great and small that did beleeue as Rom. 15. 30. Ephes 6. 18. c. and in other places before alledged Yea he hoped for great comfort by their such praiers Philip. 1. 19. Philem. 22. If it be a great benefit to haue a good friend for furtherance of our sutes to mortall Princes is it not much more for euery child of God to haue all the rest of Gods children on earth speciall fauorites with God to be furtherances of their sutes vnto him Verily though a man despaire of his own praiers yet might he haue exceeding comfort in the praiers of all the rest of Gods children This shall suffice to haue spoken of the prerogatiue of Gods children both by their liberty and boldnesse for making their own praiers to God and also by that that other yea all other of Gods children do remember them euen euery one another so often as they pray to God themselues CHAP. XXII Of the communicating of many titles of Christ to the children of God TO proceed yet further into the benefits which the children of God haue by their communion with Christ such is their prerogatiue thereby that as they are called the children of God by grace as Christ himselfe is by nature the sonne and the onely sonne of God so likewise they haue many other of his names and titles communicated vnto them in holy Scripture For first of all this name Christ is attributed to the whole body of the Church whereof euery true child of God is a member 1. Cor. 12. 12. And therefore Christ doth professe that whatsoeuer good or euill is done vnto any that are ingrafted into him is done vnto himselfe Matthew 25. 40. and 45. Acts 9. 4. In which respects as such are called by the name of Christians Acts 11. â—6 so they may also euery one of them bee called petty Christs or little Christs because as the word Christ signifieth nothing else but annointed and as Christ is said to be anointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45. 7. so it is said of euery one of vs that are his members that the anointing which we haue receiued of him dwelleth in vs and that we need not that any man teach vs but as the same anointing teacheth vs all things 1. Ioh. 2. 27. And as the pretious ointment poured vpon the head of Aaron ran downe vpon his beard and so also vpon other his inferior parts Psal 133. 2. so the pretious ointment of Gods spirit powred vpon Christ Iesus our head hath so descended vpon vs his members that of his fulnesse we haue all receiued grace vpon grace Ioh. 1. 16. Neither is this name only Christ thus communicated to the children of God but also the name Iesus touching the signification thereof For what doth it signifie but a Sauiour So the Angell himselfe interpreteth it Thou shalt saith hee to Mary call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. 21. Now it is not onely said to Timothie and in him to all ministers of the word that by taking heede to himselfe and to learning and by continuing therein hee should saue himselfe and other 1. Tim. 4. 16. but it is also said of all other the children of God that by praier instruction admonition c. shall conuert a sinner from going astray out of the way that they shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iames 5. 20. So likewise Iude writing to all sorts not onlie Ministers but other exhorteth them to haue compassion on some in putting difference and to saue other with feare pulling them out of the fire c. Iude. 22. 23. Doth not the Apostle by these words insinuate that they that shall so saue other though it bee with feare may in that respect bee called a Iesus or a Sauiour instrumentally The name Ioshua in signification is all one with Iesus and therefore Ioshua is called Iesus Acts 7. 45. because by sauing the Israelites from their bodily enemies hee was a type of Christ Iesus that should saue his people from their spirituall enemies If therefore Ioshua were so called in that typicall respect why may not they bee so called that are the instruments of Christ Iesus to saue men from their sinnes and so consequently from euerlasting damnation Againe as Christ is called the first fruits of the dead 1. Cor. 15. 20. and as in a typicall respect of Christ all the first borne of cleane liuing creatures al the first fruits of other things were in the law and by the law dedicated and consecrated vnto God so the Iewes in former times in respect of Gods special couenant with them Ier. 2. 3. and much more now all whom God of his owne will hath begotten againe with the word of truth are called by the name of the first fruits of God Iames 1. 8. Reu. 14. 4. As Christ is called a King and a Priest so likewise it is said that he hath made vs vnto God Kings and Priests Reu. 1. 6. and 5. 10. wherewith the Apostle Peter accordeth saying that wee are a roial Priesthood 1. Pet. 2. 9. which is al one with that which the Lord saith by Moses of the Israelites in that respect wherein before wee heard the Iewes to be called the Lords first fruits that if they would indeed heare his voice and keepe his Couenant c. then they should bee his chiefe treasure and a kingdome of Priests c. Exod. 19. 6. And indeed touching these two attributes how can wee but bee Kings and Priests being incorporated into him and made one with him to whom most properly and principally the said two attributes doe belong More particularly to begin first with the last we are Priests first in offring vp our bodies that is our whole selues a liuing sacrifice vnto God holy and acceptable c. Rom. 12. 1. and that first by crucifying the old man and letting out the blood of our sinnes which is the life of our said old man and then by seasoning our selues with the gracious word of God as some sacrifices were seasoned with salt Leuit. 2. 13. and as the Apostle requireth our speech to be seasoned Colos 4. 6. Secondly wee are called Priests for our offring vp to God the calues of our lips Hos 14. 3. and the spirituall sacrifices 1. Pet. 2. 5. both of Praiers Psal 141. 2. and of Praises Psalm 50. 14. and 23. as also of doing good and distributing Heb. 13. 16. and of other duties of righteousnesse Psal 4. 5. Thirdly wee are called Priests not onely in respect of the former sacrifices but also because if need require we must be ready to giue our liues for Gods glory and for the strengthning of the faith of other which is that which the Apostle meaneth by being offred vp vpon the sacrifice and seruice of the faith of Gods elect Phil. 2. 17. According to which phrase also the Apostle saith againe that hee was ready
vouchsafe the reading of those more largely handled and of many other contained in the treatise it selfe Pleaseth it your Honors and worships further to see the former point in the glasse of a few examples Behold then I beseech you Moses Ioshua Othniel Ehud Deborah Gideon I phtah Sampson and all the other good Iudges of Israel before the kingdome of Israel established For were they so honourable by being kings fellowes and hauing kingly authority as they were by doing those things which testified their adoption Behold Dauid and Salomon two mighty kings of al Israel with Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah all good Kings of Iuda For were these so honorable by being great and mighty princes as they were by being the children of God Behold Ester Mordecai Shadrach Meshach Abednego and Daniel For were they so honorable the one by being a Queene and the wife of a most mighty monarch that had 127. prouinces vnder him the other by beeing in great grace fauor with the like mighty monarchs as they were by shewing themselues the children of God Yea behold Cyrus Artashasht Darius and Ahasbuerosh all heathen Emperors For were they so honorable by being such Emperors though some of them had 127. pro. uinces vnder their gouernment as they were by doing some things for the Church and people of God whereby they did only resemble Gods children and were not so indeed May not the like be said of Iehu King of Israel For was he so honorable by being King of Israel extraordinarily annointed so to bee by the appointment of God as he was by his zeale though only temporary against Baal and his Priests and seruants Behold further Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus For were they so honorable in that the one was a rich man and an honerable Mat. 27. 17. Mark 15. 45. Ioh. 3. 1. 10. counsellor and the other a great Pharisee a ruler of the Iewes and a teacher in Israel as they were in that the one went to Pilat and begged the body of Iesus and the other ioined with him in the honorable buriall thereof Behold the Eunuch of Ethtopia For was he so honorable Actâ— 8. 27. by being the Queen of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernor and her Lord treasurer as hee was by comming out of his owne country a long a chargeable and a dangerous iourny to worship the Lord at Ierusalem by reading the scriptures as hee rode in his chariot whereas such great men for the most part spend such times in vaine sports or in some idle discourses and by his meeke acknowlegement of his ignorance of the Scripture which he did read by his courteous speech to Philip a poore trauelling footman neuer before nor after seen of him and by his like kind taking him vp into his chariot to himselfe to be further instructed by him and by his humble submitting himselfe to bee examined of his faith and to be baptized of him The like may bee said of many Christian Emperors Constantine and other of our late most noble King Edward the sixt and of our more late Queen Elizabeth of most happy and blessed memory To produce the examples of any Princes or nobles liuing would not perhaps bee so well approued as suspected of flatterie or some other sinister meaning What now right Honorable and right Worshipfull shall I say more As Noah said God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Shem so say I If any of Gâ—â—es 9. 27. you to whom I doe in all humilitie present and dedicate these my labours haue not yet receiued the spirit of adoption God perswade such to dwell in the tents of his such children as whose dignitie I doe in this treatise lay foorth as likewise to thinke it a woe vnto them to vemaine in Meshech and to dwell in the tents of Kedar Psal 120 5. The same God also of power maiestie and glory who hath the hearts of all Kings and Nobles and of all other great persons in his hand as the riuers of waters to turne the same whither it pleaseth him euen this God that Father of our Lord Iesus Christ so incline all your hearts Prov. â—1 1. both to consider of the reasons whereby the dignitie of his children is here declared and also to apply the vses of the doctrine thereof to your selues according to your seuerall states and places in this world that as some of you doe sometimes here in earth sit in Parliament with our most gratious Soueraigne King IAMES so yee may all at the last sit with Christ Iesus in heauen euen in his throne as himselfe sitteth Rev. 3. 21. in the throne of his Father and that for euer and euer Much Totham in Essex Aprill 16. 16 10. Your Honors and Worships Most humble in the Lord to be commanded THOMAS STOVGHTON To the inhabitants of those places where at any time especially last of all I haue had a setled MINISTERIE AS in this treatise I speake generally to euery Christian reader so now my deere brethren in the Lord that haue sometimes heard me preach these things which now I haue printed let me more particularly intreate you to vouchsafe the buying and reading of them because in the printing of them I haue had a speciall respect vnto your good I am not able to beslow vpon euery one of you one of these bookes of as small price as they be The most of you do know how truely I amy say with Naomi I was full but the Lord hath made mee emptie and the Almightie hath brought me vnto aduersitie Ruth 1. 21. euen in my latter age requiring most comfort I suppose also that my willing minde for a greater kindnesse is not doubted of by you if my ability were according If I were as I haue beene yet were it easier for the least of many of you to buy one then for me to giue many I shall not neede to tell you for further perswasion in this behalfe that the fruit of well and aduised reading this Treatise will abundantly recompence your cost Ye haue not so learned Christ in whom all of vs haue our adoption as so lightly to esteeme a treatise setting forth the excellencie of the said adoption neither I am sure haue yee forgotten that Esau is pronounced a prophane person for making more account of one portion of meate euen in his extremity of hunger then of his birthright Heb. 12. 17. a pledge and a kinde of Sacrament of this adoption For me also first to gather all these things together then to write afterwards to correct them and last of all to write them againe for the presse is much more then for to lay out a little money and to spend a few howers in reading of them In your loue therefore towards me accept them as a testimony of my vnseined loue towards you and of my like desire of your welfare in the Lord. Such of you as are best able I desire to buy and to
might by their good works which they should see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet 2. 11. 12. Iames biddeth not only to purge our hearts but also to clense our hands Iames 4. 8. The Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth that none can draw neere to God in full assurance of faith but only such as whose bodies are as well washed with pure water as their hearts are purged from an euill conscience Heb. 10. 22. that is such as are sanctified as well in their outward behauiour as touching their vnderstanding iudgement thoughts memory and affections This well agreeth with all before said of our faith of our life of our knowledge and wisedome The faith which is without workes is dead Iames 2. 17. and 20. and againe betwixt both viz. vers 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Rom. 10. 10. by confession of the mouth he meaneth the acknowledgement and profession of Christ in all our outward behauiour To the same purpose the Apostle also applieth that of the Psalmist I beleeued therfore I spake and saith We also beleeued and therefore speake Psal 116. 10. 2. Corinth 4. 13. The life of God before handled hath been shewed not onely to be inward but also to shew it selfe outwardly The knowledge also and wisedome of God renewed in the regeneration of the children of God hath been declared to consist in the feare of God and keeping of Gods commandements which concerne as well the good cariage of all the parts and members of our bodie as the disposition of our mindes and hearts This holinesse therefore and righteousnesse must be shewed by the gouernment of euery member of the eie of the eare of the mouth of the hands of the feet and of the whole body according to the rules prescribed in the word for direction of euery such member I forbeare the particular confirmation of these things by shewing the particular scriptures for direction of euery particular member because the labor were too great for me the writer and for any reader For indeed it would require a whole volume by it selfe Yea and Otho Casmannus in the beginning of this treatise mentioned hath learnedly and religiously performed this For his book intituled Hominis Spiritualis anatomia c. The anatomie of a spirituall man is altogether of this argument Whereunto the learned desirous to see the former point more particularly and largely handled may repaire That this holinesse and righteousnesse whereof now wee speake both inward and outward is not alike in all that are regenerated yea that are of the same age in regeneration I shall not need here to speake sith that which hath been said before in that behalfe of the life of God doth also belong to this holinesse and righteousnesse which are but effects or fruits of our said life Now let vs further vnderstand that as all other vertues are comprehended vnder the former life liberty wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse so specially that sobriety that is so commended in the scripture is a principall branch as of all the former generally so particularly of that wisedome The rather because the word translated soberly Tit. 2. 12. signifieth wisely and the like word translated Be sober 1. Pet. 4. 7. signifieth to be wise as also the word translated modesty or sobriety Note 1. Tim. 2. 9. and 15. signifieth wisedome and the same word translated sobernesse or sobriety is opposed to the word that signifieth being mad Acts 26. 25. and 2. Cor. 5. 13. By all these places wherein the holy ghost speaking of sobriety vseth a word that signifieth also wisedome we are taught that sobriety is a speciall point of true wisedome This sobriety notwithstanding that now we speake of is not only the moderation of our selues for drinke which is apposed to that foule sinne of drunkennesse in these daies too too common neither that only which is in apparrell contrary to the disguised attiring of men and women whereby the people of one country conforme themselues to other countries directly against Gods word Zeph. 1. 8. yea like monsters to other creatures at least one sex to another the women especially wearing mens apparell and men suffering their haire to grow like to women both directly also against the word that Deut. 22. 5. and this as contrary to nature it selfe 1. Cor. 11. 14. and whereby likewise the professors of sincerity conforme themselues to the world and to the vanity vsed by the world which is to be vnderstood as well forbidden by the Apostle in apparell as in other things Rom. 12. 2. Neither also is this sobriety now spoken of only that which is repugnant to other lightnesse either in countenance or in gesture condemned with the former of apparell Isai 3. 16. and by it selfe alone generally in all persons by opposition thereunto of the contrary sober and wise gestured Pro. 17 24. and more specially in women as a tricke of harlots Pro. 7. 13. This sobriety I say doth not consist only in these things but it consisteth in moderation of our selues and of all our affections in any slate of life in prosperity and in aduersity that in the one we be not drunken with delights and pleasures with wealth and riches with honors and preferments of this world and that in the other we be neither surfetted with cares and feares nor ouercome with sorrowes and griefes whereby as drunken men wee should be vnfit for other dueties belonging vnto vs. He that is sober in this manner is a wise man indeed And this sobriety is the spring of all other holinesse and righteousnesse or that which comprehendeth them both All the other kinds of sobriety before rehearsed are no other but such as may be and oft times are euen in meere naturall men Many naturall men are as abstemious from wine and all strong drinke and as far from all drunkennesse that way I meane in their outward behauiour as any other men Many are as sober in their apparell and as graue and modest in their countenance gesture speech and all other behauiour as any other so that these kinds of sobriety are not proper and peculiar only to the children of God but common also to other But this sobriety that consisteth in moderation of our selues and of our affections in euery state of life in prosperity and in aduersity especially in such sort as the Scripture commendeth the same is only in them that are new borne of the spirit of God and by incorporation into Iesus Christ are made the sonnes and daughters of God They that are not new borne in their prosperity pride is vnto them as a chaine and cruelty couereth them as agarment Psal 73. 6. The wicked is so proud c. that be thinketh there is no God His waies prosper c. therefore he desieth all his enemies He saith in his heart he shall neuer be moued c. His
peace can there be vnto them when so many sinnes as they haue committed in great number remaine vncancelled and vnpardoned in heauen and vnrepented of in the earth This that I speake of the wicked is not only to be vnderstood of the meaner sort of the wicked that are bare poore without friends and worldly delights but also of Princes and other in great place that haue great friends that abound in wealth that flow in delights of the world that are mighty in authority and want nothing which might seeme helpfull to them against feare or to make for their peace and good security And this is manifest by the deadly feare of Nabal Saul Belshazzar and Felix before spoken of If therefore the greatest sort of the wicked be subiect to such feares who notwithstanding haue many meanes in the iudgement of men to secure them against feare what shall be said of other True indeed the wicked do not alwaies feare thus because through the extreme hardnesse of their hearts whereunto God in great iustice doth giue them ouer which is the greatest iudgement of all other in this life they are without feeling of the cause of this feare Sometimes also when they feele this feare comming vpon them they labour by the pleasures of this life or by company or by some such meanes to shift and shake it off But alas poore men they striue against the streame yea they haue wind and tide against them in that behalfe The more they put off feare for a time the stronger it will returne in the end As a man troubled with the tooth-ake for the mitigation thereof for the present taketh cold water which maketh the paine more violent afterward and as one that hath scald his leg rhrusteth the same presently into cold water and thereby findeth ease of the heat for a while but afterward feeleth the greater and longer paine so they that by pastimes and pleasures and worldly businesse and good fellowship put away their feares for a time doe finde them more extreame in the end It is with such men as with many an ill debter that being arrested by some bay liffe or sergeant at the suit of some one of his creditors to auoid imprisonment doth either violently resist or smiteth the bailiffe or the sergeant on the head that he laieth him for dead or else gerteth him into a tauerne or Alehouse and there maketh him so drunk that himselfe escapeth for the present But what doth he helpe himselfe by this meanes nothing at all yea he plungeth himselfe into further danger For in the end the creditor at whose suit he was arrested dealeth the moreseuerely with him Euen so the wicked that by any sleights passe ouer their feares not by humbling themselues to God the great creditor to whom all men owe more then they are able to pay as hath beene before said but by striuing and strugling and by making their feares drunke as it were for the present doe thereby in the end increase their feares and make them stronger and more violent then before Great especially shall the feares of the wicked bee and farre greater then they shal be able to beare when God shall come in speciall Iudgement against them The Prophet Isay threatneth the Iewes with such a day of vergeance as wherin the wicked should goe into holes and caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and the glorie of his Maiesty when hee should arise to destory the earth Isay 2. 19. So the Prophet Osea denouncing the iudgements of God against the Israelites saith that they should say to the Mountaines couer vs and to the hilles fall vpon vs. Hosea 10. 8. According there unto also our Sauiour seeing some women to follow him weeping as he went to suffer vpon the Crosse for vs biddeth them not to weepe for him but for themselues and for their Children and why because such daies of Gods wrath were comming as wherein they that is the wicked and such as had persecuted him yea their posterity should begin to say to the Mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hills couer vs Luke 23. 30. Most of all shall the feare of the wicked bee in the great daie of the Lord. The feare I say of Kings of the earth of great men of rich men and of the chiefe Captaines and of the mighty men who most bragge of their courage and thinke scorne to bee told that they will be afraide of any thing and of every bond man c. the feare I say of all these shal be so great that when the sunne shal be blacke and the moone turned into bloud then they shall hide themselues in dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines saying to the Mountaines and the Rockes fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sâ—â—tcth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Reuâ—lati 6. 15. But euen in this great and fearefull day such shal be the peace of the Children of GOD that they shal be bold and not ashamed before CHRIST Iesus as this Apostle hath said in the former Chapter verse 28. Oh vnspeakable happinesse Is not therefore the dignity of Gods Children in this respect exceeding great This peace of the Children of God shall abide with them so that they may alwaies lift vp their face and bee stable without feare c. and that they may be bold c. and lie down safely taking their rest Iob. 11. 15. For the Lord hath promised that the Mountaines shall remoue and the hilles fall dâ—wn but that his mercy shal not depart nor his couenaÌ„t of peace fal away Isa 54. 10 but shal be an euerlasting couenant Ez. 37. 26. Hither also belongeth that of Isay 9. 7. and that before alledged Isay 32 17. This also the Apostle teacheth in the place before alledged Rom. 8. v. 15. For in that the Apostle saith they haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe he plainely noteth that they that are now freed from the spirit of feare shall neuer feare againe What then shall the children of God haue no feare at any time yes they shall feare God more then before in a child-like maner and so as that in such feare of God they depart from euil Iob. 1. 8. and as feare is commended to be the beginning of wisdome Psal 111 10. and to be a wel pring of life to keepe from the snares of death Pro. 14 17. and as the feare of God testifieth vs to be blessed is ioyned with great delight in his Commandements Psal 112 2. and as this feare of God working the keeping of his Commandements is said to be the whole duty of man Eecl 12 13. and as we are further exhorted euen in respect of the promise of God to clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit and to grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God 2. Cor. 7 1. and to feare the Lord and
serue him 1. Sam. 12 24. or to serue the Lord in feare and to reioyce in trembling Psal 2 11. and to make an end of our salution with feare trembling Phil. 2 12. and lastly in consideration as well of his seuere iustice in rewarding euery man according to his works as of his fatherly goodnesse towards vs to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. Thus I say the children of God must feare and doe feare If men be without this feare they are secure and without the spirit of adoption that is they are not the children of God as afterward vpon an other occasion we shall heare againe But as for slauish feare such as is forbidden such as ariseth only froÌ„ regard of Gods power iustice without respect to his mercy and goodnesse and such as is repugnant to faith which is the assurance of Gods fauour Heb. 10. 22. this is also contrary to the peace of Gods children and of this it is to be vnderstood that they are deliuered out of the hands of their enemies that they may serue God without feare Luk. 1. 74. But are the children of God indeed alwaies without this kind of feare so that they neuer haue any brunts thereof I answer that the children of God are not only spirit but flesh there is none of the children of God so regenerate but that his regeneration or rather his sanctification which is as I said the slature of a man regenerate is here imperfect although therefore so far forth as they are sanctified or regenerate for I will not striue about words nor be too curious or precise for phrases they be freed from feare as hauing receiued the spirit of adoption which is contrary to the spirit of bondage and of feare and whereby they may be bold to call God their Father and assure themselues of his fatherly loue towards them â—et so far forth as they haue some reliques still of the old man so far they cannot but sometime feare euen so feare as feare is forbidden Yea so much the more doe they often feare otherwise then they should both Gods iustice and also the rage and cruelty of their enemies because the vnsanctified part doth so oppresse and sometime and for a time ouerwhel me the sanctified part and the spirit of adoption in them that they thinke themselues not to be regenerate at all neither euer to haue receiued the spirit of adoption but to be meer naturall men and as wicked as any other But although they doe thus feare looking only to Gods iustice and not to his mercy and respecting only the corruption of nature remaining in them not the beginnings of grace wherby they are assured of an inheritance reserued in heauen for them as also of their own preseruation here by the power of God yet euen then haue they cause not to feare but to be of good cheare in respect of those arguments against feare before handled As the wicked do sometimes taste the powers of the world to come Heb. 6. 5. that is of the ioies of heauen so the Lord will haue his children to haue a little marke of the feares that are proper only to the wicked that they may pray the more earnestly for recouery of their former peace of conscience as Dauid did Psal 51. 8. and 12. and the 〈◊〉 to esteem of it when they find it againe as also that after the recouery of their former peace of conscience they may be more carefull to keep it themselues and the more diligent in teaching other to keep it likewise for euery benefit is the sweeter by tast of the contrary Againe the Lord will haue such feare of his children to be as a glasse to the wicked wherein they may the better see their own fearfull state and condition in not being the children of God as gathering by such feares of the godly that they themselues are in much more fearfull condition and haue much more cause to feare Moreouer such feare in the children of God doth often arise from the mistaking of things and from their imagination of that that is not So we did see before that the dâ—sciples of Christ feared vpon imagination that they had seen a spirit when they saw him So many of the children of God haue in all ages feared and now doe often feare because they iudge not aright of the graces of God in themselues but thinke they haue no faith at all no loue at all c. and therefore no assurance at all of Gods fauor and of their owne saluation because their faith loue and other graces of God are weake and come short of that they ought to be because they are able to distinguish between a nullity and an imperfection of Gods gifts accompanying saluation in them therefore they thinke that to be a nullity that is only an imperfection It is also with the godly in this case as sometime with a company of rebellious subiects where notwithstanding the king hath pardoned and sent his pardon vnto them signed with his owne hand and sealed with his own seale For as such hauing no skill to read their pardons doe therefore doubt of them and feare the kings displeasure so many of Gods children being pardoned of all their sins and hauing their pardon written in their hearts by Gods own finger and sealed with the spirit of adoption do notwithstanding doubt and feare because they cannot well read the said pardon But why can they not read it either because it is written in small letters which their sight being but in part cannot see or because they haue not gone long enough to schoole for the learning to read Gods hand perfectly and readily or because they themselues haue forgotten that which they had learned in that behalfe or because they haue kept their pardon so rechlesly and carelesly that the same being blotted and obscured with many sinnes through their negligence and carelesnesse committed cannot well be read by themselues or any others for a time viz. so long as they liue so carelesly and till they haue purged themselues of such sinnes as whereby not only the writing of their pardon is blurred and made vnlegible but also their own sight is dimmed so as they neither can read their pardons nor see any thing els touching their salution as they ought So had Dauid blotted and obscured the pardon of all his sins and dimmed his own sight by his sinne with Bethsheba and against Vriah that he was troubled with many feares which made him to complaine of his state as if it had been as bad as any mans and that he praieth the Lord to create in him a new heart as if he had neuer been regenerate before Psal 51. 10. The afflictions also of this life befalling the children of God being especially compared with the prosperity of the wicked do so blind their eies that they cannot behold the goodnesse of God to the peace of their consciences as