pound by his trade Hee gaynes not so much euery yeare Therfore he gains nothing Thus the deuil reasoneth with you therefore be your selfe iudge of his maner of reasoning and the Lord in mercie giue you wisedome in all things to take heed of his wilinesse that you be not by him anie way abused The seuenth and last obiection is The last obiection concerning euill thoughts concerning euill thoughts which arise in the minde wherewith I know some are not a little troubled for comfort of whose weake consciences which are many times ouer much greeued by the consideration thereof I answere thus from the Prophet Ieremie the seuenteenth Chapter and ninth verse Ierem. 17.9 that the heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it By which place if my iudgement doe not much abuse mee this one lesson may be rightlie and kindly gathered that when the best men and women haue done their best to their best power they shall neuer attaine or come to the perfect The heart is like a bottomlesse pit which can neuer be drawen drie and full knowledge of ' all the corruption and filthinesse which is there hatched and harboured because it is like vnto a bottomles pit which can neuer be drawne drie Hereupon I reason thus If we shall neuer in the whole course of our life come to the through and full knowledge of all that venemous poison which is deepe rooted in the dungeon of our vnderstanding how then shall it euer be possible for vs to attaine to the perfect reformation of so manie disorders as are there to be found Genes 6.5 Againe the Lord himselfe saith That all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart be euill onelie euill and that continuallie If all be euill by nature before we be regenerate and borne a new by a second birth of the spirit and word and that continuallie then no maruell if some be euill and that continually after our regeneration Because wee be renewed but in part Ephes 4.24 and we haue so put on the new man which after god is created in true holinesse and righteousnesse as that we shal neuer cleane and altogether put off the old man with all his deceiueable lustes vntil we put off this flesh and that by death In this one point standeth a great part of our Christian warfare wherein we are at all seeles and seasons to stand vpon our garde This is our taske to our dying day to fight against our affections which are our deadly foes and to watch with all diligence in withstanding the euill affections and thoughts of our hearts which as Peter saith fight against our soules For these be such spitefull enemies as lodge themselues close euen in the closet of our heart 1. Pet. 2 11. they eate and drinke with vs Our vnruly and lordly lufts do yawe vs continually they sleepe and wake with vs they ride and goe with vs they goe out and in with vs to bee short when our othâ—â— enemies the worlde and the diuell doe graunt vs some time of truce their will affoord vs no peace because they sit so neare vs as that euermore they are at hand readie to assault vs Faith and praier are our best armour both before and behinde and on euerie side Therefore we are to the vttermost of our power to arme our selues strongly against them by faith by prayer and all other good and holie meanes That wee maie daylie get ground of them and through Gods grace ouermaister them in some good measure to our euerlasting comfort The rather because the wise man saieth He that is slowe to anger Prouerb 16 32. is better then a mightie man and hee that ruleth his owne minde is better than hee that winneth a citie But euen now while we are speaking of euill thoughts there comes in one A wofull complaint against euill thoughts with a most lamentable complaint saying O sir I am so troubled this way as I thinke there was neuer anie childe of God so grieuouslie troubled For I haue such wicked and blasphemous thoughts as make my flesh to tremble and all my bones to shake yea they are such as they almost driue me to dispaire when I thinke vppon them For they strike not at men but at God himselfe They exalt themselues against the persons of the Trinitie and some of them against the blessed and holie Scriptures What they bee in partieular I am ashamed to speake If you bee ashamed so much as to name them then I perceiue you take no great liking of them neither doe you meane to entertaine them And therefore I answere in fewe wordes they shall not be able to hurt you Psalme 66.28 If I regard wickednes in my heart saith the Prophet God wil not heare me He doth not say if there be any wickednesse at all in my heart or anie thought of wickednesse For who can say It is one thing to haue euil thoghts and another to like of them and delight in them my heart is cleane but if I regard wickednes that is if I delight in it or meane to nourish it within me then I am sure the Lord will not heare my prayer nor shew me any fauour But as if the Prophet should say and as I am sure you doe say that is farre from me to take delight in any such vngodlie and blasphemous thoughts yea so farre as I am not more greeued for any thing then for this that any such thought should come into my minde And therefore hee and you and you as well as he may bee vndoubtedly perswaded the Lord will neither reiect you nor your prayers which in Christ his name you shall offer vp vnto him And whereas you thinke it so strange to haue so euill thoughts to arise in your minde and that you are perswaded there are no moe so tempted beside your selfe I answere vpon mine owne knowledge you are therein greatlie deceiued There bée manie who are euen as much troubled with the same or with as euill And this I dare auouch The most godly are not free from euill thoughts that the most godlie are not free but are subiect vnto most vngodly thoughts Rom. 3.10 and psal 51.5 although they yeeld not vnto them First because they as well as others doe carrie with them a cursed corrupt nature which is the roote from whence all euill springeth Secondly because they haue such an enemie as will not spare to tempt them to the greatest euill yea to this Iob tempted to curse God not in his heart but with his mouth Iob 1.7 then the which there can be nonegreater namelie to curse God as the iust and holy man Iob was tempted But as that good man withstoode the temptation so doe they fight against euerie euill motion and are preserued Yet there is one thing more concerning euil thoughts which is that you can not be rid of them but that euer and anone they come into your minde To this I answere 1. Pet. 2 1â— that the sooner you checke them and the more strongly you resist them the sooner a great deale shall you bee rid of them First you must resist for Iam. 4.7 resist the deuil and he will flie from you And heere marke that this resistance must be by the word and by praier The ready way to be rid of euill thoughts is to resist them Secondlie you must resist egerlie and speedilie And therefore as Dauid hasted to fight against Goliah 1. Sam. 7.48 and with courage slang a stone so hard that it stacke fast in the foreheade of the vncircumcised Philistim so must you speedilie strike at euerie such thought so soone as you shall perceiue the same to put out his head and once to arise in your minde And as Iesus Christ being tempted of the diuell to fall downe and worship him Matth. 4.10 at the same instant gaue him his answere saying auoid Sathan so must you giue them a present answere and send them packing to the diuell of hell from whence they come and whither you are in all haste to returne them If when you haue vone what you can you finde your selfe too weake for them that they be too hard a great deale for you then turne your captaine Christ Iesus to them who hath so fullie conquered for you as that howsoeuer they shall assault you continuallie and manie times foile you yet shall they neuer get the full victorie ouer you but you in your captaine shal be more then a conquerour ouer them and all the rest of your deadlie enemies Rom. 8.37 for Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes Rom. 4.25 and rose againe for our iustification To him therefore be glorie for euer and euer Amen Thus you haue the pledge of my good will towards you manie others which I haue not done to exclude ame grace or blessing of comfort which you may receiue in greater measure from your owne godly pastor most careful of your estate but that you may more highly account of so excellent graces of God in him And that what soeuer is wanting in this my poore treatise may by him bee more fullie supplied FINIS
worldly things but dung in comparison thereof did that word I say neuer speake peaceablie to your conscience by the holy ministerie did 〈◊〉 neuer giue you assurance and ioy in the holy Ghost did it neuer worke such sweete comfort as no worldly ioy could be like vnto it did you neuer heare such a sermon from your owne godly and carefull pasâ—or or from any other that you haue said at your comming home you would not for all the worlds good but you had heard it because it was so sweete and comfortable did you neuer speake that worde from the true feeling of the heart which might warrant your soule that you are in Christ Iesus If this worde hath had this gracious and powerfull worke in your soule as I am fully perswaded it hath Ephes 4.30 and your selfe cannot denie it for if you doe beside the great wrong you offer your own soule you trespasse against that spirit whereby you haue bene sealed vnto the day of redemption then know assuredly you are so graâ—â—ed into that body of Christ Iesus Gods loue is euerlasting and â—â—changeable as nothing shall be able to seperate you from that loue which the Lord your God beareth you in his deare Sonne in whome hee hath so loued you once Iohn 13.1 as hee must needes loue you for euer And that bicause the Euangelist saith whome hee loues he loues to the end For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Againe Rom. 11.29 God is not as man that hee should lie Num. 23.19 neither as the sonne of man that hee should repent Hath he saide and shall he not do it and hath he spoken it and shall hee not accomplish it No be you well assured and write vpon it 1. Sam. 15.29 that the strength of Israel wil not lie nor repent For as the apostle Iames saith Iam. 1.17 with him there is no variablenesse nor shadowing by turning Let these and such like places be alwais in your remembrance and giue your selfe vnto the continuall meditation thereof For they shall stand you in great stead if you can call them to minde when your temptations shal assaile you with greatest streÌ„gth And forget not Therefore reade them often and continually that you may alwayes haue them at your fingers end often to thinke of such excellent places as that is which you find written in the eight chapter of the Epistle written to the Romanes and the sixe and thirtieth verse after this manner What shal separat vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword c. No I am persuaded that neither death nor life angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. And full sweet to this purpose are those words of the holie prophet Dauid Psal 34.18 19. The Lorde is neere vnto them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth him out of them all Psal 30.5 Againe weeping may abide at euening but ioy commeth in the morning But you finde no such matter you saie for this trouble of minde hath holden you not onelie nights and daies but weekes and moneths yea and yeeres and yet you can finde no ease nor comfort Be it so yet bee not therefore out of heart for the longer it bee before you haue ease the more welcome it shal be when it commeth And to this purpose are the wordes of the Wise-man where hee saieth The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart but when the desire commeth it is a tree of life Lastly let the words of Eliphas the Temanite be fast bound vnto your soule which you shall find thus reported in the booke of Iob the fist chapter 17 18 19. verses Beholde blessed is the man whome God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the correction of the Almightie For hee maketh the wound and bindeth it vp hee smiteth and his handes make whole Hee shall deliuer thee in sixe troubles and in the seauenth the euill shall not touch thee The summe drift of all that which hath bin set downe from the beginning to this present place is to encourage you concerning the maner of your affliction which though it be very sharp bitter to the flesh because no chastisement for the present seemeth to be ioyous but greeuous Hebr. 12.11 A principal coâ—fort for the afflicted soule yet there is a time when it shall bring the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them that are exercised thereby In regard hereof Moses the man of God saith Deut. 8.16 that the Lord humbled his owne chosen people and prooued them that hee might doe them good at their latter ende And truely in my poore iudgement you may gather more vndoubted assurance of Gods euerlasting fauour towards your soule by these inward afflictions Afflictions better tokens of Gods loue then riches and prosperitie then by any outward prosperitie of anie worldly blessing whatsoeuer whether it be of health of riches or such like And that because in these your afflictions you are most like vnto your head Christ Iesus Hebr. 1.2 who though hee were the right sonne and heire of the whole world yet had hee not a house to hide his head in Matth. 8.10 as himselfe confesseth Hebr. 2.10 But it pleased the Father seeing hee would bring manie children vnto glorie to consecrate the prince of their saluation through afflictions Now as the holy Apostle reasoneth â— Tim. 2.11 12. This is a true saying if we be dead with him we shal also liue with him If we suffer with him we shal also reigne with him To be short the Holy ghost saith Act. 14.22 That we must by many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God And once againe Rom. 8.28 Those whom he knew before hee also predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne that he might be the first-borne among many brethren So that you may wel perceiue you are not thus farre forth any whit out of your way but you keepe the rode Afflictions the highway to heauen euen the good way which leaveth you as streight as a line vnto the kingdome of heauen And therefore as no traueller who keepes his right way and knowes it wil be sory but very glad because he trusteth to come to that place where his desire is to abide so no more cause haue you to be grieued but rather to reioyce because you know you walke in the streight path which shal bring you to that place of your abode where you would so faine be and where you shal abide most blessed and happie for euer Thus much haue I thought good to offer
may bee sure to find more fauour You reade in the Gospell of Saint Luke the seuenth chapter Marie Magdalen a notorious and knowne sinner from the thirtie and sir verse vnto the end of the chapter of Marie Magdalen and of her behauiour being a woman not only vehementlie suspected of lewde life but openlie knowne for a common harlot and generallie so taken as may appeare by the wordes of Simon the Pharisie who receiuing Jesus Christ into his house Luke 7.38 〈◊〉 The hypocrisiâ—â— Pharisie is offended with Christ thought neuerâ— deale the better but much the worse of him because hee suffered so bad a woman to come so neare him but especially to lay any hande vpon him as to wash his feete with her teares and to wipe them with the haires of her head to kisse his feet and to annoint them with aintment Aâ—this notwithstanding 1 Iesus Christ likes Maries doings marke what marueylous great mercie Jesus Christ shewes to this so wretched and sinfull 〈◊〉 man First he takes in very good part whatsoeuer she had done vnto him whereas Simon looked he should not onhaue shewed his great disâ—iking of her dealing but to haue shaken her vp that roundly for her sawtines to come so neare him without his loue and leaue Secondly he is so farre off from misliking her behaniour in that present action 2 Christ coÌ„meâ— Maries reareâ— more then 〈◊〉 mons great 〈◊〉 dinner that hee doth highly commend her to Simon and that after so special a maner that he giues him to vnderstand he takes better liking of her kindnesse then of all the great prouision which he had made for him because whatsocuer she did she did it with an vpright heart towards him and in a sincere loue for the good of her own soule Thirdly for the ease of her heart 3 Aâ—â—ies sinnes â—â—giuen her which nowe was grieuously tormented for her wicked life past as appeared by the abundance of teares she powred out hee saith to Simon in her hearing Luke 7.47.4 that many sinnes were forgiuen her Fourthly that she might take better hold of his wordes 4 Christ speakes particularly to Marie for her comfort and apply them to her selfe for the comfort of her owne soule he turnes his speach particularly vnto her and saith in more speciall manner Verse 48.50 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee Lastly that she might depart a ioyfull and blessed woman indeed wanting nothing which might make for the peace of her conscience 5 Maries happie farewell Verse 50. he giues her a most sweet farewell saying Go in peace Now let mee reason a little with you The application of the first example concerning this woman can you when you haue strained out your sinnes to the vttermost make your selfe as bad as this woman No you cannot you may not you dare not For how dare you staunder your owne selfe Applie the plaister to the sore that your soule may haue ease when it is not any way lawfull to staunder another and if you bee bound to tender the good name of your brother as well as your owne then it must needes follow you are by nature most bound to tender your owne If then you cannot denie but you are by great ovs outmatched in this example shew me what sound reason you can bring to proue why Iesus Christ should not entreat you as kindly shew you as much fauour as he she wed to Mary especially when as your sins euen by your own confessiou are neither so notorious nor so apparant and open in outward transgressions to be seene and iudged by the world as hers were The teares you shed are not spile for the Lord hath put them all into his bottell And yet for all that your teares as manie your hart as much tormented with sorow your kindnesse as great to Christ in his members and your desire as great to be whollie his at his commaundement Did he regard her and will he reiect you did he not shew her a hard countenance and will hee looke sowrelie vpon you did not she let so much as anie one teare fall in vaine did her teares moue him to compassion and doe you thinke he will not haue pitie vpon you put vp all your teares into his bottell Psal 56.8 were many sinnes forgiuen her and can any of your sins be vnpardoned was her faith strong to saue her and shall your faith want strength to saue you did Christ for a farewell bid her go in peace and wil he send you away emptie without peace No verelie If you thinke so you thinke much amisse and therfore such a thought must not depart without som â—ue chastisement A familiar resemblance Suppose there is a man of so great wealth that hee knowes no â—â—de of his goodes And suppose that this man hath many debters which owe him verie great summes of money As for example some owe him thousands some hundreds and some many scores of pounds Amongst them al there is one poore man who owes him twentie pounds which hee is no way able to pay nor anie pente thereof if hee should bee east in prison and lie there till he rot If this great rich man shall cause a proclamation to be made that all and euerie one of his debters should come to him and he will frankly and freely forgiue them all although the debt were neuer so great vpon this condition that they will confesse and acknowledge the debt to bee due whether it were more or lesse If the poore man should come in among the rest of the debters and confesse himself to owe him such a summe as I haue named He that forgiues a great debt will readily forgiue a small lay forth his pouertie and therewithall humbly vpon his knees with teares beseech him to shewe some fauour toward himâ—â— should not he in this case haue good hope to be forgiuen especially if before his face he should see one to haue thousands forgiuen for a word of his mouth Labour to apply if you desire to haue comfort These things concerne you verie nearly and therefore I am so much the rather to intreat you not to make wash way of them but as they do nearely concerne you and your good so to lay them neare vnto your heart by reuerent meditation that your soule may finde a gracious and comfortable blessing A second example of the great rebellion of Israel The second example whereof I would haue you to make diligent consideration is written in the first chapter of the prophet Esay and the eighteenth vers where the Lord makes a maruellous large offer of great mercy vnto a people who had highly offended him I meane the people of Israel To these Israelites in most louing maner the Lord speaketh Come saith he Esai 1.18 let vs reason togither though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white
the cleaner it is and the oftner golde is put into the fining-pat the more pure and excellent it is To this end therefore are you fined after this manner that the triall of your faith being much more precious then golde that perisheth 1. Pet. 1.7 though it bee tried with fire might bee found vnto your praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ Now I come to answere a fourth obiection of yours The fourth obiection and answere concerning praier That you cannot pray What can you not pray at all can yee neuer pray Yes you thanke God for his mercie you can pray sometimes but neither so often nor so zealously as you desire and as your neede enforceth you Sometimes you pray Cold praier better then no praier but verie coldlie and with verie little or no feeling Sometime you pray more earnestly and for all that you find small comfort And sometimes though you doe what you can you can not praie for your life This is as I knowe by some wofull experience a verie iust and true complaint yet I remember when I demanded whether you could praie at anie time you could not denie but you could pray sometime and I am persuaded with good feeling and sweete comfort to your soule Whereupon I proue once againe to your conscience that you haue a true faith vnto saluation because prayer is an vndoubted and plaine fruit of a liuely faith Rom. 1â— 13. accompanied with euerlasting saluation for whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Praier is not a common gift Prayer no common but a speciall gist giuen to the elect common to all but a speciall gift proper onlie to the elect as faith and repentance The Apostle saieth All men haue not faith 2. Thessalon 3.2 so say I all men haue not the gift to pray A wicked man can not pray because he can not beleeue for praier is a most excellent fruit of faith The vngodly haue not this gift in truth or in any good measure howsoeuer they haue many other excellent gifts of wisdome councell learning yet they want this which the Prophet doth plainly auouch saying of them that they call not vpon God as though he should say they do many other things but they doe not this and no maruell for indeede they cannot because they want that spirite which should teach them to pray for the spirit helpeth our infirmities and praieth in vs yea this same spirite of sanctification which hath wrought a gracious measure of Faith and Repentaunce in your heart hath taught you also to pray and to take so great delight therein that you are glad when you can pray your selfe or can be partaker with others when they pray But you say sometimes you cannot pray at all Praier is not a common gift and therefore you doubt your selfe very much The godly cannot alwayes pray as they would If you could pray when you would and as you would beare with my plainnesse for I speake from the feeling of mine owne heart you would be proude you would thinke it were but a gift of nature in your owne power and no gift of God so should God loose his glorie so should you soone forget the right vse of a notable blessing and forget also to be thankfull Nowe you haue it but seldome or not so often as you would your selfe you knowe from whome you receiue it and when you haue it you vse it with more reuerence and make more account of it you take more ioy in it and when you want it you groane to God for it the more earnestly It is verie needefull and much for your profit The want of many blessings and graces is very needefull and profitable that the Lord would excuse the best of his seruants with the want of manie blessings and graces both for their bodies and soules 1 To be sicke It is good some times to be sicke that we may knowe how good a thing it is to enioy the benefit of health 2 Hungerbitten It is good sometimes to be hungerbitten that our meate may be the more sauourie that we may be the more thankfull for our foode that we may receiue and vse it more reuerently and the more willingly releeue such as stand in neede It is good for vs some nights to be abridged of our naturall sleepe 3 To want sleepe that we may know thereby Psal 127.2 that it is the Lord who giues rest vnto his beloued It is verie meete we should sometimes be troubled in conscience 4 To haue a troubled concience Peace of conscience a pretious blessing that we may knowe how precious a blessing that is aboue all others to enioy the peace of conscience and to labour aboue all things to attaine to it and to maintaine the same It is good for vs sometimes to be cleane to seeke hawe to praie that when we can praie we may be the more humble reuerent and thankful But if you like to stand vpon this point to vrge the same against your selfe I will as in the sight of God to his glorie and mine owne shame confesse the truth vnto you as it is with me in this thing I haue more cause a thousand fold to doubt my selfe herein then you haue by reason of the great calling which the Lord hath layed vpon me being a minister and teacher of the word Therefore the Lord be mercifull vnto me a wretched sinner For my wicked euill heart is so narow and baren in prayer that many times I cannot pray at all And this fals out not onelie in my priuate meditations betweene God and mine owne soule but in my dailie prayers with my houshold wherein I haue beene forced for the most part to vse This hath beene in former time now through Gods grace it is otherwise yet perfourmed in great weakenesse and with many wants besides some speciall exercise an other way sufficient to abate the pride of my heart and to keepe me vnder and that almost word for word a short prayer which I haue set downe in a short Cathechisme for the helpe and furtherance of such as are vnder my charge And if vpon some speciall occasion offered I indeuour my selfe to pray otherwise it is such poore drie naked and sillie stuffe both for words and matter that after I haue prayed I am a great while maruelously tormented in conscience And I should be vtterly ashamed that you or any other should come within the hearing of my babling praiers And assuredlie were it not that I felt some more gracious assistance from the Lord in those prayers which are offered vp in my publike ministerie I could haue small assurance of Gods louing fauour towardes mee This I confesse according to the truth that you may know you are no more alone in this point than in the former and to intreate you to pray for me following the good aduise
of the holie apostle Saint Iames who counselleth vs Iames 5.16 to confesse our sinnes one to an other and to pray for one an other But alas say you how should I pray for you True praier is not a set order of fine wordes when I can not pray for my selfe If you cannot pray in set wordes and in fine order can you not therefore pray at all can you not sigh and groane inwardly in the true feeling of your soul as one that is so greatly oppressed with griefe that he hath not a tongue to vtter that which he hath within his minde If you can sigh and grone after this maner be of good comfort For you haue learned long since from some of your faithful teachers who haue many times soundlie taught this point from the word of God and that of purpose for the relief of weake consciences that you pray verie effectuallie Your sighes are prayers which the spirite from whom they proceed vnderstandeth right well yea although there is not so much as anie one worde vttered to expresse them Wordes are for our vnderstanding that we may thereby knowe one anothers meaning But the hoke spirite which is our comfortable schoolemaister and searcheth the deepe things of God knowes our meaning and thoughts before we speake yea although we speake not at all For as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 139.2 He knowes our thoughts long before And the Apostle saith the spirite helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed These sighes breaking out violentlie from the consciences of the godlie The sighes of the Godlie are acceptable prayers are prayers and loude cryes acceptable tâ— the Lord and pearcing deepelie into his eares as appeares in Exodus 14.15 Where the Lorde demaundeth of Moses why hee cryed so vnto him whereas the wordes of the Text make no mention of anie one worde hee spake or vttered I pray you tell mee this one thing A similie if the childe of your owne bodie whom you loue dearelie and which is vnto you as your owne soule shall be sicke and being full of paine shall moane him selfe vnto you tell you howe sicke hee is where his paine doth holde him and shall entreate you euen as you loue him to doe what you can to ease him will you not doe it both willinglie and readilie yea will you not doe whatsoeuer you are able euerie kinde of way for the ease of your deare dearling But if his paine shall encrease and grewe so great that it takes awaie his speech so as bee is not able to speake a worde but to fetch deepe sighes and to moane himselfe vnto you by most greeuous groanes will not these groanes pearce your heart more deepelie and cause the bowels of compassion to yerne in you more stronglie to straine your selfe euen to the vttermost of all your power to affoorde him as much comfort as is possible both by your selfe by others shall the groning of your child worke great pitie in you and shall not the the mightie groanes of your poore sicke soul moue the Lord your God to greater compassion The Lord exceedeth al men in goodnesse and compassion and therefore will heare and helpe you readily If in such a case you will be so readie to heare and helpe know you for certentie the Lord will be more readie to heare and helpe whensoeuer you shall in the anguish of your soule groane vnto him For looke how farre he exceeds you and all other in goodnesse so farre also doth he exceede you and all other in mercie and compassion Beside all this there is no sacrifice more acceptable in the sight of God then the sighes and groanes of a troubled minde Psalm 51.17 The sighes of the spirit aâ—e to be regarded For so saith the Prophet The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Therefore make as good account of the groanes and sighes of the spirit as of any prayer you can make euen in the best words you can deuise And for a farewell of this matter remember that the godlie and good king Ezekias Ezekias could not pray but chatter could not in smooth and fine wordes poure out his prayers before the Lord in his great sicknesse but chatter like a swallow or a â—rane as hee confesseth of himselfe Esa 38.14 Consider also that the poore Publican being ashamed of himselfe The Publican prayed feruently but saide little by reason of his sinnes and feareing to lift his eies toward heauen could not deliuer his minde at large in fit and choise words but with much paine Lu. 18.9 10 c. at the last he breakes forth after this manner O God be mercifull to me a sinner Neuerthelesse our Sauiour Christ giueth sentence on his side that he went home more iustified then the proud Pharisie who had both words and winde at will Your fist obiection doth thus offer it selfe That you cannot leaue sinne The fist obiection and answere of leauing sinne And that which doth more trouble you you cannot leaue those sinnes which you haue vowed to leaue but you fall againe into them First you reason thus against your selfe that you can not leaue sinne No maruell Sinne cleapes too fast to our nature to part with it in haâ—â—e for although you be one of Godes saintes and haue receiued the spirit of sanctification in measure to fight the Lords battels against sinne and hell yet are you no Angell in this world so as you can altogether ceasse to sinne because you carrie and shall carrie vnto your graue a bodie and soule subiect to sinne Therfore you must fight this battel euen so long as you haue breath and life This enemie of yours is so strong No perfect conquest ouer sinne vntill death that he will neuer be fullie ouercome vntill you haue ouermastred him by death And then you shall haue a full and perfect conquest ouer him and all your enemies In the meane time plucke vp a good heart gird you fast with all your Christian armour Christian coâ—â—age and armor put on your complete harnesse and euerie part thereof as you finde it set down in the sirâ— chap. of the Epistle written to the Ephesians Ephe. 6.13 14 c. take your weapon in one hand I meane the sworde of the spirite and your buckler in the other that is to say the shield of faith Lay about you lustily with all the strength and cunning you haue Yea bee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And fear not the issue Be carefull to fight Christ his â—attell and feare not the issue although you latch and catch many a sore blowe no though you be foiled and wounded because you haue a valiant captaine Christ Iesus your Samour who hath alreadie himselfe gotten
the victorie for you and who will not shrinke one foote from you vntil such time as you also haue gotten the victorie For in all these things wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. Rom. 8.37 And that you may haue the more courage to fight this field without fainting vnderstand thus much All the faithfull doe fight one and the same battell that all the faithfull doe ioyne hands with you to fight out this battell The holie Apostle Paule had receyued a great measure of sanctification aboue manie thousandes of Gods children yet could not hee get the full mastrie ouer sinne but that full sore against his will to his hearts griefe hee fell into it Therefore with sorrow of soule hee complaines in the seuenth Chapter to the Râ—mames Rom. 7.19 That the good which he would he did not Paule fought a bloâ—die field with sinne but the euill which hee would not that did hee And that it may be well vnderstoode that this was not onelie a sharpe hote skirmish for a short fit but a set battle to continue to the ende of his life you may reade howe after sundrie and diuerse greeuous complaints of his owne weakenesse and of the strength of sinne as a man that is wearie of his life for no cause but this onely that he could not leaue sinne hee breakes out into these wordes of great passion Vâ—â—se 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Poul could not â—eaue sinne as he desired In which speech he doth bewray two things First that hee could not leaue sinning although it was his whole studie and the onelie thing among manie which he most earnestlie desired Therefore he calles himselfe a wretched man because he carries about a bodie of sinne and death Secondly that hee had as longing a desire to cease from sin as any man could haue And therefore hee asketh this question Who shall deliuer me Nowe tell me I beseech you is it not thus with you The godly would saine leaue sinne and so would you with all your heart Would you not faine leaue sinne if you could and that with all your heart are you not wearie of it and sore grieued for it Must it not needes bee thus because you complaine so greatly you can not leaue sinne You sinne in deede but not willingly nor of set purpose â—say 5.18 you drawe not sinne vnto you with cart ropes as the wicked doe but you are violentlie drawne by the furie and violence of sinne The godly sinne 〈◊〉 willingly as the wicked You hunt not after iniquitie to pursue and followe after it with the intisements thereof But sinne hunts and pursues you till you haue lost both winde and strength and so it may bee you are manie times taken prisoner In which case you are no more to bee blamed then a Souldiour who in battell is full sore agaynst his will taken prisoner of his enemie which thing is most manifest to your owne conscience because when you are taken and you perceiue it you behaue your selfe as a man which is fallen into his enemies hande For your heart is greeued â—â—d your soule wonderfully troubled your sâ—eepe departeth from you you can eate no meate that doeth you good you take no pleasure in anie worldlie thing there is no mirth in you but you are all heauie and sad If you bee in companie where you are prouoked to bee merrie you laugh but for companie for it is but from the teeth forwarde To bee short so long as you are holden captiue of anie sinne you are wearie of your life Therefore all your studie is howe you maie breake off the fetters of sinne The godly study how to breake off the fetters of sinne and bee deliuered whereto you applie all your wit power cunning and skill And if through the great goodnesse of God you get anie aduauntage to escape there was neuer anie fowle more glad of a faire day or bird that hath broken out of the fowlers net more ioyfuil then you are of so happie deliuerance And when you are deliuered you are euer afterwards more carefull a great deale that you fall not againe into your enimies hand Againe you make not a trade of sinne The wicked do trade in sinne to follow it dayly and houreâ—â—e as the workers of imquitie Mat. 7.23 who follow it as carefully and continually as any man followes his occupation whereby hee must liue Ps 1.2.3 But the trade which you follow and the way wherein you walke with delight is the continuall meditation of the lawe of God with an earnest desire to practise it in your whose conuersation Coloss 3.2 Your minde and affections are not set vpon the earth but vppon heauen and vpon those things which may bring you to heauen It is better with you then you thinke for and therefore be thankfull and â—heere vp your heart in the Lord. Therefore in the true acknowledgement of Gods great mercy towards you you may with peace to your soule saie with the Apostle Paul in the seuenth chapter to the Romans and the fiue and twentieth verse I thanke God through our Lord Iesus Christ because in my mind I serue the lawe of God although in the flesh that is in that part which is vnregenerate I serue the lawe of sinne Touching that other point namely that you fall often and againe into that sin which you haue vowed neuer to coÌ„mit againe It is no wonder in this corruption to sinne often in the same sinne for as much as the same is against your wil through great infirmitie and not of anie set purpose although I wish you in anie wise to be as carefull as may be therein and to vse all good and holie meanes of watching ouer your affections and auoiding all those occasions All good meanes must be vsed against euerie sinne whereby you may bee drawen forward into aâ—e the least sinne by praying fasting and such like holie exercises whereby you may be better strengthened against all assaultes of sinne yet would I not haue you to discourage your selfe too much with the consideration thereof Consider wisellâ— and apply with reuerence For this you knowe that one which walketh in a supperie way or vpon ice may against his will yea though hee looke neuer so well to his feete not onelie take the first but the second and the third fall yea manie falles notwithstanding that he thinketh to set his foote maruelous sure Abraham although hee was the father of the faithfull Abraham fell more than once into one sinne and for his godlinesse highlie commended in the Scripture yet through great weakenesse lyed first in Egypt to Pharao in denying Sarah to be his wife These examples are to comfort such as woulde leaue sinne and not to encourage any to liue in sinne Genesis the twelfth chapter and thirteenth verse Againe hee