haue the silence of God first in regard of the first death the Lord did not presently depriue him of all the goods of bodie whether internall or externall Internall first in the sense of his nakednesse it pleased God to couer him in the losse of his created maiestie wherein stood his shame it pleased God a little to releeue him for the beauty of his bodie it pleased God not to make him altogether deformed for the health of his body not presently to make him wearie of his life leauing him to dangers filling him with diseases and setting the footsteps of death in him Againe for the externall goods of bodie seruing for honestie and necessitie were not presently remooued for first hee left him some dominion ouer the creatures some honour and friendship amongst themselues Lastly for goods whereby his life was maintained some releife from the earth though with his labour and the sweat of his browes from among thornes and briers some from the creatures first cloathing secondly possession though in the first was his shame and in the second calamitie and losse Thus was the Lord silent with man in regard of the first death onely concerning the incoation of it but when the perfection came then the voice of the Lord breakes out as he did to the rich man This night shall thy soule out of thy bodie thy body to the dust and thy goods to their owners Secondly for his silence in regard of the second death first in the incoation of it and that in regard of the conscience or some extraordinarie iudgement in regard of the conscience not presently the extremitie of horror and feare whereby man flieth from God and hides himselfe nor dead securitie whereby there is no sense of hel but desperate searing vp of the conscience Lastly the Lord is silent a long time before hee bring some extraordinarie iudgement vpon them as he did vpon Baltashar Saul Ahithophel Hammon Iudas and this is Gods silence with wicked men in regard of the second death but when the perfection is come the Lord breakes his silence and saies my creature away from me packe into hell where I will roare vpon thee as a lyon for euer So then it plainely appeares that God is onely silent in regard of mans miserie in the incoation of the first and second death Indeede prophane men restraine Gods silence to an other obiect to wit their sinnes and hypocrits to their good actions Isa 59.3 We haue fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Lastly the Saints to their troubles and afflictions wherin they thinke the Lord is too silent and too slow in hearing of their cries but all these three haue brought in an obiect about which the Lords silence can not be conuersant for wicked men haue the Lord alwaies calling by his word to forewarne them of their sinnes and hypocrites blaspheme against God in saying he regardeth not goodnes and the children of God haue forgotten the consolation which speaketh vnto them as vnto children Heb. 12.5 My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him And thus haue we cleared the point by the word of God The Rhetoricke is this first these things for these doings secondly these doings for these sinnes thirdly these sinnes for the deferring of the punishment of these sinnes for in that is the Lord silent Concerning the Logicke the arguments are the subiect and the adiunct wherein is contained an agreement of reasons and therefore we may take notice how the Lord out of sinne a deadly enemie vnto his will can frame himselfe an obiect wherein he will delight from whence the obseruation riseth that the Lord hath great respect vnto the miserie of man Observ God that is holy in all his waies and such a God that wills no iniquitie is able in the excellencie of his wisdome to see something in sinne which shall mooue him to pitie and compassion euen that which the creature feeleth not the Lord laies it vnto his heart for Gen. 3.22 the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill c. is not an Ironie but a kind of pitie and sorrow for the miserie of man and therefore we find in the Scripture phrase that the Lord is mooued with good to loue it with sinne to hate it and miserie to pitie it Reasons 1. Gods creation he loues the worke of his owne hands and it pities him to see it any waies out of order Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord that he made man in the earth and he was sorie in his heart 2. Reas Mans miserie Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaie striue with man because he is but flesh Gen. 8.21 I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause for the imaginations of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Psal 78.38 39. Yet he beeing mercifull forgaue their iniquities and destroyed them not but of times called backe his anger and did not stirre vp all his wrath for he remembred that they were flesh yea a wind that passeth away and commeth not againe 3. Reason his promise Act. 13.18 About the time of fourtie yeares suffered he their manners in the wildernes because of his couenant Psal 105. where all the good that he did vnto his people is brought in by reason of the couenant and promise that he made with Abraham sware vnto Izhak confirmed vnto Iaakob and left it to Israel for an euerlasting couenant 4. Reason is the measure of sinne which the Lord will suffer to be made vp Gen. 15.16 For the sinnes of the Amorites is not yet full 1. Vse reprehension First confutation of wicked mens conceits of the silence of God thinking that all is well with them as long as they heare of no messengers from the Lord of hosts alas it is the miserie of their sinnes that mooues the Lord a little to pitie them and therefore small cause to conceiue so highly of Gods mercie Indeede it were well if they would magnifie God in this his mercie by humbling of themselues and confessing the long abuse of his silence but they on the contrarie set vp themselues and confidently beleeue that they shall neuer be mooued Againe this confuteth the hypocrite that takes the silence of the Lord for the approbation of his thoughts words and actions when alas all is but a silence at his sinne and a pitying of his miserie the Lord can not but be angrie with them because they draw him into a league of iniquitie dishonour him before men and conceiue amisse of him in thēselues Lastly it confutes all despisers of the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long suffering hauing no knowledge how the bountifulnes of God should lead them to repentance and therefore after the hardnes of their hearts heape vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Secondly a correction of the godly in the want of Christian
sea yet thither shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Secondly for the circumstance of time v. 11. If I say yet the darknes shall hide me euen the night shall be light about thee yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light are both alike Here is no plea that olde things are out of date and sinnes committed many yeares agoe are forgotten of the Lord for be sure that the sinne of Cain in murthering of his brother is as freshly bleeding in the presence of God as the sin thou hast committed this day so that neither time past present or to come will helpe vs at all with the Lord. Thirdly for the circumstance of persons he knoweth all by their names Psal 147.4 therefore no companie shall excuse thee Indeede in the world multitudo peccantium tollit poenam peccati when multitudes sinne then mens lawes dare not execute yet be sure with the Lord he that runnes with a multitude to doe euill shal be sure to be punished with them Neither great men nor rich men shall be able to rescue vs out of the hands of God therefore the point is cleare that the Lords knowledge is most exact in all particulars 1. Vse is reprehension first confutation of the wicked that are ashamed to doe that in the presence of men which they dare most impudently doe before God surely hee is able to iudge more exactly of our offences then any man therefore if we labour to keepe our selues secret from the eyes of men how should we not tremble to sinne before God Secondly correction of the godly that doe not alwaies set themselues in the presence of God but sometimes take libertie to slip into the wayes of their owne hearts thinking that this is but a small sinne and therefore the Lord will be mercifull to me in this thing neuer considering the puritie of the Lord and the brightnesse of his glorie which is alwayes shining round about them 2. Vse instruction first an admonition to the wicked that beat their fellow feruants because their master deferreth his coÌ„ming let them take heed for he will come at vnawares vpon them and let them blush for shame seeing that mens scruants here vpon earth hearing that their master approacheth betake themselues to their worke although before they were at their sports idle recreations we know that schoole-boies in the absence of their master leaue their seats spread themselues abroad yet the verie voyce of venit magister the master comes presently makes euery one hastily betake himselfe vnto his seat Shall then man bee so bold as to dare to leaue his place betake himselfe to his owne pleasure when the verie eye of his God lookes vpon him surely nothing is more obuious vnto our eye then this which argueth that the world is very destitute of the feare of God Secondly this may be a driection to the godly to examine them-selues in all their particular carriages Thus Dauid deales with his soule vpon the consideration of Gods excellent knowledge Psal 139. to the ende first a pretious estimation of it 17 18. how deare how great what account to make vp the summe all is too short yet this will he aime at when he awakes he will still be with God Indeede in the violence of passion Dauid may make warre a pretense to excuse Vrias death but yet Psal 51. it shall cause him vtter many a bitter word heauie sighs and euen water his couch with teares The second is the manifestation of his zeale 1. in his loue of the maiestie of God v. 19 20.2 of his hatred to the wicked that dishonour God v. 21 22. See them both Oh that thou wouldest slay O God the wicked and bloody men to whome I say depart ye from me which speake wickedly of thee and beeing thine enemies are lifted vp in vaine I hate them I contend with them as with mine vtter enemies The 3. his confidence v. 23. Trie me O God and know my heart prooue me and know my thoughts consider if there be any way of wickednes in me and lead me in thy way for euer This consideration can not but haue powerfull operations in the hearts of Christians fire all that is within them let vs see it in a few of Dauids affections in the Psalmes breathing zeale out of euery pipe How doe I loue thy law O Lord more then the hony or the hony combe Loue. more then thousands of siluer and gold Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred Hatted Thy testimonies are my delight Ioy. I reioyce more in them then they that finde great spoyles more then in my appointed foode Mine eyes gush out riuers of teares Griefe Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares because they destroy thy law Mine eyes are dimme with waiting Hope how doe I long for thy saluation Thy iudgements are terrible Feare I tremble and quake Looke what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes vpon his dearest darling what vnsatiable thirst the couetous worldling vpon his mammon the ambitious vpon his honour the volupâ—uous vpon his pleasure the same the Christian striueth in equall yea if possible farre exceding in as much as the more pure the heart is the more actiue we shall finde it Zeale is to the soule that which the spirits are to the bodie wine to the spirits putting vigour and agilitie into them be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit an excellent Antithesis the soule may be filled with this zeale and yet neuer exceede As wings to the foule as wheeles to the chariot as sailes to the shippe wind to the sailes courage to the soldier mettell to the horse and dust to make the earth fruitfull so is zeale as wings to the soule to flie aboue earthly and worldly cogitations as wheeles not to goe but runne the wayes of Gods Commandements as sayles to driue vs with a plerophorie vnto God This makes vs fight and puts mettle into vs yet must we take heede how we meddle with this fire least wee heape coales vpon our owne heads and bring an ill sauour vpon all â—ur seruice as Nadab and Abihu beeing vnsanctified Aguish and distempered heats are farre remote from the radicall nay an enemie vnto it and the verie causes of sickenesse and death a very empericke may iudge of them For first some of these are deepely sicke of the Pharisaicall humour they ioue more to be seene of men then God and yet God wil see them the best as Iâ—hu Come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hosts These trumpets praise them before men but shame theÌ„ before God An aguish or consuming heat by his flushings is seene more in the face then the naturall heat that warmeth the heart In wisdome and skill artis est celare artem hiding of art is the best art so hidden zeale is often the
ouershot my selfe with God in forgetting his long silence if ought crosse my corrupt nature I haue griefe at will if I haue broken a day and not kept touch with men I would not looke them in the face if my seruant haue loytered he blusheth and is ashamed to come before me and shall not I change my countenance if I were displeased my affections would come afore they were sent for but when God is displeased euen for the abuse of his mercies I can not haue my affections although I would send many a messenger for them so ponderous is my corruption which presseth downe that vnlesse Habour by a better spirit I shall neuer giue the Lord the answer of his mercies Let vs therefore helpe our selues a little at these dead lifts first with some rules to ouerwrastle them secondly with some motiues to blow vp our deuotion Consider therefore for the first rule how little we are bound vnto the flesh Rom. 8.13 If ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye a heauie reward for a flauish seruice but on the other hand for the second rule see how we are debt-bound vnto the spirit But if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the Spirit ye shal liue From these two rules we haue motiues innumerable and inualuable to praise the silence and mercie of God for what a miserie would it haue bin to haue bin debt-bound to the flesh which rewardeth with nothing but hell death and damnation therefore happie soules that haue cast off this yoke and againe what a ioy and felicitie to be vnder the yoke of Christ and debt-bound to his spirit we neede no more to make vs sing ioyfully vnto the Lord. But alas sinnefull passions preuent our wills and come as we say of foule weather before they are sent for but holy affections in these most admirable mercies of God are often quenched for want of zeale for alas when doe we beat our braines not suffering the temples of our heads to take any rest till we haue giuen our God some argument of our thankefulnes We vse our God as if it skilled not greatly how he were dealt with when he deales most gratiously with vs. If a man bids me to supper once a quartar I thanke him then and thanke him again when I am come next time after not onely of my present beeing with him but also of my last beeing with him I tell what kind welcome what good cheere bidde him sometime againe or checke my selfe if I forget it but for some great matter what kindnes what speeches what seruice will I tender vnto my friend Shall one supper and not daily bread shall riches and not Christ deserue a thousand thanks for a small benefit I will be at command and shall I not surrender my selfe vnto God who hath paid my debt and purchased me a new stocke euen the hope of eternall life shall I blush at small vnthankfulnes towards man and not condemne my selfe before God surely when the Lord shall take away his mercies we shall come to had I wist and doe so much more penance by how much we were more careles We will not let goe our leases to men for want of payment of the rent therefore let vs giue God no cause to enter and straine vpon vs and all that we haue for not magnifying and praising him and let this follow euery repetition of a fauour that Dauid hath taught vs Psal 136. For his mercie endureth for euer A second instruction is to imitate God in his silence in being kind towards others 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long-suffering vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life especially Christians must obserue it 2. Tit. 2.3 Shewing all meekenes vnto all men for we our selues were also in times past vnwise disobedient seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in malitiousnes and enuie hatefull and hating one an other Thus Dauid approoues himselfe a man of God 1. Sam. 24. by his innocencie vnto Saul in cutting off his garment when he might haue cut his throat Motiues to this we haue many Matth. 5.7 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receiue mercie againe for this shall they be receiued into the kingdome of heauen Matth. 25.34 thirdly because it makes vs walke worthie of our vocation Eph. 4.2 Walke worthie the vocation whereunto ye are called with all humblenes of minde and meekenes with long suffering supporting one an other through loue fourthly it prooues vnto vs our election Coloss 3.12 Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering c. lastly this serues for instruction of all to take care for displeasing of God Matth. 5.25 Agree with thine aduersarie quickely whiles thou art in the way with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the sargeant and thou be cast into prison c. Esperially those must looke vnto it that haue had long time of Gods silence Rom. 11. Behold therefore the bountifulnes and the seueritie of God toward them which haue fallen seueritie but toward thee bountifulnes if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els shalt thou be cut off Vse 3. consolation First in miserie to consider that God spared vs when we were sinners was reconciled vnto vs when we were his enemies therefore much more beeing iustified by Christ made his sonnes will he loue vs and bee well pleased with vs Rom. 5. Secondly consolation in our welfare because we haue the silence of God in regard of the true cause of it and therefore haue hope that it shall bee continued vnto vs. And thus much of Gods silence Section 2. The obiect of Gods silence The obiect is the doings of the wicked for the explication whereof let vs first see what the word of God makes the obiect of Gods silence First it cannot endure any silence at sin because it teacheth plainely that as soone as sinne is committed God speakes the law speakes and the conscience as we may see Gen. 3. and therefore must it bee in regard of the consequent of sinne which is first of all the fault 2. the guilt 3. the punishment now the two first are equall with the sinne and therefore will they suffer no silence therefore must it be in the punishment threatned or executed in threatning the Lord is neuer silent therefore must it bee in the execution Silence in regard of the miserie of sinne and not of sin it selfe which is either present or in comming present originall and actuall sinne wherein there hath appeared no silence of God for presently vpon the fall man became exorbitant and his freewill ran only vnto euill therefore must it be in the punishment comming which is the sensible miserie of man to wit the first and second death wherein plainly we
societie and fellowship with the deuill and his angels which stands in this that a man by nature beares the image of Sathan and performes homage vnto him in the practise of all sin 3. all manner of calamities in this life sickenes of body damages and losses in name in goods and in friends 4. the horror of a guiltie conscience which is euen a beginning of hell fire for first it is a mans accuser accusing him for his sinnes 2. his iudge in the roome of God giuing sentence against him in his life 3. the hangman because it condemneth eternanally 4. the second death which is an apprehension of the wrath of God eternally in bodie and soule 3. Of our particular temptations wherewith Sathan daily assaults vs 1. Pet. 5.8 If enemies should inuade the land we would consider what place of the land is weakest and lay all hold to that so Sathan labouring against vs daily wee must examine what is the weakest part of our hearts and by what sinne he is most able to make breach into them and then by Gods grace we shall vse some strength against them 4. Consideration of our particular ends Exod. 32.29 1. the time of our end that is most vncertaine 2. the place likewise vncertaine Ahab repented when hee heard of his ende so did Nineueh and so must we all 5. Consideration of our reckoning in the last iugement A trauel er comes to an inne hauing but one pennie in his purse yet he calls for the best meate and spends most sumptuously will not euery man iudge him to be void of all consideration Thus deale men in the world spend all that God hath giuen them neuer thinking of the day of reckoning yet Paul Acts 24. considering this kept a good conscience before God and man 6. Of our estate whether we be members of the kingdome of darknesse or of grace A man may liue in the Church and yet belong to Sathans kingdome 5. Rule We must labour in our hearts to be assured of our particular reconciliation to God in Christ this assurance or certificate of the spirit is commonly called faith Now when this particular assurance is setled in them it will purifie them for faith purifies the heart affections and thoughts for a man beeing thus assured will resolue neuer to offend God any more but to honour and obey him euen in his thoughts 3. Obserue from hence that mens best thoughts are grieuous sinnes against God 4. Vse All Readers or students in Diuinitie ought to humble themselues before God and pray that he would open their eyes and teach them the wonders of his law before they attempt to studie and read the Scriptures because the imaginatiōs of man by nature are wicked yea whatsoeuer his heart studieth frameth or inventeth Psal 119. Dauid at least tenne times prayes to God that he would reueale to him the statutes and wonders of his lawe This example ought to be a patterne and president to all students of diuinitie neuer to read or meditate in the Scriptures before they haue prayed to God to open the eies of their vnderstanding that they may rightly discerne of that which they reade Obs The doctrine is cleare and euident that an hypocrit or any wicked man cannot thinke a good thought for he looks through his owne corruption and therefore as he is disposed so must all be that comes to his vnderstanding will or affections Againe his practise is lewd therefore his thoughts must be answerable for he cannot do otherwise then he thinketh Thirdly the heart which is the fountaine is framing thoughts which are euill in their kind all in their extent onely continually and from his infancie Fourthly there is no confideration of Gods presence of Gods iudgements of his owne sinnes or the duties he oweth vnto God Fiftly when he thinks of God he is profane when of his neighbour vnrighteous when of himselfe proud hautie and insolent Let God be good vnto him in temporall fauours be silent at his sinnes vse compassion towards him offending gentlenesse in his iustice remembring mercie patience most gently suffering him in his sinnes and deferring the punishment longanimitie a long time exspecting his repentance and lastly bountifullnesse beeing rich in goodnesse and powring forth his good gifts vpon him yet for all these he hath not one good thought to bestowe vpon God Let his neighbours liue quietly by him offer him no wrong do him the best kindnesse he can aduise him by good counsel yet can he not so much as afford him a good thought lastly let his conscience checke him and cause some hote stirres within him yet he will checke his conscience againe and put it to silence with a wicked thought against himselfe and his owne soules saluation Where then is his free will of doing good if he cannot thinke a good thought to do himself good will he thinke you busie his braine and set his temples a working to please God no assuredly for iudgement will and affections which are the principles of our actions are wholly taken away Rom. 3. There is none that vnderstandeth therefore no iudgement in spirituall matters Secondly none that seeketh God their will affections are estranged Thirdly all haue declined and are made vnprofitable there the power and endeuour are wanting 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God there is want of iudgement Rom. 8.5 they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh there the will is meerely carnall Phil. 2. God worketh both will and deed Ezek. 36.26 God giues the heart Rom. 7.14 man is carnall the law spirituall how should that which is carnall affect that which is spirituall Ioh. 15.5 Without mee yee can doe nothing Againe the counsellers 1. domestical 2. externall internall domesticall 1. flesh Rom. 8.6 2. the concupisence of the flesh Rom. 6.12 3. carnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of flesh is enmitie with God 4. the will of the flesh as a queene externall 1. deuill 2. world Ephes 2.2 Man therefore hauing no principles of good thoughts and that which is to be thought vpon beeing spirituall and he carnall and hauing sixe most woefull counsellers foure at home with him in his owne breast as the flesh which can no waies sauour the things of God and therefore doth alwaies intreat for obedience to his owne Iusts secondly concupiscence wherby the flesh is made more strong and effectuall to command thirdly a carnall discourse against Gods wisedom fourthly a Queene or rather an vsurping Iezable to set vp her throne in the soule to informe and command what shall be done and lastly two outward enemies that creepe neere vnto the walls of the soule as the deuill and the world full of polices and great in strength how should it be possible that the soule should resist nay alas the watch and ward is wholly neglected and therfore ful possession is giuen vnto the enemies This doctrine then doth fully ouerturne all
doe vnto God for if God should neuer reprooue the wicked would boast and triumph notoriously 4. The consolation of the godly when should their heads be lift vp if it were not to see their enemies trampled vnder their feete Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the vngodly that thinke the Lord will condemne no person he that made all will saue all and a pitifull thing it is to imagine that God should haue made any man to damne him well they see God will reprooue Secondly correction of the godly that they take heede of securitie and labour to please God with reuerence and feare Rom. 12.29 For euen our God is a consuming fire 2. Vse instruction first admonition to the vngodly Oh consider this ye that forget God least he teare you in pieces Secondly a direction to the godly to walke before the Lord as he is their father and master Mal. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master if then I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my feare 3. Vse consolation first in trouble to consider God will reprooue Iehoshua stands before Christ Iesus Zach. 3. and Satan stands at his right hand to resist him but here is comfort v. 2. for Christ saies vnto Satan The Lord reprooue thee O Satan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reprooue thee Secondly in wel-doing because the Lord will neuer reprooue for that but approoue it and commend it for euer 2. Sect. Of the forme of this Iustice Reprooue Reproofe is a second argument to set forth the instice of God Vindicatiue iustice is more violent then correction for that is alwaies in mercie and the ende of it is the quiet fruit of righteousnesse but the nature of this is to be a curse and the ende therof the death and destruction of the creature Also it is more forcibly felt of the creature then Gods remuncratiue iustice because this strikes at the verie heart touches his verie conscience with the extremitie of horror and feare and leaues neither bodie nor soule without most exquisite torments such as were neuer inuented of men the racke in England the Strappado in Spaine nor any torture inuented by the wit of man shall euer come neere this no not the strange torments of Tyrants Children are scared with harmlesse bul-begger but dread lesse the fire water so men in this world feare them that can kil the bodie but neuer feare at all for him that can kil both bodie and soule we tremble to heare a great man speake and the young men hide themselues at the voyce of Iob and yet alas who trembles at a verball reproofe of the Lord they thinke him a simple person that can not indure a word And therefore Christians that are so much cast downe at the threatnings of the Lord are with the wicked but fooles and faint hearted persons nay more then this let the hand of the Lord light vpon their fellow-companions and that shall be no prognostication to them When diuination was by lightnings those lightnings which fell in the sea or toppes of mountaines were neuer brought into obseruation but were called bruta fulmina so the indgments of God that light vpon others are farre enough remooued from them and therefore they neuer call them into question nay alas they make lighter account of them as long as they are threatned in Gods word or executed vpon others then Morbizan the Turke did of the Bull of Pius the second or of his indulgences to the people to take armes against him that by a letter to the Pope he required that he would call in his Epigrammes againe so men thinke that when the Lord threatneth the seisure both of soule and bodie the attaching of our spirits the confiscation of our consciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation to be nothing but wittie Epigrammes inuented of men to exercise men withall One calls the excommunication of Paulus quintus against the Venetians dirum carmen and Bellarmine saies of Prudentius when he appoints certaine holy-daies in hell Paenarum celebres sub styge feriae Euen so the world deales with God his threatning are but idle Tragedies and the punishments in hell may haue their holy-daies wherein men may take their recreations So that now God shall be as well beholding to iesting Lucian or any inuenter of fables or tragedies of hell to make one old woman weepe or tremble as to his owne Prophets or Apostles but let them be assured that hell is no painted fire for they shall finde that God hath fire and sagot sword and bow speare and yron rods to dash in pieces euery one although as hard hearted as Pharaoh himselfe then shall they tremble most that feared least when Gods iudgements were threatned Observ The Iustice of God shall be manifested as well in plagues and curses as in promises and mercies Doe this and thou shalt liue there is rewarding iustice but the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death there is iustice punishing which a long time is kept vnder the cloud of Gods silence but at length breaketh forth and by that meanes is made to shine the brighter Euen as in a darke night one starre breaking out of a thicke cloud deliuereth a farre more splendent and glorious light then if it shone with many in a cleare euening so this iustice hath the more grace and beautie from the Lord in the wicked insomuch as almost all other planets had a long time beene eclipsed or quite fallen out of their spheres to the great discomfort of all such as trauailed with the wicked though not in their waies yet in the selfe same night and busied themselues at the lamps of Gods word beeing carefull to vphold the societie of mankind by learning and instruction Ionah the Prophet was content to enter into the citie a daies iourney and preached and so continued walking with the men in the citie vntill they put on sackcloth fasted and humbled themselues this might exceedingly haue comforted Ionah to see so chearefull and comfortable a light breake forth as repentance but alas Ionah is displeased and that exceedingly that he should prognosticate of a flaming fire from heauen within fourtie daies to destroy Nineueh and yet nothing appeare according to his word this made him angrie impudent with God now againe to defend his fleeing into Tarshish although the Lord had appeared vnto him in the fearefull tempest prepared a fish heard his prayer brought him to drie land yet now because God will not come from heauen according to his word he wisheth that he might die and that God would shew his iustice on him One would haue thought Ionah might haue bin well cooled in the sea from raging so hotly against God Well Ionah get thee vnder the Lords gourd that it may be a shadow for thy head and deliuer
vpon him Where by the way he shal take notice of his holinesse whereby he is so pure a God from all sinne that he cannot away with it so likewise of his iustice whereby he is so exactly iust in himselfe that he cannot but execute iustice remuneratiue and rewarding for weldoing and inflict punishment or iustice vindicatiue for euill doing yet least he should complaine that summum ius is summa iniuria hee shall see that which Aristotle called the moderator of iustice to witte equitie remitting of the full extent of iustice for if the Lord had dealt so with man he should neuer had his hand off him for either should his iustice haue burnt more remissely against sinne which is called anger or more sharpely which is called wrath or fully executed which is called reuenge for as sinnes be inaequalia so should the punishment haue beene in all these Now because his iustice may admit of these degrees ratione obiecti you shall see the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing in mercy whereby he vseth compassion toward his creatures offending First his gentlenesse whereby in his iustice he remembreth mercy patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners and deferreth their punishment longanimity whereby a long time he expecteth their repentance lastly bountifulnes whereby he being rich in goodnesse powreth forth his good gifts vpon them notwithstanding their sinnes And this they may obserue by the way in Gods setting of fin in order The infliction of the punishment followes by the causes They may assure thēselues that euery one that had their hand in sinne as the authors of it shall be punished most seuerely Neither shall the instrument escape the deuill shall haue his head crushed and all his deuises brought to naught hee shall be hardened in his sinne that he cannot repent and finde mercie and lastly he shall be vtterly banished from heauen into the elements which are reserued 2. Pet. 3.7 vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of them and all vngodly men The serpent shall not go without his iudgment a curse shall bee vpon him aboue all the beasts of the field enmity betwixt him and the woman and sensible feeling of paine in creeping on his belly and eating the dust of the earth The woman beside her common miserie with man shee shall be in subiection to her husband full of griefes in her conception going with child and trauaile But for the man his punishment shall in speciall manner bee ordered wherein all his progenie may take notice of it his punishment shall bee with sinne and death sinne originall the exorbitation of the whole man both inward in himselfe and outward in the gouernement of the creature Hence plainely appeares that mans wit and will are set the wrong way their faces cleane turned from God and therefore no free will to doe any good that may please God but vnderstanding and will enough to do euill and that continually Againe in the necke of this followeth actuall sinne as the streame from the fountaine the branches from the root and this is a continuall iarring of man vpon outward obiects for originall sinne hauing turned all the wrong way it is necessarie that as often as any wheele in man mooueth it should meete a crosse with euery good thing and therefore iarre vpon him yet God limits this iarring that it can goe no further then he shall direct it to wit vnto his owne glorie and some particular good end in his Church This sin receiues degrees indeede the other is equall in all because the same measure metes it out vnto all but this is a greater or lesser sinne in respect of whom or against whom it is committed likewise in respect of the matter and manner of working it whether it be done of knowledge or ignorance of infirmitis or stubbornnesse or with an high mind and all these stand vpon two heads sinnes of commission in doing that euil we should not do and of omission the not doing of good that should bee done And all this will the Lord doe in setting in order which shall be a iust punishment vpon all malefactors The rest of Gods methode is more fearefull and better felt of man that is death the method wherof consists in the beginning and ending of it wherein shall be a continuall losse of life and subiection to the miserie thereof which shal make vs worse then if we had neuer beene This death brancheth it selfe into two parts the first and the second death the first death is a subiection to the miserie of this world the inchoation and beginning whereof is the miserie which comes by the losse of the good things of the bodie as of health whence commeth sickenesse deformitie sence of nakednesse wearines and subiection to dangers Secondly subiection to the miserie which comes by the losse of externall things as of friendship honour rule and dominion ouer the creatures of things necessarie for this life as meat drinke apparell c. now the perfection of this death is the going of the spirits out of the bodie whereby the soule departeth from the bodie and the bodie afterward is resolued into the elements especially the earth which did beare the greatest part in his making The second death hath this order first it subiects a man to the miseries of the world to come the beginnings whereof are in this life the forerunners of the extremitie of woe that are to come in the next world the forerunners are emptinesse of mind in regard of all good ignorance of God terror of conscience fleeing and hiding himselfe from the presence of God or else a deepe securitie and senslesnesse of miserie despaire and a fearefull expectation of iudgement the perfection and consummation whereof shall be an eiection from the face of God and iniection of the soule immediately after the first death into hell a reseruation of the bodie in the graue as in a dungeon against the day of iudgement when after the resurrection both soule and body shall be cast into the same place which is prepared of God for the eternall punishment of the wicked both angels and men where is nothing but weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth there shall be found no Limbus puerorum or purgatory but either heauen or hell must be their resting place Neither will the Lord breake his methode or leaue them any cauil for some defect with what reason can the Lord so deale with men seeing all that wee haue heard is concerning Adam must the children smarte for the fathers sinne I hope that God is more iust Well consider that the Lord will not leaue this without his order for all the posteritie proceeding from Adam and Euah by ordinarie propagation as they should haue had happinesse if they had stood Propagation of sinne so are they obnoxious to all these miseries hefalling And this is done iustly by all kind of lawes first of nations for Adam was a prince of all
the iustice of the eternal God which is endlesse and whose seueritie admitteth no mediation and this extends not to one ioynt sinew or vanie but to all neither that of the bodie onely but of the soule whose nature as it is impatible of all other things in greatest peace assurance and tranquilitie so beeing once shaken by the terrours of Gods wrath and blasted with the whirlewind of his displeasure it faileth and with it driueth the whole frame of nature into extreame miserie and vtter confusion The other hath for his cause a dry and cold humour whose subiect especially is the spleen swolne vp with windines and hardnesse vnder the left ribbes the consequents are the hemeroydes not flowing blacknesse and grossenesse of blood fearefull dreames solitarinesse sadnesse And therefore those are to be condemned which make the terrors of conscience nothing but melancholie and thereby labour to benumme the sense of that sting which sinne euer carrieth in the tayle and turne men to their vsuall pleasures and so delude the foole and simple in his waies skilfull to doe euill sottish in the pathes of righteousnesse and vtterly ignorant of her rule and wherein nature giueth some sparke of light more distinctly to discerne yet they turne them out of the way and make them like to stubborn and vnbroken horses shaking off reason despising her mannage and layeth the noble rider in the dust these be Salomons fooles that follow wickednes Like an oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole that goeth to the stockes for correction and as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that he is in danger But beside these another sort are iustly taxed euen the Physitians themselues who when their patients come vnto them for physicke and they spie out their disease to be melancholy aske them vnder what minister they liue if they mention some conscionable man that deals truely with mens soules giue the parties counsell not to heare them but get from them as farre as they can Alas are not these distinct diseases and therefore what wretched persons are those that labour to turne a disease that is not vnto death into one that is both the death of bodie and soule For more particular differences consider That whensoeuer the mind according to these ingrauen lawes of nature which no man is voide of be he neuer so barbarous raiseth any molestation directly it is no fancy but a case of conscience The verie testominie of the heathen doth sufficiently witnes this point whose Poets according to their receiued opinions haue fained Hecates Eumenides and the infernall furies whose force Seneca in his tragedie of Hercules furens hath most liuely expressed These indeed are but fained persons yet the matter vnder this maske is serious true and of wofull experience This was Cains marke the spirit that possessed Saul Iudas the traytour by this wound tooke the reuenge of betraying the innocent vpon himselfe with his owne hands such was the anguish that Esau felt when he found no repentance after he had sold his birthright for a messe of pottage and such is the state of all defiled coÌ„sciences with hainous crimes whose hearts are neuer free from the worme but with deadly bite thereof are driuen to despaire This may the more plainely appeare if we consider how the soule may suffer of the body in life sense and motion The body is a great troubler of the soule not in his being but in his actions hence may he cause madnesse strange imaginations sudden feares dolefull apparitions feeblenesse of bodie and want of heart in the performance of any action but the mind will of man are of such excellency and perfection that they are not directly patible of any thing but of God alone that made them so standeth both mind and will in awe of none but of him neither admit they any other violence then from him into whose hands it is most terrible to fall No calamity comparable to the distresse of conscience All diseases of the bodie may haue some medicine either to cure them or to mitigate asswage their paine for all sores Chirurgie hath a salue freinds helpe pouertie there is no imprisonment but there is hope of libertie suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment authoritie and time weare out reproch But what physick cureth what chirurgerie salueth what riches ransome what countenance beareth out what authoritie asswageth what fauour releeueth these troubles yea if all should band themselues together in league though they would conspire a confederacie yet could they not preuaile If our assistance were an host of armed men if our freinds were princes and gouernours of the world if our possessions were as large as East and West if our meat were manna froÌ„ heauen if euery day like the day of Christs resurrection if our apparel as costly as Aarons Ephod yet al these would little comfort vs. This causeth such distresse vnto those that feele the torment hereof that they would redeeme it gladly if it were possible with the verie losse of their liues which often they assay to doe that this might off their stomach they would be content if it were possible to suffer all other kinds of miserie at the verie selfe same time This giues no warning as the diseases of the body doe for in them we find the head beginne to ake or stomach trouble vs lassitude of body remoovâ—d of sleep want of appetite to our meat but this taketh of a suddain like lightning and giueth no warning Here the purity of the blood and the sincerity and liuelines of the spirits auaile nothing to mitigate the paine it drieth vp the blood wasteth the marow pineth the flesh consumeth the bones makes pleasure painefull shortens life no wisedome can counsell it no counsell can aduise it no aduisment asswage it no asswagement cure it no eloquence perswade it no power ouercome it no scepter affray it no inchanter charme it A man languishing in sicknes as long as he is heart-whole he hath hope of recouery he that is in reproach among men and yet can remember that he is in fauour with God will not much care for the shame of the world he that is banished out of his owne country and yet remembreth that he is a citizen of the kingdom of heauen will not be ouermuch grieued but the wound of conscience is so deadly that he dare not sue vnto him that should be the only physitian of it because he thinks that he is his onely enemie Alas who dare meet with the Lord of hosts who can put to silence the voyce of desperation who will make an agreement with the hells of conscience what compact with the deuill In all other afflictions there is some comfort against sinne but this is alwaies accompanied with the accusation of sin this breeds hurliburlies in men that when it is day he wisheth for night when night for day his meat doth not nourish him his dreames terrifie him
GODS ARRAIGNEMENT OF HYPOCRITES WITH AN INLARGEMENT concerning Gods decree in ordering sinne AS LIKEWISE A DEFENCE of Mr. CALVINE against BELLARMINE and of M. PERKINS against ARMINIVS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cernit Deus omnia vindex GEN. 18.13 Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right PRINTED BY CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1615. ⧠TO THE RIGHT Worsh Sir WILLIAM AYLOFE Knight Barronet and chiefe Iustice of the liberties of HAVERING vpon the Bower Grace and peace from the Father Prince and Spirit of Peace AMEN TRVTH speakes with plainnesse and modestie beares with patience the plainnesse of the one might disturbe the patience of the other but truth keepes modestie from blushing and modestie preserues truth from shaming No shame for plainnesse whose plainnesse is the truth nor blushing for modesty whose forbearance is patience which is hardly angred but soone reconciled easily iniured but seldome offending sparing much but stirring little these two are so priuiledged that they may keep their court where they please without controlment of the proudest But alas the fashion of this world is changed and all is become complement hee is no compleat Gentleman that cannot be as humble as the toe as plaine as if he meant to open all his heart and as modest as though hee had learned a whole yeare to compose his gesture but nature forced is alwaies most vnruly and the face that hath most flushings of heat hath the coldest heart and burnings without are coolers within Maskes once serued for sporting but I feare them now to bee vsed in good earnest painting was but a circumstance but now it 's the best substance yet let me tell this disordered age that painting is meeter for ragged walls then fine marble for an unruly Iezebel then a chast matron in a word all strange complements they are no better then court holy water or a Popes blessing and I am sure where hee blesseth God curseth The earth is full of faire words but they pay no debts neither is any man the richer for them And I would to God the fashion had rested in the bodie but woe is me it is crept into the soule and makes all learning but a flourish Therefore I thought it right Worsh verie good to abstaine from the fashion because in all kinds we may finde them by experience to he but a daies wearing The Taylors care is ouer if he hit the cut the Shooemaker if his shooe hold the pulling on and euery trades-man thinkes his shop then best furnished when his wares wil serue the time but for my part I know not how to cut out the truth better then by plainnesse to plucke it on then by modestie and make it serue the time then by patience I care for no more if so be I may but be a friend of the bridegroome to wooe his spouse or as one of his eunuches to trimme her for himselfe neither euer did I intend to intreat for welcome by flatterie which is alwaies intertained as long as selfe-loue is at home and to what purpose should I be more curious I am sure that the painting of windowes stops the light and that plainer glasse would permit the sunne a clearer entrance a black ground best beseemes a white counterfeit and a faire countenance needs no varnish where the wine is neate there needeth no ivy-bush neither the right corall any colouring So where the truth it selfe bringeth credit the man with his glosse winneth small commendation where the matter is of sufficient excellencie there is more shew of a pregnant wit then perfect wisedome to vse superfluous eloquence the naked tale most sets forth the naked truth and the plainest style is the soonest vnderstood I do not condemn eloquence or humane learning in diuine mysteries it is lawful I confesse for the Israelites to take iewels gold siluer and other precious ornaments but let them take heede how they vse them least they make a calfe and then they loose their beautie hauing lost their true seruice Neither would I be so curious in trimming vp of the truth as though my greatest care should be for the habit of words for I know that skilfull Apelles coueting to mend the nose marred the cheeke and often the foolish dyer is not content with the die of his cloth vntill he haue burned it I know the word of God hath been sufficiently tryed to my hands and the holy Ghost hath giuen it a sufficient tincture of beautie Indeede in nature there is no tree but hath some blast no countenance but hath some blemish the fairest leopard is not without his spots the finest cloth is made with his list and the smoothest shooe with his laste But the word of God is a tree of life that is neuer blasted a glasse that doth neuer shew vs a blemished countenance a store-house of all garments to be worne without list or seame and as strong as a leopard without any spot or blemish a gospel of peace prepared without any wooden laste of humane eloquence and yet sits as close to the feete of the soule as heart can wish Neither doe I speake this to excuse my selfe for I might well learne wisedome from the Estrich that though she taketh greatest pride in her feathers yet is content to picke some of the worst out and burne them so might I picke out many things and purge them in the fire Alexander laid his singer on his cheeke least Apelles should paint his skarre but it is my mind to hold my finger off my skarres least some skilfull Apelles paint the finger not couering but pointing at the skarre and so lay open as much hypocrisie in the writer as blemishes in the writing Therefore right Worsh seeing I am to vndergoe censure and bee brought before euerie mans iudgement seat I haue great cause to seek out my aduocate and patron Iudicem aditurus patronum quare must you before a Iudge seeke out your patron In duty and loue I could seeke none beside your selfe my confidence of your acceptation is so strong that I feare not the least deniall you gaue me the first entertainement that euer I had abroad and therefore in reason I could not but present you with the first fruits of my labours I doubt not but that your selfe doth both see and bewaile the miserie of these wretched times in which Atheisme and Policie falsly so called beeing indeed little better then plaine villanie and Tomporizing haue like a canker fretted out the verie heart of pietie Few there are that seeke for established hearts and to know precisely whether God or Baal bee the true God and for resolution they resolue that the best course is to halt betweene two opinions that so all times might serue their turnes But you haue not so learned Christ for this can I testifie of your paine diligence that you labour for nothing more then the gaining of aduised resolution If I should say all that I know
the world would censure me of flattery and if I knewe that selfe-loue were at home with your selfe then should I neuer feare want of intertainment in learning to dissemble but both the world and your selfe must pardon my boldnesse for I speake not to blaze abroad your praise but to intreat that kindnesse that men would admit of your example as a patterne for imitation Three things constraine mee to vtter my mind First that continuall care which you haue for resolution of many difficulties in diuinity the means which you haue vsed are but practised of few one is that you haue not bin content to take your resolution of diuine truth from translations but haue taken that paines that you are able to fetch it from the originall and drinke of the purest fountaine A second meanes is that of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make question of matters of religion whensoeuer you haue seene iust opportunitie and fit persons to resolue neither haue you been content to admit of superficiall answers but haue pressed argument vpon them to see the true tryall and often your own resolutions haue bin more agreeable with the truth and context of Sciptures then that which others haue said let this teach men of your place besides their continuall imploiments to set some time apart for this excellent knowledge of the originalls of the Bible and knowledge of that art A second good example is your continual care that the legges of iustice may not lie broken in the streets and no man to raise it vp A happie thing when men of place count their dignities to be conferred as a common good for Church and Commonwealth Thirdly for all manner of election this you onely haue not affirmed by word but performed by action that the place more then the person might haue cause to reioyce For my selfe I confesse I had no cause to be iâ—ticed from you as the Leuite was from Micah Iudg. 17. to become a Priest vnto a Tribe or familie in Israel but least through ignorance I should as soon serue in the ministery of Idols as the true God I desired to be a little longer trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets For my loue vnto your familie whereof once I was a member it is this that all of them might knowe the God of their fathers and serue him with a perfect heart a willing mind For your vertuous Lady whoÌ„ God hath made as a fruitful vine on the sides of your house that she might likewise grow into the true Vine Christ Iesus and be fruitfull vnto her owne saluation For all your children that they might be as the Oliue plants of God round about your table For your eldest son Beniamin I hope in name and nature the sonne of your right hand the Lord make him the strength and crowne of your age the excellencie of your dignitie and the excellencie of your power But I feare I haue alreadie offended your desire is breuitie therefore to conclude I commend and commit this small labour to your patronage the text I am sure is excellent for these dayes but for my manner of handling it I leaue it to the censure of Gods Church How-euer it be I do more then hope that you will kindly accept it from me and entertaine it as a testimonie of my loue and not onely so but vse it for your comfort Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen Yours in all good affection IOHN YATES To the Christian Reader IT is a common saying that an Exorcist may sooner coniure vp a logion of deuills then adiure one of them out of his habitation And as it is with bodily possession so is it with the obsession of the soule for although the deuill cannot penetrate the soules dimensions yet he will sit so neere it that whosoeuer admits him the least good fellowshippe he shall not be freed of his company when he is wearie and with all his heart would shake hands with him The Papists challenge all our Churches as false because we can cast out no deuills but the whole world knowes that they can doe it to the admiration of thousands but for my part I knowe not how they coniure the deuill from the bodie yet this I dare boldly affirme that where they haue gotten one deuill out of mens bodies they haue admitted a thousand into mens soules and surely the deuill were a foole if he would not change his roome for a better lodging I am sure that there was neuer any church that hath coniured vp more heresies then they haue done and as yet I know not one that they haue adiured and sent packing into hell No marueile that they haue need of strange exorcismes for otherwise how should men be confirmed in their strange doctrines these questionlesse haue bin strong delusions to make them beleeue lies But if they please to admit of the holy Scriptures we shall at the first resolue them of a double meanes Math. 17.20.21 the first is miraculous and for a time the second ordinarie and so remaines in the Church the one is in the 20. v. the other in the 21. and this second meanes we haue I am sure the Church of God may pray and fast to deliuer both bodie and soule from the deuil But perhaps they will say shew vs whom you haue dispossessed I answer Prayer fasting are of the same nature that preaching and administring the sacraments they being conscionably vsed worke where and whensoeuer God pleaseth I doubt not but by the preaching of the word thousands haue bin coÌ„uerted vnto the faith and where men get the deuil out of the soule he will haue small hope or comfort either to enter or stay in the body and so no maruell the deuill holds them so strongly and takes such good liking of them that he will be at their commaund to leaue the body and ascend into an higher roome for he is proud enough to intertain such a motion And though I deny not but we haue had some possessed among vs yet I dare boldly say the most haue bin of their owne making Let them take the credit of their art for questionles a blacke art best beseemes a religion of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance But to applie our Sauiours rule vnto our purpose Fasting and praier are admirable meanes in the Church of God not onely to cast out deuills and vncleane spirits but also to fill the soule with the spirit of grace and goodnes And here I tremble to speake and charge mine owne heart with exceeding great negligence as often as I call to remembrance the extraordinarie fasting and prayer of Arminius especially whensoeuer he entred this mysterie of mysteries Gods
shall not keep silence or winke at some mens faults because hee dare not speake hee will neither drown his words nor eate them for the proudest Secondly his power is prooued first by his messengers 2. by his faithfull witnesses By his messengers vers 3. most excellently set out vnto vs 1. by their names declaring their nature fire and tempest and therefore who shall be able to stand before him if they misse the fire the tempest shall meete with them so that there shall be no escape out of the hands of this Iudge 2. By their effects deuouring and moouing therfore iudgment and swift execution 3. From their attendance they shall goe before him and round about him therefore way shall bee made before him and roome shall bee gotten round about him 4. By the adiunct a mightie tempest therfore shall it ouerturne all the bulwarkes of the wicked V. 4 His faithfull witnesses 4 5 6. verses called v. 4. executing 5 6. called first by name heauen and earth therefore shal iust euidence be giuen in against euery offender the earth shall couer no offences for the heauens shall reueale it neither shall any bill bee left vnread for all offences are written either in heauen or earth neither can there be any dropping for heauen and earth will gather vp all 2. They shall haue their charge from God for God shall call them and therefore they shal deale faithfully 3. The end of their calling is appointed and that is to iudge his people therfore in Gods Court there shall be no plea for ignorance for he that manifests the end will discouer all meanes that shall bring vnto the end V. 5 Execution is either the conuention of the people or the proclamation of the Iudge convention of the people v. 5. First there must be a gathering for all men are abroad at their workes vntil this iudge come and therefore woe vnto them that are gathered with their sinnes but happie shall euery soule be that is found weldoing when the Lord shall send to gather him 2. This gathering shall be of his Saints and all those that make a couenant with him with sacrifice and therfore the hypocrites shall be too blame that haue cried wee haue fasted prayed sacrificed and yet thou regardest not let this assure them that God regardeth 3. It must be before God alas before him at whose presence the Angels couer their faces and holy Prophets haue cried out most lamentably wee die because wee haue seene the Lord of hosts what then shall become of odious hypocrites 4. Both must come together but how shall that bee Psalm 1 5. seeing the wicked shall not stand in the iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous yea they shall stand euen as they haue made the godly to stand in their assemblies to the perishing of them in regard of their wrath so shall they stand in the assemblie of the godly before the Lord to the perishing both of bodie and soule 5. Circumstance in the conuention is the worship of an hypocrite and that is a couenant with sacrifice and therefore let the wicked know that their righteousnesse shall not be hidde with the Lord but they shall haue their triall according to their own righteousnesse therfore let all proud Pharisies thanke God they are not as poore publicans they haue fasted twise a weeke they haue giuen tythes of al that euer they possessed they are no extortioners vniust adulterer c. well when they are tried with all their righteousnesse if they fall for lacke of iust payment let them thanke themselues for that they thought they had payed all and that they were in debt to no bodie V. 6 The last thing in the execution is the proclamation of the Iudge v. 6. Wherein we haue first the crier the heauens 2. The voice which is first the declaration of righteousnesse 2. of the cause of this righteousnesse which is God who will not post of the iudgement to others for God is iudge himselfe And thus much of the first part the Iudges comming his proceeding followes V. 7 Gods proceeding begins in the 7. v. and continues vnto the end the parts whereof are two in regard of a double obiect his Saints and hypocrites his proceeding with his Saints is from the 7. verse to the 16. his proceeding with hypocrits from the 16. to the end The first is done by way of reformation the second by way of condemnation the reformation of his Saints is necessarie for although they desire sincerely to worship God in the cerimonie and the substance in sacrifices and the truth of the sacrifices according to law and Gospel yet often times diuers things are amisse which the Lord must haue redressed or else all shall not goe well with his Saints Marke therefore how the Lord proceeds with his Saints by way of reformation which is double first correction of their error 2. direction of them in the truth Correction of error to the 14. v. direction in the truth 14 15. In the correction of their error there is a most exquisite methode obserued by the Lord which may be a patterne for all Christians to imitate and that is this first to manifest his loue v. 7. 2. to manifest their error v. 8. which must needs be very seasonable after the former 3. to take away the occasion of their error which must needs be profitable to ouerturne the second 4. And to giue reasons of the remoouall which must needs take away all cauill and fond oppositions of our vntoward natures v. 10 11 12 13. Let vs looke vpon them all first the manifestation of his loue v. 7. First a kind compellation and louing invitation to attention in this word heare if a man were sicke in his bodie hee would be very desirous that the Physitian would neuer make an end of speaking and therfore if wee had the same wisedome for our soules how attentiue should wee be when so excellent a Physitian as the Lord shal speake 2. From the relation that is betwixt God and them a gracelesse child that will not heare his father before all men in the world O my people oh Israel euery word an argument people therefore if all people shall bow downe and worship the Lord then is it their dutie not to exclude themselues 2. A note of peculiaritie my people chosen out of all nations 3. They are Israel so called of Iaacob their father because hee preuailed with God and therefore assuredly hee should preuaile with Esau and all wicked men Israel therefore is a strong bond first because it points out vnto them the couenant that was made with Abraham Isaac and Iaacob 2. the power they should haue with God and from God to preuaile with all power euen of hel death and damnation 4. Gods vehement affection to his people in doubling his exclamation O my people oh Israel 3. Reason to perswade is drawne from the best testimonie in the world I will
eternity is now before the eyes of the hypocrite For the Lord saies not before me but before thee for the Lord neuer begins his work in himselfe therefore in himselfe he did this from all eternitie but now he will manifest his ordering of sinne which he alwaies doth by the booke of his law but because this was cast at his backe and set at his heeles which ought to haue lien at his heart the Lord will open the third booke which shall pricke him to the quicke and make him most fearefully to looke about him Obiect 2 The second obiection is drawne from his attributes Attributes simgle conditional some of them not following the nature of the creature as omnipotencie power goodnes immensitie eternitie and the like but others haue no worke in the creature vntill the creature haue had his worke as no mercie can be wrought vpon the creature vntill his miserie be presupposed and no iustice executed vpon the creature vntill he haue bin sinnefull For mercie cannot be where there is no miserie neither iustice where there is no sinne for that ius dominij is an abuse of Gods wisdome for there is no rule for it and for the Lord to doe any thing in punishing as dominus and not as iudex is to make him vniust Indeede by the law of creation as he made man of nothing so may he annihilate him and bring him againe to nothing but to let him liue and punish him standing in his innocencie is to doe against the law of his iustice Sol. The answer to this point it this in briefe The distinction is not good for Gods attributes in himselfe are equally absolute eternall infinite but beeing manifested in his creatures become conditionall and to haue respect vnto the creatures therfore creation makes manifestation of power goodnes wisdome eternitie and the like as wel as mans fall of mercie and iustice therefore mercie and iustice were equally first in God with the rest for God was in himselfe both iust and mercifull before man was either sinnefull or miserable for the execution of iustice or mercie I confesse to be in regard of sinne and miserie but there is one reason of the execution another of the decree the iust cause of the one is his will the iust cause of the other is mans sinne Gods decree must haue a subiect Obiect 3 The subiect of Gods decree therefore either beeing or no beeing no beeing can vndergoe no decree for it can haue no end and therefore it must be a beeing therefore either the first beeing or that beeing which is from the first beeing not the first beeing for he can haue no end nor beginning and therefore no decree can passe of him so that onely remaines the other beeing which is from God therefore created therefore man created is required for a subiect of Gods decree now the ende of creation can not be reprobation for the ende of creation is mans happines with his Creator therefore a second estate of man must be considered and that is the fall of man in which estate a iust ground is giuen of Reiection and Election The answer It is graunted that Man is the Subiect Sol. The subiect and his manner of consideration yet we distinguish of man and answer that in euery subiect two things are required res considerata modus considerandi the thing considered is alwaies one but the manner of considering maketh diuers speciall subiects in this one subiect As for example being frō God is the subiect of all Gods reuealed wisdome yet this one subiect hath diuers manner of considerations according to diuers acts and operations that lie in him As for example Reason is a particular act and therefore becommeth a particular subiect of Gods wisedome to wit the Art of Logicke so the will a particular worke in Gods creatures becomes the subiect of Diuinitie so speach a particular worke becomes the subiect of Rhetoricke and Grammar Now that generall Subiect is before all these particular subiects and the foundation of all the rest and in them the thing considered as common to them all but the manner of considering it is proper and speciall to euery one So man is the thing considered in Gods decree therefore the most generall going before all particular considerations of creation fall redemption saluation damnation for all these are but particular considerations of man therefore keepe their order appointed of the Lord for the obtaining of his owne ende which is the glorifying of himselfe in his Iustice and Mercie therefore as man is the Subiect of Gods decree so creation the fall redemption saluation and damnation are but the meanes for the accomplishment of his will Againe euery one of these particular actions haue their speciall ends not opposing but concurring to the generall ende of the whole subiect so that the ende of creation is happines with the Creator and no miserie at all but this is the speciall end and therefore no opposite of the generall Againe the speciall ende of mans fall is miserie of bodie and soule in the first and second death yet no opposite of glorifying God in the demonstration of his mercie Thirdly the speciall end of mans Redemption is saluation to all that are in Christ and damnation to all that are out of Christ therefore all these ends beeing speciall must needes ayme at the generall for so goes the Rule of all true reason that subordinata non opponuntur 2. that fines intermedij sunt pro subordinatione finium ad vltimum finem And this shall suffice for the opposition now I come to the confirmation Arguments proouing the decree of sinne first drawne from ends The first Argument That which hath any ende is decreed but sinne hath an ende therefore is decreed The first proposition is prooued from the true distinction of ends laid downe by the Philosopher in the first booke of his Ethicks and the first Chapter where the Philosopher disputes most excellently for the subordination of arts and so consequently of beeings by an argument drawne from the distinction of ends to wit that all ends are either the last ende or ends tending vnto the last now the last end giues goodnes and amabilitie to all other ends and doth virtually containe them all in himselfe therfore must they needes be appointed for him This ground is a most enident proofe that sinne is decreed for the end of sinne must either be the last ende or tending to the last ende now it cannot be the last end for that alone is chalenged of the first being therefore an end tending vnto this last end And who dare denie but that all endes vnto the last ende are decreed for they make for the manifestation of his glorie Obiect Sinne is euill and therfore hath no ende seeing ends goodnes are the same But it will be obiected sinne is euill and therefore hath no ende for finis and bonum conuertuntur Vnto this I answer
or dishonour Seuenthly contraries 7. Position though they can neuer agree to the same thing according to the same part or in the same respect or in one and the selfe same time yet they must both of them be about the same thing or els the opposition ceaseth If I should say a man is blind and not blind it were no contradiction if I vnderstand his blindnesse of two diuers subiects to wit he is not blind in his body but blind in his soule therfore the law and mans sinne Gods wil and mans wil are not opposed except we conceiue it to be about one the selfe same thing therefore though sin be against Gods decree wil and law yet may both sinne mans wil Gods decree will and law all be about one thing and that is Gods glorie and so for Gods glory sinne may be decreed willed and approoued by the lawe yet for all this haue no agreement at all with sinne and thus much for the entrance of sinne The progresse of sinne is to be considered in the effects Sinnes progresse and consequents of the first sinne for out of that did spring the whole miserie of man The effects are three blame or guilt or punishment blame is the next effect of the fault committed guilt is the tying of vs to vndergoe punishment punishment is the iust anger of God vpon Adam and all his posteritie The subiect of this punishment is the deuill his instruments and man to passe by the two former and come to man His punishment is either sinne or death sinne originall and actuall originall the exorbitation of the whole man both inward and outward inward in himselfe outward in the gouernment of the creatures actuall the iarring of man vpon outward obiects by reason of naturall or originall exorbitation euery thing he meetes withall either in thought word or deede is either a sinne of commission or omission death is the depriuation and losse of life and thereby subiection vnto miserie The progresse beeing cleare let vs see how God workes in it For the blame God is altogether to be freed for the guilt that likewise is a thing that nothing concernes God let man looke to both these Punishment But the third which is punishment beeing an act of his iustice and respecting his holy law is a thing that onely he acknowledgeth For death we neede make no question but the whole controuersie is about sinne as a punishment Matter contratâ—etieâ—â—onseâ—â—â—â—â— In the punishment we may note three things the matter with which a man is punished the contrarietie betweene the partie and the punishment and the order of consequence that where such an offence went before such an euill shall follow to make the partie offending feele the smart of it In those punishments which be punishments onely and not sinnes God is the author of all these things implied in the nature of punishment in those which be punishments and sinnes God is the author onely of the order of consequence and the contrarietie betweene them and the partie punished not of the matter wherewith they are afflicted and punished As for example pride is punished by enuie enuie is not of God but the contrarietie betweene it and the soule of man which maketh it bitter and afflictiue is and the order of consequence that where pride went before enuie must follow The reason that iustifies this is fetched from the rule of reason all contrarietie is a wisdome of God for it is a logicall argument and therefore if Logicke be Gods wisdome then euery rule in Logicke The other is iustified by method which can not be without him that is the God of all order the order of sinne is that originall should follow the first actuall sinne and then all actuall sinne originall this order is a wisdome oâ— God for sinne in his owne nature is meere confusion and his order must needs be Gods and so God professeth that he will doe in this place set mens sinnes in order Furthermore God doth not onely punish one sinne with another where there is such a dependance of one vpon the other that where one goeth before the other must follow but oftentimes when there is no such necessarie dependance yet he withdraweth his grace and for the punishment of one sinne letteth men runne into another In this sense there are three things attributed to God in the punishment of wicked and godlesse men 1. the blinding of their vnderstanding 2. the hardening of their hearts 3. the giuing of them vp vnto a reprohate sense Esa 6.10 Make the heart of this people fat their cares heauie and shut their eyes c. These things God is said to doe three waies 1. in denying grace which should lighten the vnderstanding and soften and mollifie the hearts of men 2. permitting Sathan to worke vpon them and no way either strengthening them against him or weakning his force 3. occasionally and by accident when God doth that which is good which yet he knoweth through the euill disposition that is in men will increase their wickednes and make it greater then it was before Efficienter 〈◊〉 effecta moraliter vt iudiâ—ia permissiue vt peccata non concedendo sed non unpediendo To this agree other Diuines that say God works in the progresse of sinne 1. positiuely as it is a physicall act 2. morally as he makes it a iust punishment of sinne 3. permissiuely as it is a sinne not by giuing his consent vnto the doing but in not hindering of them from the execution Lastly for both entrance and progresse a double action is giuen vnto God 1. limitation 2. direction For the first that God setteth bounds to wicked men in their wickednes not onely in respect of the effect and euent but also in the very inward purpose affections and designes and at his pleasure stoppeth them when he will is a thing denied of none that confesse a God Iob. 1.12 The deuill was limited how farre he should proceede in afflicting Iob neither Matth. 8.31 could he enter so much as into a heard of swine without leaue obtained of Christ the proudest sea must stay her waues where Gods laies his command Secondly for direction that is most necessarie he puts no sinne into men yet he directs it for the kind that it should be rather this sinne then another rather against these persons then others and the time when it shall breake forth and for what end and purpose it shall be committed For often men are wicked in that sort which had rather shew it in another kind it breakes forth at such a time when they would faine haue kept it close and it falls vpon such men which they had rather should haue beene done to others whome they more maligne and desire to despite if they were left to themselues God may stoppe all waies of sinning and open onely one yet without all fault As for example suppose a man were in an high tower
may wil euil for to be and so in the second member he puts the effectuall willing of sinne for both effectuall and permissiue which is a meere collusion of his reader Here can I vrge him againe with blasphemie A second appaâ—â—â—â— blasphemy if words must be pressed in stead of sense hee that defends whatsoeuer God wills for to be that he wills it effectually then God wills sinne for on whatsoeuer his will is carried that he wills but his will is carried on sinne for I aske him on what obiect is his permissiue will carried if he say on euill then he wills euill but he will answer that is done permissiuely wee grant it and so thinke charitably of him why then can he not in like manner conceiue of ours For the third to will to permit is to will not to hinder wee graunt it him but that may be in either of the former for first that which God wills not to approue he may will not to hinder and secondly that which he wils for to be he wills not to hinder yet we also here conceiue his meaning to wit that not to hinder is a middle betwixt an absolute hindering of a thing and an absolute willing of a thing but to will sinne absolutely was neuer imagined of our Diuines neither with all his Logicke and Grammar can he draw it out of them and therfore as you haue found his faithfulnesse in this so beleeue him in the rest A like place to this you haue Pag. 120. Efficaciter 〈◊〉 efficaciter impedere permitterâ— creaturae Quod Deus vult vt fiat hoc efficaciter efficit adde vel permittit quod vult vt non fiat hoc efficaciter impedit adde iterum vel non approbat quod neque vult vt fiat adde tertio simpliciter neque vult vt non fiat iterum simpliciter deinde conclude hoc permittit creaturae That which God would haue to be he effectually brings to passe or adde I pray you permits that which God would not haue to come to passe he effectually hinders stay a little and adde or approoues not for the third that which God neither wills to be you must meane simply nor wills not to be that also simply and then you may conclude he permits vnto the creature A second collusion is out of these words proinde sic facere decreuit that is God decreed so to doe Arminius comes in with a tayle as though he would sweepe all to the ground adde vel permittere or so to permit If you please to see a Sophister turne to the 145. Pag. de permissione in genere Permissionem ad genus actionis pertinere ex ipsa vocis flexione est notum c. Permission saies he belongs to the predicament of action and hath no neerer cause or immediate then the will not science power or abilitie though these be required in him that must permit No man permits any thing but he knowes what to whom againe he must haue power authoritie and will to doe it It is very strange if all these be true and yet God should doe nothing in his permission and therefore to doe and permit may well agree If he meane to doe iniquitie then the obiect hath limited the act and so we denie it God and that most iustly Againe to follow this Sophister a little and I would some would doe it throughly but saies Arminius to permit is nothing but not to hinder and therefore a negatiue act but where is the negation not in the will but in the deniall of the obiect and therefore we denie not but God hath such a hatred against sinne that he denies it his good pleasure yet wills it A good confession of Arminius that to permit is nothing but that God is welpleased to let man haue his freewill to try him and of his fall take occasion of doing the best good and likewise by his owne confession in the same place saies God is willingly content to put the matter of sinne to mans free will yet thereby to prooue him and vpon his euill doing to doe an infinite good hold thee there Arminius and that which thou called for at the hands of M. Perkins we will graunt thee all loue and respect for the acutenesse of thy learning But further the argument is vrged no euill is to be done nay not so much as willed that good might come thereof To will euill or to doe euill and bring the end as an excuse is impious therefore who speakes in this sort Our Sauiour Christ saith Doe good to them that curse you that you may be the children of your heauenly father If God doe good for euill must he therefore will euill that he may doe that good It is true God wils good out of euill that is not to turne euill into a better nature for heauen and earth will as soone meet but only make it the obiect of his permissiue will Now God can haue his will neither permissiue nor effectuall about any obiect but he will raise his glorie out of it and therefore out of the ruines of sinne and vngodlinesse is he able to build vp his glorie and this is to will euill the obiect of his permissiue will for his owne names sake I am sure euery slender Logitian knows there is great difference betwixt an obiect and an effect If Adam had made euill but his obiect and neuer haue effected it it would haue prooued but a temptation iniected of the deuill and no sinne of his Why then should it follow if God doe decernere de peccato exercise both iudgement and will about sinne iudgement to know it will to limit it discretion to direct it and iustice to punish it And therefore as the argument from the ende is nothing so from the obiect that sinne is alwaies considered as sinne Let it be graunted can therefore the excellent wisdome of God extract nothing out of it yes for euill will be in good and God will so separate it from the good that it can not otherwise be but some thing should be fined and refined by it yet so that sinne shall alwaies be nothing but drosse and dung stubble and straw for hell fire For the contradiction in Gods will it is none at all for in contradiction the affirmation and negation must be of one thing A man is blind and not blind are no contradiction because the one may be vnderstood of the eies of the bodie and the other of the eies of the soule Apius est caecus Apius non est caecus is no contradiction Therefore God to will sinne by his permissiue will and not by his effectuall will make no contradictions For the last branch of this argument God inclines impells constraines as they are naturall acts adde also hardnes commands wicked instruments and doth effectually procure them to execute his iust iudgements the motion is Gods act ordinarie the iudgement is Gods act morall and the sinne his
punishment on them which do ill as it burnes more remissely against sinne it is called anger as more sharpely wrath as it doth giue sentence iudgement as it doth execute vengeance Thirdly he shewes mercie not that which is properly vnderstood in Christ but that which is vnderstood in my text compassion gentlenesse patience longanimitie bountifulnesse c. and these most properly appeare in the fall yet the fall beeing more generall then all that follow hath his vse in them all and is subordinate with all the rest to the decree of God And euen here God manifests his decree of election euen before the sending of Christ Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 1. Ioh. 4.9 In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent c. in both these places the loue of God is the cause why Christ was giuen and sent and therefore this loue went before Christ else should the cause followe the effect this loue was decreed So then God loued the world before he either gaue or sent his Son actually he loues none but in Christ neither doth any feele his loue but he that is in Christ and therefore for the comfort of the Church the fittest place to teach the decree in is application of Christ yet the determination of his loue was before all this and the onely cause why Christ was sent into the world 6. Hâ—mo ad imaginem dei gradus 6. Steppe is a man according to Gods image and in this estate man was holy and righteous and to this image we are restored againe in Christ Rom. 8.29 and therefore God decreed to maintaine this image in some of his creatures that so he might haue the glorie of his creation maintained for euer and this is the thing that made God haue a Church from the beginning of the world and no Church wherein there is not Gods election and the decree of his euerlasting saluation Hence man in his innocencie was of Gods election such a one as then was ordained of God could not die without the renouation of his image therefore our euerlasting saluation was decreed in the estate of our integritie 7. Steppe is man made Homo creatus aâ—â— per creatâ—onem se ctus gradn 7. and this is the first manner of consideration that we can find in a man and in this likewise appeares the decree for God made man for the manifestation of his glorie not onely in regard of generall goodnesse wisedome and omipotencie seene in all the creatures neither of that which was seene in the angels to wit goodnesse communicated from an infinite good to which being ioyned their obedience brought Gods rewarding iustice to confirme them in an euerlasting estate and this is called bonitas cum iustitia coniuncta goodnesse conioyned with iustice wherein appeared the election of the good angels Againe disobedience to dissolue and breake off the coÌ„munication with that infinite good brought in punishing iustice euerlasting and eternall wherein appeared the reprobation of the bad angels Thus farre then it pleased God generally to shewe his goodnesse omnipotencie wisedome c. Secondly more specially his goodnesse and rewarding iustice vpon the blessed Angels and the losse of his goodnes with the inflicting of his punishing iustice vpon the accursed angels but as yet no subiect to shew goodnes iustice and mercie and therefore man must bee made the subiect on which he will shew all his goodnes in what order you shall heare when I come to shew the ends in Gods decree 8. Is man more generall then all these For man made Homo generale subiectum oâ—â—i bus adiunctis praesuppositum grad 8 hath a speciall ende to wit happinesse of creation man made holy happinesse with the creator man made vnholy miserie with himselfe man redeemed saluation by Christ and so of all the rest speciall ends may be assigned which can be nothing else but the manifestation of Gods glorie in his iustice and mercie 9. Mundus exnihilo gradus 9. A world made of nothing exceeding good whereof man is a part and the most principall and therefore made for man Now euen before this subiect was election Come receiue the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world So then God intended a kingdome for his elect before he made this world 10. Creatio omnium or goad extoriora grâ—dus vlâ—â—mus supâ—â—mus Creation the originall of all things and before which there was nothing without this man could not be so then when they say man was by creation it is true that man there tooke his originall and creation is more generall then man but so creation is taken actiuely but passiuely as in man it is more speciall therefore man created is a speciall consideration of man but man in Gods creation is more generall Hence the Lord in making of him appointed him all his ends To conclude the creation of man was for the manifestation of all Gods diuine attributes as wel iustice and mercie as the rest And now beeing come to the highest staire in creatures wee slippe presently out of them and lay all the rest on Gods will as the onely subiect This is as it were the bodie of Gods decree the rest is as the soule this externall that which followeth internall in this is manifested Gods indirect knowledge in the other his direct and proper knowledge the lowest steppe of this is iustice and mercie and the subiect in which these two rest is his will I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and compassion on whom I will haue compassion Rom. 9.15 and v. 18. He hath mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and whom he will he hardeneth 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 re 〈…〉 2. â—irtus morâ—â—s 3 intellectuals 4 〈◊〉 5 bo mitas 6. Gloria 7. Deas ipse â—l pha omâ—ga Second head we call morall vertues whereby God willeth euery thing most readily that is good and is most prompt in the performance thereof so that iustice and mercy comming vnder this head according to our capacitie are moued to nothing but that which is good third intellectuall virtues whereby God is most prompt in the performance of euery act of vnderstanding fourth vertues whereby God is knowne vnto vs to bee absolutely good fifth goodnesse the head and fountaine of all these sixt glorie the perfection of goodnesse seuenth God himselfe which is knowne vnto vs by all these That this is the Scripture see all in the 33. of Exod and also in the 34. Chap. 33. ver 18. I beseech thee shewe me thy glorie v. 19. God answers Moses my glorie is too excellent for thee but my glory which is seene in my goodnesse shall goe before thee I will make all my good goe before thee that is thou shalt see the backe-parts of my glorie these backe-parts are Gods
the coâ—rt of conscience First is an euill conscience it selfe that may not indure the Law to rubbe on that sore as timorous patients had rather die and rotte away then that either bitter purgation should be inwardly taken or any corasiues applied outwardly or like bankerupts hate nothing worse then to looke vpon their bookes of accounts or like the Elephant least he should see his foule great bodie muds the water that he may drinke So these in like manner had rather rot away in their sinnes then that the purging physicke of the law should be administred or the corasiues of Gods curses should be laid vpon their sores the soule bankerupt of grace may not indure to heare of the accounts and reckonings that it must make with Gods law and the bodie of sinne is so foule that he would not looke vpon it and therefore by his pleasures and pastimes he laughs sinne out of countenance but woe be vnto him when he shall be pressed of God to confesse his sinne vpon the racke of his conscience 2. is continuall liuing in darâ—nesse The second reason is the loue of darknes and the hatred of the light A man that hath a long time bin shut vp in close prison and kept from the light of the sunne when he is drawne into the open aire his eyes are so dazeled with the bright beames thereof that he cannot looke about him but desires to be in his denne againe and with the owle had rather put his head into a hole then haue the sunne shine on it his time is with the Bat to flie abroad when the night is come therefore Gods law beeing as the shining of the sunne and his life lead in darknes he will not to the light least his workes should be reprooued Thirdly 3. Negligence men are either so lasie in themselues that they will not goe to the glasse of Gods law or els they can indure no smart because the law would haue them wash and be cleane like little children though they see their spots in a glasse yet they may not indure the cold water Fourthly 4. Lusts men are not ordered by Gods law because they will attend vpon their lusts Like schoole-boies that see their foule faces yet because they are giuen to play runne away from the water so many a man by the cares of the world as of pleasure profit honour or such like cannot stay to make any vse of the beholding of themselues in Gods law Iam. 1.24 For straight way he is gone and so forgetteth what manner of person he was Our Sauiour Christ when he inuited his guests to his marriage-feast found many idle excuses returned vnto him One hath bought a farme and he must goe see it others a yoke of oxen and they must goe trie them others haue married a wife and they desire likewise to be excused Euery one hath something to doe to keepe them from God and his law it were well if they knew how faithfull reckonings make long friends and therefore it were very good not to delay the time with God for he will not be mocked Christ hath stood a long time knocking he is standing if we put off to answer he may soone be gone away from vs. We vse Christ as he was vsed in his birth no roome for him in the Inne if he please he may haue the stable and the manger and good reason for great personages and vsuall guests haue taken vp the inner roomes so deale we with our Sauiour our soules are taken vp with great personages as lords and commanders whome we cannot but obey as lord couetousnes ambition pride selfe-loue pleasure and many vsuall guests with which we haue had great custome so that Christ beeing an vnknowne guest vnto vs it may be for meere pitie we will bestow vpon him our worst roomes if he please to goe into the stable and will not vexe vs in the inner roomes of our soules he shall haue a nights lodging and we will bestow vpon him some of our refuse such as our great lords care not to meddle withall This I tell you is a strong meanes to keepe vs from Christ and his law when like slaues we will be at the command of our base affectons Fiftly disordered callings take away the ordering of sinne as what law can order our commoÌ„ beggers stage-players fidlers and such like so many a wretched calling into which men thrust themselues takes away all ordering by Gods lawe and makes them runne head-long into all shame and confusion nay further many callings from God by the wickednesse of mans heart are become exceeding sinnefull when indeede Gods callings are all happie orders for our good As for example shop-keepers they cannot liue except they sell their wares vpon the Sabbath day how should Gods lawe order these persons in the sanctification of the Sabbath for it is in vaine for that person to wash which presently after hee hath washed his hands must foule them againe so Ale wiues how should they sanctifie themselues when they are readie to serue euery filthy puddle and durtie foule it is hard to ride with an other in fowle way and not be plashed by him for one to be at the mill and not to be dusted to touch pitch and not be defiled to carrie burning coales in his bosome and escape the burning Sixt is a misconceit of the word of God and his ministers 6. Want of loâ—e that they would make him worse then he is We see a man when the glasse doth discontent him throwes it away and will not beleeue that he is so deformed and therefore that glasse shall not teach him to apparell himselfe so men deale with Gods word and his ministers as Ahab dealt with the Prophet Shall I seeke vnto him he neuer prophecied any good vnto me wherefore hast thou found me O my enemie thou art the troubler of my state and therefore shalt haue no hearing Seuenth inquirie of their companions 7. Mis information of others whether the matter be so hainous as the word of God and his ministers would haue it What is good fellowship for halfe a douzen of ale so great a matter Is playing a game or two at the cards on the Sabbath day so great an offence as nothing will pay for it but damnation Alas he surely is too precise and denies all libertie truely truely as long as one slovin inquires of another there is like to be no handsomnesse so as long as one drunkard will be resolued by another one whoor-master by another one swearer by another one beastly companion by another the law of God shall appease no tuinults among them Eigth 8. Habit of finning the habite of vndecencie hence no care to looke into the glasse he applauds himselfe in that profession would haue the world so account of him he laughs at his own foule face and this vnhandsome apparell so the habite of sinne makes men laugh at reformation Ninth
Conscientia in effectu affectu â—uâ—nâ—u vel pro effectu praeterito vel pro affectu presente vel pro eueÌ„tu futuro for the fact past that is either in regard of God or man of man it either absolues or coÌ„demns in regard of god a witnes either to excuse or accuse for the affection that followes vpon this it is either ioy or sorrow ioy vpon absoluing and excusing sorrowe vpon accusing condemning and for the future euent it is either the expectation of reward or the feare of punishment That this may a litle the better appeare let vs see how the coÌ„science is locked or vnlocked this eye is alwaies as a booke that is both clasped and open at the same time or els wholly clasped and locked vp The claspes that doe all this are in number three goodnes Claspes of conscience 1. Goodnesse sinne and punishment Goodnesse clasps vp the accusation of the conscience but alwaies leaues open the conscience for excusation therefore a good conscience will open for no accusation nor shut for any vaine excusations Secondly 2. Sinne. sinne is either the clasper and vnclasper together or the clasper alone the clasper and vnclasper by excusation or accusation as in our first parents it is said when they had sinned their eyes were opened not that they were blind before but that now the eye had lost the power of excusing and therefore in that was shut vp and blinded but was altogether vnlocked for accusation and condemning of themselues yet by reason of custome and long continuance in sinne that verie selfe same thing which opened the eies of our first parents hath wholly seared vp the eyes of some that their consciences neither accuse nor excuse except you will say they falsly excuse when they make vs cry peace peace and all is well with vs. Now this for the most part is the claspe of mens consciences so that except God bring iudgement the conscience will neuer be awaked from his securitie 3. Punishment Therefore the third claspe of the conscience is punishment this holds most surely in excusation in so much that none can either vnclaspe it or by any meanes be able to mitigate the strait holding of punishment from all comfort so that neither angels nor men nor any other creature can giue a dramme of comfort but for the vnclasping of the conscience it wil do it most forcibly and exceedes all other meanes and therefore is to bee vnderstood in this place Hence ariseth a fourefold distinction of conscience the first that is at peace with it selfe Conscience quiet but not good quiet nor good but not with God and that is the conscience that is wholly locked vp the second that is neither at peace with God nor it selfe and that is the conscience vnder the horror of the punishment of sinne good not quiet the third conscience which is not at peace with it selfe but with God and that conscience hath two claspes in it goodnesse and sinne goodnes from God sin from it selfe good and quiet The fourth that hath peace with God and with it selfe and this is a conscience that feeles a claspe of Gods mercie to bind vp the broken heart and make it breake forth with ioy and gladnesse So that now if we looke into the world wee shall find that euerie man is either a Prince or a peasant either the basest among the sonnes of men and most ignoble or els couragious as a lyon and stout hearted as a gyant If a man were as poore as Lazarus and as naked as Iob yet if he bad a good conscience he would be higher then Princes and scorn to yeild a foote for the proudest but on the contrarie if hee were as stout as Alexander as merry as Belshazzar as wise as Ahithophel as proud as Hammon and as rich as Nabal yet hauing an euill conscience he would tremble with Alexander for the touch of an ague quiuer with Belshazzar for the appearance of a finger hang himselfe with Ahitophel for that his counsell was brought to nought mourne with Hammon vpon his bed for the losse of his honour or his heart would die within him as it did within Nabal for the losse of a field or in a word hee would tremble at a very leafe and therefore fearfull shall bee the estate of these men when the Lord shall thus vnlocke their consciences as he hath promised he will doe in this place Now this vnlocking is threefold Keyes to vnlock conscience 1. Amazement First by a generall amazement when a man is suddenly stricken but he knowes no particular cause as Belshazzar was in the 5. of Dan. the writing on the wall vnclasped his conscience by a sudden amazement Secondly 2. Particular knowledge by a particular knowledge of the sinne that they haue commited as it was with Indas who said Phaue sinned in betraying inocent blood this did strike so deepely into his conscience that be departed and hanged himselfe and for verie greife the rimme of his bellie rent in peices Thirdly and lastly 3. Gods departure by a most lamentable farwel in hell when the Lord shall say O my creature I made thee glorious but thou hast spoyled all thy glorie and lost my fauour farewell my creature I the fountaine of liuing water I the liuing God I thy life and length of dayes thy verie breath must leaue thee and come vnto thee as a consuming fire as a roaring lyon heape vpon thee all torments in bodie and soule Again thou shalt say Farewell creator farwell louing wife farewell my children and all my freinds farewell my pleasures prosits and all my worldly lusts Alas will none of you pitie mee wilt thou O Lord looke on and take no compassion and will you my freinds if with me curse me and cry A vengence on me will you thus reward my loue vpon earth If in heauen will you crie with father Abraham Remember that you had your pleasure when many a Saint starued at your doore and therefore iustly art thou tormented and we most mercifully rewarded you did vs much hurt in your pretended loue and blessed be God you preuailed not in your will Alas is it so why then O worme of conscience doe thy worst burne fire that can not be quenched I gnash with my teeth to see the prosperity of my freinds blaspheme God with the rest of my freinds here in hel not as sinning for that we did in brauery vpon earth to teare God in peices was our credit but now we together see all to be our punishments and we can take no sweet solace in our companie as we did vpon earth Thus the wicked goe downe to hell to see their sinnes set in order before their consciences to their euerlasting shame and confusion that could not see it vpon earth the deuill hath lead them into the mids of hel as the Prophet the Aramits that came to take him into the mids
saluation then wicked men in all their craftie fetches to plant themselues while the Lords silence is vpon them for affliction lets a man see at the first the worst conclusion that shall befall him in the profession of his God and therefore beeing best knowne he may assure himselfe that all other consequences shall be ioyfull and exceeding comfortable It shall not be so with the wicked for they make the best conclusions first and therefore blind their eyes that they cannot behold how they runne to fearfull woes and sudden destruction now followes the conclusions of a part of the argument to wit Gods silence alone Obser 4. This bond therefore lets vs see a fourth collection to wit that wicked men sucke poyson out of euery word of God his verie silence and mercie which ought to haue a sweete rellish vnto their soules shall by the corruption of their natures become the baine of the body and soule If God be but silent then will they be filled with wicked thoughts of God himselfe Reas 1. The corruption of nature From corrup nature which turnes all into it selfe A corrupt stomacke makes all meats rellish of his qualitie it turnes sweete into sowre pleasant into as bitter as gall so the heart of a wicked man makes silence sinne iudgement blasphemie loue hatred peace warre and the feares of hel the thoughts of pleasure Corpus tabedâ—â— quo plus nutrias eo magis laedas A naughty temperature the more it is fedde with good nourishments the worse it becomes so an ill tempered soule with the vntempered mortar of sinne becomes worse for the mercies of God and such excellent foode is turned into a most dangerous nourisher of the very canker and gangrene of bodie and soule Reas 2. Ill digestion either of mercie or iudgement From the ill digestion of the soule That which lies raw in the stomack and so consequently spoyled in the first concoction can neuer be mended againe in the liuer or in the assimulation of the parts where euery thing drawes and sucks for his own vse So all the mercies and iudgments of God lie raw at the heart of a wicked man and there are spoiled so that no good blood can be dispersed through bodie soule to make the sanguine complexion of a Christian neither shall you see any member to gather strength but rather to pine away euen as men doe that labour of consumptions Good things without Gods blessing heauie curses when they are fedde with the best nourishments when wee may see a poore beggers boy that fares hardly euen with such diet as would make a man melancholick to looke on it yet he is fresh and well liking so Christians which are of the blood royall are like Daniel which was better liking feeding on the pulse then when he had his diet off the Kings table So these vnder affliction profit more then all the wicked doe in their prosperitie Lazarus is better in soule though he cannot obtaine the crummes that the rich mans dogges might be welcom vnto then the rich-man that fared daintily euery day and yet pined in his soule The woman of Canaan for all her strange repulses first no answer 2. the disciples speaking against her 3. Christ giuing her a cold answer I am not come but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 4. an vtter distast of her kindred it is not meete to take the childrens bread and cast it vnto dogges such a one art thou because a Canaanitish woman and no Israelite well for all this cold comfort shee will haue her soule fedde or shee will neuer giue ouer True Lord I am neither sonne nor seruant to sit at thy table yet seeing it hath pleased thee to style me a dogge I pray thee let me at thy table be but as one of thy whelps to gather but the crummes that fall from thee or thy children yea or thy seruants and that shall suffice my hungrie soule This woman by this meanes was fedde better then any Israelite euen by the very testimonie of Christ himselfe I haue not found such faith in Israel ah woman great is thy faith go in peace and let all be according to thy desire 3. A wicked mâ—n makes no vse 〈◊〉 Gods mercy Reas Is that which followes a bad concoction and that is ill distribution whereby all the vitall parts waxe weake and the spirits decay and so consequently sence and motion lie dead in the bodie he is not able to mooue vp and downe to performe the duties of his calling his hands which are the keepers of his house begin to tremble with the palsie his limmes and legs which were the strong men bow themselues his senses decay his eies waxe darke that looke out by the windowes his ears with all the daughters of singing are abused his tast is gone he is like old Barsillai that is not fit to set at the kings table in a word his senses shall be so decayed that nature shall not bee able to bind them vp in the night time to refresh him with comfortable sleepe but he shall be awake before the bird sing in the morning and shall be so out of heart with the disquietnes of the night that the bird shall be no means to lull him asleep but he shall rise at the voyce of the bird Euen so is it with wicked men they make no good distribution of Gods mercies iudgements in their liues and therefore no maruell if their life languish if their spirits to good actions bee cold and frozen with the dreggs of impietie and can no wayes be dissolued for mooue they cannot or bestirre themselues that so heate might be gotten into them to dissolue the frosts of their soules and expell the abundance of vapours that arise out of the sinke of sinne wherby they are choaked neither can they be chafed for they haue vtterly lost all sense and feeling Let the grace of God shine neuer so clearely yet they haue no eyes to seee withall let God thunder from heauen and they are so hard asleep that they cannot heare it let God threaten them and they haue yet no touch of their conscience let God promise them mercie and they cannot tast it let him offer them some of the flowers of his garden yet they cannot smell them And thus it comes to passe that as euery thing worke together for the good of Gods children so euery thing workes together for the destruction of the wicked Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wickeÌ„d that bragge and boast of their prosperitie Alas what cause haue they to reioyce in that they poyson themselues There is a kind of poyson that will make men die laughing surely so is it with the wicked they are fed fat for the day of slaughter and yet they perceiue not how fast they run to the slaughter house Secondly correction of the godly that are discontented with affliction would they haue the estate of a
wicked man for the inioying of all his wealth I hope no good soule would wish it neither would I wish it my very enemie and therefore yee godly set your foules arrest with the worst of Gods prouisions for it is not onely too good for vs but it shall prooue better in the feeding vpon then euer we expected therfore Dauid often said It was good for him that he was afflicted small comfort for a man to drinke of a cup of wine that hath but one droppe of poyson in it to be at a feast and yet casting his eye vpward sees a sword hanging in a weake thread with the poynt toward his head The wicked die because they doe not die and the godly die not because they do die perijssem nisi perijssem the Phoenix dies that she may liue againe and the eagle casts her bill that she may renue it Vse 2. Instruction First an admonition to the wicked that they be more warie in tasting the benefits of the Lord. Let them feed more sparingly for euery morsell they take downe presently becomes poison and therefore miserable is the estate of a wicked man for eating drinking sleeping waking and whatsoeuer hee doth is nothing but the poysoning of himselfe Touch not tast not handle not is no ceremonie that passeth away with the vsing for if wicked men do it in their seruice of God it is but abhomination and if the godly doe it with the wicked it is in all things dangerous Secondly a direction to the godly to refraine from wicked mens companie because a man can hardly participate with them in good things but he shall be defiled Wee dare not eate with some persons very wholesome meate or drinke of the cuppe after them because they haue in their bodies some poysonfull disease If we haue this natural wisedome for to saue the bodie let vs I beseech you haue as great wisdome for the soule least it be hurt in wicked mens companie euen by good things that poyson in nature is most dangerous that is offered in a sweet flower because the one delights the senses and so is willingly imbraced but the poyson enters in with it and so causeth death Vse 3. consolation First in that thou art out of the estate of a wicked man and now become the seruant of Iesus Christ Secondly in all miserie and distresse be of good comfort for God hath bestowed on thee so able a soule that it shall be able to digest yron into good nourishment The stomack that is vsed to be put to some hardship will not bee complaining so often as theirs that keepe themselues to easier diet Observ 5. Wicked men especially hypocrites will thinke God fauours them if hee doe but looke on them nay if hee hold but his tongue be silent with them a little they will grow into such familiar acquaintance with the Lord that presently they will iudge the Lord to be like them and none so highly in fauour with God as they The proud Pharisie because hee was able to part with something to the poore is presently at defiance with the poore Publicane as a no-bodie in respect of him Hypocrits conceit most of Gods loue best of themselues and least of others and with God he is bold to make this confession of his goodnes and I admire how those words brake out I thanke God but that I see the world where good fellowship is most to be the fullest of thankes and therefore this is nothing but a bold stepping into the presence of God as haile fellowe well met But alas where is the poore Publican A farre off striking his breast confessing his vnworthines crauing pardon for his sinne desiring that God would lift vpon him the light of his countenance in the face of his annointed better for the pleasing of God then all their burnt offerings calues of a yeere olde Micah 6. thousands of rammes tenne thousand riuers of oyle the first borne or the fruit of their bodies and more comfortable to a poore Publican then the increase of corne wine oyle or any precious thing in this world 1. Reason a fond conceit of their owne braine A fond conceit The fond louer thinks that if the partie looke but toward him or giue him presently no hard words that shee loues him at the very heart yet when the triall is made and he sues for grace and fauour in her eyes shee may not indure his presence fixe her eyes vpon him but rather let him feele the smart of her hands for beeing so bold and malapert with such as he was vnworthie to looke vpon he like a fond foole may follow the suit but let him be sure he shall neuer obtaine for his very offer hath made an inueterate hatred So these wicked persons for the silence of God are so incensed with Gods loue that they must needes be like God yet when they shall sue vnto him for the performance of this hope they shall heare him breake silence to their small comfort Depart from me ye cursed I neuer knew you And if they shall vrge him Haue not we for the loue of thee done many good things O fooles this praise is not of God ye haue your reward alreadie Away from me and that I may put you out of all hope into hell fire there shall be your weeping and gnashing of teeth for the losse of my presence and the presence of my iudgements And this is my reward of your weldoing Reas â—â—â—sent estate 2. Their present estate God surely would not bee thus liberall vnto vs except be loued vs A franticke braine thinkes all is his that pleaseth his eye as the foole at Athens when he was on the sea shore thought euerie ship to be his that pleased his eie and when he was in the citie where hee fixed his eye laid claime vnto that as the onely owner and yet alas he had not ragges to put on his backe but as men pittied him so the Lord hath taken a little pitty on them and giuen them libertie to walke abroad in the woald and they are so conceited that all is theirs by sea and by land but alas they can not examine their title and therefore when the Lord shall come and say Giue vp thy accounts thou art no longer to bee my officer Alas what acount shall they make that haue spent all their Masters goods and haue neither in their own hands nor in the hands of another one pennie to discharge all with These men all the dayes of their liues haue been paying debts where they ought not euen like a gallant that hath a wife and companie of poore children sitting at home while he is in the Ale-house wasting his goods Now when his rent day comes he gathers in his rents comes againe vnto the ale-wife tels her hee is come to pay his debts now alas poore soule he was bound to pay no debts there but at home to his wife and children So
generated from pure ayre whereby the heart and the braine are preserued in their functions so that what shall bee without reason to deny God his prouidence 3. In Iudiciall Astrologie Neither would I haue the Astrologians to thinke themselues free from this conceit when they make the starres the rule to square all actions as well voluntary as naturall and to determine of the ends and issue of them both Secondly it is strange Idolatrie that there should be any conceit of idolatrie seeing that nothing can be like God either in beeing or doing Isa 40. Againe all the idols of the heathen are known by their causes which to imagine of God is absolutly impossible The smith Isa 44. taketh an instrument worketh in the coales euē with the strength of his armes is an hungred his strength faileth he drinketh no water and is faint the like is said of the carpenter ver 13. and therefore verie strange that such feeble creatures as these should bring forth their creator nay stupid blockishnes that the workman should esteeme the worke of his own hands better then himselfe that made it The like may be said of the matter which is as fit in his owne conceit to warme his body and prepare his meat as be an idole for his soule folly incomparable that fit matter for the fire in his chimney should be as fit for the kindling vp of the fire of his zeale and deuotion in his heart strange againe that the picture of a man beast or the foules of the ayre should be counted better then the liuing man himselfe nay alas then the liuing God Lastly that whose ende is vanitie to be counted the felicitie of the soule is most shamefull and intolerable yet for all this Iere. 44. v. 17. We will burne incense to the queene of heauen and powre out drinke offerings vnto her haue they not reason for this yes assuredly they haue a double reason First losse in that they haue not done it ver 18. Since we left off this worshippe we haue had scarcenesse of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine A second reason is the profit of idolatry v. 17. when we did this then had we plentie of victualls and were well and felt no euill Thirdly Heresie Transubstantiation Consubstantiation no heresie but some reason for it as Transubstantiation must needes bee true because Christ hath said this is my body and consubstantiation must be as good as this because of the personal vnion of man-hood with the deitie A pretie dispute we haue in the 12. Christ not the Messias of Iohn betwixt Christ and the people concerning the Messias In the 32. v. Christ layes downe this proposition If I were lift vp from the earth I would drawe all men vnto mee this Christ meant of his death and so the people vnderstood it but he hath put an argument into their heads whereby they will conquer him ver 34. We haue heard out of the law that Christ bideth for euer therefore by thy owne confession thou art not Christ because thou saiest thou must die And I pray you consider how they triumph in this their argument How sayest thou now that the sonne of man must bee lift vp who is that sonne of man Fourthly Prophanation for prophanation see how the Apostle labours to preuent the wicked conceits of man concerning the abundance of grace 1. Of grace where sinne abounds there grace abounds much more a good reason in the conceits of wicked men to make them sinne the more that grace may abound Againe for Election and Reprobation see how men profane them If I must be saued let me doe what I will and I shall not be damned 2. Election Reprobation and if I must bee damned let mee doe what I will and I shall not bee saued Now should I come to discouer that the ground of all these opinions is nothing but thou thoughtest or it was thy conceit but because this is the last obseruation in the conclusion I wil put it off vntill I haue briefly giuen the reasons and made the vse of this point Reason 1. No man will denic himselfe and therefore though oftentimes he denie the rule of reason yet neuer will be absolutely denie reason because reason is one of the principall faculties in man and therefore must it trudge to make vp his broken conclusions Reason cannot act without reason and therefore men will haue false reason before they will haue none Reas 2. Is the simplicitie of truth and multiplicitie of errour From errors multiplicity and therefore though men cannot bring in truth to maintaine falshood yet may they haue many falshoods to make a faire shewe for one falshood Reas 3. Is the nature of opposition From opposition which on both sides is to defend his own Truth and falshood are deadly enemies and therefore as truth laboureth to confirme himselfe by all those that loue him so falshoold laboureth to gather together all his forces by those that maintaine him Hence it comes to passe that heretickes will neuer be coufuted but as long as they can breath they will vent what they haue conceiued Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wicked in that they adde sinne vnto sinne First to poyson themselues with strange opinions and secondly to enquire for reasons whereby they may ground themselues in these poysoned errors so that from errors they grow to heresie from simple ignorance to that which we call affected ignorance ignorance is so good a mother to deuotion that she will nource vp error and error will grow vp to heresie a child of rebellion Secondly correction of the godly that they yeeld not at any time to the least motions of errour least they become disputers for errors and opposers of Gods truth Many honest and well-minded persons haue gotten such familiar acquaintance with hereticks that they haue beene poysoned by them and so haue come to hate the truth which once they imbraced Vse 2. instruction First an admonition of the wicked that they be a little more sober in broaching of their errors least that the Lord seeing their malice against his truth come with a sharpe reproofe and cut them off suddenly Secondly direction for the godly to keepe themselues to Gods word and neuer labour to wrest it either to the right hand or to the left for the vpholding of any conceits that the deuill their owne flesh or the wicked world shall suggest vnto them Vse 3. consolation First in prosperitie to remember that euerie good thing we enioy shall willingly bee spent for the maintaining of the truth and the opposing of error euen vnto the death Secondly in aduersitie to consider how wee haue vsed no indirect meanes to bring our purposes to passe but still haue rested vpon the Lord for the reuelation of his will and the time of our deliuerance Obser 7. The ground of all wicked mens opinions and likewise
the 8. the 5. of disgrace against the 9. 1. Is any thought that tendeth to the contempt and dishonour of the person of our neighbour and that is a base estimation of the persons of our inferiours in respect of our selues Luk. 18.11 the learned and zealous Pharisie thinkes basely of the Publican this thought is like to Adonibezek who sitting in his royaltie had diuers kings with their thombs cut off receiuing meat of him vnder the table as dogs Pride makes a man destitute of all friends he hath neither God nor his neighbour nor himselfe he that hath not God what happinesse can he haue he that hath not his neighbour what societie can he haue and not to haue himselfe is to be a slaue when he thinks he domineers ouer all Therfore with Iob learne to say Lord I am vile when we can say this see it it will be a meanes to represse this thought Iob 39. 2. Thought of murther is any intent of murthering his neighbour or any thing tending to murther Deuter. 15.9 where two signes are laide downe of it first an euill eye to looke vpon the poore without compassion secondly vnmercifull dealing A second is the thought to doe some hurt to them that worship God truly Psal 74.8 the Babylonian speakes against the Iew Let vs destroy them altogether Christ saith Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake this hath bin since the time of righteous Abel This thought proceeds from an other set downe 1. Pet. 4.4 the wicked maruell that others will not doe as they doe Ob. Nebuchadnezzar a wicked man fauoured Daniel Ans Dan. 1.9 it was Gods prouidence that disposed the Kings heart to doe good 3. Murdering thought is when a man thinks the Minister ripps vp his sinne in malice 3. Thought of adultery as all vnchast thoughts 4. thought theft Psal 50.18 when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him this seeing makes him runne in thought and deede 5. thought disgrace to thinke a thing well done ill done or ill done well done 1. Sam. 1.13 and v. 17.28 Matth. 19.4 Act. 2.13 yet loue thinkes no euill which beeing wanting amongst men makes them thinke all euill Mens hearts are like drie wood which burne not alone but put the least cole to them and they will burne so the least occasion offered wil set all on fire This thought of dishonour is as the table of Adonibezek in respect of murther it is a meere slaughter-house in respect of the thought of adulterie a meere stew in respect of theft a den of theeues and in respect of the thought of disgrace a verie fountaine of all backbiting slaundering reuiling c. 3. Point euill thoughts touching our selues fowre 1. The thought of pride thinking himselfe most excellent Isa 14.13 Zeph. 2.15 Luk. 18.11 Reu. 18.7 Gen. 3. our first parents learned this lesson of the deuill You shall be as gods and the lesse we see it the more it raignes in vs. Pride in outward apparell is a most damnable pride but none aboue spirituall pride from hence sprung many sinnes and therefore to be abhorred As 1. ambition whereby men are not content with their owne estate but seeke to be aduanced 2. presumption in daring things aboue his calling 3. boasting 4. hypocrisie 5. obstinacie 6. contention 7. affectation of nouelties Secondly when this thought raignes in vs Gods spirit cannot dwel in vs Luk. 1.51 52. Iam. 4.6 Isa 66.2 Thirdly when all other sinnes die in vs this thought dies not nay when the graces of God come this thought reuiues because he makes them matter of his pride 2. The highest degree of this is when a man thinkes himselfe check-mate with God Isa 14.14 two waies first when he thinks he may haue power to preuaile with or against God Dan. 3.15 Exod. 5.2 Secondly taking honour due vnto God vnto themselues Act. 12.22 23. 2. Thess 2. Antichrist sits in the Temple of God as God Obiect But he is servus servorum Ans It is not in word but in the thought of his heart in that he thinks he hath power to make lawes binding conscience to dispense with the morall law and Apostolicall constitutions and to forgiue sinnes hereby he thinks himselfe to be equall with God 2. Thought I am righteous and neede no repentance Deut. 9.4 two things first that a man thinks himselfe by nature righteous secondly that the Lord giues them all that they haue for their righteousnes Ier. 2.25 Reuel 3.17 Christ came not to call these righteous because their imagination was such that they were vncapable of his grace The angels reioyce more for one penitent sinner then for nintie nine that neede no repentance Come to an ignorant man aske him can you keepe the law yea and that he lookes to be saued by this righteousnes and by the works of the law Hence we see how euery man by nature is a Papist Secondly this sheweth vs that it is a very difficult point to bring a man to true humiliation Thirdly we see why men neglect the preaching of the Gospel because it teacheth a strange doctrine vnto corrupt reason 3. Thought of securitie I prosper and am free from all Gods iudgements I am not in danger of hell death and damnation Psal 10.6 Isa 28.15 Psal 30.7 This makes the Ministers labour in vaine Zeph. 3.5 Noe an hundreth and twentie yeares Fourth thought in miserie to thinke my crosses to be worse then indeede they are Iob. 6.3 come to comfort them Oh neuer man was vexed as I am The cause of these is Gen. 6.5 v. 21. the heart which sometimes signifieth the fleshie part of man which is the beginning of vitall blood placed in the middle of the body 2. the soule 3. the faculties 4. the middle of any thing Psal 46.2 but here is meant the vnderstanding wil and affections Ephes 4.23 imaginations this word sheweth the frame of the heart first for his corruption 2. for his fruits 3. tearmed mans heart not euil men alone or those before the flood but all men naturally 4. word euill that is against Gods lawe 5. from his childhood as soone as he beginnes to vse reason he frames euill in his heart Hence the cause plainely riseth want of all good thoughts or want of all consideration this is the mother sinne we must keep all the morall law euen in thought Luk. 10.27 the want of this may be seene in matters earthly 2. in matters spiritually in matters earthly Eccles 4.8 in regard of their natures ends and vses but in spirituall things there is an absolute want 1. Is want of the consideration of Gods presence and prouidence in regard of our sinnes Hos 7.2 2. In regard of Gods iudgements for men neuer thinke of iudgement in this life nor in the life to come An 120. yeares Noah preached yet no consideration Luk. 12. the rich man neuer thought that his soule was in danger 3. Is in respect of a mans owne sinnes for we cannot turne
our eyes into our owne bosomes Ier. 8.6 4. Is want of thinking of this duty toward God Ierem. 5.24 so the foolish virgins contented themselues with their lampes vnprepared neuer thinking of the oyle till the time of grace was past thus hardnesse of heart and securitie bring forth these wicked thoughts Hence obserue the strange opinion of the world men haue good hearts meanings intents and purposes howsoeuer the actions of their liues be faultie Hence learne that the Scriptures are no policies of men for nothing could reueale these wicked thoughts but the diuine truth Angels and men know not the thoughts Secondly learne that thoughts are not free though they neuer come into consent or action therefore repentance of thoughts is necessarie Ioel 2.12 Act. 8.22 1. Thess 5. Paul requires that they be sanctified in bodie soule and spirit Reas 1. Because a man is cursed for his thought Pro. 5.26 2. Because actuall sinnes proceed of euill thoughts 1. the thought thinketh it 2. after thought comes delight 3. after delight consent of will 4. after consent an execution or practise of the sinne 5. after practise comes custome in practise 6. after custome and practise death and damnation for thoughts the old world was destroyed Gen. 7.21 For repentance of euill thoughts Remedies of euill thoughts vse 1. examination 2. praier 3. reformation In examination first we must remember that all thoughts are in euery mans minde by nature therefore the least occasion turnes the mind to think them secondly we must heare the word of God attentiuely we must lay open all our senses to the hearing thereof and let it goe thorough them all 1. Cor. 4.25 2. Point Prayer A man must pray for the pardon of his thoughts Act. 8.22 3. Point Reformation of the minde for wicked thoughts Ephe. 4. be renewed in the spirit of your minds wherein thoughts and imaginations are conceiued and framed Rule 1. All thoughts must be in obedience toward God Prou. 20.18 15.22 he must not conceiue a thought in his mind before he haue consulted with the word 1. Cor. 10.4 5. Phil. 4.8 2. Rule Prou. 4.24 to keepe and counter-guard our hearts aboue all watch ward men dovsually guard their cities houses and their treasures now Salomon teacheth that the heart must be guarded more then any citie house or treasures because from it proceed the actions of life 1. Therefore make a couenant with thy senses that they be no occasion or prouocation to any manner of sinne this did Iob cap. 31. and Dauid Psal 119. Turne mine eies from beholding couetousnesse the senses are the windowes of the soule and if God enter not sathan will creepe in at them into our hearts 2. At the beginning checke an euill thought for the thought beeing checked the affections will be quiet 3. Labour with all care to cherish euery good motion of Gods spirit 1. all good cogitations by the ministerie of the word or good counsell hence quench not the spirit 3. Rule We must often vse eleuation of the heart and mind vnto heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father Psal 25.1 Paul bids the Philippians haue their conuersation in heauen Iam. 4. drawe neere to God Hence the Lords Supper is a principall meanes of the eleuation of the heart and mind vnto God this eleuation must be continually practised such as are appointed to keepe clockes doe often euery day pull vp the waights because they are alwaies going downeward Pray continually 1. Thess 5. There be three speciall times the beginning of the day the first good thought affection euerie day must be the Lords The 2. time the end of the day commend our soules vnto God The 3. time receiuing of blessings or feeling the want of them to praise God for the one and call vpon him for the supply of the other 4. Rule The meditation of some speciall matters whereby saluation may be furthered which is either concerning God or our selues concerning God his presence this made Dauid to drawe neere vnto God Psal 139. Psal 19. his heart is purified by seeing God in his lawe Psal 23. in the shadow of death he wil not feare 2. Consideration of Gods iudgments not old but late and particular vpon persons cities townes we should lay these to the heart Ier. 12.11 Here we must practise three things 1. wee must obserue and carefully marke and remember Gods iudgements 2. wee must apply them to our owne persons in particular that they may make vs afraid Thus Habacuk when he heard of Gods iudgement his knees beate one against another Hab. 3. If in a familie one child be beaten others will take heed 3. We must make vse of them Luk. 13.3 Third consideration is of Gods word Psal 1. It is the propertie of the righteous man to meditate in Gods lawe day and night Luk. 2. Marie hid all those things in her heart 1. we must consider the sence of the Scriptures 2. what experience we haue had of the truth of the word of God in our own liues and consciences 3. how farre forth we haue swarued in the practise of the word or how farre forth we haue practised it Fourth consideration is of Gods works in vs and vpon vs this will make vs consider the workes of creation preseruation prouidence Isa 5.12 he pronounceth a woe to them that forget this 1. Consider the work of creation God hath made vs men when we might haue beene beasts that of nothing he made vs to be something 2. for preseruation and prouidence we must consider how he hath preserued vs from time to time from all dangers and hath giuen vs all things necessarie for this life and the life to come 3. for his patience that he hath not cast vs into hell but hath giuen vs a long and large time of repentance 4. that wee are not borne among the heathen but in the bosome of the church where hee hath giuen vs his word reformed our iudgments mollified our hearts and prouoked vs to euerie good worke Eccles 7.13 Psal 77.12.13 Second consideration of our selues 1. of our owne particular sinnes whether they be corruptions of the heart or sinnes of our liues Psal 119.59 Lam. 3. Come let vs search and try our wayes 1. In what manner we haue sinned against God whether of ignorance or knowledge of presumption or weaknes of constraint or wilfulnesse 2. The greatnesse of euerie sinne yea of the least sinne how the infinite maiestie of God is offended and his iustice violated 3. The number of them and here we shall find them with Dauid more then the haires of our head or the sands of the sea Must a man consider them whē he is sure they are pardoned yes so did Dauid Psal 25. Hee praied for the pardon of the sinnes of his youth That this may take the deeper impression let vs consider of the degrees of our misery 1. A separation from all fellowship with God Isa 59.2 2. a
against poyson therefore if we haue made the word of God a Scorpion to sting vs yet let vs now make it a lenitiue to cease the paine if we like beasts haue poysoned our selues yet now like men created for God let vs recouer our selues againe by this word of life But to proceed Thou thoughtest this is the consequent of Gods silence not proper but by accident forced and befide the scope of it therfore this wicked thought of an hypocrite argueth strange corruption of heart that can frame no obiect vnto it selfe that shall make good thoughts Surely affections haue gotten the masterie ouer the mind so that now it must become a slaue to serue them and dispose it selfe that all his iudgments may aime at their satisfaction and thus the good word of God by accident becomes the cause of sinne Gen. 3. hath God said Yee shall not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill the Lord by this law debars you of great good for it is certaine when yee cate yee shall beas gods knowing good and euill therefore the law is too strict and rather an hinderer then furtherer of your good Men we see are very quiet vntil they be prouoked by the preaching of the lawe Steuen Act. 7. shall be stoned for his good sermon Christ shall be an enemie to church and common-wealth because he speaks against the Scribes and Pharisies Moses Aaron shal be hated of Pharaoh for preaching a deliuerance Iohn Baptist for telling Herod his sinne Elias shall be Ahabs enemy for telling him the truth and Paul shall become an enemie to the Galatians for telling them of their apostacie from Christ thus lawe and Gospel mercie and iudgement are abused of the wicked yet for all this the law is holy and iust as for example a man that holds a glasse in his hands as long as it â—ests there is safe but if they throwe it against the wall the wall will breake it but the sault will rest in the hands so when we take our selues dash our selues against Gods law the law breaks vs but the fault is in our selues the bankes are no cause of the furie and rage of the waters but the waters themselues so the lawe of God that banks in our corruption is no cause why it rageth but the nature of it which can indure no limits Reasons 1. Because sinne will indure no law There be three effects of the law that sinne cannot away withall First it stoppeth corruptioÌ„ hence the irritation of the law Secondly it terrisieth the conscience and that cannot be indured they that liue like gallie-slaues and are whipped euerie day will doe nothing but by force and are glad any waies to rid them-selues of such a burden Thirdly it exacts perfect obedience which our nature can not away withall to loue God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our minde and our whole strength is a lesson that will neuer be learned or practised Reas 2. A misconceit as a medicine against which the stomack ariseth will not be indured a plaister which stings at the heart must be throwne off and a glasse that sheweth vs an vgly face cannot be looked into so the misconceiuing of Gods silence makes it that it can neither become meate or medicine to our soules Thirdly the diuersitie of subiects the selfe same seed is sowne in all the foure grounds yet takes but root in one the hammar beats vpon all but it makes not all pliable to Gods worke the axe hewes at all but it timbers but some for building the rest it hewes downe for firing the fire burnes all but only the the gold loseth his drosse the light shines to all but only they that haue eyes behold it the salt seasons all but in some it cannot enter to the bone and therefore they putrifie and rotte away foode would feede all but some want stomacks appetite and digestion therfore they pine away with the best nourishment the goad prickles all but some are hardned that it cannot enter and therefore no maruell that the mercies and filence of God should worke no good effects in the wicked Fourthly the curse of God is vpon them therefore they shall eate but not be satisfied drinke but not to quench their thirst sleepe but not to take their rest for God alone giues rest vnto his welbeloued nay let them doe what they will all shall be nought pray or not pray sacrifice or not sacrifice come to church or not come to the church for they cannot lay aside their wicked thoughts and therefore according to our prouerb all is marred in the making Deut. 28.16 cursed shall they be in the towne and cursed shall they be in the field they shal make no good markets of that which god hath giuen them in the field cursed shall they be in the basket and in their dough bad prouision shall be in their houses when the Lord will not become both the master and the steward cursed shall be the fruite of his body and the fruits of his land the increase of his kine and the flocks of his sheepe extreame pouertie in the middes of all his wealth cursed shall he be when he comes in and cursed also when he goes out ill successe in his interprises neither will the Lord here make an ende These be foure great curses First he shall make no good market in buying and selling Secondly from this shall follow he shall haue no good prouision in his house Thirdly from this shall rise the next that he shall haue no true riches Fourthly to make that good fortune shall alwaies crosse him Fiftly to proceede yet further God will make him cracke his credit for trouble shame shall be vpon all that he sets his hand to do euerie man shall call him banke-rout neither shal he haue any law against theÌ„ for with God he hath lost his credit and therefore shall he perish quickly Sixtly that he may make his word good in all these the pestilence consumption feuer burning ague sword blasting mildew the heauens aboue shall be brasse and the earth vnder iron for raine dust and therefore no staie but perish thou must in bodie goods and good name Seuenthly to make the finall vp-shotte of his bodie he shall fal before his enemies and his carkeis shal be without all burial the foules of the ayre and the beasts of the field shall haue him for their pray and none shall rescue him if the enemies spare him God will smite him with the botch of Egypt with the Emorods with the scab with the itch euen worse then he hath done Egypt for he shall not be healed neither will God be defectiue in his methode for from these more sensible torments vpon the bodie he will proceede to greater iudgements vpon the soule which though least felt yet more fearefull madnes blindnes astonying of heart with all their ill consequents to grope at noone day to be oppressed powled and
without all succour neither here shall the Lord rest vpon bodie and soule but strike him in his nearest friends his wife c. Neither may we maruel at this for in nature wee see how some corne is sowen but neuer riseth some springeth and yet shortly withereth some groweth vp to an eare and yet then is stricken or blasted other at Gods good pleasure commeth to ripenesse some trees are planted yet neuer take roote some roote yet neuer blossome some blossome yet neuer bring forth fruit others through Gods blessing bring forth fruite in due season if God so deale with the plant and hearb of the field why may he not deale in like manner with man which is as wel in the hands of his creator as the smallest creature vpon the face of the earth 1. Vse reprehension first confutation of all wicked men which reproch religion for the idle profession of it If they see one that makes a great flourish in religion fall away As wicked men haue euill conceits of God so haue they of religion and the true professors thereof then presently see what religion these professours haue Alas doe they not see Sathan falling from heauen like lightning with his taile sweepe downe many a glorious though wandering starre if any thing be amisse presently it must be laid vpon God and his word these wicked thoughts of the hypocrite fixe vpon Gods silence But he that takes the foure corners of the earth in his hands as the lap of a garment shall shake the world together and cast out these wicked ones as his refuse and then shall be seene what sandie foundations they built vpon Nay alas this vncharitable world is so full of spite against God and his Saints that if a godly mans beast make but a smal trespasse presently shall it be laid vpon them as a great disgrace of their profession that which they account as nothing in others shall be verie hainous in them If Ligarius trip but a little then swelling Tubero will call it nefandum scelus vntollerable mischeife but as Cicero answered for Ligarius scelus tu illud vocas Tubero cur isto enim nomine illa adhuc causa caruit dost thou call it wickednes O boisterous Tubero wherefore I pray thee surely for that name there is no reason be a little perswaded by thy neighbours alij enim errorem appellant alij timorem qui durius spem cupiditatem odium pertinaciam qui gravissimè temeritatem scelus praeter te adhuc nemo thy neighbours round about thee call it some mistake or a little base feare they which are a little more vncharitable some hope or desire of gaine or fome mislike or ouermuch malepertnes they which say the worst of it are content that it be called rashnes but for wickednes thou hast not any other witnes beside thy selfe and therefore be intreated for Ligarius for he shall come to thee with an ignosce pater erravi lapsus sum non putavi si vnquam posthac paulo post temere feci paenitet ad clementiam tuam confugio delicti veniam peto vt ignoscas oro Suppose then in the like case a kind hearted Dauid come to a churlish Nabal in the name of Christ making him his Orator to plead for him why chalenge you religion for this small trespasse I am perswaded you haue no shew of reason for it all your neighbours doe make a fauourable construction of it I pray you therefore be pacified I am sorie I haue giuen you this offence thinke more fauourably of me I will be readie to put vp the like iniurie at your hands well Dauid send thy seruants to Nabal to aske him in thy name how hee doth let this bee their salutation both thou and thy house and all that thou hast be in peace wealth and prosperitie thy shepheards were with vs and we did them no hurt neither did they misse any thing all the while they were in Carmel aske thy seruants and they shall testifie the same wherefore let these young men finde fauour in thine eyes for we come in a good season neither shall they be chargeable vnto thee giue I pray thee whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand vnto thy seruants and to thy sonne Dauid Dauid thou hast plaied the Orator most excellently passions in thy selfe and strong arguments to Nabal especially one drawne from profit Let vs see what welcome Nabal will giue them Who is Dauid and who is the sonne of Ishai there be many seruants now a daies that breake away euery man from his master shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men whome I know not whence they be the dogges shall haue it before them Well Dauid is a Mars as well as a Mercurie as good at his sword as at his words therefore Nabal shal smart for it What shall withhold Dauid surely the seruants of Nabal had respect vnto themselues and their mistresse therefore Abigail shall know that Dauid was as a wall both by night and by day to them and their masters sheepe therefore take heede for our master is so wicked that a man cannot speake vnto him good Abigail will giue Dauid good contentment that he shall blesse her counsell and when Nabal heares what his wife hath done his heart shal die within him and become like a stone after this the Lord shall smite him and he shall die Euen thus standeth it betwixt the godly and the world Wicked men liue and prosper because the godly are among them but alas they shall receiue hard measure at their hands they had rather feede the dogges then any poore Lazarus at their doores full of sores Hang him he is a stinking Puritan an enemie to the King and the whole common-wealth a breaker away from all masters can endure no yoke when alas if it were knowne they are the best subiects the King hath and as they neuer cease to pray for him so if once they should come to venture their liues for him and the good of the Church and commonwealth they should be found with the eagerest but alas by disgracefull tearmes they abuse many good Christians not esteeming those puritans which the King hath detected in his book but euery one that is not of their phantasie There be three kinds of Puritans and he that prooues not one of them shall neuer be saued First is the Papisticall puritan that dare plead with God for his iustification and this is a damnable puritan The second is a schismaticall puritan that rends himselfe from euery Church that will not agree with his phantasie and this is likewise a wretched puritan A third is the Christian Puritan such an one as I am sure the word of God approoues of and onely pronounceth them blessed that are pure in heart and these are defended by the booke of common prayer wherein we call vpon God that we might lead a godly sober and
are in danger but it lights but vpon the pate of one of them and he falls to the ground wounded and yeelds vp the ghost all the rest quake and tremble at the sight and are speechlesse So the Lord is daily shooting forth his arrowes he neuer misseth his aime the watchmen of the citie tell the people the arrowe of God is among them and for all this no man is afraid it strikes downe some of the stoutest of them but alas all is giuen to some surfet or weakenesse in the man which they finding themselues free from thinke it is impossible for them to die as he did because they haue not his disease as though there were no more diseases to cut off life then that one If a messenger knocke at the doore and answer be giuen him presently hee is gone without delay so beloued Gods plagues would not still rage at our doores if we gaue God his answer yet still the Lord rings the bel at our doore Secondly a direction to the godly to watch continually that so they may escape the iudgements of the Lord and mourne for his iudgements vpon others for these April dewes will bring forth in them the May flowers of Gods spirit and in weeping stil respect our selues more thē other for that alone makes God carie handkerchifes to wipe away our teares and this sowing in teares will bring vs a speedie haruest and when the rod is vpon others let vs take it to our selues for is it not better to take the rod into our owne hands and beate our selues gently then the Lord who is a consuming fire should wast vs with it Bones out of ioynt the longer they goe they prooue more painfull betimes they are set more easily therefore let vs betimes set our selues in the waies of the Lord least he rebuke vs sharply We physicke purge sweate and all for the bodie can we indure nothing for the soule the vomite of the soule is the greife of repentance and tell me I pray you who euer repented him of repentant sorrow In these reproofes we are worse afraid then hurt rising out of a soft bed is exceeding tedious to a sluggard yet our vp doth not dare vs at all so is the awaking from the sleepe of sinne and slumbering in the reliques of sinne which still haue dwelling in the best of vs. To see a souldier wounded is no newes but to goe with it is desperate follie so our sighting in this world is no newes if it bring knocks and maimes vnto vs yet to let them goe and ranckle and fester is forlorne negligence therefore let this direction take his impression in our soules that we may make excellent vse of all Gods reproofes Vse 3. Consolation in trouble because the Lord will reward vs but punish them that cause vs affliction 2. Thess 1.6 7. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs. Secondly in prosperitie to reioice that we can sorrow that the Lord reprooues any of our brethren to be grieued for the afflictions of Ioseph Daniel could find no comfort in his priuate prosperitie and great authoritie because he knew that the Church of God was in great miserie the like affection was in good Nehemiah so likewise on the contrarie to reioyce when we be reprooued to see Gods church to flourish so Paul beeing in prison was not so much grieued at his own bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospel of Christ Sect. 3. Of the obiect Thee God in his owne children loues the person and accepts of them in Christ and onely hates their sinne and reprooues that but in an hypocrite he hates both the person and the sinne for if he should onely bee offended with the sinne then should there be no difference betwixt the godly and the wicked for he hates sinne equally in them both and yet they are not both equally hated and therefore some thing more in an hypocrite is the obiect of hatred then his verie sinne But it may be obiected that nothing can be hated but that which is euill The obiect of Gods hatred now the persons of wicked men are good the sinne is onely euill therefore onely hated Answ Euill is considered two wayes First in the abstract as beeing not considered with the subiect in which it is and so it is equally hated of God euery where Secondly in the concrete when the euill and the subiect are put together euill absolutely taken and an euill man are diuers considerations the same cause of hatred in both but not the same manner for a godly man is of an other condition seeing sinne in him is but a tyrant and he is none of his lawfull subiects and therefore though sinne fights to subdue him vnto his kingdome yet the spirit of God resists and will be the ruler Therefore as the loue of the subiects stand toward their king so doth the king loue them Now the loue of sinne and wicked men is naturall and so is the loue of God and his children spiritually naturall and therefore must he needes loue his owne subiects and hate all his enemies for if an enemie should captiuate a loyall subiect the king would presently require him againe when he is content to let his enemies haue their owne libertie ouer their owne slaues Therfore the children of God lose not the name of righteous persons because they sinne for it is rather sinne in themselues then themselues that offend God Rom. 7. Paul saies It is no more I but sinne that dwells in me Therefore in a wicked man there be three considerations first of his euill 2. of his sinnefull person 3. of his personall beeing the two first are hated the third is loued of God so a godly man first his euill secondly his righteous person thirdly his personall beeing the first is hated the two last are loued of the Lord. Observ 1. A Reproofe must be passed vpon sinne Euery thing that is secret must be brought into light Eph. 5.13 All things when they are reprooued of the light are manifest for it is the light that maketh all things manifest Ioh. 16.8 And when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne and of righteousnes and of iudgement So that this point is generall to the sinnes of all men especially to the wicked for they haue neuer desired by heartie repentance to bring their sinnes vnto the light and therefore because they would not iudge themselues by it it shall iudge them to their woe Indeede to behold the light is a comfotable thing but for sore eyes it is verie troublesome and therefore those that doe euill hate the light because their works are euill and so the Lord must needs araigne them euen in the cleare sunne-shine to the view of all men euen of their verie consciences Ioh. 3. Reas 1. Because sinne is the violation of Gods law and therefore must
setting euen as a false peice of latin is set to the eye of the boy from the master by the rule and both of them corrected the boy by rods the latine by pulling it in peices because it is so farre wanting that nothing can be made of it that will beare good construction Indeede the godly are set againe into the image of their creation by Christ Iesus which hath turned man wholly againe vnto his creator and these haue their faults daily corrected become good proficients in the schoole of Christ and therefore one day shall celebrate the happie day of their commencing where euerie one shall be made an absolute Doctor free of all professions not to teach but read a continuall lecture of the praise of God to rauish his heart with ioy Obs Gods iustice is able to place all sinne in his order and ranke that so it may be easily seene and iudged of all men If I came into a roome and faw al the plate set forth to the view euery dish on the table in his due place all the furniture for the chamber in answerable proportion and euery guest in his due order and place set downe to meat I could easily iudge of the excellencie of the feast So surely the wicked alas they must expect no feast whē God shal haue mustered vp all their sinnes and ranked them vnder their seuerall heads according to his law and Gospel shall be able sufficiently to iudge what they haue done amisse to the great disquiet of their soules First therefore they shall see their apostacie from God that kept them from pleasing of him and made them displease him continually from this will the Lord descend to let him see the transgression in this apostacie with the propagation of it to all posteritie he will shewe him that the trangression in eating of the forbidden fruite was an offence of an exceeding great maiestie because it was a sacrament of the couenant of loue betwixt God the creator and man his creature and God forbad him as he would loue him not to eate thereof The loue on Gods part was extraordinarie because man being by nature changeable had this sacrament as a seale of his constant estate of goodnes and therefore was it called the tree of the knowledge of good Again on mans part it was required that he should loue constantly or if he should leaue to serue the Lord then was affured vnto him by the same sacrament vnder Gods broad seale his change from good to euill therfore was it also called the tree of the knowledge of euil From this trāsgression wil the Lord lead him by the hand to take notice of the causes and the effects that followed vpon those causes In the causes he shall vnderstand that one sort were blameable an other holy good the blameable causes both principall and instrumentall principall the deuill which through pride against God and malice against man became liars and murtherers of man by bringing him into sinne Man the second principall cause by his free receiuing of the deuills temptation and hearkning thereunto contrary to the commandement of god when he might haue resisted the same became a ioynt rebell with the deuill The instrumentall causes first the serpent the instrument of the deuill abused to the seducing of the woman the second instrument was the woman deceiued of the deuill by the serpent became an instrument to deceiue man Then shall he be brought to the vnblameable cause to wit the law and commandement of God for had not this bin their had bin no sinne as the Apostle saies therefore the law which in it self is the sauour of life vnto life through the default of man became the sauour of death vnto death that most iustly for as an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand against a stone wall is truely broken of the wall yet no fault in the wall but in the hand that threwe it against the wall contrarie to the command of his superiour so man like this earthen pitcher beeing dashed by the deuill his owne free will the serpent and the woman vpon the lawe of God and so broken in peices is no fault in the law but theirs that dashed him against the law Therefore the lawe is no faultie cause but a iust and holy cause of mans fall and as the law did it so God did it Now the lawe was no bare permitting cause or a forsaking cause but a working cause euen in that fall of man Who sees not the wall to haue an hand in the breaking of the pitcher and therefore it is idle to say that the Lord was but only a looker on gaue man leaue to transgresse or did forsake him in the act for all these are false therefore that which he did he was able to doe that which he was able to doe he decreed vnto his owne glorie and so it seemed good vnto his wisedome and therefore might absolutely will that as good and iust But God committeth no sinne true as he did all this you see there was no fault for what fault was there in the wal that brake the pitcher what fault is there in the water that drownes a man if he cast himselfe into it in the fire if it burne him surely none therefore that which God did was iust and holy but that which man did was a hainous sinne For God made them the fountaines and beginnings of their owne actions because they were indued with free will to doe well that thereby they might deserue both praise and price I meane ratione pacti non absolutè meriti of bargaine and not of simple merit for that which the law would haue giuen them that we may say was iustly deserued and on the contrarie by paritie of consequence for ill doing they deserued both dispraise and punishment If then you say God might will sinne and not will it which is to defend contradictions in his wil very true is the antecedent God did will and not will yet the consequent is false for contradictions must be of the same thing in the same respect I may say Appius est coecus non est coecus Appius is blind and not blind which are no contradictions for they are not ad idem there is not the same thing affirmed and denied but diuers he is blind in bodie but not in soule so of the Lord that which he doth in sinne he wills because so sinne hath a respect of good and he wills it iustly but that which man doth in sinne he willeth not but is sore displeased with it Thus when the Lord hath let many see their transgressions he will carie them on a long vnto the effects that flowe from these causes as the streames from the fountaine and these are in number three blame guilt and punishment blame the fault of his action in breaking Gods lawe guilt whereby hee is tyed to vndergoe his punishment and punishment which is the iust anger of God
his posteritie who couenanted with God for vs as well as for himselfe for performance of obedience therefore he breaking we breake likewise by the law of inheritance he was our father we his heires he was the root of all mankind and we were in his loynes the manner is by imputation of the transgression and so consequently of blame guilt and punishment Originall sinne is conceiued in vs by our next parents and so goes a long to all posteritie bodie and soule are the excellent worke of God as if a skilfull workeman should make all the wheeles of a clocke verie artificially but being put into the hands of an vnskilfull prentice is so disorderly set together that one wheele cannot go aright so God the maker both of bodie and soule hath left them to our first parents and so consequently to our next parents to put them together who hauing lost their first standing with God are become not onely vnskilfull but also vncapable of any vertue to put together a man brought forth in the image of God for as this was onely Gods creation so must it againe be the new creation of God so that man and woman being not the causes of bodie and soule but of the procreation of a third thing riing from both may truly be said to beget a man according to their owne image and similitude Lastly it is true that euerie man shall beare his burden for actuall sinne is not conueyed in speciall but in generall so that euerie one shall answer for his owne actuall sinnes without hee followe his forefathers steps and then shall he be punished for both because he will needs haue both imputed vnto him the first by nature the second by imitation Therefore if man may see in this world thus much of Gods placing of sinne for this is but our obseruation what shal then this God of all order do when he shal not only set it forth but apply it to our hearts and consciences then shall we experimentally know the causes of all our mischeife the consequents in the guilt of conscience and the punishments both vpon soule and bodie so that that which is in this world both sinne and punishment shall be felt of vs in hell in no other regard but as punishment In this world we haue had some pleasure in sinne but in hell all shall be onely in torment the miseries of the body in this world haue vexed vs and the soule hath beene senslesse of punishment but in hell both bodie and soule shall haue exquisite sense of Gods anger wrath and vengeance and the soule shal then exceed in feeling And this is the setting of sinne in his place and order Reas 1. Because things must be separated Now methode alone is the true diuider of things and makes euerie one to rainne and hasten to his home we see how euerie creature maketh hast vntill he be come to the place in which alone he can rest sinne therefore which is frozen with many things that it ought neuer to haue touched and will not out of them because then he knowes not where to haue rest must needs beâ— disioyned els would all lie together in a confusion You see how cold congeales together water earth stickes stones and many disagreeing natures but when the fire comes it dissolueth and parteth them and maketh euerie one appeare in his nature So method finding men and their sinnes all on heapes disioynes them lets them see what is Gods what is their own But because men are blind and will see nothing God hath prepared hell fire to dissolue these frozen soules that they may see what a strange confusion they haue made of the workes of Gods hands by their owne Reas 2. Is perspicuitie and cleare knowledge The onely rule of perspicuitie is methode and therefore sinne beeing fullest of darkenesse had neede of the best helpe to make all cleare and euident especially seeing that sinne is one of the haters of light The darkenesse of the night opposeth the day and likewise the day the night wee see the morning expells the darkenesse and the appearance of the Sunne makes the shadowes of the night part away they that haue gotten themselues into holes and rockes must be pulled out off their dens by violence A theife or murtherer that hath gotten a hole fights like a beare and roares before men can drawe him into the open view of the world and he comes to Gods iudgement seat as beares vnto a stake They that haue seene villaines pulled out of their holes may marke them to look like fiends comming out of hell therfore great need of method that must cleare so hard causes as these are and bring all things vnto the light Reason 3. Iudgement which can not begiuen before euidence haue bin brought in and therfore must methode needs cleare all the bills and inditments that are to be brought in against wicked and euill doers that so iudgement may be truly and substantially deliuered Reason 4. Because of the consciences of wicked men which haue bin so long accustomed to sinne that they are so confufed that they can giue no euidence against the sinner therefore must the Lord needs vse his methode before conscience can any way assist the Lord in his iudgement Reason 5. Gods glory which must shine brightly out of all workes euen out of the workes of darkenesse which cannot be imagined without methode the glory of a stately building is not seen in the confused masse of it lying vpon the earth but when it is reared vp to the view of the whole world Reason 6. Multitude of offences now wee can doe nothing with multitudes vnlesse we bring them vnto some heads How should a iust account be taken of all sinne if the Lord should not summe them vp into some generall how should the general be prooued except the order of the specials might be seene how they were contained in the generall Reason 7. Quicke dispatch If truths were to be tryed by Syllogismes with the Lord it would be a long time before all arguments should be brought in and euery conclusion inferred Again much time would be spent in prouing of euery doubtfull proposition and great dispute might be held on this side and on that therefore the Lord will speedily finish all in an exact methode which is alwaies full of breuitie and perspicuitie Reason 8. Remembrance neither God nor man should be able to carry in mind the sinnes of the world but for methode we might wonder how the Lord should tel vs all that euer we haue done except it were for this rule of methode and man could neuer make any good account out of his broken crafie memory except the Lord by his own method should helpe him Methodus mater memoriae Vse 1. Reprehension first a confutation of the wicked that thinke as they haue done all in the darkenesse so the darknes shal couer them for euer but Psal 139.12 the darknes hideth not from
Sathan is a worker beside his owne peculiar manner of tempting which is possession or a more liberty and freedome to the tempted of sorrow and despaire and quicke dispatch of themselues For comfort of the godly I will instance a little in these lesser temptations and then I wil inlarge them to the wicked whose cause is desperate Of our owne natures spring the temptations which rise of the roote of originall sinne The spring and fountaine of all temptations without any forraine instigation from the world whatsoeuer is either a baite of pleasure or fright of terror which increase the actuall sinnes springing frō the originall roote and lay as it were compasse and powreth on water to that vngracious stock to make it grow the faster Now all these temptations are not of that dangerous nature that this is of here must we attend with patience the issue which not onely is certen but also shal come in the best time The corporall inhabiting of Sathan is the greatest fullest of terror and despaire that can befal the godly yet the historie of the deeds and sayings of Christ the writing of the Euangelists do testifie of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation by the power of Christ mercifully extended vpon such miserable captiues which examples serue against like times of affliction that we giue not ouer hope though millions of deuills should possesse vs within enuiron vs without but knowe his power to be aboue all force of the enemy and his mercie farre surmounting Sathans malice therefore Gods children haue no cause in this sort to feare nor haue any shadow of ground wheron they should resolue against themselues vpon the point of reprobation but that all these molestations and terrours which they now indure are temptations rather of their father for good and profit then grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue Againe The order of the deuill in drawing Gods elect into Atheisme and so on concerning his soule religion or faith for more praticular examination I find by daily experience that these are as well the operations of phansie from melancholie as of conscience for sinne that methode of which temptation I find for the most part to runne in this order First to call into question whether there be any God or no for melancholie is a disputing humor Secondly when reason hath mastered that then the second question is about the immortalitie of the soule When that again is conquered there enters a third question whether we professe the true religion or no. When that is expelled the fourth question that maketh the greatest tumult in the soule is whether wee haue any part or portion in that which it promiseth Here the deuill is exceeding busie for if this be resolued on he is wholly cast out and hath nothing further to trouble vs withall Any of the former doubts would haue sunke our soules for if no God then why should I abstaine from my sinfull pleasures If againe no refurrection then why should I vexe my selfe in this world If my religion be false then must I haue a new twenty to one but I change amisse and therfore I wil be of no religion but when I shall begin to thinke I haue no faith in Gods promises Whether melancholie be the affliction of conscience then alas what shall comfort me Therefore consider these questions first whether the conscience of sinne and the afflictions thereof be melancholy or not secondly what is the differēce thirdly the afflictions of mind to what persons they befall and by what meanes fourthly what may be the consolation And so from this setting before the eies of the conscience only in appearance I will proceed to the reall and that which the Lord will do to the hypocrite in this place For the first Difference betwixt them the affliction of conscience is quite another thing then melancholy as may appeare out of the second question by the differences First in the causes 1. Causes the one is a meere fancie without all true and iust ground and is onely raised vpon disorder or humour in the fancie and rashly deliuered to the heart which vpon naturall credulitie fareth in passion as if it were indeede whereof the fancie giueth a false alarum But the other is a sorrow and feare vpon cause and that the greatest cause that worketh miserie vnto man Secondly 2. Effects in the effects In that of conscience the bodie is ofttimes in firme state of health perfect in complexion and perfect in shape and all symmetrie of his parts the humours in quantity qualitie not exceeding nor wanting their naturall proportion but in the other the complexion is depraued obstructions spoile the course of humour and spirit whereby the blood becomes ouer-grosse thicke and impure and nature so disordered that diuerse melancholike persons haue iudged themselues strange creatures as historie will plainly record Thirdly 3. Subiect in the subiect The senses in the other both inward and outward are ofttimes perfect the imagination sound the heart wel compact and resolute and this excepted want no courage but in the other both inward sense and outward are too feebled the fancie ouertaken with ghastly fumes of melancholy and the whole force of the spirit closed vp in the dungeon of melancholy darkenesse imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their hearts are either ouertender and reare and so easily admit the passion or ouer close of nature serue more easily to imprison the cheerefull spirit the causes of comfort to the rest of the body Hence they are faint hearted without occasion onely driuen with the tide of that humour to feare euen in the middest of securitie 4 From the originall Fourthly they differ in the fountaine and originall of them the one begins in the minds apprehension the other in the distempered humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the mind and draweth it into erroneous iudgement 5 Cure through false testimonie of the outward report Fiftly in the meanes of cure the one is helped by no medicine no purgation no cordiall or balme except the balme of Gilead are able to assure the afflicted soule trembling heart panting vnder the terrors of God hell death and damnation But in melancholy passions the vaine opened neesing powder or Bearefoot ministred to expell the fumes in the braine cordialls of pearle saphyres and rubies with such like recomfort the heart throwne downe and appaled with phantasticall feare 6. End Sixtly they differ in the ende in the one the perill is not of bodie and corporall actions but of foule and bodie to be cut off from the life of God from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happinesse and eternall felicitie Here then the cause is the seueritie of Gods iudgement summoning the guiltie conscience the subiect is the sinfull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is for euer and euer the issue is eternall punishment satisfactorie to
conclude her saluation out of Gods word without any further reuelations yet still did the temptation grew vpon her insomuch that hauing a venice glasse in her hands and the selfe-same minister setting by her presently breakes forth into lamentable words You haue often told mee that I must seeke no further then Gods word but I haue been long without comfort and can indure no longer therefore if I must be saued let this glasse be kept from breaking and so she threw it against the walls Here might the Lords hand for this tempting of his maiestie haue left her to the euerlasting woes of her distrustfull heart yet the Lord that is rich in mercie hauing stamped her with the seale of his election was content to satisfie the languishing soule with a miracle the glasse rebounds againe and comes safe vnto the ground which the minister hauing gotten into his hands sayeth Oh repent of this sinne blesse God for his mercie and neuer distrust him more of his promise for now you haue his voyce from heauen in a miracle telling you plainly of your estate This was curiositie and might haue brought despaire yet it was the Lords mercie to remit the fault and graunt an extraordinarie confirmation of her faith But to proceede melan cholie persons that are giuen to contemplation if they be not well grounded in the word of God and haue resolued in all their speculations not to remooue one haire from the same are easily ouertaken and plunged in miserie and especially all such as haue their vocation consisting in such studies as philosophie c. which if they cary not a low saile and sometime to strike and lie at the anker of the Scriptures of God but hoist vp saile leaue it to the tempest of presumption are presently carried into the whirle-poole of Gods infinite secrets and are in daunger without the speciall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer themselues for these men being not balanced with knowledge of Gods scriptures and assurance of his spirit are neuer able to abide the vglines of their sinnes when they shall once be vnfolded that narrow point of reprobation and election propounded vnto their melancholie braines and hearts and most miserable polluted soules Others which haue but some little knowledge of Gods word and practise answerable for want of the true apprehending of Gods reuealed will touching election and reprobation and the right methode of learning and conceiuing the doctrine causeth them to stumble and fall at this stone for a sword taken at the wrong ende is readie to wound the hand of the taker yet held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence so Predestination preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas in it selfe it is the most strong rock of assurance in al storms of temptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule because predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes Now if reason ascending to this supreame cause descend not againe to the meanes then when our sinnes shall meete with Gods iustice and we haue no eye to looke vpon his mercie in his sonne Christ we shall find nothing but the assurance of our owne destruction Againe if with the world we eye alone his mercie and consider not his iustice then miserable man who melteth as snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice must needes perish eternally in that his carelesse presumption Againe as the melancholie person in generall and secondly in speciall 1. of giuing himselfe to contemplation 2. knowing Gods word vngroundedly so in the 3. place this makes the melancholie nature subiect to this passion when with a passionate humour he reads Gâ—ds word and doth as melancholy persons doe in regard of their bodie for if they read or heare of any disease presently they conceicue they haue it so deale they with the Scriptures they are guiltie of all iudgements and no sinne or iudgement but they either haue it or presently expect it and especially they resemble the one the other in this that they haue the strongest conceit of the most deadly diseases as consumptions and sicknesses incurable so the other of nothing but the sinne against the holy Ghost So that as ignorance before was their guide here ignorance and infidelitie linked together A fourth speciall manner in this melancholike subiect is the good and christian heart the waight of whose sinnes exceeding for a time the strength of their faith see not so clearely as they desire but euen as in a stormy tempest the ship seemeth at euery blast and sourge of the sea to be in danger of wracke and as the young ash bending to euerie blast of wind seemeth in perill of breaking and rooting vp when notwithstanding both the ship keepeth her constant course and the tree yet hath the rooting In winter we thinke the trees are dead and in a tempest we thinke wee haue lost the brightnes of heauen yet summer prooues the contrarie and the space of an houre may shewe the cleare heauens againe So when this tempest of Gods anger is ouer-blowne and his gracious countenance beginneth to shine on vs againe then the saith which was as it were hid for a time taketh life and sheweth foorth it selfe and plainely prooueth that as the trees when they bud in the spring time and bring forth fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed so the faith of Gods children springeth afresh after the stormie winter of temptation and therefore no dead faith The diseases of the bodie make vs sometime seeme little better then dead corpses and yet the hidden life is after recouered and raised vp againe Thus saith by reason of our owne weakenes and thorough Sathans tempestuous malice bendeth seemeth feeble and yeeldeth to the force while notwithstanding it is built on the rocke and planted with the hand of God in the Eden of his gracious election and doth remaine a plant for euer in his Paradise of euerlasting felicitie Thus the lilly of God and euerie member of it though among many thornes is preserued because they are planted by the good husbandman watred with the dewes of heauen hedged and preserued by his continuall care for this husbandman is night and day in his field and yet he neuer sleepeth no not so much as slumbereth by his watchfull care for Israel his flocke Psal 121. In deed we had need of a good shepheard for wee are extraordinarie wandring sheep we had need of good gouernours for we are but punies in our wayes we had neede of a good guide on the seas of this world for we are but like vnexperienced trauailers by sea fearing euery weauing of the ship and â—â—ying with the disciples helpe vs Master or else we perish we imagine euery puffe of temptation to bee nothing but the gate of destruction when indeede it is the way of Gods dearest children and appointed of the Lord to bring vs
and body together euen almost disioyned for lacke of spirit and courage and so to animate body and soule that euen Christians shall say I neuer found body and soule in better temper then now Many Martyrs which haue beene troubled with the swelling of the spleene which all the time of their libertie was a kinde of hell vnto them haue admired that beside the exraordinarie consolations of the soule they haue felt those paines ceased that did disquiet them on the day time following of their ordinary vocations and in the night with breaking off their sleepe when now they finde that all the day they could toyle in writing and praying singing and comforting their poore brethren and when night comes sleepe soundly without either bed or couering when before though vpon a bed of Ivorie and wrapped in silke they could take no rest this is Gods blessing filling the heart with the grace of patience which makes vs perfect intire and lacking nothing therefore where patience is what discomfort can trouble vs This is the first argument marke the method to the second It might well be obiected I could be patient but I want wisdome to carrie mine affliction and make the right vse of it To this he answers and his answer doth not onely take away the obiection but giue a second confirmation of his exhortation v. 5. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it of God and ye shall be assured that the Lord will answer you for he giueth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man therefore you his children shall be sure to speede Yet would I preuent all rashnes for if it may be had for asking then all men shall haue it for who is he but he praies the Lords praier Creed ten Commandements true it is he saies praiers but I giue the requisite let him aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth incurreth first the shame of inconstancie becomming like the sea tossed of euery winde and neuer resting Secondly they loose all expectation euer to receiue any thing of the Lord nay let him not so much as thinke of it or presume that the Lord will answer his praiers Thirdly the detection of an hypocrite that he is a double minded man and therefore vnstable in all his waies not able to lie at the anker of any of Gods promises Now then both arguments beeing rightly vnderstood and applied vnto the soule see how forcibly they will be able to inferre the conclusion He that hath such a patience that is perfect in it selfe and is able to worke perfection in others and that in such sort that they shall be made perfect entire lacking nothing and secondly for direction shall haue the blessed grace of spirituall wisdome may be mooued to count it exceeding ioy when he falls into diuers tentations but euery faithfull soule shall haue both these graces therefore must he needs intertaine my louing exhortation Patience and wisdome going hand in hand will carrie affliction without trouble for suppose that two persons were to carrie a long staffe through a strait passage the one wants patience and therefore he makes hast now for want of wisdome his staffe falls a crosse he is still discontented labours to breake through by violence but the staffe beeing too strong for him and the passage too narrow to let him goe on except he take his staffe with him is set at a stay to adde crosse vnto crosse vntill he perish in his follie now a man of patience when he is to come that way is content by patience to goe softly at his leisure and by his wisdome espies where he may haue a thrust backe except he order his staffe by letting one end go before the other and thus by patience and wisdome goes further in the straits of this world toward the kingdome of heauen in one houre then fooles wise in their owne conceit goe all the time of their life But let me lead you on in the Apostles sweete consolation and bring you to the third ground and that is true contentation in all estates v. 9 10 11. explained by an example in aduersitie and another in prosperitie proouing that neither prosperitie can further the ioyes of Christians nor aduersirie hinder it and therefore whether prosperitie or aduersitie befall them their estate is all one with God For aduersitie he brings for instance an example drawne from pouertie ver 9. Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted his lowe degree is no hinderer of his exaltation in Christ and therefore can it not take away his reioycing for what cares a man for the losse of a pennie that is so rich that he knowes no ende of his wealth for better is it to bee made rich by the creator of the world then to haue the creature without the creator For prosperitie he exemplifies in riches v. 10. It is good for him that is rich to see that he bee made lowe else shall he with his riches become as the flower of the grasse which by the sunne withering the grasse makes his flower fall away and then the goodly shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies And therefore seeing the best in prosperitie is to bee made low and the worst is to be made rich without humiliation and on the contrarie the worst in aduersitie makes vs the best in Christ who can denie but that our ioy may exceed in afflictions The fourth argument beside his strength and power is very alluring for Psal 4. who will shewe vs any good well if in this case any beleeuing Iew shall make the question in this anguish of his soule and say who will shew vs any good he shall not onely haue the Apostle with Dauid to shew them that God will lift vpon them the light of his countenance but euen the blessed ende of all their tryalls v. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crown of life c. But if there be such strong arguments for tentations then surely God is the cause of them No beloued I would not haue you say God tempts any man v. 15. but the true cause is his owne heart v. 14.15 therefore erre not my deare brethren v. 16. but take notice of euerie good gift and say that is the Lords worke v. 17. therefore this good that comes out of euil is the worke of the Lord for afflictions in their owne nature are euill and it is my power to make them good vnto my children yet not to make them in my children Therefore hauing giuen warning take the fift argument of consolation and comfort and that is from the newe birth v. 18. A woman indeede when she trauaileth hath sorrâ—we because her howre is come but as soone as she is delinerad of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ioh. 16.21 so Gods
children are in sorrow but when they consider how of his owne will he hath begotten them with the word of truth that they should be as the first fruits of his creatures then their hearts doe reioyce and their ioy no man shall take from them Now that compleat ioy may be drawne out of all these arguments it is necessary that the word of God be specially looked vnto for in afflictions it onely giueth vs the liuely sight of our sinne manifests the riches of the mercies of God in Christ Iesus to deliuer vs from sinne and therefore Dauid saies often but for thy lawe I had perished in mine afflictions therfore for further comfort he shewes what is required to make vs profit in Gods word first qualification secondly practise the first the soule the second the life of the soule the qualification v. 19. the reason of it v. 20. and the conclusion out of both ver 21. Wherefore laying apart all silthinesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse receiue with meekenes the word that is grafted into you which is able to saue your soules After this qualification followes the practise that the mercies of God might not be in vaine which he hath bestowed vpon them therefore v. 22. be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues now because this cousening of our selues in hearing of Gods word is a disease incident to the most hee playes the good Physitian first discouering the disease by a familiar similitude laying together these fowre tearms spots and a glasse sins and the law as spots may be seene in a glasse so sinnes may be seene in the law secondly in their qualitie wherein they are laid together and that is beholding considering and immediately forgetting as a man beholding falls to consider something amisse in himselfe yet going his way and other matters possessing his head immediately forgetteth what manner of face-he had So they come to the Church looke into Gods word consider that all is not well yet going their way home againe to their olde courses and now all is spoiled and they are neuer better Secondly hauing discouered the disease by the most familiar fymptomes applyes the remedie and tells them what must be their receit ver 15. the perfect law of libertie must be carefully looked into Thirdly he giues them the manner how it must be receiued first what must be abstained from as deadly poison to the nature of a Christian and secondly the onely hinderer of the worke of all good physicke First therefore v. 26. If any man seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is in vaine Secondly thus must it bee taken according to pure religion and vndefiled before God in visiting the fatherles and widdowes in their necessity and to keep himselfe vnspotted of the world Seeing then that God hath so many comforts patience to possesse the soule when it is at a loffe wisedome to make i◠finde it selfe in the greatest night of trouble contentation to quiet it as well in aduersitie as prosperitie a crowne of glory to recompence it after all combats and such a word as may be a light to direct a sword to defend and teach the true watch word of a Christian when he is readie to be swallowed vp of his enemies it cannot bee but that we should alwaies rest in the hauen of happinesse A recaptulation of all the former heads in a briefe and perspicuous table for the further impression of Christian comfort in the memories of the faithfull Comfort in affliction donation of grace informing the action present patience working v. 4. perfecting v. 4. wifedom giuen freely and liberally receiued by praier faith future true contentation in all things v. 9 the ende of the action blessednes in the crowne of life v. 12. sanctifying causes principall the will of God v. 18. instrumentall the word of truth v. 18. effect first fruits a holy kind of offering taken out of the residue of men v. 18. true application in the qualification manifested v. 19. prooued in clearing the point v. 20. in concluding v. 21. in the practise honest and good hearing and doing v. 22. dishonest and vnprofitable illustrated 23. 24. by tearms spots a glasse sin and the law qualitie beholding forgetting applyed first in the prescript v. 25. in the vse vnlawfull v. 26. lawfull v. 27. Seeing then that this is the course that the Lord will take let no man think to be Diues all his life time in this world and Lazarus after death If God promise riches the way thereunto is pouertie before loue correction before exaltation deiection whom he saueth first he damneth he bringeth not to heauen but by hell if he promise life hee slaieth first Ioseph sawe the sunne moone and starres worshipping him neuertheles yet that could come to passe God laid him where he could see neither sunne nor moone nor any starre of the skie and all that many yeares and also vndeserued yet all this while to nurture him vp against the time of honour God promised Israel a land of milke and honie yet for the space of forty yeeres they went through a land not only where there were no riuers of milke and honey but not so much as a droppe of water to refresh them withall yet all this was done of God to doe them good at the latter end God promised Dauid a kingdom yet immediatly he stirred vp Saul against him to hunt him and ferret him out of euery hole and that many years Thus he that will weare the crowne of glory must weare the crowne of thornes he that will haue all teares wiped from his eyes must first shed them Reu. 15.3 the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses the seruant of God and the song of the lambe Christ Iesus must first swim through the glassie sea mingled with fire and brimstone It is not the way to heauen to liue in this world in perpetual ease rest quietnes in body soule goods and good name therefore as the end of all afflictions is full of ioy and comfort so is the way seeing it is appointed of the Lord most comfortable because euery steppe brings vs towards Gods kingdome and I may tearme afflictions markes in the way to tell vs we are to keepe on that way they lead vs. A man inquiring his way and is told he hath no plaine way but by desolate woods hills and mountaines very stony and troublsome to passe by when the trauailer seeeth these marks he saies vndoubtedly I am right but if he find all to be plaine presently stands still lookes about and saies I see neuer a one of my directiōs therfore I am assuredly wrong this way will neuer bring me to the end of my iourney So the Lord hath told vs that this is the way to heauen to passe by many crosses we run a long and find no such matter well may we suspect that we are out
wind in vnconstancie and as fraile as the tender hearbs how soone should all become nothing therfore Gods decree being laid the first corner stone we may assure our selues that the building shall stand for euer therefore euery one in his conflicts with the deuill hath full assurance of the conquest for this roote is laid in him whose fruit and branches stormy tempests may nippe and shake yet the sappe shal neuer be dried vp in the roote neither shal any euil wind of Satan so blast that the immortall seede bee at any time quite withered yea though all fierie darts bend thereto with all might and maine employed yet the storme beeing blowne ouer by the spirit of grace and the comfortable sunne of consolation shining vpon our gloomy hearts it will budde forth againe into blossome fruit and branch as a most beautifull tree in the paradise of God Let the comparison of bodily sickenesse and the consideration of the kind of frailtie mooue vs we haue experience how diuers times the disease preuaileth ouer the sicke persons that actions faile and the faculties seeme quite to be spent neither hand nor foote is able to doe their duties the eie is dimme the hearing dul the tast altered and the tongue distasteth all things euen of most pleasant relish and the weake and feeble patient seemeth to attend the time of dissolution when as yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature and a forcible sparke of life that ouercometh all these infirmities and consumeth them like drosse and rendreth to the body a greater purity and firmenesse of health then before the sicknes it did enioy euen so ought euerie one to esteeme of the spirituall case and consider that their soule is sicke but not dead faith assailed but not ouercome therefore let patience attend the finishing of this secret worke and so shall they see these burning seauers of temptations to be slaked and cooled by the mercie and grace of Christ and that sparke of faith which did he hid ouerwhelmed with heaps of temptations to breake forth againe consume the causes of the disease And as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth her selfe either by stoole vomite sweat bleeding or such like euacuations to the recouery of the former health euen so shall the faithful soule find in himselfe strange ease after these temptations by reason they haue caused diuers euacations of the filthines of sinne and therefore greater puritie must needs be in the soule Thus the Lord preserues the verie garments of his Saints that he suffereth them not to take any smell of the flame or the verie sweat of afflictions to sticke vpon them Psal 68.22 The Lord hath said I will bring my people againe from Bashan I will bring them againe from the depths of the sea Og the Gyant and all his fat bulls may push at the godly but their strength shall not preuaile against the strong one of Israel but euen the foote of his faithfull ones shal be dipped in blood and the tongues of the dogges of Israel may drawe out the verie heart blood of all these bulls So that after the conquest the triumph beeing giuen to the Lord they may truly celebrate it setting the singers before the players of instruments after so that the praise of God may be heard in his assemblies euen from all them that are deriued from the fountaine of Israel so that this knot betwixt God the faithfull soule more surely knit then that of Gordius can neuer be loosed by the deuill broken by his forces disanulled by his stratagemes or euer found out by his policies Therfore as Christ cried out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me it is impossible that Christ should be forsaken therefore it is a voice more for the instruction of his children then to shew his owne discomforts if he cried out why may not we crie out yet as Christ was heard and freed from his feare so shall euery faithfull soule be sure to speede with his God and shall againe as Dauid was be restored to those wonted ioyes which they sometimes felt in the sweet mercies of the Lord. These assaults are at the first heauie and bitter if they come in great measure they may cause impatience Iob 3.1 if they continue then may the soule beginne to iudge them nothing but Gods wrath Iob 6.2 3. The arrowes of the Almightie are in me and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrors of God are against me it brings afresh his old sinnes into remembrance to trouble him in his sleepe visions dreames and anxietie of spirit Yet in this miserie God supports his faith he feeling this gets experience Rom. 5.4 hence hope that grace shall neuer be wanting Iob 42.5 6 Heb. 12.11 Let Pharaoh feele but a little of this and he presently rebells yet the faithfull though they haue more feeling of their rebellious hearts and the deuill more strongly assailes them then any other yea God seemes to be their enemie yet Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Dauid Psal 22.1 O my God I crie by day but thou hearest not by night but I haue no audience words almost of desperation and as a man without faith yet then he saith My God a plaine argument of faith for Gods children can not forget their language Hence a man may in a manner see contrarie affections in their prayers for flesh and spirit struggle together Gen. 32.18 Iaakobs wrastling is a type of the conflicts of the faithfull with Christ he assailes them with the one hand and vpholds them with the other hence Iaakob is called Israel a preuailer with God The Church hath both his names Psal 130. and Psal 121. Mark 15.22 to 27. we see a strange conflict betwixt the woman of Samaria and our Sauiour Christ foure notable repulses are giuen her 1. silence 2. haish speeches of the Disciples Send her away 3. cold comfort I am come for the house of Israel of which thou art none 4. extraordinarie reproch Thou art but as a dogge therefore must thou haue none of the childrens bread yet we finde her to be more instant at euery repulse and when the most dangerous repulse was giuen her to bring an inuincible argument of her faith True Lord I yeild all if my place and deseruings must be considered then no mercie for me but Lord yet account of me as thou hast saide let me thy dogge but tast of the crummes of thy mercie and it shall suffice the hunger of my soule Thus Gods children ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with Sathans conflicts and amazed with Gods anger can then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus and fling themselues into his armes catch hold on Gods hand buffetting them and kisse it There be three grounds of temptation First our naturall weakenesse prooued by Sathan and the world Secondly the continuall buds of our originall sinne in
vnderstanding will affections and all their instruments our vnderstanding is turned into blindnes of error our will embraceth not onely those things which corrupt iudgement directeth vnto but euen where vnderstanding standeth sound there will bendeth to affection and neglecteth the light of reason our affections are both rebellious to right iudgement and will in that they rage when they should not and where iust cause is giuen are quiet and at rest Thus from these principles in the soule the bodily members become weapons and instruments of all impietie and iniustice euen to the ouerturning of Church and Common-wealth except the Lord should restraine them in so much that the very pillars of the world would shatter in sunder and the vault of heauen would fall all things would turne to their former Chaos be consumed with the terrible fire of Gods vengeance and perish in his heauie displeasure Thirdly God puts on his children armour of proofe but they are negligent in the buckling of it on them and therefore the deuill often takes aduantage by that to doe vs hurt euen the gifts and graces of God are made grounds of the deuils temptations and therefore no maruaile though Sathan and the world preuaile against vs except the Lord stretch forth his hand and vphold vs. Therefore because I see the point in hand waightie and that which troubles the whole world to lie euen vpon this foundation and the resolution whereof cannot but administer excellent comfort to euery Christian I wil be bold to inlarge my meditations and the more willingly because it is so direct with my text not as grounded from it but as misapplied of the weak Christian taking euery sight of his sin for this fearefull setting of them before the eies of his conscience when the Lord onely threatneth the hypocrits and wicked of this world which will not but by constraint of law and iudgement meddle with their sinnes nay on the contrarie it is their nature to make God alwaies a friend vnto them as before we declared Therefore for the godlies sake will I not keepe silence in proceeding for their cōfort The grounds of all temptations beeing laid both inward and outward essentiall and accidentall we will come to the difficultie of difficulties to see how the deuill aimes at these grounds For distinction he doth it two waies either mediately or immediately mediately either by single means or by ioyning two together all these kinds will I manifest in the following discourse And first for his immediate working the experience of it is more lamentable and infallible then the manner howe easie to finde out yet something dare we boldly affirme and for methods sake we bring it to two heads It is either corporall possession or spirituall for the first hee may easily bring it about without any meanes because he is a most subtile nature and ful of strength by his subtiltie he may easily enter the bodie and by his strength he may carrie it at his pleasure he may possesse the whole bodie as Master command all that house but surely hee can not haue such accesse vnto the soule yet from his nature beeing by creation a spirit and therefore of the same kind of essence with our soules and indued with the same qualities of vnderstanding and will is able by agreement of nature and excellencie of qualitie to ouer-reach man beeing in the selfe same kind his inferiour For the nature of Angels is more excellent then mans and therefore hath hee a power ouer them for in nature euery inferiour power is subiected to the superiour yet both of them limited of God Therfore I doubt not but God permitting the deuill is able to meddle with our spirits without all corporall meanes euen as we see corporall creatures with bodily and corporall force to annoy one another and as men haue fellowship one with other by corporall presence and are delighted or displeased with the qualities of the mind according as they like or dislike vttered by speach and talke so it is most like that spirits haue their societie maintained by a spirituall conference whereby their wils and purposes are intercommunicated one to another without corporall sound whereof both the spirits want the instrument and the voice nothing affecteth the mind Daily experience maketh this manifest in such as are possessed whose discourses are often rare and admirable whose speach and phrase is often such as they neuer learned Now the deuill must needs be the schoolemaster and surely he informes them not by voice but by spirituall communication and so they receiue a cleare notion of many a point they were alwaies ignorant of and are able to expresse it in all varietie of languages and that in the phrase of eloquence Nay in a lesser degree then all this the false spirit perswades Ahab by all his false and lying Prophets that he should goe vp and prosper surely this spirit informed their spirits Thus entred Satan into Iudas not by corporall possession but spirituall and perswaded him to betray Christ thus Ananias Acts 5. had his heart filled and Ephes 2. the deuill is called the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and that once they walked according to the conduct of that spirit These must needs bee reall operations carrying a force in them more then obiects do vnto any facultie that is conuersant about it for suppose the deuill should hold any art before the eies of an ignorant man could he possibly become a good Grammarian Rhetorician Logician whereby hee would talke with a Grecian though he were a Barbarian plead with Cicero though he were one of the common sort and dispute with Aristotle and Plato though he had neuer been in their schooles but had followed the plough all his life I should from reason thinke it impossible therefore he communicates his knowledg with these ignorant persons But you will say this is strange why should we then not perceiue it I answer the bodie in which the soule is is as a vayle to hide his manner of communication from vs yet it is no hinderance for him to enter within the vaile and speake vnto vs more angelico yet we peceiue it not saue in the effects because for the time of this life we exercise all actions through the body yet I am perswaded that if the soule were out of the body we should perceiue it most plainely if the curtain were drawn we should see the deuill lying with vs in our bosomes for the soules among themselues and with the angels in heauen haue sweet communication and therefore I feare not but the damned soules and deuils in hell haue their wofull societie Againe for the better conceiuing of this point wee stand not only subiect to Sathans annoyance through the subtilnes of his nature being a spirit but through that long experience and practise about our miserie from age to age is able to work more powerfully the Lord permitting him for a time Thus more perfectly
he knows our minds and gathers much by the inclination of our affections and will and marking the obiect on which we dwell But you will obiect the Lord hath reserued this propertie vnto himselfe to know the heart Ans It is true but the communication of the heart may be betwixt man and man and man and angels therefore the Lord directly knowes the heart and all the corners of it so that wee can bring no fallacian out of it to deceiue God but the deuill may be deceiued as surely often he is in the discourses of the godly Experience hath prooued that the consultations of wicked kings haue been reuealed to the godly 2. kin 6.11 Will ye not shewe me which of vs bewrayeth our counsell to the King of Israel one of his seruants makes answer It is Elisha the Prophet that telleth the King of Israel euen the words that thou speakest in thy priuy chamber Elisha heard not these words yet they are communicated vnto him after a spirituall manner such as are the visions of God and thus Paul depriued of all bodily instruments sawe things inutterable Yea the deuill beeing Gods ape hath detected one wicked mans counsell to an other but he hath alwaies bin deceiued in the consultations of the godly and neuer was able to reueale them To proceede From this experience he can conclude not onely from our speeches and gestures to conceiue of our intents and purposes but out of our vniuersall corruption whereof hee hath continuall proofe much matter of argument to discouer the vanitie of our minds the secret thoughts of our hearts and the verie inclinations of the same Now these beeing found out hee will proceed to suggestion as he seeth occasion and our greatest inclination and so by instigation vnto sinne make vs disobey God and all his holy commandements Againe that he doth not all by suggestion vnto the soule inclining it is plaine whē our natures seem not to incline vnto them in any speciall consideration or loue it before other wickednesse neither the world alluring or inforcing vs especially Gods children abhorring the very least conceit of such sinnes as blasphemies and laying violent hands on themselues or others without all hate or malice or any occasion of reuenge And surely of the same nature is despaire and distrust of Gods mercies losse of the seede of Gods word when we haue no inclination vnto them at all but rather contrarily affected and these the deuill puts vnto vs in regard of our generall corruption without any further consideration of speciall inclination and therfore he neuer ceaseth in these temptations because he hath hope to preuaile in them and therefore shall we neuer be rid of the deuil vntill God haue wholly deliuered vs from our staines Truely Gods children often admire how euer such a thought should rise in their head when they hate the very appearance of it Now I come to the second head which is done by meanes first single and then mixt but before I enter this let vs consider the deuill as a fowler whose nature is to be a friend in shew but a foe in heart Secondly looke vpon his snares which all of them haue three properties sweet dangerous secret Thirdly consider the waies of his laying the deuills way is suggestion reall operation and both together the way wherein he layes them is inward or outward inward iudgements and lusts outward actions graces things indifferent and euill company as the stale the hold that he hath is very strong for vntill grace haue turned him out he holds men at his will a most beastly captiuitie nay worse then beastly because beasts hauing once bin snared wil come there no more but a man is neuer wel but when he is in the snares of the deuil Secondly it is a voluntarie captiuitie and therefore like to be for euer except the Lord haue mercy to change his mind and draw him against his wil. Thirdly it is most base for Israel in Egypt may be accounted kings in regard of the slaues of the deuill Lastly it is most treacherous because they renounce their couenant with God and strike hands with the deuill and therefore from these things cōsidered we may make full account that the deuil hath many meanes to helpe him the first is suggestiō on the soule accompanied with all the baits he can imagine the second reall operation on the bodie affecting humour and spirit and so making them assist him as meanes to worke our woe Humor distempered causeth diseases to the bodie and the bodie diseased changeth our manners and course of liuing hinc mores sequuntur humores Againe he dulls the spirits and so causeth drousinesse in the worship of God and euerie good calling againe he refresheth them in euill and therefore keepes vs long waking vnto it For the mixing of both together both suggestion and real operation the deuill can play his part most dangerously for he can worke the humours of our bodies to make notable way for suggestion vpon our soules If a man bee of a melancholie constitution whose humour is drie and cold the deuill will make it notably affect a man in all his members especially in his heart and braine the two of the principall parts of man and where the soule hath most residence in the heart he will affect him with sudden feares strange distrusts suspition of infinit euills whereby he will mooue the soule in iudgement will and affection to set about the inuenting willing and effecting of some strange exploits to ease himselfe of his paines hence often either murder of himselfe or of some other which he falsly suspects an instrument of his woe Againe the braine by altering all the senses working strange imaginations by which it is almost impossible but that the mind of man should be set a working and these being false grounds hardly shal the iudgement escape vncorrupted nay alas whatsoeuer they conceit vpon these grounds shall not be remoued out of their iudgement They that thinke themselues to be made of glasse wil not suffer their verie freinds to come neere them he that thought himselfe to be a cocke would neuer giue ouer the spreading of his armes in imitation of the cocke clapping his wings and then would endeuour to imitate the cockes crow he that conceited himselfe to be Atlas could neuer be brought to sit down lest his head that vnderpropped heauē being remoued should suffer heauen to fall vpon him he that thought a certaine tyrant had cut off his head could neuer be perswaded to the contrary vntill his head aked the physitian hauing put a cap of lead on it The woman that imagined that she had swallowed a Serpent could neuer be at rest vntill she sawe one priuily conueied into her stoole which she imagined to haue beene brought downe by the physitians purgation Another thinking himselfe dead would eat no meat because it was not vsuall for dead men to eate vntill he sawe one come out of a sheete
and at the table before him fall vnto his meat Now as it fares with the bodie so may the deuill cause it fal out with the soule make men cōceit strange things either by presumption as these hypocrites that they were like God that all was well with them or by despaire to discourage themselues that they are out of the loue and fauour of God and therefore neuer hope for any mercie therefore good to make a sudden dispatch of themselues by death and therefore Serapio calls this humour the very seate of the deuill and our common speech is that melancholy is the deuils blacke horse Againe if a man be of a cholerick complexion hote and drie it makes him fit for anger contention and brawling the deuill will augement it and make him forget all reason humanity and like beasts kill one another if a man be of a sanguine constitution hote and moist then naturally they are merry and Iovially disposed therefore he stirres these persons to wantonnes vncleannes if of a phlegmaticke constitution which is cold and moist then they are heauie and sleepie and these the deuill wil notably assaile with all manner of idlenesse the begetter of all manner of vices Againe he can play his part with the spirits of the body which are most excellent and the verie bonds of our soule and bodie First with the natural spirits he can helpe forward to great vices gluttonie and drunkennesse make men passe all bonds of sobrietie therefore by the naturall spirits he will notably increase the desire of all drunkards and gluttonous liuers It is an admirable thing to consider what many witches wil deuoure yet say they haue eaten nothing By this meanes the deuill keeps men from all good callings and disposeth them vnto all euill Secondly for the vitall spirits he can make men liuely quicke nimble to runne about his matters and againe make them dead hearted when they would goe about the workes God requires and therefore no maruell why men are so chearefull at playes beare-baitings lasciuious dauncing and many wicked recreations when at sermons and works of their callings they thinke euery houre a day and euerie day a yeare Thirdly for the animall spirits he makes what he lift of our outward senses he hath the eye at command to behold vanitie the eare at his becke to listen vnto lies the tongue at will to blaspheme God the hand at libertie to shed blood and the feete vnfettered to runne into all excesse of riot he hath the smell to wind a commoditie though it must be gotten by oppression he hath the touch most exquisite to finger other mens goods but as tender as butter to receiue any iniury For the inward senses he hath the common-sense the very sinke and puddle where all the outward senses center themselues that a speedie conueyance may be made to the phansie and so to the iudgement will and affections that sinne may euen haue entertainment without all intreatie quicke dispatch in his busines without all controlment or contradiction the memorie in good case to become a store house for all villanie and the phansie night nor day to be at rest vntill they haue found out a tabernacle for the deuill with all his instruments to dwell in These spirits helpe forward all motions and surely the deuill hee will driue the cart and horses and therefore no maruell if we rush into sinne as the horse doth into the battell for he goes fast enough whome the deuill driueth and therefore seeing that the deuill hath so many waies to deale with vs no extraordinarie matter to be troubled with him and as he driues vs vnto sinne so would he likewise driue vs into setting sinnes before our eyes especially when the hand of God is vpon body or soule to despaire of his mercie and leaue off all our confidence and cry nothing but reprobation let vs a litle see this cheife aduersarie of our soule that we may the better oppose him Of the deuills wit will and power to hurt the godly The deuill for facultie of vnderstanding is most subtile for habite most nimble and policie most expert Strength without wit is like a gyant without eies and the lesse to be feared but when there is a quicke eye to discouer all aduantages and a mighty strength to strike downe all before it then there must be strange power that can resist The deuill in the Scriptures is as well a serpent as a dragon yea and an old serpent which beeing the subtilest of beasts hath his craft redoubled by his age and experience Apoc. 12.9 hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie vnto vs great knowledge Sixe thousand yeares in a manner is the time of his age which were able to make one wise that were by nature simple and foolish therefore much more one of an exquisite knowledge by nature he is a spirituall beeing and so is able to diue as it were into the secrets of nature and with incredible swiftnes to passe from plece to place readie to intrude himselfe into all companies and learne their natures qualities dispositions and order of life so that our estate is almost vnto Sathan as was that of the king of Arams 2. kin 6.12 he knoweth all our counsels and consultations which wee take and hold in our most secret chambers for indeed for the most part he is the cheife counseller in all matters of sinne and receiues such intelligence frō our cogitations affections lusts inclinations and outward actions that he can shrewdly gesse at the frame of the soule if he keepe vs companie but a few dayes by the abuse of simple intelligence he can teach vs how to inuent much euil by the abuse of science he can become a lying spirit in the hearts of all men to seduce them to all error and heresie by the euill discourse of wisedome he can drawe men from one danger to another and perswade them that all are true diductions for yeeld to one sinne and a thousnad will follow out of the deuils discourses by the disorder of prudence he can teach men that no practise is warrantable but that which followes their method and by the euill handling of art he can seeme to be skilfull by nayling men fast vnto all their impieties Hence arise all the deuills stratagems first against vnderstanding 2. the will and affections 3. the body Against vnderstanding first he desires nothing more then to put out that eie and make men like mill horses to runne round in his seruice and when he pleaseth may suffer them to knock out their braines Secondly after he hath blinded the mind with ignorance then he tempts them to error and thirdly from error he brings them to heresie and from heresie hee leads them a long to hardnesse of heart from hardnesse of heart to no sense and feeling of their wretched estate and then follows all
wantonnesse vncleannesse vnto which they giue themselues with greedinesse Ephes 4.17 vanitie of mind brings in darkenesse of cogitation darkenes of cogitation estrangeth a man from the life of God strangers we are with God through ignorance especially because of the hardnesse of our hearts this drawes on a senselesse conscience c. These stratagems are most naturall to all and vpon these he builds the rest first Atheisme that there is no God secondly vpon that he laies a second that then there is no worship of God thirdly that then there is no word of God fourthly that then a man is not to beleeue that which is preached Hence all the mysterie of a mans faluation is to wicked men nothing but foolishnes thus he brings men to forsake God renounce their baptisme and giue themselues wholly to his seruice After the deuil hath thus hammered the vnderstanding and beaten it out to his owne will and bent he sets vpon the will and affections of men and knowing thē to wheele in a wrong course from God he labours against nothing more then that they should euer listen vnto any meanes that might bring thē againe to run in the waies of God First therfoere hee perswades them to beleeue that the word of God is not true this he did to our first parents Gen. 3. if he cannot perswade this because now it hath beene confirmed by so many miracles and shedding of so much blood that euen natural men may as wel as deuils beleeue it to be true and tremble Yet he hath a second course that though they beleeue this word yet that faith is either meerely historicall or else indeede meere presumption in which faith millions of soules goe to hell But if he see that the soule will not presume then he perswades the difficultie of faith that it is a verie hard matter to beleeue and thousands that striue for it goe without therefore as good sit still as striue and be neuer the better Others againe are perswaded that such a doe for faith is a needlesse thing they can content themselues with an ordinarie perswasion of Gods mercy and to looke for higher mysteries belongs to their teachers and not to them these will neuer trie whether they beleeue or no but will bee content with such as God sends them Another fort are tempted to thinke that the name of a beleeuer is a discredit vnto them and therefore they will neuer be pointed at as singular A sixt kind are tempted with their vnworthines how can the Lord bestowe such an excellent grace vpon mee that am so vnworthy A seuenth sort are tempted with the vnsoundnesse of their faith because they see many imperfections Eightly others that they haue no faith because no feeling Ninth that their faith may fall as Iudas faith did Lastly that they can neuer withstand all these tempests that break in vpon them By all these meanes the deuill labours to drawe the will to infidelitie after this he allures the wil by large propromises to beleeue in him and so brings a miserable slauerie vpon the will The affections are mooued and tempted of the deuil by the baites of prosperitie or els disquieted with aduersitie to curse Gods prouidence c. The body in spirit humour temperature qualitie instrument and substance is notably tempted and wrought vpon by the deuill Many points might here be cleared and examples for the illustration of them I will giue one that I haue seene by late experience who inclining to inflamation of his braine and so vnto aphrensie was tempted to murther himselfe and that with this strong perswasion of his phansie that except hee did it speedily a thousand deaths worse then that would befall him which thing beeing falsly apprehended of him made him presently yeeld and hauing hung vp himselfe by both his garters vpon a tree his garters presently broke a woman that was weeding in a garden beeing not farre from him the deuil perswaded him that shee had cut his garters and without all question if he had not beene preuented when he was come complaining vnto the woman what an iniurie she had done him would presently for that iniurie haue beene tempted to kill the woman His phrensie growing vpon him and making him so vnruly that they were faine to bind him with ropes two or three men watch him and then his phansie apprehending that euery man he sawe or any creature that came in his sight was come to kill him he would alwaies crie If I had beene hanged I should neuer haue beene thus misused The like hath beene in many others that when they haue beene about to make away themselues for some distempered humour haue also plotted to kill wife and children not for that they hated them but that they should not liue in disagrace after their death All this and much more can the deuill doe by his great wit and vnderstanding But perhaps you will say he is not so malciously bent for his will I answer that as he hath vnderstanding to doe euill so he hath a will to do more then he can inuent or imagine with his minde See then the degrees of his malitious will against mankind First if we could finde in our cowardly hearts to sue for a dishourable peace with the deuill Gods and our enemie there should be no hope of truce or reconciliation with him for his malice is not newly conceiued but inueterate and as auncient within a fewe dayes as the world it selfe and for time to come it is endlesse and will outlast the world He was almost burst with enuie against Adam in Paradise and so is he in like manner against all that are raised vp againe in the second Adam and haue gotten the fee simple of euerlasting glory Gods proclamation of open warres Gen. 3.15 is not yet come to an ende but is to last for euer Thus then you see malice without all reconciliation auncient and endlesse but yet a fourth degree followes and that is that his malice is mortall and deadly not to a mans goods and possessions or body or bodily life but to body and soule whose destruction is a paradise of ioy vnto him therefore is he called Satan Zac. 3.1 an enemie Matth. 13.39 a malitious one Neither is the nature of this enemie to be satisfied with some small reuenge for he is called a murtherer and a manslayer as though it were his onely occupation neither is he of late fallen to this trade for he hath professed it from the beginning like an old hangman he is flesht in blood and crueltie But it may be a sauage man may haue in him some reliques of humanitie and therefore the deuill hauing reason as well as man may sometimes recall himselfe by reason and take some pitie but the Scriptures driues vs from this conceit comparing him vnto the most cruell beasts first a lyon yea a roaring lyon after his pray who being so hungry and rauenous that he desireth nothing more then to
seaze vpon that which he pursueth 1. Pet. 5.8 Secondly that yet we may a little the more conceiue of his brutish cruelitie he is compared Reu. 12.3 to a red dragon whose fiercenes we find in history to exceede all lyons for a lyon if he be not hungry and see one not oppose him but fall downe before him will not hurt him but a dragon will deuoure mans flesh for sport This malice is open and so lesse dangerous but if he see that we are strongly fortified with Gods grace and at all points armed with compleat armour of a Christian if fenced and hedged on all sides as Iob was Iob 1.10 then leauing his raging violence he striues with vs by fawning and alluring vs to sinne thus with our first parents to tast of that pleasant fruit which depriued them of the breast-plate of righteousnes and vncocouered them of Gods protection so that euer since that time he hath had full blowes without all resistance hence he is called a tempter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tempter the tempter of tempters after temptation he falls to accusation hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deuill after accusation he is very glad that God will any where make him an executioner and hang-man his will then can be no lesse then maliciousnesse it selfe Eph. 6.12 But you will say though his will be malitiously bent yet he wants strength but let me tell you that the deuill is very strong both in himselfe and in his aides In himselfe he can raise great tempests both by sea and by land he is compared to the great Leuiathan that makes the sea to boyle with his motion as strong vpon earth as a lyon a dragon with seuen heads and tenne hornes and with his very taile he throwes to the ground the third part of the starres of heauen Luk. 11.21 a strong armed man who keepeth in peace all that he possesseth nay a mightie prince not of one country or land but a monarch of the whole world Ioh. 12.31 and by his authoritie can command infinit multitudes to goe for him neither is this all but they bee called princes powers worldly gouernours Ephes 6.12 and that these may not be one against another they haue a head vnder which they all conspired Math. 25.41 fire prepared for the deuill and his angels in this sense he is called Beelzebub the prince of deuils the word signifies a prince of flies not for their weaknesse but mulitudes euen as though they were swarmes conioyned together to do mischeife one spirit taketh seuen more Mat. 12.45 nay a legion of deuils are spoken of Luk. 8.30 so that they are a sufficient number to beset vs all on all sides and in all places Lastly to set forth the aduantage he hath of vs poore men they are said to be princes of darkenesse and that is lamentable to fight with an enemy that can see vs but not be seen againe Secondly they are not enemies of flesh but spirituall wickednesses most dangerous because spirits and pestelent because no lesse then wickednesse it selfe they wil be with vs because they are so swift and they neuer come without the plague and pestelence of sinne hanging about them Thirdly they haue gotten the vpper ground and fight from higher places then wee can reach vnto being poore silly worms crawling vpon the earth and the Scriptures truely laying open his strength call him no lesse then a god of this world 2. Cor. 4.4 as though he were omnipotent vpon earth But perhaps you will say he wants courage to his strength but let me tell you I find him in the scriptures to be no lesse then exceeding desperate and audacious there was neuer man that liued but he had some thing to say with him Adam in paradise yea our sauiour Christ nay Reu. 12.7 there is mention of a battell in heauen Michael and his angels fought against the dragon the dragon and his angels c. But if I should proceed I should vtterly dis-hearten the poore Christian and make him despaire of any encounter and hope of victorie yet dare I boldly giue the deuill his aids and yet bid the weakest Christian offer the deuill his challenge his aids are two first the world secondly his own flesh the one playes on both hands with prosperity and aduersitie and the other a traytour alwaies readie to betray him into the hands of his enemies Hauing described the deuill in his wit will and power let vs see if there be any wisdom to oppose him any wil that exceeds as much in goodnesse vnto man as the deuill doth in malice any power that can master the deuils For the first the good angels haue more wit then the bad and yet their wisedome is nothing vnto Gods now the eye of the Lord is on the righteous and all the holy angels pitch their tents about them and therefore this counsel shall stand against all the policies of the deuil and the gates of hell shal neuer preuaile And for the vertues of vnderstanding God hath intelligence to crosse all the inuentions of the deuill science to preserue his owne truth from the lies of the deuill sapience to drawe more good out of euill then the deuill can euill out of good and for prudence God can order all that which he hath laboured to bring to confusion and for arte the Lord hath more skill to tye his owne vnto himselfe then the deuil hath to draw them from him and for all those stratagems wrought vpon the vnderstanding the Lord can take away the vaile of ignorance preserue from error hardnes of heart or any thing that might rise out of that head And for wil and affection and the whole body the Lord hath promised and will performe that his holy ones shall be sanctified throughout both in body and soule For the malice of the deuills will we ought to lay to heart the good will and pleasure of our God which hath said he wil not forsake vs and for power we may be assured that the deuill hath no power but that which God shal permit vnto him he cannot touch Iob vntill God giue him leaue he cannot be a meanes of Ahabs ruine vntill it please God to yeild him that liberty that he may be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his false prophets nay he cannot enter so much as into such creatures as swine vntill Christ haue giuen him so much refreshment before the time of his wofull torture Secondly wee may fight with courage for the deuill is alreadie chained and reserued to more strong chaines hereafter Iud. v. 6. Thirdly God hath left vs such store of armour of proofe as the deuill can neuer strike through hee may as easily wound God as wound vs being couered with it he can neuer loose our girdle of veritie strike through our breast-plate of righteousnes vncouer our feet beeing shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace his blowes can neuer enter
then to thrust in his ship at any cricke for a shelter vntill the storme be ouer-blowne and a man plunged in the water will catch at any rope and hauing gotten hold will part with his life before he will part with his handfast so a Christian being tumbled vp and downe in the waters of affliction labours the more for his shelter and what he layes hold of he will not part with it now whom haue they in heauen and earth to rest vpon beside God and if all the world should counsell them curse God and die they would answer you speake like fooles shall we receiue good of God and not bee content to beare euill seeing we haue descrued it When I vsually come vnto these distressed soules and find them floating vp and downe and crying we are drowned in the deepe ocean of our sinnes and God hath not onely forgotten his mercies vnto vs but remembers that we were made for his wrath Well if it be so then forsake God renounce your faith yet let me heare if you dare open your mouthes to speake against God or euer suffer a cogitation of such blasphemie to enter your soules yea if God himselfe should rap you on the fingers and say what haue you to doe with my mercies yet you will not part with your hold and therefore neuer resolue of this fearefull apprehension vntill you can resolue to curse God and die for euer but this you neither can shall nor will doe But yeeld that a passion hath broken out in in your hot fits Why Lord thou art not my father doe you thinke that God wil be as rash againe to say Away you are not my children Suppose one of your owne children should fall into a burning feuer and in the extremitie of the heat should crie out against his father nay strike him with his fists would the father be as hastie as the child no no but with passion cry and weep alâ—â— my child is distempered with heat I know how he loued mee in health and now is it my part to loue him the more and doe any thing for him passions ought not to bee the rule of my loue but the dutifull obedience of my child So God may euen suffer hard words of his children but not to distast them for any such matter but loue them and care the more to doe them good 1. Kin. 20. Benhadad the King of Aram is lustie against the King of Israel v. 3. thy siluer and thy gold are mine also thy women and thy faire children are mine non victoriam sed insignia victoriae reportauit his hote words are soone cooled v. 31. and he sees his folly yet marke the counsell of his seruants Wee haue heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings we pray thee let vs put sackecloth about our loynes and ropes about our neckes and goe out to the King of Israel it may bee that he will saue thy life this is graunted and they come to the king and say Thy seruant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me liue and the king said is he yet aliue he is my brother now it is said they had resolued to take diligent heede if they could catch any thing of him here they haue enough and they make the eccho to ring thy brother Benhadad In like manner if you conceit you haue spoken presumptuous words against the great God of heauen and he hath met with you and now by his hand hath driuen you into a secret chamber remember that God was the King of the kings of Israel and therefore farre more mercifull then Ahab or any king that euer was borne among them put on sackecloth and thrust your neckes into a rope but not as these villaines doe that dispatch themselues and come in all humble manner yet resolue that your faith shall catch hold and that you wil take diligent heed to what the Lord shal answer and as soone as you heare the Lord say beleeue and you shall be saued make a present eccho Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe I haue continued the longer vpon this point because I see poore Christians monstrously perplexed with this sentence of placing sinne before the conscience God graunt it may take place and yeeld them comfort to their hearts desire And thus hauing freed the godly from the application of this fearefull sentence I bring it to the wicked and assure them that whatsoeuer fearefull thing they haue heard in all this discourse it of right belongs vnto them and whatsoeuer els can be said of the terrors of conscience Oh therefore consider this ye that forget God for this shall teare you in peices and there shall be none that can deliuer you Alas of all kinds of miserie that can befal vnto man none is so lamentable as this because it riseth of the sense of Gods wrath reuenging hand against the guiltie soule of a sinner Other calamities afflict the bodie and part onely of our nature this the soule which carrieth the whole into societie of the same miserie Such as are of the bodie though they approach nigher the quick then pouertie or want of necessaries for maintenaÌ„ce of this life yet they faile in degree of miserie and come short of that which this forceth vpon the soule the other touch those parts where the soule commandeth pouertie nakednesse sickenesse and other of that kind are mitigated with a minde resolute in patience or endued with wisedome to ease that which greiueth by supply of remedie this seazeth vpon the seate of wisedom it selfe and chargeth vpon all the excellencie of vnderstanding and grindeth into powder all that standeth firme and melteth like the dewe before the sunne whatsoeuer we reckon of as support of our defects and subdueth that wherewith all things else are of vs subdued The cause the guilt the punishment the reuenge and the ministers of the wrath all concurring together in more forcible sort and that against the vniuersall estate of our nature not for a time but for euer then in any other calamitie whatsoeuer Here the cause is neither wound or surfet shipwracke or spoile infamy or disgrace but all kind of miserie ioyned together with a troubled spirit feeling the beginnings and expecting with desperate feare the eternall consummation of the indignation and fierce wrath of Gods vengeance against the violation of his holy commaundements which although it take not away in this life the vse of outward benefits yet doth the internall anguish bereaues vs of all delight of them and better without them then in such sort to enioy them This is not liable to humane lawes and to come vnder the censure of earthly iudges but to the diuine lawes of God and the censure executed with her owne hands which censure is a separation from Gods fauour the creator and blesser of all things the fountaine of all peace and comfort Now what creature beeing the worke of his owne hands dare comfort and cheare vs with
any consolation or what assurance of escape if wee would flee the punishment hath no miserie to compare with it the sense of it passeth the capacity of man for as blessednes with God is aboue all conceit of mans bea rt and report of tongue so the contrarie estate exceedeth all vnderstanding of the mind and vtterance of speach and is such as is aboue measure vnhappy and most miserable inflicted by Gods reuenge who is himselfe a consuming fire whose wrath once kindled burneth to the bottome of hell Againe the minister of reuenge is without all compassion he will not be content with Iobs riches and possessions but he vrgeth skin for skin would haue God permit him to streatch out his hand to touch his bones and flesh neither there would he satisfie himselfe but euen against Gods expresse commandment if it were possible bring his life into the dust neither there would he rest vntill he had brought him to damne both bodie and soule Now if God would but look on as he did while the deuil was beating Iob it would wonderfully refresh the wicked though the Lord meant neuer to helpe them but alas hee wil not vouchsafe them the lest countenance but suffer the deuill to torment and racke them to the vttermost of his power Therefore as he hath mourthered the soules of infinite men he shal be praying on them for euer Oh wofull estate I know not what to say of it our life and length of dayes will forsake vs the deuill worse then all tyrants sauage beastes harpies vultures yea then all the creatures of God shall seaze vpon vs our consciences with a worme that neuer dyeth shall gnaw vpon vs surely for want of words I must leaue it therefore euery one as he loues the good of his owne soule let him bee admonished to thinke of this fearefull sentence I will set thy sinnes in order before thee Reasons First because the conscience is made of God a little iudge and witnes of all our deeds and actions and therefore must be ioyne with the Lord against his owne subiect Reas 2. Because wicked men should be happie if it were not for their consciences therefore must the Lord needs awake them to see their miserie Reas 3. That his law may haue his effect and that the power of him may be made manifest whereby God may be glorified the wicked ashamed for putting out so good a light and fret and gnash with their teeth that they regarded not so good admonitors as the law of God and their own conscience did continually set before their eies Reas 4. That their misery might be perpetuall and dispossesse them of all ioy it is necessary that the Lord should make their sinnes euer to stand before the eyes of their conscience Vse 1. Reprehension confutation of the wicked that they would neuer consider of their sinnes but still did forget God and his law putting them farre from them but now shal they be sure to haue both sinne and punishment God and his law to draw so neere them that they could wish themselues to bee nothing or at least that the verie mountaines and rockes might fal vpon them a burden more easie to beare then the least touch of their conscience seeing their sinne feeling their punishment from the law accusing and God himselfe reuenging the violation of the same Secondly a correction of the godly that they be not too cruell vnto their owne soules conceiuing that the Lord hath done vnto them as he hath done vnto the wicked when indeed it is rather their owne phansie assisted by their corruption that makes them iudge so miserably of themselues as though they were reprobates and with Cain cast out of the presence of God for euer yet let them knowe that is but the tendernesse of the conscience and not that violent haling of them to the stake which is in the wicked whose consciences strike against the law as stones and hammers that would rather haue the lawe broken then themselues to bee broken and hammered by it Vse 2. Instruction first admonition to the wicked that they be not so cruell vnto themselues but consider that euery sinne they commit is the stabbing and wounding of their consciences and he that stabbes often the selfesame place wil be sure to bring out his heart blood and make a most fearefull ende for though the wounds of the conscience bleeding fresh are not so sensible yet beeing festered and full of corruption hauing no oyle of grace powred into them shall bee extraordinarie sores and so miserably felt of the patient that when the Lord shall touch them they shall roare and gnash with their teeth for the extremity of the paine Secondly direction to the godly to bee most tender for the eie of their conscience We vse the eye of the bodie most tenderly and great is our care to safegard it much more ought wee to tender the eye of our soule beeing farre more excellent then the eie of the bodie Vse 3. Consolation first in all distresse to knowe that it is a happie thing to beare the yoke in our youthes to know our diseases betimes and haue our sinnes discouered for then is there hope of cure but if they continue vntill old age then wil they be in greater danger Secondly in all our welfare to labour for the assurance of a good conscience which is our best felicitie Application of the whole sentence in the two last verses Want of consideration makes men forget God and both these are forerunners of Gods vengeance and euerlasting destruction therefore the admonition is to all wicked and godlesse men that betimes they arraigne themselues call a Iurie try their wayes and examine their own hearts how they stand with God for it seemes their estate is verie lamentable First in that they are styled forgetters of God and he that forgets God cannot but forsake God Ier. 2.12 Oh yee heauens be astonied at this be afraid and vtterly confounded for my people haue commited two euills they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water Oh generation take heede to the word of the Lord consider in your minds ponder in your hearts and obserue in your waies whether the Lord hath bin as a wildernesse vnto you or as a land of darknesse Oh consider what a mischeife you haue procured vnto your selues in that you haue forsaken the Lord your God which hath lead you by the way and hath bin as a familiar friend vnto you nay as a prince to command heauen earth to giue you safe-conduct through all the dangers and perills that might befall you Can a maid forget her ornament or a bride her attire yet you for whom I haue done all this haue forgotten me dayes without number But if you will not consider then assure you selues that your owne wickednesse shall correct you and your turnings backe shall reprooue you know therefore