articles and coâ—enants themselues are set down and specified and they are three principally The first is that he will instruct them inwardly in their soules by his spirit which should write his lawes in their harts The second is that he would be their God they should be his people The third is that he would forgiue their iniquity and remember their offences no more So that here wee see the expresse Indenture of the Lord by the which he hath couenanted graunted to forgiue vs our sins and our transgressions And because that in Indentures it is not ynough to haue but one which is as the first draught but a paire that they may be giuen interchangeably therefore the Lord hath by the hand of the Apostle to the Hebrues in the eight chapter drawâ— the counterpane of the former word for word as it is in the former after this
Exodus where the Lord being to establish his fiâ—st which is that old couenant with the Iewes in the hand of Moses the Mediator of the old Couenant caused diuers beasts to be sacrificed and their bloods to be taken in two vessels acco ding to the two persons that is God and the Iewes with whom the Couenant was to be made and the blood to be sprinkled vpon the pillars erected for that purpose the one representing the Lord the other the people which being accordingly performed by Moses he added saying This is the blood of that couenant which the Lord hath made with you That is to say this blood is that blood by the which the Lord sealeth vnto you the couenant that before hee coâ—enanted with you Thus as the Lord sealed his old couenants with the blood of bullocks goats and rammes which were but tipes of Christ the body of all the shadowes So he sealed according to his vsuall maner this his Indenture of the new couenant in like maner with blood and that with the blood of his only begotten sonne And the reason why the Lord after this manner sealed his couenants was this for that vnto those people a will or a testament and a couenant were all of one nature And therefore the Apostle to the Hebrues the spirit of God in diuers places beside comprehendeth them both vnder one name or word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth either a will or testament also a couenant Now we know that a testament or wiâ—l and so a couenant is neuer ratified vntill the death of the testator that is the man that made the will but he being once dead the will cannot be altered but must stand vnchangeably For a man that is dead cannot alter his will or couenant The Lord therefore being immortall and therefore could not die that he might by the same vnchangeable manner ratifie and confirme his promises caused certaine beasts which represented his bodie as tipes and figures of himselfe to be slaine for him and in his stead vntill that Christ himselfe who was aboue all things God blessed for euermore should in his owne person by his owne death and the shedding of his most precious bloud estab ish and confirme this his owne good will and testament that is this new couenant afore mentioned And thereby seale sinnes and purge iniquitie so bring in euerlasting peace as the Angell speaketh to Daniel in his ninth Chapter Christ therefore by his death and bloodshedding hath established this new couenant of the forgiuenes of our sinnes in such sort as that it cannot be changed For the man being dead as the Apostle sheweth to the Hebrewes the wil is not to be altered God therfore that he might assure vs that he would not alter this his good will couenant of grace laid downe his owne life and so by his death which was by the shedding of his blood hee hath so sealed this his couenant as that it cannot be broken nor disanulled And as hereby hee hath inuincibly confirmed his couenants so hath he herein vsed no other seale to seale them withall thaÌ„ that which hath been alwayes vsuall in the like cases For as all his former couenants especially the old couenant were confirmed by blood so likewise is this his Indenture sealed and so ratified by the blood of Iesus Christ which is therfore as before I said verie fitly called the blood of the new couenant for that thereby this couenant is ratified sealed vnchangeably confirmed Thus then thou hast the Lords Indenture written with his owne hand and sealed with his owne blood which is that broad seale and that seale of Armes that is vsually affixed vnto such couenants escripts And herein least thou shouldest thinke that this seale were a counterfeit or added by stealth thou art to know that the institution of this seale or Sacrament came not from man but froÌ„ God himselfe who the same night that hee was betraied ordained the same coÌ„maunded it to be ioyned and added vnto the word of grace and the preaching of the forgiuenesse of sinnes as infinit proofes might be alleaged if it were a mater of any doubt The truth therfore and the lawfulnes of the seale is a matter out of all doubt and controuersie What is there els then that thou requirest for the confirmation of this his or rather thine euidence Desirest thou witnesse Behold the testimonie of all the Prophets and Apostles who were the pen-men and writers hereof who therfore ought to stand for double witnesses Behold the witnes of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the witnes of all the faithfull of God who with one mouth as afterward in part shall appeare do confesse the same But what shalt thou need to bee carefull hereof when thou mayest bee assured that the lord if thou shew him his own writings and scriptures will neuer deny his owne hand Hauing therefore this Indenture writing of the Lords own hand follow herein the example of that godly king Ezekiah who wheÌ„ he had receiued letters from Zenacherib that were blasphemous against God entred into the temple of God vnfolded them and layd them open before God to mooue the Lord the rather thereby to bowe downe his eares and to heare his requests that hee powred out before him So thou hauing receiued not from maÌ„ but from God himselfe writing euideÌ„ces not of wrath but of his free meâ—cie and the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes enter into thy chaÌ„ber take these euidences couenants of the Lord with thee vnfold them spread them lay them open and read them before the face of God And withall after the example of Ezechiah poure forth thy prayers supplications before the Lord and say vnto him as followeth OH most merciful God the father o all comfort and consolation thou that art that strong God that forgiuest offences and passest by iniquitie in the remnant of thy possession thou that preparest the heart of the poore then openest thine eare to hearken therevnto Incline O Lord thine eare heare open O Lord thine eies and see behold O Lord the word of thine owne lips the writings of thine owne hand Of a truth Lord I haue sinned and done exceediÌ„g wickedly in thy sight I acknowledge it confesse it before the throne of thy grace But thou O Lord according to the riches of thy mercy and louing kindnes hast promised to forgiue mine offences Yea the more to shew the stablenes of thy counsell thou hast tied thy selfe by an oath thereunto And that which is more thou hast couenanted and indented with me by thiâ— thy couenant to passe by mine iniquities to remember my sinnes no more And now Lord regard I beseech thee thy gracious and free mercie the oath of thy holinesse and behold the words of thine owne mouth the works and the couenants of thine owne hands sealed with thine own most precious blood confirmed by thy death
vpon the crosse wherin thou hast promised to forgiue all my sinnes and my transgressions Be it vnto me thy seruant I beseech thee according to thy free promise and according to thy gracious couenant Oh let me feele I pray thee the accomplishing hereof in my owne soule And as thou hast written this couenant in thy word with thine owne finger and sealed the same with thy bloud So gracious Father vouchsafe to write it in my hart by thy spirite and to seale it vnto my conscience by the powerful applying of the same thy blood thereunto that it may wash me from all my sins and my transgressions and so create in me that peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding Gracious God thy free offer maketh mee freely to offer these my requests vnto thy name and with a full confidence of hope to haue accesse vnto the throne of thy grace knowing that thou O Lord that hast promised art able wilt according to this thy scripture the writing of thine own hands performe it This course if thou shalt take it is not to be doubted but that as thy hart shall find faith so thy soule shal receiue comfort in and from the liuing Lord feeling according to his couenant of the Lord thy selfe to be washed clensed and iustified in the name of Iesu Christ and by the spirit of our God The Fourth Section But yet further if with Gedeon we shal desire a token or with Ezekiah a signe to confirme our faith Behold the Lord fitteth not in a Rainebow in the clouds as hee did to Noah he maketh not the sunne to go tenne degrees backward as he did for Ezekiah he maketh not the fleece to bee wet in the drie floure nor drie in the wet deaw as he did for Gedeon but he giueth thee being but one man euen two signes nay more than signes euen two Sacraments the one of Baptisme the other of the Lords supper both of them being visible signes to confirm vnto thee the inuisible grace of the free mercy of god in Iesus Christ And therefore did the Lord himselfe in the seuenteenth of Genesis when he first instituted the Sacrament of Circumcision call it a signe saying vnto Abraham that it should be a signe of the couenant that was between himselfe and them that is that it should be that signe that the Lord would giue vnto him to assure and to approue vnto him the fulfilling and accomplishing of his couenant Whereupon the Apostle Paule in the fourth to the Romanes speaking of the same Sacrament calleth it in like manner a signe saying that Abraham receiued the signe of Circumcision that it might seale the righteousnesse of faith which was in his vncircumcision That is that he receiued circumcision which was an outward and an euident sign to confirme vnto him his free iustification by faith Thus as one of the Iewish Sacraments is called a signe so likewise was the other which was the Paschall lambe or Passeouer as plainely appeareth in the twelfth of Exodus where it is said of the bloud of the Paschall lambe which represented the bloud of Iesus Christ the vnspotted vndefiled lamb that it should be vnto them for a signe vpon their houses that the Lord when he destroyed the Aegyptians their and his enemies would passe ouer them so that they should liue in peace and rest when their enemies were consumed So that hereby it plainely appeareth that both the Iewish Sacraments were not onely seales of the couenants but also giuen for signs and tokens vnto them which shuld be continually before their eyes to confirme vnto them the graces of God in Iesus Christ Whereupon it foâ—loweth that as their SacrameÌ„ts were vnto them so are our Sacraments that is the Supper of the Lord Baptisme giuen for signes vnto vs to confirme as all other the graces of God so our free forgiuenes and pardon for all our offences For the same is Baptisme vnto vs that Circumcision was vnto them as plainely appeareth in the second to the Colonians the eleuenth twelfth verses And the same is the Supper of the Lord vnto vs that was the Paschall lambe vnto them as infinite places and the generall consent of all men approoueth The visible signe only according to the time being altered into another which is far more significant and more liuely to signifie and so to confirme vnto vs this inward grace of God of which now we speake And therefore is a Sacrament verie fitly according to this their vse defined by Augustine to be a visible signe of an inuisible grace As therefore the signe of the Rain-bow iâ— the clouds coÌ„firmeth vnto vs that promise of God which he made with Noah that is that hee would destroy no more the whole earth with waters as the returne of the Sunne tenne degrees backward was a signe vnto Ezekias that 〈◊〉 should be recouered out of that disease As the fleece of Gedeon being wet in thâ— drie and drie in the wet was vnto him a signe that hee should ouercome hiâ— enemies so is the water in Baptisme wherwith we were washed a signe and token vnto vs that we should be washed from all our sinnes and our offences So likewise is the breaking of the bread the powring out of the wine in the supper of the Lord another as euident a signe that by the death of Iesus Christ by the shedding of his blood we are purged from all our sins According to the saying of Iohn in his first epistle who saith that the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all our offences And againe in the ReuelatioÌ„ Christ saith he hath washed vs by his blood from all our offences And again in the the 5. to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul speaking of Baptisme saith that Christ sanctified the Church and purged it by the lauacre of water in the word So that now when thou seest other or remembrest that thy selfe was washed with water in Baptisme And again when thou seest the body of Christ to be broken in the Supper of the lord and his blood to be powred out and giuen vnto thee thou art to coÌ„sider with thy selfe that these are two signes tokens which are shewed giuen to thee of the Lord fully to assure and persuade thy conscience that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and that thou art washed that thou art saâ—ctified and that thou art iustified by the blood of Iesus Christ and by the spirit of our God So that now doest thou seeke with the Scribes and Pharisies a signe Behold the Lord hath giueÌ„ vnto thee not one but two tokens in stead of other miracles and wonders euen two visible signes of this inuisible grace euen Sacraments to confirme thy faith and yet doubtest thou The incredulous Iewes said vnto Christ shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee See the Lord sheweth thee two yet wilt thou not beleeue him One raine-bow was ynough for Noah one fleece for Gedeon the sâ—nne once to
go back for Ezek ah and will it not suffice thee to haue not once bâ—t often one signe giuen nay to haue not one but two signs to coÌ„firm nay to performe vnto thee the thinges that are promised For the other were but signs coÌ„firming but these are more euen signs confirming and conferring signa confirmantia conferentia For that which is signified is giuen conferred so ioyned together with the sign it selfe And therfore the Lord to teach this soundly vnto vs calleth the outward signe by the verie name of the thing it selfe that is signified caâ—ling circumcision the couenant the Paschall lambe the Passeouer the water in Baptisme the fountaine of regeneration the bread in the Supper of the Lord the bodie of Christ and the wine the verie blood of Christ to teach vs that these signs are not as the raine-bow is or the going backward of the sun or the fleece of Gedeon which were bare signes that serued onely to confirme vs but that they are more euen such as alwaies haue the things themselus that are promised and signified annexed knit and ioined vnto theÌ„ in regard of the Lord. And therefore as verily yea and euen then when the water washeth thy body in Baptisme euen as veriâ—y yea and euen then when the bread is broken the wine poured out in the supper of the Lord and giuen vnto thee euen so verily yea and euen then if thou be rightly prepared doth the spirit of God wash thee by the blood of Iesus Christ from all thy sinnes and thine offences For these signes are not only significant but effectuaâ—l also they doe not only confirme but giue that which they should confirme thee in I meane not that the Sacrament ex opere operato that is by the verie bare worke therof giueth this grace but that the Lord giueth with by these signs his forepromised graces euen the forgiuenes of thy sinnes And so as hee giueth the signe to confirme thy faith so the thing signified to comfort thy conscience although perchance thou presently feel not the power therof So that sith the Lord is so gracious as by two continual visible signs which he will haue often shewed vnto thee euen as it were wonders more precious and of greater power and force than any signs or tokens in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath sith the Lord I say is so gracious as by two such signes to confirme vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes nay to giue thee forgiuenes of thy sinnes with what reason canst thou doubt thereof For hee giueth it vnto thee verily and indeede if thou wilt receiue it together with the signe it selfe and then why doubtest thou whether thou shalt haue it when alreadie thou hast it What could the Lord doe more or thou require more than this Thou desirest forgiuenesse of thy sinnes and assurance thereof the Lord promiseth nay sweareth nay indenteth to giue it He sheweth and giueth thee two signes to assure thee thereof and that which is more with the signes hee offereth the thing it selfe And this is the first reason taken from the promises of God confirmed by so many vndoubted meanes The 3. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sinnes is prooued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substance and nature The first Section THe second reason to prooue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes is taken from the coÌ„sideration of the essence and the substance euen the natures of the Lord which are part of the essence the substance and the being of God yea God himselfe For whatsoeuer is in God is God and in him there is no accident nor qualitie but whatsoeuer is in him is of his essence and his substance And therefore his nature as his mercie patience iustice and such like are of his essence and are euen very God His mercie therefore is verie God and God is mercie it selfe Hee therefore that denieth mercie vnto God which is to forgiue our sinnes denyeth God to bee God denieth one speciall nature which the spirit of God ascribeth vnto God that verie often in the Scriptures and the written word of God As namely in the second of Ioel wheâ—e the Prophet speaketh thus of the Lord saying The Lord your God is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes such a one as repenteth him of the euill And again in the 34. of Exodus the lord himselfe proclaimeth his name before Moses all the children of Israel saying crying The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnes truth reseruing mercy for thousaÌ„ds forgiuing iniquity sin transgressioÌ„ so forth as there followeth more at large again in the 103. Psalm the Prophet Dauid saith that the Lord is ful of compassion and merâ—ie slow to anger of great kindnes Many and manifest are those proofs that proue the Lord to be by name nature merciful Now we know that the nature work of mercie is to respect to pitie and to help our misery For euen as the eie hath colors the tongue tasts the eare sounds the nose the sauors for his obiect to be busied in to respect and worke vpon so the mercy of God hath mans miserie sinne the principall cause thereof as his obiect to worke vpon to cure and to remedie insomuch as if there were no miserie there could be no vse of Gods mercie And therefore the Lord shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the RomaÌ„s that he might haue mercie vpon all and so by that meanes made away for his mercy which else could not so euidently haue manifested it selfe vnto our vnderstanding Herein therefore appeared the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God so much admired of Paul in the same place in that he would rather haue man fall than his mercie faile he would rather haue man cease to be righteous than himselfe cease to be mercifull he would rather haue man cease to shew obedience than himselfe cease to shew mercie hee would that man should sin that he might appeare to be a gracious God in the forgiuing of his sin True it is that there appeared a notable euidence of the mercy of God in framing this beautifull world out of that deformed Chaos and rude eaâ—th in the begiâ—ning in making the Sun to rule the day and the Moone to gouern the night as the Prophet at large describeth in the 136 Psalme But the Lord not contented therewith as a sufficient manifestation of his mercie thought it not ynough to create except he did recreate man to giue life except he redeemed life to giue life to them that were not except he gaue life to them that were dead to make man righteous of nothing except he made him righteous of a sinner to giue him righteousnes except he did also forgiue him his vnrighteousnesse his disobedience and
sinne committed against his glorious maiestie So that it being the propertie of mercie to respect miserie and God being rich in mercie euen the God of al mercie the father of all comfort and consolation whose mercie reacheth vnto the heauens and his faithfulnes vnto the clouds we may no lesse truly then boldly inferre that as it is naturall for the fire to giue heat or the sun to giue light so is it naturall for God to forgiue thy sinnes and thy offences And as the fire giueth thee heat and is not moued as the sun giueth thee light and is not vexed and troubled therewith fith it is his nature so to do so the Lord forgiueth thee thy sinnes and is not as Sathan would perswade thy conscience either troubled or vexed or greeued or vnwilling therewith and why because it is his nature so to do And therefore as man doth those things cheerfully and willingly which he doth naturally so God doth forgiue our sinnes and that with out any trouble or molestation to himselfe because his heart driueth him thervnto as the Prophet speaketh Thou comest to the fire for heat and it is not painefull for the same to giue it thou coâ—est to the sun for light and it is no offeÌ„ce for it to afford it thou comest to God for mercy for thy sin and it is not troublous for the Lord to yeeld it No he taketh a singuler delight in forgiuing thy sins as Micah in his last chapter plainâ—y sheweth Where he saith VVho is so strong a God as thou art forgiuing sin passing by â—niquity in the remnaÌ„t of thy possession which keepeth not his anger for euer because he is delighted with mercy And the Prophet Dauid in his 147 psal telleth vs painly that the Lord delighteth in theÌ„ that feare him and come to him for mercy So that the spirit speaketh euidently that the Lord delighteth both in them that sue to him for mercy and also in shewing of mercy and therfore in forgiuing our offences And no maruaile for first his mercie being one part of himselfe he must needs delight in the vse therof For aâ— man desireth delighteth in the vse of the parts of his body of his tongue to speak his eies to see his ears to heare his handâ— to feele his feet to walke withall insomuch that the contrarie therevnto is painefull as for to haue his tongue tied his eies closed his eares stopped his handâ— manacled his feet chained or fettered so is it a delight for the Lord to vse the parts of himself as of his iustice to the iudgement of the obstinat so of his mercie to the forgiuenes of the sin of the humble and the mourners and the contrarie therevnto which is to be debarred of the exercise and vse of his meâ—cie is rather troublesome and painefull vnto the Lord than is the fâ—rgiuenes of our sinnes For the forgiuenes of sinnes is the vse and exercise of Gods mercie which is one part of God himselfe yea God himselfe For as this is true God is loue so this also iâ— true God is â—ercie and therefore God must needs delight in his being euen in his being mercie in being merciful to his elect though miserable both men and sinners And in this first regard it is manifest that God taketh a singular delight in the forgiuenes of our sins Secondly lastly the forgiuenes of our sins turneth to the praise of the glorie of his grace For the Saints that tast and trie the mercy of the Lord sing praise in the memoriall remembrance thereof as Dauid willeth them yea and hauing felt the mercie of God in the forgiuenes of their offences with Dauid they acknowledge to the praise of the glorie of God that the Lord is very kind and mercifull also and that in God compassion doth plentifully flow And with the elect of God they fall downe before the throne of his grace giue honor and glory and power and praise vnto God that hath redeemed them from this wicked world their offences and made them kings and priests vnto the Lord a holy nation and a royall priesthood And as Schollers accept pardon from their Tutors seruants from their maisters sons from their parents subiects froÌ„ their priâ—ces with all humble thanks so the elect accept with all thanks vnto the Lord the cup of their saluation the pardon for their sins bowing the knees of their soules vnto the God of all mercie and the father of all comfort falling down vpon their faces giuing thanks to him that liueth for euer and euer that washeth them by his bloud from all their sinnes and transgressions And therefore sith it turneth vnto the aduaÌ„cing of the glory of God vnto the magnifying of his mercie and is also of the essence and nature of God to forgiue our sinnes we may be assured that as the Lord hath a singular delight therein so a speciall readines therevnto For euen men we see by experience willingly do those things wherein they are delighted We may therfore hereto conclude that as the fire cannot chuse but burn sith it is his nature so God cannot chuse but forgiue vs our offences sith it is naturall vnto him He is mercifull for he is mercie it selfe and that especially vnto miserable sinners for where there is no miserie there can be no mercie The second Section The mercie of the Lord stretcheth it selfe euen to the beastes of the field Thou Lord saith the prophet Dauid in his 30 Psalme doth saue both man and beast And againe in his 147 Psalme the Lord saith the Psalmist is good to all his mercies are ouer all his works Doth the Lord shew mercie to the beasts of the field and will he not extend the same to man created according to his own image is he gracious vnto sencelesse creatures and will he not be gracious vnto reasonable creatures Doth his mercie stretch it selfe to the baser workes of his hands and shall it thinkest thou be shut vp from thee the most excellent workmaÌ„ship of al other whatsoeuer creatures vpon the earth Thou hast had experience of the manifold mercies of God towards thy body He gaue thee life wheÌ„ thou wert not he brought thee vp vnto mans estate wheÌ„ yet thou wert but weak thou wert sicke and he healed thee weake and he strengthened thee hungrie and he fed thee thirstie and he satisfied thee naked he cloathed thee sorrowfull and he comforted theerin misery and he releeued thee he is the God of thy body and therefore good vnto thy body so is hee the father of spirits and God of all mercie and therfore will be fauourable vnto thy spirit I meane vnto thy soule as wel as vnto thy bodie For the father of all mercie is the father of spirits as well as he is the God of thy body And therefore thou maiest look for the same fauour in healing the infirmities euen the sinnes of thy soule that thou foundest in curing
the sicknes and weaknes of thy bodie The Lord is mercifull euen towards his enemies euen to the froward and vngodly man he maketh his rain to fall vpon the good and the bad his sun to shine vpon the iust and the vniust He giueth foode euen vnto the godlesse and vnrighteâ—us man euen to him that stubbornly opposeth himself against his maiesty If the Lord be so mercifull to his enemies how merciful will he be to his friends If to the reprobates what mercy will he shew to his elect If to his slaues what to his sons If to the vessels of wrath what to the vessels of mercie If to the froward what to the meeke If to the obstinate what mercie will hee shew to the mourners especially sith all the promises of God are made either only or especially to them that are filled with sorrow for their sinnes Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Mat. 7. Blessed are they that weepe for they shall laugh and reioyce Luke 6. And againe to whome shall I looke saith the Lord Es 66. euen to him that is poor that is broken in spirit and that trembleth at my wordes and for the most part all other the promises of God are made to the sicke to the sinners to the lost and to them that are heauy loden Thou therfore that mournest that tremblest and art grieued with thy sinnes maiest after a more especiall manner assure thy selfe of Gods mercie to releeue thy miserie euen the miserie of thy soule and thy sinne Thou thy selfe shewest mercie euen vnto thy brother thy seruant offendeth thee and thou pardonest him thy sonne dishonoreth thee and thou for bearest him thy neighbor despiseth thee and thou forgiuest him yea thy dogge and thy beast resisteth thee yea displeaseth thee and yet thou passest by it is there more mercie in thee to thy neighbour than is in thy God to thee Art thou more kinde to thy seâ—uant nay to thy dog than God is vnto thee Canst and doest thou forgiue thy brother that offendeth thee aâ—d will not God forgiue thee offending his Maiestie Is there more mercie in man than in God Nay is not this mercy in man an image of the mercie of God according to the which wee were framed So that thou maiest behold the mercie of God towards thee in the vse of thy mercie towards thy brother Dooth not Christ plainly teach vs that if we forgiue men that trespasse against vs our heauenly Father will and shall forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs If therfore thou being greeued for thy sinnes desirest to be assured that they are forgiuen reioyce when thou seest any man offend thee Knowing that thereby the Lord hath offered vnto thee an outward signe and an assured argument to prooue the forgiuenes of thy sinnes vnto thy owne soule and conscience For if thou forgiuest thy brother thy God also will forgiue thee For the Lord will contend and striue with thee in the forgiuenesse of sinnes as whether thou shalt forgiue more offences to thy brother or thy God vnto thee and the Lord will ouercome and goe before thee herein For as he is infinit so his mercy is endlesse And as in a line one poiâ—t is continued to another so in the meâ—cies of God the end of one is the beginning of a new mercie from the Lord. It is therefore a very profitable way to feele the mercie of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eueÌ„ to pâ—ouoke the Lord to mercie towards our selues by shewing mercie towards our brethren For if wee shall contend with the Lord in shewing mercie namely whether we shal shew more mercy to our brethren or our God to vs we shall be sure to be ouercome and the Lord will get the victorie And herein it is both glorious and profitable and also comfortable for vs to be ouercome of the Lord for his victorie is our triumph The wicked and those that are lulled asleepe in the depth of their owne sins can confesse and acknowledge the truth of the mercie of the Lord and can say though in the flatterie of their owne soules that God is mercifull that God is mercifull Can the Scorners to whom the mercie of the Lord doth not appertaine acknowledge the mercie of God and the forgiuenesse of their sins And canst not thou to whom all the promises of meâ—cie do belong apply the same vnto thy selfe and acknowledge with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart that thy sins are forgiuen Why shouldest not thou doe that fruitfâ—lly which those men doe vnprofitably Why not thou do that truely which they do falsly Why not thou do that comfortably which they do but flatteringly Imitate the Bee that sucketh honie out of that flower out of the which the Spider draweth poyson This is the first reason that is taken from the mercie of God which is naturall vnto him The 4. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by the â—onsideratioÌ„ of Gods iustiâ—e which is aâ—other nature essentiall vnto him by three speciall wayes First by reason that the Lord both promised to forgiue our sins in regard wheâ—eof it standeth with hiâ—â—ustice to performe the same Secondly for that he hath already punished Iesus Christ for our offences and therefore cannot in iustiâ—e punish them in vs also And lastly because he hath alreadie punished our persons in Christ so cannot iustly punish vs againe THe second kinde of reason is taken froÌ„ the iustice of God which is another nature essentiall to the Lord. From which also as well as from his mercy there ariseth a necessarie reason to perswade vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that many waies The first Section First for that the Lord hath promised to forgiue our sins as before hath been sufficiently proued in regard whereof it standeth with his iustice to performe the same And that also in such a necessitie as that either he must forgiue vs our offences according to his word or els wee must account him vnfaithfull in the breach of his promises or els which were horrible to think or iudge him to be an hypocrite or a dissembler in pretending one thing and intending another or else inconstant in altering that which he hath spoken with his lips he must be thoght which were moÌ„strous to be vniust in lying against his truth For iniustice dooth not consist onely in workes but in words also and it appertaineth vnto a iust man to deale not only vprightly but truly also This iustice therefore of the Lord either must flatly be denied which were to denie God to be God or els the remission of our sins must of necessitie be both enforced and inferred And therefore Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter vrgeth this especiall reason saying If we confes out sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie And Dauid in his 103 Psalme in effect vseth the same reason
to perswade the forgiuenesse of our sins saying The mercie of the Lord endureth from age to age towards them that fear him and his iustice or as some translate it his righteousnes towards Childrens childreÌ„ And againe in his 116. Psalme the Prophet gathereth the saâ—ing health of the Lord not onely from his mercy but also from his iustice and therefore he ioyneth them both together to approoue the same saying The Lord is gracious iust our God I say is mercifull the Lord that saueth the simple when I am brought low sheweth his saluation vnto me Many other are those places that vrge the same reason to confirme vnto vs the forgiuenes of our sins and therfore in this first respect we may boldly and truely proue vnto our selues the remission of our sinnes from the iustice of God for it is a iust thing with the Lord according to his promises to forgiue vs our offences The second Section Secondly the Lord hath already punished Iesus Christ for our offences therefore cannot in iustice punish them in vs also For as Esay testifieth in his 73 chapter hee was punished for our sins he was broken for our iniquitie we all erred as a sheepe euerie one of vs turned to his own way and the Lord made the punishment of vs all to fall vppon him What could be spoken more plainly for the proofe hereof than this which the Prophet heâ—e by the spirite of God deliuereth vnto vs For we offended Christ was punished the seruaÌ„t displeased his Lord the father beat his son for it dealing herein with vs as hee did with Dauid Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie and the child that was borne in adulterie died for it Dauid caused his subiects to be numbred and the people in great multitudes were slaine therefore Or rather as Tutors vnto Princes childreÌ„ deale with their pupils if they commit a fault their seruants are beaten but herein is the difference there the seruant is beaten for the son but here the son for the seruant the naturall sonne for the vnnaturall child the onely begotten for the adopted son the gracious son for the sonne by grace the beloued for his enemies So Christ was punished and we are pardoned Christ was charged with and wee discharged from our sins For the Lord tooke him for the offendor and punished him as the offendor It standeth not therefore with Gods iustice to punish those our sins in our selues that he alreadie charged vpon his son and our Sauiour Iesus Christ But the equity of this shal the better appeare if we shall consider that our sins are called and are indeed those debts which wee ought vnto the Lord. For the payment whereof Christ entred into bonds with this condition therein â—ndorsed that if we in any part failed he of his owne substance would satisfie the whole Now such was our beggery that we were not able to satisfie the same such was the wisedome of God that he would not seek by rigor of law to recouer the debt of vs poore men the best richest of vs being but beggarly mates and therefore in no likely-hood able to make payment therof to his Maiesty albeit he troubled suâ—d vs neuer so loÌ„g The lord therfore seeing that it was but lost lâ—bor that was spent vpon vs commenced his action in great wisedome against Christ being fully as rich in glory in graces righteousnes as hiâ—self therfore euery way able to satisfie the whole who accordingly of his owne substance euen of the substance of his bodie and blood paid vnto God the Father whatsoeuer in iustice either hee could demand or we ought We ought to die he satisfied the same we ought to haue born the heauie wrath and displeasure of the father he satisfied the same we ought to haue ben cast into hell and he satisfied also the same as we beleeue in our Creed and generally whatsoeuer we ought he fully contented and payd vnto the Lord insomuch that the father himselfe acknowledged and confessed in thunder from heauen that in him hee was well pleased euen fully satisfied and contented So that eueÌ„ by the confession of the Father himselfe solemnely made from the heauens by his owne mouth in the hearing of many witnesses who haue left the same for a matter of record for our selues our heirs and all posteritie it plainely appeareth that by Christ he himselfe is fully satisfied contented paid and pleased and wee therfore and therby are fully and freely acquitted and discharged from the beginning of the world vnto the end therof froÌ„ all whatsoeuer debt of sin we ought vnto the Lord. And that euen in the iustice of the Lord who cannot demaund that as debt of vs which Christ hath so fully satisfied for vs especially hauing for euer this general quittance writteÌ„ by the Lords own finger to shew for our full discharge So that euen by law we haue a discharge from law and from all our offences and sinnes which were those debts for the paiment wherof we were bouÌ„d vnto the Lord. So that the Lord cannot enter into iudgement with vs nor by the rigour of the lawe claime any debt at our hands For with what iustice can the Lord demaund any debt at our hands when Christ our suretie who stood bound for vs hath by the Lords owne confession satisfied whatsoeuer he could demaund and hath cancelled the hand writing that was against vs So that how or by what means would the Lord recouer any debt from vs can bee sue his band against vs why he hath none for it is cancelled Or be it that he hath why yet we haue both the Lords own confession recorded and also sufficient witnesses yea a generall quittance in these words mentioned and fully set downe written by the Lords owne hand for our full discharge The Lord hath quite claimed all interest in our debts and therefore can claime no interest in them against vs The law of nations the law of nature the law of our land and the law of God cleere vs of all euen of all our debts of all our sinnes of all our transgressions and offences whatsoeuer Thus then it appeareth euen by the iustice of god that our sinnes are cleane blotted out and forgiuen And this is the second reason therfrom that argueth the same The third Section Lastly the Lord hath alâ—eady punished not onely our sinnes but for and with them our owne persons in Christ For Christ did not beare onely the punishment for our sinnes but our sins themselues also According as Esay beareth witnesse in his 53 Chapter where hee speaking of Christ saith that hee bare our infirmities and caried our griefes And againe in the same place My iust seruant saith hee shall iustifie many whose sins he hath taken vpon himselfe And again he carying the sins of many made intercession for sinners For he is that true Goat mentioned in the 16 of Leuiticus vpon whome the sinnes of all the people of God were
readie to whip vs steppeth in between the Lord and the sinner and keepeth vs as the mother doth her child from the fathers rod. Yea as our aduocat our daies man who is ready to make our defence for our offence against God by pleading our weakneâ— â—our infirmities our childhood and young yeares to reconcile vs to God and mooue his father to pardoÌ„ vs. Yea as the bishop of our souls and that faithful high priest which ceaseth not day nor night to poure out his praiers with all watchfulnes and feruencie euen as he did vpon the earth as the holy Ghost beareth witnesse for vs vnto God the Father And this he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„tinually because we continually sinning might continually be pardoned For if he ceased to make intercession for vs there would bee an intermission of remission of sinnes But when he neuer ceaseth to importune intreat the father for vs we are fully assured that al our sins are for euer washed away For the Father cannot by reason of his merite and will not by reason of his mercie denie any thing vnto his requests Father saith Christ I know thou hearest me in all things and thereby we know that he heareth him in the continual intercession that he maketh for the sonnes of men And this so much the rather may we assure our selues of for that the sonne is more deare vnto the father than the seruant the mediatour of the new Testament which is Christ than the mediator of the old which was Moses And Moses as we know stood in the gap and stopped the wrath of the Lord fell before the Lord on his face and fasted fortie daies and fortie nights for the sinnes of the people of Israel obtained pardon for the same much more then Iesus Christ who for euer and not fortie daies onely ceaseth not to make request shal obtain pardon at the hands of the Father himselfe being the Son for all the true Israelites euen Israell which is of God as Paul speaketh What shall I speak of Ezekiah who when the people sinned in eating the Passeouer being not before sanctified and hallowed praied vnto the Lord and the Lord healed the people What shall I speake of Iosuah of Elias of Dauid and other the men of God at whose intercession the Lord wrought wonders in heaueÌ„ aboue and in the eaâ—th beneath Do not euery one of these prooue vnto vs that the sonne of God making intercession for vs vnto the forgiuenes of our sins shall assuredly obtaine the same at the hands of his father And this is yet further assured vnto vs by considering on the one side the fathers gentlenesse and kindnesse who is not a chuâ—lish cuâ—rish God rough and full of displeasure but one in whome there is no anger as the Father himselfe protesteth in Esay who is therfore the slowest to conceiue a wrath and readiest to forgiue as Dauid singeth in his 103. Psalme and on the other side the sonne who by reason it is his office to pray for vs will not be negligent therein who because he hath been tempted in all thinges like vnto vs sinne onely excepted will be a faithfull and a mercifull high Priest in those things that are to bee done with God concerning his people who by reason of the loue hee beareth to vs ward in that he gaue his life for vs will be carefull and mindfull of vs who by reason of the oportunitie of the place in that he is in the heauens at the fathers hand euen at his right hand of the time in that hee liueth for euer of his grace and fauour in that he is the sonne of his loue of his merite in that hee hath deserued it shall bee heard in all whatsoeuer he shall craue at the Fathers hands in our behalfe For here meet together the sonnes readinesse the fathers willingnesse the sonnes carefulnesse the fathers cheerefulnesse the sons importunitie the fathers facilitie the sonnes merite the fathers mercie the sons mindfulnesse the fathers gentlenesse the sonnes disposition the fathers inclination the sonnes practise the Fathers purpose the sonnes grace the fathers graciousnesse the fauour of the sonne the fauour of the father they fauouring the one the other and they both sauouring vs the one readie to craue the other as readie to giue the one pâ—esent in representi g our prayers the other presently presenting him with his requests the one watchfull in asking the other striuing to bestow the sonne being glorious for asking the father being glâ—rified for bestowing the father willing to gratifie the sonne in all thinges and the sonne readie to craue all thinges from the father the one being not vnwilling to graunt the other not vnreadie to aske whatsoeuer we a ke no though it be euen his holy spirit much lesse if it be the forgiue-of our sinnes 2 I adde herevnto that the bloud 〈◊〉 Christ crieth vnto God the Father and speaketh vnto the Lord for mercie for them that are sanctified therewith For the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ speaketh farre better things than the bloud of Abel as the Apostle testifieth to the Hebrues For the bloud of Abel spake vnto the Lord for iustice but the bloud of Christ speaketh vnto the father for mercie The one cried for wrath the other for peace the one for vengeance vpon his brother for shedding of innocent bloud the other for pardon either for shedding innocent bloud or murder or theft or whoredome or vsurie or blasphemy or for any other whatsoeuer sinne If therfore the bloud of Abel cried so loud in the eares of the Lord that it moued him to execute vengeance vpon Cain much more the bloud of Iesus which stil crieth in the ears of the Lord will mooue him to mercie euen to pardon our sins and our offences For the crie of the bloud of the sonne of God which crieth vnto god for better things shall not haue worser entertainment thaÌ„ the bloud of Abel had 3 I adde further that euen the spirit as the Apostle speaketh in the eight to the Romanes helpeth also our infirmitie and maketh intercession for vs with grones vnspeakable So the spirit also of God intreateth for vs God intreateth God the spirit of God intreateth God the father for vs and how then can God denie any thing to God God the Father to his spirit which euen with vnspeakeble grones crieth within vs vnto his maiesty for pardon for our offences 4 I adde yet further that the Saints of God I say not which are in the heauens for as the Prophet saith Abraham knoweth vs not and Iacob remembreth vs not but the Saints of God which are on earth pray also for the forgiuenes of thy sins For Christ hath taught them to say Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs willing them thereby to make mention of thee also as well as all other the elect of God in their praiers And therfore he teacheth them to say
we haue redemptioÌ„ by his bloud the forgiuenes of our sins And Peter in his Epistle telleth that wee were redeemed from our vaine conuersation not with corruptible things as gold and siluer but with the most precious bloud of the sonne of God Whereby the Apostle teacheth vs that as the pardon of our sinnes from the hands of God is farre more excellent than the Popes pardon which may whether it be for murder or theft or whordome or any such like be purchased for gold or siluer or wool or such like trash so it is to be purchased with a price farre more precious euen with the bloud of the son of God which onely was able to purchase our pardon for vs. And therfore if the same had ben wanting alas what had there beene left in vs able to haue procured the same A man would fast water and bread all the daies of his life yea hee would trauell to Rome to Ierusalem and farther bare footed and bare legged yea he would whip himselfe with cords wreathed with yron yea launce himselfe with pennekniues â—s the Priests of Baal he would giue abundance of gold and siluer hee would keepe open house giue great doale releeue many poore by many trentall of masses build Abbies Monasteries Churches Schooles and Colledges as the Papists do for the Pardon of their sinnes yea he would as they lay open their shame to the Priestes eares in auricâ—lar confession if that would purchase him pardon for his sin yea he would with the Iews come into the courts of the Lords house and offer many Bullocks Rams and Goats he would shed riuers of bloud poure out streames of oyle vnto the Lord yea hee would as Micheas saith giue the fruit of his wombe for the sinne of his soule and as the Idolatoâ—s did make his sonnes to go through fire and offer them to deuils if all this would prâ—cure vnto him pardon for his sin Yea what would not a woundâ—d conscience giue to be disburdened of the weight of his sinne and to purchase vnto himselfe a pardon not from the Pope but from he Lord for his offences But it will cost to great a price for him to redeem his own soule or the sin thereof with any thing in himselfe He must therefore set that alone for euer and look for the pardon of his offences by the bloud of Iesus Chirst which is that onely price by the which it might be procured which being accordingly offered vnto God the Father and that vpon the aulter of the crosse he hath with the value and price thereof purchased that which all both heauen and earth could not otherwise haue procured euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes And thereby hath left vnto vs an assurance for the attaining of the pardon of our offences For farâ—e be it from vs that we shuld account the Lord either a cosener who would deceiue vs or aâ— oppressor or an extortioner that would by violence keepe from vs any suâ—h thing as we had right vnto by the way of purchase Hauing therfore right vnto the pardon of our sinnes because Christ hath purchased the same with his blood we are assured that our sins must and shâ—ll be for euer forgiuen and blotted out That Lord that giueth more than we deserue will not keepe from vs that which is our due aâ—d hee that giueth all thinges freely will not debarre vs of that which is purchased for vs so deerely as with the blood of Iesus Christ The 10 Chapter VVherein are touched two reasons taken froÌ„ the spirit of God the holy Ghost being the third persoÌ„ in the Trinity The first as the spirit is considered to work repeÌ„tance contrition in vs so washeth vs froÌ„ our sin The other as the spirit breedeth and worketh peace in our conscience wherewith the forgiuenesse of our sins is sealed VNto those reasons taken from the Father and the Son I might adde two other principall reasons taken from the spirit of God 1 The first whereof is this namely that one and the selfe same spirit that is called by Paule Rom. 8. the spirit of bondage to feare and also that worketh godly sorow in vâ— vnto repentaâ—ce mentioned 2. Cor. cap 7. is also that sanctifying spirit of God which washeth and cleanseth vs from all our sinneâ— and therefore it is compared to fire and water because as fire it purgeth as water it cleanseth vs from all our sâ—nnes and therfore is it that the Apostle saith Cor. 6. that ye are washed that ye are cleansed that yee are sanctified in the name of Iesus Christ and by the spirit of our God So that they that sorrow rightly for their sinnes and are possessed with the spirit of bondage to feare euen to feare hell Gods wrath the deuill and their owne estate may be assured that the same spirit that worketh the sorrow washeth the soule that breedeth the feare bringeth the fauour of God that defileth their cheeks with teares cleanseth their soules from sinne also for one spirit worketh all and in all the elect of God So that while we lay open our sins we lay them vpon Christ who beareth them and taketh them away While we hide not our sins the lord hideth them He that sorroweth rightly for theÌ„ looseth all sorrow for them and hee that rightly seeth them looseth the sight of them for euermore 2 The second reason is taken from the peace of conscience which the spirit working in vs dooth seale the forgiuenesse of our sinnes as the Apostle plainely sheweth in the fift to the Romans where he saith being iustified by faith we are at peace with God So that if euer since we sinned we felt the peace of conscience it was the worke of the spirit that sealed our iustification that is the full forgiuenes of our sinnes And therfore hauing once felt the same wee need not doubt whether our sinnes be forgiuen vs yea or no. But as I haue breefly omitted the other reason so I will defer this vnto a more proper place And so concluding those reason that arise froÌ„ God considered in his persons I will come vnto other reasons taken from man being considered in his sins The 11. Chapter VVherein is contained the first argument or reason which to proue the forgiuenes of sins is taken from the câ—eatuâ—e the reasons beiâ—g before taken from the creaâ—oâ— and that fâ—om man coâ—sidered in himselfe with his estate being naturally in lined to sin THe first whereof is taken from the consideration of the naturall inclination of man vnto sinne For as Dauid saith of himselfe In sin was I conceiued and in iniquitie did my mother bring me forth And Iob demandeth saying Who can make that cleane that is borne of vncleane seede And Paul plainely teacheth vs that by the sinne of one man sinne raigned ouer all and that in Adam all sinned So that as we drew froÌ„ Adam our being so our sinning as our flesh and bone so our corruption as our nature so
indiscreet yeares wherein albeit we worke foolishly or speake vnseemly yet we doe according to our vnderstanding and speake as they say of children as well as their wit serueth them Indeed if after this present life when wee shall come to the measure of the age of Christ full growne euen to a perfect man if then I say we should as we are assured we shall not commit any of these sins and slip into any of these fals then there were no such hope left vnto vs by reason of our coÌ„firmed age but now to sinne is agreeable to our yeares and to pardon sinne is agreeable to Gods wisedome who knoweth how childish we are And these are those reasons taken from our selues to proue the same Now let vs consider those reasons that are taken from sinne it selfe The 13. Chapter VVherin is contained the first reason takeÌ„ from sin it selfe which is drawn from the name of sin being called our debt THe first reason for the proofe heereof taken from sinne it selfe is drawn from that name that the spirite of the Lord our GOD giueth as in other places so especially in the sixt of Mathew vnto sin where it is called our debt that wee owe vnto the Lord. For there the Lord teacheth vs to pray after this maner saying Forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue our debters For so the grek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do signifie Where it is manifest that by comparing this place of Mathew with the 11 of Luke the 4. verse that by debts he meaneth sins For that which Mathew calleth our debts Luke calleth our sins saying Forgiue vs our sins as we forgiue euery one that is indebted vnto vs. So that hereby it is euident that our sins are those debts of ours which we owe vnto the Lord. Which being so there ariseth vnto vs a notable perswasion of the readines of the Lord therby to pardon and forgiue them For what do we thinke that the Lord careth for such debts that hee will exact them at our hands by the rigour of the law That he will sue vs arrest vs implead vs or imprison vs for the same Why is sin which is our debt so deare so pretious and of such account with the Lord as that hee will strain vs and so constrain vs to pay the same vnto his maiesty Surely if a man ought vs a boxe on the eare Wee would scant straine him for such a debt For we had rather loose it then law for it such is our debt of sinne which wee owe vnto the Lord. For sin is as it were a box giuen to the Lord in his face striking immediately against the glorie of his maiesty and then will the Lord thinke we driue vs by order of law to pay the same Why is the Lord so poor and beggerly that he were vndone if we did not make paiment of this one debt vnto him Hath he such need of sin that he knew not what shift to make if he had not this debt of our sinne out of our hands Why would it so gâ—eatly hinder the Lord to forbear it or to forgiue it No no it would turn exceedingly to the aduancing of the riches of the glory of his grace to forgiue the same vnto vs as before we proued And therfore sith to forgiue vs our debts as our Sauiour Christ calleth our sinnes is no meanes to diminish but rather to encrease the riches of the glorie of the grace of God sith the treasurie of his mercie is therby more more amplified and inlarged sith it turneth to the Lords aduantage sith he getteth while he giueth and forgiueth we may be fully assured that the Lord who is if I may so speake couetous of his owne glorie will easily and readily forgiue vs our offences And this is the first reason taken from the name of sinne The 14 Chapter VVherein is contained the second reason taken fâ—om sin it self to proue forgiunes of sins which ariseth from the effect of sin seruing to set forth the abundance of the grace of god to magnifie his power THe second reason taken from sinne ariseth from that effect which sin worketh as we say per accidens that is not from his owne and proper effect but from the worke of the Lord thereby For it serueth to the setting forth of the abundance of the grace of God and to the magnifying of the power of the Lord. As plainely appeareth both by the testimonie of Paul who saith that where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth also and also by the answere of the Lord made vnto Paule who said vnto him praying as himself testifieth three times that the messenger of Sathan the prick of the flesh might be remooued away from him my grace is sufficient for thee For by thy weakenes is my power made perfect or as some translate it made strong This answere of the Lord vnto Paule I take to be spoken vnto all men and so especially vnto my selfe For of a truth Lord thy power is made stroÌ„g indeed by my weakenes For now I being indued though with some good gifts ouercome by Sathan do know the power of the spirit that dwelt in thee to bee perfect and powerfull that neuer could be ouercome by Sathans assault Thus is thy power made perfect by my weaknes by comparison Again O Lord when I am ouercome I feele the power of thy death to ouercome Sathan hell and condemnation and of a weake man to strengthen me so that thy power is made strong by thy victory For the power of Sathan and of my sinnes cannot ouercom the power of thy death which is Sathans death and of power against him Againe my God I being weak do sometimes couercome when before I was ouercom by whose power was this but by thy power which is so much the greater by how much I am the weaker For Sathan is wonderfull strong and I wonderfull weake How then could I ouercome him being wonderfull strong except thy strength were wonderfull in me being wonderfull weak Oh Christ be strong in me for I am weak Thy power O Christ is the greater thy grace so much the more abundant by how much my sins are the greater that thou pardonest To pardon small sins is great grace but to pardon many sinnes and those monstrous also magnifieth the abundance of thy grace to me ward and not onely vnto me but it commendeth the excellency thereof to all that tast thereof Lord I speake not these things to make them a cloke for my sinne but a comfort to my soule nothing doubttiÌ„g but that I doing that which it is thy will I should do and that for the glorie of thy grace and the perfecting of thy power shal easily obtian pardon for the same yea though it be sinne that I doe Thus haue I by mine owne practise shewed the force of this reasoÌ„ that thou maiest read it know it feele it and practise it at one time
To this reason I might adde one other from that name of sinne where it is called our infirmity or disease and our phrenzie and madnes as the Philosopher calleth it Which might therefore seem the rather to bee pardoned because it was done in our madnes But I will omit this reason and come to the consideration of other reasons taken not as these from euerie man in himselfe being considered with his sins but from others euen men and deuils The 15 Chapter VVherein is â—ontained the first reason taken from man as he is considered in others which is drawn from the examples of other men by which the eternitie of the forgiuenesse of sinnes is further assurd vnto vs. ANd first we will consider the examples of other men by the which assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sins is yet further assured vnto vs. For what on sin haue we commited which other the Saints of God haue not either before or after their calling committed and yet as the spirit testifieth receiued pardon for the same Hast thou committed adulterie why so had the woman that was brought vnto Christ in the eight of Iohn so had the woman of Samaria in the fourth of Iohn for Christ said vnto her thou hast had fiue husbands and him whome now thou hast is not thy hu baÌ„d So had Dauid with Berseba and yet the Prophet said vnto him the Lord hath taken away thy sinne that thou shalt not die therefore Hast thou been possessed with the deuill so was Mary Magdalene who had seaueâ— diuels cast out of her Hast thou distrusted the Lord so did Moses at the waters of strife Hast thou as it were despaired so almost did Ieremy who said in the third of his Lamentations that he was a cast away and there was no hope for him in God So did Dauid in his 77. Psalm saying Will the Lord cast me off for euer should he be no more intreated should his louing kindnes faile for euer his promise from one generatioÌ„ to another come vtterly to an end Hast thou murdered and slaine thy brother so did Dauid murder Vrias So did the Iews put to death and slay the Lord of life as Peter chargeth them in the second of the Acts and yet they were by the same Apostle baptised to the forgiuenes of their sins Hast thou stolne and robbed thy brother So did the theefe that was crucified with Christ to whome notwithstanding Christ said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Hast thou been an oppressor an extortioner and an vsurer So was Zacheus who notwithstaÌ„ding repenting and making restitution heard that comfortable saying of Christ vnto him happie art thou Zacheus this day is health come vnto thine house Hast thou contended and fallen out with thy brother So did Paul and Barnabas betwixt whom the contention was so hot that they departed a sunder one taking Luke and the other Iohn But hast thou being but one man committed all these sinnes Hast thou beene an Idolater defiled the Temple of God beaten down his truth erected Idolatrie hast thou been a witch a coniurer a southsayer hast thou shed abundance of innocent bloud so that the streetes flow therewith hast than committed more abhominations than the Cananites or the Emorites whom for their filthines the Lord cut out of the land of the liuing hast thou offered thy sonnes and daughters and sacrificed them to deuils in fire All these thinges did Manasses as it appeareth in the 21. chapter of the second booke of the Kings and yet he returned vnto the Lord and found fauour and mercie for all his sinnes as it appeareth in the 33. chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles Are thy sinnes greater than the sinnes of Manasses or is the mercie and the arme of the Lord shortened is the Lord a respecter of persons did he forgiue Manasses repenting him of his sinne and will hee not forgiue thee returning vnto himselfe and calling vpon his name is not the Lord rich in mercie vnto all them that call vpon him faithfully whether they be Iewes or Gentiles Greekes or Barbarians there is no difference in the Lord. Are these things left vnto vs in the word either to follow or to comfort vs withall Doth not Paule teach vs that whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might haue hope euen bee comforted while wee hope that the same Lord that hath been thus mercifull vnto others will as well be mercifull vnto vs also that hee will make our sins that are in like manner as red as skarlet as white as snow and that are like vnto the purple to be as the wooll as himselfe hath promised by the mouth of his Prophet Esay This is the first reason which is taken from other men The 16. Chapter VVherin is contained the secoÌ„d reason taken from man being coÌ„sidered in others whiâ—h is drawn fâ—om the testimonie of others as of the Ministers of the word of God of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles and all other holy men of God who as faithful witnesses announce and confirme the forgiuenesse of sinnes THe second reason is taken from the testimonie of others who affirme and so confirme this vnto vs. And herein wee will first consider the testimonie of the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell of God to whom thou being afflicted oughtest to repaire for comfort And that both by the expresse commandement of the Lord himselfe who by the mouth of his Prophet Malachy saith that the Priests lips shall contain knowledge and the people shall enquire the law at his mouth And also by the example of the Iewes in the second of the Acts who being wounded in conscience came to Peter and the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shal we do For the Ministers are the Phisitions Surgeons of the soule to heale the same as well as they are the Lords warriors and so by the force of his spirituall weapons of power to cast down euerie high hold euerie strong thought and euerie name that is exalted against the name of God and Iesus Christ And therefore as by the armour of God on the left hand they can wound thy conscience so by the armor of God on the right hand they can wound the spirituall enemy As by the law they can kill thee so by the Gospel they can quicken thee as by the one they cast thee down so by the other they can lift thee vp For they are the dispensers of the manifold graces of God and the Lords stewards to giue to euerie one his portion in due time Iudgement to whom iudgment appertaineth and mercie vnto thee vnto whome mercie belongeth So that if thou repaire to them for comfort and â—f they shal giue thee comfort thou maist be comforted indeed If they shall giue thee thy portion in the forgiuenesse of sinnes they giue vnto thee as vnto the Lords seruant that thy
portion therein which is due vnto thee If they shall say vnto thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee it is all one as if the Lord himselfe had said so much vnto thee For they are the Lords seruants not onely as other men to doe their maisters will but his message also not onely to serue him in doing but with going also not onely to come when they are called but to runne when they are sent For they are as it were the Lords footmen which are sent by him to doe his message and to signifie his minde vnto thee And therefore is it that the Apostle asketh in the tenth to the Romanes how they shall heare without a Preacher and how they shall preach except they be sent So that when the Minister commeth vnto thee to comfort thee to assure thee of the forgiuenes of thy sins thou must know for a certaintie that he is sent vnto thee by the Lord to do this his message vnto thee to tell thee euen from the Lords owne mouth that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And this thou maiest and must assure thy selfe of whether he come vnto thee either voluntarie without thy procurement as Nathan did vnto Dauid who said vnto him hearing the confession of his sin and the Lord hath taken away thy sinne that thou shalt not die for it and as Christ came voluntarily vnto the Iewes without their sending for him the spirit of God hauing annointed him and sent him to preach the glad tidings of the Gospel euen vnto so many as were a far off or whether hee come vnto thee being sent for by thee as Peter was by Cornelius who although hee came vnto Cornelius being sent for by him yet both was Peter by the vision which hee saw warned by God himselfe to goe also Cornelius commanded to send for him by an Angell but thou by the spirit And therefore when the Minister commeth vnto thee to tell thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee assure thy selfe as the truth is in Christ Iesus that whether hee come by thy procurement or without thy procuremeÌ„t he was sent to thee by the Lord to signifie so much of his gracious pleasure vnto thee For euerie faithfull Minister is the seruant of the Lord sent from the Lord himselfe to doe his message yea he is the Embassador of the Lord. For as Paul sheweth 2. Cor. 7.20 we are Christâ— embassadors for you As therefore the embassador representeth the person of the Lord his king that sent him so doth the Minister of the gospel being the Lords embassador represent the person of the Lord his Prince Christ Iesus and so ought to be taken euen as an earthly embassador is with the kings princes of the world As therefore this is true which Paule in the fore-mentioned place saith namely that wee come as Embassadours in the name of Christ as though God himself intreated you by vs so we intreat you in the name of Christ to be reconciled vnto God So likewise this is true namely that wee come as Embassadours in the name of Christ as though God himself spake vnto you so wee say vnto you in the name of Christ that your sins are forgiuen you And therefore when thou seest the embassador of the Lord which is his Minister come vnto thee and tell thee that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee think with thy selfe that the Lord as it were by his owne mouth hath now told thee that he hath pardoned thine offences Yea the Ministers of the lord are the Angels of the Lord and so are called in the third of Malachy and the first verse in the second and third of the Reuelation in diuers other places For there Iohn Baptist the forerunner of Christ is called the Angell of God againe the Minister of Ephesus of Philadelphia of Smyrna of Pargama is called the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Philadelphia Smyrna Pargama â—nd so forth to teach vs that so we should account of the Ministers of the Gospel as of the Angels of God and of their message in the name of Christ as if an Angell of glorie from heauen should haue told vs the same Now if an Angel should haue spoken to thee as he did vnto Manoah or vnto Mary the mother of Christ at his conception or vnto Mary Magdalen at his graue or the Disciples at his ascention or vnto Iohn in the Reuelation or as vnto Christ in his agonie thou wouldest I hope be satisfied and comforted therewith And why then art thou not aswell certified by the testimonie of the Ministers which are in like manner as thou knowest aswel the Angels of god as they although indeed herein they differ the one is an heauenly the other an earthly the one a more glorâ—ous the other a more baser Angell yet they are both the Angels of the Lord both the one and the other And theâ—fore thou oughtest in this message of God to giue as much credite to the one as to the other as much vnto Esay as vnto Gab iel vnto Paul as vnto Michael if we may tâ—uely cal him an Angell as much vnto Moses and the Prophets as to a man rising from the dead as much vnto the earthly Angels as vnto the angels of heauen For thou oughtest not to respect so much the messenger as the Maister the seruant as the Lord the Embassador as the Prince the beautie as the officer of the Messenger except thou wilt be an accepter of persons But if thou wilt needs respect the person regard the person of God which is common to the Ministers with the Angels of glory For aswell doth the Minister of god as the angels of God beare and represent the person of God Thou must not think the grace to be lesse gracious sith the messeÌ„ger is not so graced nor the treasure to be of lesse value beâ—â—se it is brought vnto thee by or in an caâ—â—heÌ„ vessell For the word of the Lord is the same in the mouth of a man of a throne in the earthly in the heauenly Angell Notwithstanding it is more for thy profit to haue this message done vnto thee by a man than by an Angel of glory And that both because such is thâ— excellencie of the glorie of an Angell oâ— light that thou canst not endure thâ— brightnes of his presence and also because thou neither canst bee so familiar with him as thou desirest and shouldest be to deliuer thine estate nor yet canst at al times when thou desirest being oâ— the earth haue conference and recourse vnto the Angels being in heauen The Lord therefore ascending vp on high gaue among other gifts this gift also of great value vnto his Church and vnto thy selfe euen Pastors Doctors thâ—â— is the Ministers of the Gospell of God 〈◊〉 euen the earthly Angels that should bâ— continually and familiarly conuersant 〈◊〉 dwelling with earthly men that mighâ— after a more familiar lesse fearful maner declare vnto theÌ„ the
words For this rule is generally true that a lier speaketh clean contrarie vnto the truth and the cleane contrarie of that which the deuil speaketh is true For in a lier the cleane contrarie part must be taken for the truth If therefore it euer hath beene said vnto thee in thy soule that thou shouldest not bee saued or that thy sinnes should not be pardoned it hath beene as it were the message of the Lord vnto thy soule to signifie vnto thee thy election and iustification that thou shouldest be saued and that thy sins were forgiuen And looke how often this hath beene vrged vnto thy soule so often hath it been told vnto thee by the Lord although by the message of the deuil if thou hadst rightly vnderstood his language And therefore when thou fearing the forgiuenes of thy sinnes receiuest an answer in thy soule that in vaine thou prayest that thou shalt not be pardoned because thy sins are greater as thou art perswaded then that they can be forgiuen so often cheare thy selfe and thanke God for his louing mercie and message that hath told thee and certified thy conscience though by the message of Sathan that thy sins are forgiuen thee For alwaies that which is cleane contrarie vnto the speech of a lier is the truth And therefore when Sathan saith that they are not forgiuen the cleane contrarie is true and that is that they are forgiuen If we haue once learned this lesson well and shall put the same in practise in our soules and consciences we shall find as much comfort in this reason I know what I speake as in any other reason whatsoeuer For her by the mouth of the deuill is stopped for euer and he goeth away raging not knowing what else to say For if he did flatter vs with the forgiuenes of our sinnes we would not receiue his testimonie as Paul would not receiue the testimony of the southsaier or Christ of the deuill that confessed him to bee the sonne of the liuing God but we would beleeue that to be true because the Lord in his word said it Again if he did terrifie the conscience denie the forgiuenesse of our sinnes we would beleeue it then most stronglie knowing that in that a lier did denie it the truth it selfe did affirm it Thus euery way Sathan should be taken in a Dilemma what argument soeuer he vsed it would be turned vpon his owne head and we should be more wise thaÌ„ the diuell was subtile we should haue better skill in the truth of Logicke or reason than he in Sophistry If he did flatter vs we would cheare vpon it if he did feare vs we would cheare also vpon it if hee did perswade the forgiuenes of our siâ—s we should be comforted if he did disswade the forgiuenes of our sinnes wee should be comforted also and thus euery way we should be strengthned cheaâ—ed and comforted The 18 Chapter VVherein is contained the last reason taken from others to pâ—oue the forgiuenes of sins which is drawne from the euill and daungerous counsell of Sathan THe last reason that wee will at this time consider is taken from that diuellish and daungerous counsell which Sathan giueth to the soule which beeing troubled with the weight of sinne desireth the forgiuenesse thereof For it is the fashion of Sathan when thou hast sinned to perswade thee to kill thy selfe to hang thy selfe to drowne thy selfe or at the least to cast off al confideÌ„ce in hope all vse of faith and fully to dispaire of the mercy of God Then the which what counsel can be more diuelish for Sathan to giue or more dangerous for thee to follow For dispaire is a sin of the first table against the first commandement and against the highest God And therfore without qâ—estion it is the highest and greatest sin of all other that great sin only which is the sinne against the holy Ghost excepted It is therefore a worser and a greater sinne to dispaire then it is to worship Idols to prophane the Saboth to blaspheme the name of the Lord to dishonor thy parents to kil thy father or thy brother to deflour thy neighbors daughter or wife to rob thy neighbor to beare false witnesse and to forsweare thy selfe or then it is to commit any other such like sinne And no doubt but that Caine sinned more greeuously in dispairing of Gods mercie then in the murdering of his brother Abel and Iudas sinned not so much in betraying as in distrusting Christ his treason was not so greeuous as his dispaire â—â—s And the fore if according vnto the counsell of the deuill thou shouldest ad dispaire to thy other sins to thy whoredome thy murder thy blasphemie or thy robberie thou shouldest draw sinne after sin as it were with cartropes adde drunkennes vnto thirst and so heaping vp of thy sins shouldest fulfill the measure of thine iniquitie and purchase to thy selfe swift damnation Beware therefore how thou follow this counsell of the deuill who as in all other speeches he sheweth himselfe most znfaithfull so in this his perswasion to dtspaire most I know not whether I shall call him dangerous or doltish For to perswade to dispaire after sinne to commit one sin after another the greater after the lesser is as much as if an vnfaithfull phisition should prescribe a maâ— after he hath taken cold to take rats baue to driue it away or after he had caught the murre to drink cicuta or the iuice of hemlock to driue it away which being farre colder then the former cold would bring sodaine and speedy death euen such is the phisicke which that good phisition of the soule I meane the deuill giueth thee For when thou hast committed a great sinne against God he would haue thee commit a greater to driue away the fear of death he prescribeth the spedie death of bodie and soule to driue away the feare of hell fiâ—e he would haue thee presently to run to hell and to the deuill euen as if a man that feared the water should presently drown himselfe or if a man feared the fire he should presently goe burne himselfe and so presently feele that which hee feared because he would seare no longer Then the which what can be more foolish or contrarie vnto reason And yet so foolish thou art as that thou art ready to execute his counsell to think it the best couâ—se for thee to follow yea although thou canst hate other sins and crie out against the lothsomnes therof yet thou canst be ready to giue place to dispaire which is the greatest sin and to like that wel enogh to nourish it to think that thou mightest do well to dispaire and to cast off al hope of gods mercie Is it not a strange thing that thou shouldst loth whoredome theft murder and such like sins yea and if thou wert but mooued to them he greeued therat and yet like of dispaire a sinne farre greater than all the rest yea and that
thou being but moued therevnto shouldest giue place vnto it immediately If therefore other sinnes be loathsome vnto thee for the monstrousnes thereof let dispaire which is the most monstrous sinne of al other be most lothsome vnto thee If thou fearest and fliest other sinnes feare and flie especially dispaire which is a sinne farre greater than they all And if thou hauing committed adultery murder or theft or any such like art by Sathan tempted to dispaire answere him and say thus vnto him Sathan thou hast tempted me to commit this sin thou hast tempted me to lie to dissemble to commit adultrie and such like herein I haue yeelded to thee Is it not enough nay is it not too much that I haue thus farre yeelded vnto thee except I should now ad dispaire vnto the rest of my sins If it were now in my hand to vndo that sinne which I haue committed I would neuer surely by the power of the lord yeeld so much vnto thee as I haue done And therfore farre be it from me that I should again at thy procurement sin more greeuously in falling to dispaire of the grace and mercie of God Indeed if dispaire were any meanes to ease me of my sins then parchance I might easily bee brought thereinto but sith it is a meanes to increase my sinnes the burden and greefe of my soule and the punishment of my sinne sith it is a meanes to bring a certaine destruction to a destruction that was but feaâ—ed certain to an incertaine condemnation death of body and soule to the death of faith eternall to temporall griefe the paines of hell to the pangs of conscience hell fiâ—e to thy fierie darts that sticke in my soule I were bewitched and worse then mad if I would yeeld thervnto Thus thou must learne to stop Sathans mouth and to stay thine owne faith that it fall not into dispaire of which I would haue thee to be most iealous fearefull and suspitious knowing the daunger and vnrecouerable euill thereof If thou haue robbed God of his glorie in dishonoring of him yet giue glorie vnto him in beleeuing of him so shalt thou get as much glory to his name by beleeuing him as thou diddest rob him of by disobeying him and purchase as great nay a faire more excellent righteousnes by faith then thou diddest loose by sinne For as Paule testifieth in the fourth to the RomaÌ„s to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the wicked his faith is imputed accounted to him for righteousnesse And this righteousnesse of faith is as in another place the Apostle testifieth the righteousnesse of God which is farre more excellent than the righteousnes of man And this righteousnes perchance thou wouldest neuer haue sought for if thou haddest not seene thy selfe naked and destitute of all righteousnesse in thy selfe and couered so ouer with the shame of thine own nakednes filthines that thou wert glad to runne vnto Christ for his righteousnesse to couer thee and buy of him eie-salue and white garments that thy nakednes might not be seene If therefore thou hast lost righteousnesse yet keepe faith if thou haue lost the brest-plate of righteousnesse yet keepe the shield of faith whereby thou mayest quench all the fierie darts of the deuill If thou haue lost the armour of light the cloth of my soule yet defend and keepe faith which is the life of the soule for the iust shall liue by faith Say vnto thy soul with Dauid Why art thou so vexed oh my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me O my soule trust in the Lord and wait vpon him for hee will heale thee Thou seest my soule what comfort the Lord hath left vnto thee in his word what liuely hope of pardon he hath promised to forgiue thy sinnes hath sealed the same vnto thee by his word his oth his couenant and by outward signs that mine eies haue seene his mercie his iustice his sonne his spirit confirme the same vnto me mine owne nature my yong yeares in the Lord and my sin it selfe the testimonie of the ministers of the Lord his seruants Embassadors and his Angels God and man my selfe and others Angels and deuils sin and righteousnes wine and water heauen and earth yea all things affirme the same vnto thee my soule Behold therefore and trust in the Lord and he shall satisfie thee with good things make the increase of thy lips create peace within thee and refresh thee with the waters of life and make thee see his sauing health The Lord will not lie that hath spoken it The 19 Chapter VVherein is largely and particularly declared how Sathan effectually to worke an infidelitie in vs and to make vs mistâ—ust and misdoubt nay dispaire of the forgiuenesse of our sins fetcheth reasons out of euery particular reason that we do as wee to perswade so he to disswade the forgiunesse of sinnes I Stand the longer in prouing of this one thing because there is no one thing more hardly perswaded vnto the soule than this is and that by reason of the subtiltie of Sathan who hath two generall meanes to make vs doubt hereof The one is by blinding the eies of our vnderstanding in such a sort as that the light of the glorious Gospell of God canot shine vnto vs. For he is that God of the world that worketh effectually in the hartes of many men yea of the best men sometimes and thereby so dapraueth and crooketh the right shape of their vnderstanding as that the truth of the generall promises of God the force of reason neither any thing else for the present time can make them to concerne and beleeue the mercy of God the forgiuenes of their sinnes because they are so couered ouer with darknes and as it were a thicke cloud of mist The other is by vsing our owne corrupt nature and infidelity which when wee haue said and done what we can do will stil stick in vs doubt hereof and therfore will be readie to say Well for all this I doubt whether the Lord will forgiue me yea or no be so good as his word This our corruption Sathan vseth to corrupt vs withall this our infidelity to make vs infidels and this our doubting to make vs dispaire of the forgiuenes of our sins And that he may worke the same more effectually in vs hee fetcheth reasons out of euerie particular reason that we do as we to perswade so he to disswade the forgiuenes of our sinnes And first as touching the promises of God which is our principall and first reason he will labor to make vs distrust them either by putting into vs a feare or else an euill suspition of the lord as to think nay to say in our harts I but what if the lord wil not be so good as his word who is stronger then the Lord to compel him to it or what law shall we haue against him hee is aboue all law and
if there were that he was but a deceiuer a iugler a false Christ sent into the â—orld to seduce the wicked and them that are appoynted to reprobation as shall more at large appeare in another place But if this will not serue the turn he will perswade vs that Christ came to be a iudge to condemne the world and to leaue them without excuse as he did Martine Luther and so will he set him frowning vpon vs as a Iudge that is displeased with vs. Or if this will not serue hee will tell vs that Christ came not to die for vs but for Peter Paule Dauid and such like but as for vs hee knew vs not we were not then and therfore he could not then die for vs. But yet if this will not suffice hee will euen chide with the soule and ask him whether hee will make Christ a bawd for his sinnes And this especially he vrgeth while wee seeing our own nakednes do seeke and sue for the righteousnes of Christ to put vpon vs as a white garment to couer vs so as our nakednesse the filthinesse of our sins be not seene For then hee will stil vrge this one thing saying Oh thou wouldest haue Christ to be a couer a cloake yea a bawd for thy sin but all in vaine will he say And for the proofe hereof he wil straight alledge the saying of the Lord in the 70. psalme which is to be applied to the obstinate and such as hate discipline and cast the wordes of God behind their back as there plainely appeareth where he saith As soonâ— as thou seest a theefe thou consentest vnto him and thy portion is with the adulterers Thou openest thy mouth to euill and with thy toong thou framest deceit Thou sitting speakest against thy brother slaunderest thy mothers son While thou didst these things because I made my selfe as it were deafe thou thinkest me to be such a one as thy selfe is but I will reproue thee and set before thine eies thy sins in order as they were done And herby he excedingly trobleth the conscience and filleth it with feare and dispaire vntill such time as we feele our selues verely and indeed to be couered ouer with the righteousnes of the son of God Iesus Christ who is made vnto vs of God the Father wisedom holines righteousnes and redemption If this reason will not preuaile against vs he wil reason as wel as we from the holy Ghost and will tell vs that the feare that is bredde in our conscience for our sinnes is not the worke of the spirit of God to frame vs vnto repentance and to breed in vs a godly sorow to amendment of life but rather that it is a seruile fear such as Iames saith is in the deuils who fear tremble yea a doubting such as is in the infidels of whome the same Iames speaketh saying Let not the maÌ„ that doubteth think he shal receiuâ— any thing yea that it is a fore-tast of the displeasure of God and of the fearefull estate of the reprobat And as touching the peace of conscience albeit we haue aboundantly felt the same yet hee wil perswade vs that it was not the peace of conscience but rather an illusion of the deuill sent vnto him by the Lord to deceiue him and so to destroy him by a false flattering of himselfe And for the better perswasion hereof he will tell vs that the diuell can change himselfe into the image of an Angell of light and by that meanes so deceiue vs as that we cannot as he will say discerne the worke of the spirit from the illusion of the deuill To whom if we shal answer that albeit hee can change himselfe into thâ— image of an Angel of light yet not into the like working of the spirit of God for that he cannot create either ioy or peace of conscience or the spirit of adoptioÌ„ in vs. For these are proper works of the spirit yea euen in them that haue a temporarie faith and fall away againe vnto perdition his mouth is stopped he will leaue this reason and come vnto our naturall inclination to sin from thence he will reason after this manner saying Thou knowest that the Lord wil forgiue the sinnes only of the penitent and them that doe repent that leaue their sinnes and neuer commit them againe for that will he say is true repentance But thou ceasest not to sinne for as thou wert conceiued in sinne so thou continuest in sin and then continuing in thy sin how doest thou repent thee of thy sinne and then thou not repenting thee of thy sinne how canst thou looke that thy sinne should be pardoned And thus by a false perswasion that repentance consisteth in a cleane abolishing of sinne and not in the amendment of life as the truth is that it doth hee deceiueth the conscience and perswadeth it that therefore their sinnes are not pardoned because they are not for euer abandoned And vnto this perswasion he addeth diuers other reasons taken from sinne it selfe and first from the greatnes thereof which hee amplifieth and increaseth very artificially shewing himselfe herein a Grammarian that can frame of the positiue which is the lowest the superlatiue which is the highest degree a Rhethoritian that hath a notable facilitie grace in Hyperbole a Logitian that can reason from the lesser to the greater as also if occasion serued froÌ„ the greater to the lesser an Arithmetitian that hath skill in multiplying a Musitian that can make the lowest cord accord and sound equallie wâ—th the highest a Geometritian who as he can describe the whole world in a little paper so infect much paper with the description of a little countrie and to speake in a word a right deuill that make a mountaine of a moule hill For these are the arts or rather deceits of Sathan whereby hee can notably increase the greatnes of our sin If it be but in consent he will perswade vs that it is all one as if it were done And to this purpose he will alledge the saying of Christ in the fift of Mathew where he saith that the that looketh on a woman to lust after her in his hart hath committed adultery with her alreadie If it be committed after grace receiued of knowledge he will perswade vs that it is the sin against the holy Ghost which shall neuer bee pardoned in this world nor in the world to come If it were committed before our calling grosse also he wil tell vs that our sins are greater then that they can be pardoned as he perswaded Cain that his were And for the better perswasion hereof he addeth the testimonie of the law which confirmeth as he pretendeth that which he himselfe affirmeth As for example if a man haue with Salomon committed idolatry or with Dauid adulterie or with Peter apostacie here the law saith that adulterers idolaters fornicators such like the lord wil iudge Sathan saith so the conscience knoweth
so The law saith no idolater nor fornicator nor vnclean person shall enter into the kingdome of God or Christ the deuil saith so the conscience saith so The law saith the Lord hateth such the deuil saith the Lord hateth such and the consciece feareth that the Lord hateth such and it knoweth it selfe to bee such So that Sathan affirming the lawe confirming the conscience consenting sinne is made out of measure sinfull by the law and the art of Sathan and so it seemeth to be so great immeasurable as that it exceedeth the greatnes of the mercie of God the value of the bloud of Iesus Christ And yet further the more to increase the greatnes of our sin he willeth vs to weigh the weight therof which we feel sensibly to lie verie heauy on our souls after we haue coÌ„mitted the same And therefore is it that Dauid counteth him happy that is lighted of his sin and Christ willeth theÌ„ that are heauie laden to come vnto him he will case them Now SathaÌ„ by â—â—e heauy weight of our sin perswadeth the hâ—inous work in sinning and concludeth that because our fin is intollerable it is immeasurable therefore that as it presseth vs vnto the earth so it will into hell as it casteth vs vpon our face so it will cast vs from the face presence of the Lord. Vnto this weight of sin he addeth the monstrousnes that is in the same For as righteousnes is a most glorious vertue so is sinne a most vglie deformed and monstrous thing and so as it is Sathan maketh it appeare to the soule For howsoeuer before when Sathan inticeth vs to sin wee are blinded that we cannot behold the monstrousnes thereof because he couereth it ouer with a pleasant and delightful cloake yet after that the fact is committed he openeth our eyes to that the flithines and monstrousnes thereof appeareth at large vnto the soule Out of which as Sathan reasoneth that therefore sith sin is a monster it is moÌ„strous sith it is monstrous in shape it is monstrous in shew measure So the soule easilie is resolued thereof and that so much the rather because it is an eie witnesse of that which Sathan saith And yet the more to increase the horror and greatnes of our sins he addeth the multitude therof which are more in number than either the haires of our head or the starres of the skie or the sands of the sea shore which are innumerable that thereforâ— albeit our sins were not mightie as we would beleeue yet in so much as they are so many he will easily infer that they are exceeding great For that which wanted in the greatnesse is â—ecompenced in the multitude and that which wanted in the weight is repaired with the number wherby our sins haue ben so exceedingly multiplied as that what with the greatnes and what with the multitude our measure of iniquitie is fulfilled our viall full and the treasurie and hoord of our sinnes filled to the top that therefore the wrath of God must needs immediatly smoke against vs. And thus partly by the law partly by the weight partly by the monstrousnes and partly by the multitude of our sins he by this his art so increaseth our sins that he decreaseth our faith and maketh them to be so great that our faith is little or none at all he so filleth our Lord with sins that hee emptieth the heart of hope and maketh vs readie to thinke indeed with Cain that our sins are greater than that they can be forgiueÌ„ Thus as Sathan reasoneth from sin in the first place from the greatnes thereof to disswade the forgiuenes thereof so in the second place he reasoneth from the presence therof which by the force work of Sathan euen after the forgiuenesse therof and the peace of conscience and the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto the soule is put in the memorie and represented vnto the soule and that in such a liuely shape idea and forme as they are and were in their owne nature And this made Dauid complaine in his 51. psalm that his sins were continually before his eies yea after that the Prophet Nathan hath told him that his sins were taken away and that he should not die therefore And this made the same Prophet count him happie whose sins were couered Psal 32 namely that they were no longer present before the eie of his conscience as well as the eies of the lord And this is that that maketh the godly at the hour of their death or the day of their triall to doubt to feare and to tremble because they see their sins stil before their face fresh in their conscience which of it self were enough to make them doubt of the forgiuenes of their sins How much more when Sathan shal reason froÌ„ thence and perswade them that therefore their sinnes are not done away sith they are still as fresh in their coÌ„science as if they were but now done that therefore they are not blotted out sith they are imprinted in their consciences that they are not defaced sith they are before their face and that they are not taken out of their soul sith they are still therin And wheras before they were couered he will tell vs that that was but with forgetfulnes or with securitie or hardnes of hart or pleasure or some other fancies that crept into the soule in stead theâ—of But now when these things were gone he might see as Sathan will say that the guiltines of his sin still guilded ouer his conscience and the deformitie and filthines therof was but stubbered ouer with vntempered morter and not washed cleane out by the bloud of Iesus Christ and the spirit of our God And by this meanes how he troubleth feareth casteth downe the soule and beateth downe faith no man knoweth but he that feeleth he that feeleth it knoweth the strenght of Sathan of this reason against the forgiuenes of our sin And yet further because he would leaue no stone as the Prouerbe is vnremoued he reasoneth from the name as before he did froÌ„ the nature of sin And he telleth vs that our sins are our debts which we must make paiment of for the Lord will not as Sathan wil tell vs be any looser by vs. And here when he hath told vs. that we are not able to satisfie the debt he will tel vâ— withall that he is the Lords attorney to arrest vs his man of law to wage the law against vs. his laylor to take vs into hell which is his prison And herein indeed he wil begin to execute his office to lay the law to vs to sue vs to implead vs wil bring the matter to an execution or a Nisi prius For if we haue not before a quittance to shew sealed and written with his owne finger against this debt he will make vs glad to keepe our houses yea our beds or els to run away if we can to hide
vs or els to flie to some man to succour vs or els to some priuiledged place euen to Christ the sanctuary place of refuge for them that flie dare not shew their faces for the debt of sin that they owe to their Lord. To whome if they shall flie Sathan will labour to outrun them will be there at the leastwise in shew before them then when they would step vnto Christ Sathan would step vp between them Christ and taking vpon him the frowning person of Christ as he is man hee wil make the conscience beleeue that it is Christ that frowneth vpon him so if it be possible he wil make them to fly from Christ and driue them to Dauid or Salomon or Manasses by their examples to comfort themselues where also hee will be sure to meet with them and tell theÌ„ that as for Dauid Salomon Manasses and such like they were the elect vessels of God but as for theÌ„selues they were no such they were vessels of wrath and appointed by the Lord vnto reprobatioÌ„ and therfore although no sin could separate Dauid from the Lord yet some one should for euer cast theÌ„ off from the loue of the Lord as one sin did the deuils as one offence did Saule and as one murder did Caine and that therefore it is in vaine to trust by their examples to be pardoned Now if being dashed by this perswasion we shall leaue Dauid Salomon and the rest determie to haue recourse vnto the Ministers of the Gospel either he wil labor to hinder vs that we shal not manifest our estate to them that either for fear or for shame that thus our greefe beeing not imparted might not be impaired being not parted with others might not depart from our selues but grow as confirmed diseases to become incurable or els if he caÌ„not by the prouidence of God hinder this purpose and practise in vs hee will labour either on the one side to driue vs as he hath driuen many to the popish reconcilers to the priests of Baal and to Balam for counsell and so to seeke case from the deuill from Antichrist from crosses from crucifixes from holy water from Campions bones fâ—oÌ„ reliques of Saints from our owne workes from the popes absolution or from his pardon and not from Christ and so bring vs in a worse case then we were before or else on the other side he will breed in vs such a dislike of the ministers of the gospell for their contempt for their pouertie for their infirmities or for some other such like cause that he will make vs thereby out of conceit with them And therwithall perswade vs that they are the false and not the true prophets of the Lord. And that whereas they comfort them they do but flatter them And therwithall he will not stick to say to the conscience I go to flatter thy selfe but thou shalt find in the end my words to be true and that euen as I told thee also when thou shalt see that thou criedst peace peace when suddaine dâ—struction was at hand And as for absolution of the minister hee will either demaund what authority he hath to forgiue sinnes or els hee will crie out that that is flat poperie and so where as he hindereth some from the truth by a feare of poperie he draweth some other from the truth vnto popery knowing that his scope is to hinder vs from the true comfort of the Lord. And this so that it be done hee careth not whether it be by a face of poperie or by force vnto poperie so that we be damned whether it be by thy delusioÌ„ or by dispair he is satisfied but dispaire in this case is the most vsuall and also the most perilous estate to the which that he might fully draw vs hee in our praiers in our sights and grones vnto the Lord will take vpon him the person of the Lord and will euen answere within as if it were the spirit of God that spake vnto vs and tell vs that in vaine we pray in vaine we seeke in vaine we call vpon the Lord for he will neuer beare vs nor forgiue vs nor neuer receiue vs againe vnto fauour And this hee will so const ntly and with such a feare auouch vnto the soule as that if we doe not relie vpon the Lord in his word wee shall be most greeuously afflicted and cast downe which if Sathan once perceiue and tee that wee giue ground vnto him hee will follow vs at the heeles and not giue vs an inch respite but will still lie vpon vs so as we shall scarse find a breathing time And so giuing vs no rest he will perswade vs to dispaire to destroy ourselues and that it were better for vs to be out of our liues theÌ„ to liue in such garboils such feares such fightings and such trouble and thervpon hee will not stick to persuade vs to destroy our selues to kill our selues to break our necks to hang our selues to drown our selues or to cut our owne throats as Iudas Achitophel and many other with vs most lamentably haue done being destitute of comfort deceiued by these and such like perswasions of the deuill Whome that we might the better resist I haue considered these reasons out of the word and committed them to writing that aâ— Christian that is to war and fight with Sathan might not bee vnfurnished nor vnprouided of spiritual armor especially of the word of the spirit which is the word of God a most forcible weapon to repulse driue back the deuil withall with the which if we assault him as wise warriors we shal be more then conquerors by him that hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs and these comforts vnto vs in his sacred word Which that wee may rightly profite by let vs read them with deliberation and meditation And withall let vs learne this one point against Sathan that is out of the same reason that hee gathereth matter of feare and dispaire out of the same let vs seeke and sucke comfort If he taketh his reason from the merccie of God or from his iustice if from his promises or from Christ if from our nature and sin it selfe if from the answers in our soule or from dispaire it selfe out of the very same let vs reason against him And we shall be better able to answere than he to replie or at the least better able to replie thn he to answere If he shall say that we can doe nothing but sinne let vs answer it is natural If he shal say that our sinnes are monstrous let vs say that they are our debts If he shall say that God is iust let vs answer that therefore he must forgiue our offences If he shall tell vs that it was answered vs within that in vaine we praied let vs answere that it was a lier that so answered vs and so foorth in the rest And thus by this meanes wee shall cut
the diuels throat with his owne sword and as a bee suck hony out of that flower out of the which he as the spider sucketh poyson FINIS The Contents of the Chapters contained in this Booke Chap. 1 Wherein it is declared that there is liuely hope of comfort left vnto all them that mourne vnder the burden of their sinnes Fol. 1 Chap. 2 In the first part whereof are set downe the expresse promises of God concerning the free forgiuenes of sins in the latter is declared first that the same promises of mercie are deliuered vnto vs in the word of God then that they are bound by his oath thirdly that they are also bound by his Indenture of couenants lastly that they are confirmed by two visible signs and tokens in stead of wonders to wit Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Fol. 7 Chap. 3 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is proued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substaÌ„ce and nature Fol. 55 Chap. 4 VVherin the forgiunes of sins is proued by the consideratioÌ„ of gods iustice which is another nature essentiall vnto him by three especiall waies First by reason that the Lord hath promised to forgiue our sins in regard wherof it standeth with his iustice to performe the same Secondly for that he hath alreaddy punished Iesus Christ for our offences and therefore cannot in iustice punish them in vs also And lastly because he hath already punished our persons in Christ and so cannot iustly punish vs againe Fol. 69 Chap. 5 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by a reason taken from the seâ—ond person in the Trinitie to wit the woâ—d Incarnate euen Iesus Christ being considered as he is the vine and the braunches Fol. 85 Chap. 6 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is pâ—oued by considering Iesus Christ as hee is our aduocate and intercessour and the mediator of the new Testament Fol 89 Chap. 7 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by considering Iesus Christ as he is our king and spirituall prince Fol. 98 Chap. 8 VVherein the forgiuenes of sins is pâ—oued by considering Christ as hee is our Physition that with his bloud cureth healeth all our infirmities both corporall and spirituall Fol. 107 Chap. 9 VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by considering christ as hee is our redeemer who hath with his own body purchased of his Father the pardon for our sins and with his owne bloud ransomed vs and paid the price of theredemption of our sins Fol. 114 Chap. 10 VVherin are touched two reason taken from the spirit of God the holy Ghost being the third person in the Trinitie The first as the spirit is considered to worke repentance contrition in vs and so washeth vs from our sin The other as the spirit breedeth worketh peace in our conscience wherwith the forgiuenes of our sins is sealed Fol. 118 Chap. 11 VVhereâ—n is contained the first argument or reason which to proue the forgiuenes of sins is taken from the creature the reasons beeing before taken from the creator and that from man considered in himselfe with his estate being naturally inclined to sin Fol. 120 Chap. 12 VVherin is contained the second reasoÌ„ taken from man to proue the forgiuenes of sins by the consideration of our infancie we neuer being but new borne babes so long as we liue Fol. 125 Chap. 13 VVherin is contained the first reason taken from sin it selfe which is drawne from the name of sin being called our debt Fol. 128 Chap. 14 VVherein is contained the second reason taken from sin it selfe to proue forgiuenes of sins which ariseth from the effect of sin seruing to setforth the abundance of the grace of God and to magnifie his power Fol. 131 Chap. 15 VVherin is contained the first reason taken from man as he is considered in others which is drawne from the examples of other men by which the eternity of the forgiuenes of sins is further assured vnto vs. Fol. 134 Chap. 16 VVherin is contained the second reasoÌ„ taken from man being considered in others which is drawne from the testimony of others as of the Ministers of the word of God of the Prophets of Christ himselfe of the Apostles and all other holy men of God who as faithfull witnesses announce confirme the furgiuenesse 〈…〉