making Gods people as Musike at Feasts merry meetings and cursed conuenticles of Good-fellowship and such other rotten ribald and Bedlam talke which because they are the knowne and proper language of the sonnes of Belial the dung froth and damned euaporations of drunken wits Christians whom alone I labour to direct in this poynt are not in such danger of and therefore I haue nothing to doe with them at this time III. Pray for and practise an holy and discreete dexteritie to diuert and draw from prophane and wicked or too much worldly and ordinarie talke to more sauoury conference and heauenly discourse Me thinks it is great pitty that Professours should euer meete without some talke of their meeting in heauen or of the blessed meanes and wayes that leade thereunto before they part Yet many times such a deadnesse and dampe of zeale and heauenly-mindednesse haunts euen the holiest hearts in these vnhappie dayes of securitie and forme worldly matters Talke of others or some more remarkeable accidents and affaires abroad speculatiue curiosities some ceremoniall vnseasonable controuersies or other such like impertinencies in one kinde or other take vp and ingrosse euen from Gods children too much of many golden seasons which might preciously serue by their mutuall diuing with more Christian edifying discourse into the great mysterie of godlinesse and walkes of Christianitie to nourish and increase amongst them much spirituall warmth comfort and resolution against all vngodly oppositions and to build vp one another in their most holy Faith acquaintance with temptations experimentall knowledge more comfortable walking with God c. To confront this common mischiefe and Mar-conference at Christian meetings come vnto them prepared as I aduised before page 86 87. But if the company bee contrary-minded and vn-inured to the language of Canaan exercise and interpose all thy wit courage authoritie and eloquence to draw them from the dunghill of rotten talke and by a wise plausible diuersion and modestly ouer-ruling transition carry the current of their present discourse all thou canst towards some Heauenly good and spirituall end 1. To which end obserue and apprehend all opportunities and occurrences which may minister matter of digression into diuine talke and acquaint thy selfe with the Arte of abstracting sacred instructions from the booke of the Creatures and businesses in hand It was the practise of our blessed Sauiour Vpon mention of bread Matth. 16. hee prest vpon his Disciples a disswasion from the Leauen of the Pharises when he obserued Iohn 6. a number of people to throng about him for more miraculous bread hee digressed into a most heauenly discourse of the food of life Vpon occasion of drinke being denied him by the Samaritane woman Iohn 4. hee forgetting his wearinesse hunger and thirst labours to allure her to the well head of euerlasting happinesse 2. Haue euer in a readinesse some common heads of more stirring and quickening motiues to minde heauenly things as the cursed condition of our naturall state the incomparable sweetnesse of Christian wayes the vanity and vexations of all earthly things the vncertainty and miseries of this short life the euerlastingnesse of our second state in another world the sudden executions of Gods fierce wrath vpon some notorious ones euen in this life especially those which are freshest in memory and lateliest done the terrors of death the dreadfulnesse of that last and great Day drawing on apace the horrors of a damned soule c. Mention of these things many times will strike full cold to the heart of the most swaggering and sensuall Belshazzar the most raging and roaring companions and driue the most confident and domineering worldling into his dumps Talke then of these terrible things may by Gods blessing prepare and soften sometimes the hardest hearts for some thoughts of remorse and more heauenly impressions 3. But aboue all get into thine own heart an habit of heauenly-mindednesse by much exercise entercourse and acquaintance with God in powring out of thy soule euer and anon before him in renuing and recouering thy peace and comfortable accesse vnto him vpon euery fall and checke of conscience in often contemplation and foretaste of the inexplicable sweetnesse glorie and eternitie of those Mansions aboue in diuing into the secrets of his Kingdome by the helpe of humblenesse and godly feare vpon the most sweet and soule-fatting dayes of humiliation mortifying visitations of troubled and afflicted consciences often conferences with humblest and best experienced Christians c. By priuate imployment of thy soule in solemne reflections vpon it selfe fruitfully recounting with what varietie of traines it was long detained in the state of darknesse with what delayes and tergiuersations lets and assaults it met in its way to light what bitternesse and terrors it passed thorow in the pangs of its new-birth the tentations incident to its infancie in grace progresse and growth in seuerall graces and the whole body of Christianitie relapses desertions their discoueries recoueries with all the meanes and circumstances In a word by a punctuall obseruing how God deales with it euery day Be I say thus blessedly busied at home in thine owne heart and thou shalt finde thy selfe much more pregnant and plentifull in holy talke when thou commest abroad Wee are most apt and readiest to powre out our selues in publike according to our priuate prouisions and the most predominant discourses and contemplations of the minde The conferences of free and vnreserued spirits are ordinarily nothing else but the cloathing of their ordinarie mentall conceptions and heart-secrets with familiar formes of speech Men for the most part speake most and most willingly of those things they minde most I aduise thus in this point that thou mayst be habituated and heartened with resolution and delight in the art and exercise of putting forward good talke or of diuerting and drawing towards better in case of the contrarie Otherwise thou shalt neuer bee able to hold out with constancie and courage to crosse many times the generall mirth of the company to put worldly-wisemen out of their element of all earthly talke to draw worldlings which goes most against the haire to heare of heauenly things VIII Suruey thorowly before hand with the glorious Lampe of the Word of Life and Truth watch ouer narrowly with the illightened eye of a tender conscience and euer punctually manage and conduct with the particular light of spirituall prudence euery action thou vndertakest or that shall at any time passe thorow thy hand of what kinde soeuer it be whether naturall recreatiue ciuill of mercy Religion c. To which particulars before I descend let me commend vnto thee and premise this Principle concerning actions in generall Euery truly commendable and comfortable action consists of an absolute integritie of all concurrents and requisites Or thus That which is good and lawfull must be entire I meane it in that sence as our Diuines speake of sanctification which if sauing say they must be perfect and entire though
pretence and purpose to sollicit them for saluation and preuaile with them about the best things and yet before thou be aware bee plunged and insnared in the woonted vnwarrantable delights of good fellowship pleasant passages of wit idle and impertinent follies and familiarities which thou wast accustomed to exchange and enioy with them in thy vnregenerate time So that in stead of the discharge of a Christian duty thou mayest both hurt thy selfe and harden them 3. As Physicians of the body arme and animate themselues with strong repercussiues preseruatiues and counterpoysons when they visit contagious and pestilentiall patients so in such cases be thou sure to furnish and fortifie thy selfe before-hand with prayer meditation the sword of the Spirit store of perswasiue matter strength of reasons and vnshaken resolution to repell and beate backe all noysome insinuations of spirituall infection 3. Into Christian company which thou shouldest prize thine only Paradise and Heauen vpon Earth the very flowre and festiuall of all thy refreshing time in this vale of teares euer bring 1. A cheerefull and lightsome heart Me-thinks though thou shouldest come amongst the Saints with a sad heart and something ouer-cast with mists and clouds of heauinesse and discomfort yet the presence and faces of those whom hereafter thou shalt meet in Heauen and there with incomparable ioy behold for euer clothed and shining with eminencie and eternitie of glory should disperse and dispell them all and infuse comfortable beames of heauenly lightsomnesse and spirituall mirth I know them who being cast sometimes full sore against their wils amongst profane company are quite out of their element all the while strucke dead in the place as they say as solitary as in the silentest Desart But let them come amongst Christians and they are quite other men as full of lightsomnes and life as full of heart and Heauen as if they had the one foot in the Porch of Paradise already-Sadnesse is not seasonable where such precepts as these haue place Be glad in the Lord. and reioyce yee righteous and shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart 2. A fruitfull heart full as the Moone with gracious matter to vphold edifying conference and sanctified talke Being forward and free without any hurtfull bashfulnesse or vaine-glorious aime both to communicate to others the hidden treasures of heauenly knowledge which thou hast happily digged out of the precious quarry as it were of the great mystery of Grace also by moouing of questions and ministring occasion mutually to draw from them with an holy greedinesse the waters of life for a reciprocall refreshing and quickning of the deadnesse and vnheauenlinesse of thine owne heart And here it will bee a profitable wisedome to take notice of and obserue each others singularitie of gifts and seuerall endowments and thereafter with wise insinuations to prouoke and presse them to powre out themselues in those things wherein they haue best experience and most excellency Some are more dexterous and skilfull in discussing controuersed points others in resoluing cases of conscience some in discouering the Deuils depths and treading the Maze of his manifold temptations others in comforting afflicted spirits and speaking to the heart of mourners in Zion c. I am perswaded many times many worthy discourses lie buried in the brests of vnderstanding men by reason of the finfull silence I think I may say so and barrennesse of those about them And therefore Christians ought to be more forth-putting actiue and fruitfull this way 3. An humble heart ready and reioycing to exchange and enioy common comforts soule-secrets heauenly consultations with the poorest and most neglected Christian. If thou bee haunted with the white Deuill of spirituall pride it is likely thou wilt bee either too prodigall and profuse and so ingrosse all the talke which is sometimes incident to new conuerts or counterfeits or else too reserued and curious and so say no more then may serue to breed an applause and admiration of thy worth which is a very filthy and fearefull fault There is no depth of knowledge no height of zeale no measure of Grace but may be further inlarged more inflamed blessedly encreased by conference with the poorest faithfull Christian See Rom. 1. 12. and 15. 24. how Paul that great learned and diuinely inspired Doctor of the Gentiles stood affected in this point V. But aboue all bee most busie with thy heart for it is the roote that either empoysons or ensweetens all the rest that is the fountaine which causes all the streames of thy desires purposes affections speeches and the whole current of thy conuersation to runne either muddy or cleere Ply therefore amongst others these three points of speciall and precious consequence for the present purpose with all seriousnesse and zeale 1. Captiuation and conformitie of the thoughts and imaginations of thy heart to the soueraignty and rules of grace If thy change in words actions and all outward carriage were Angelicall yet if thy thoughts were the same and vnsanctified still thou wert still a limbe of Satan Purity in the inward parts is the most sound and vndeceiuing euidence of our portion and interest in the power and purity of Christs sauing Passion and sanctifying Blood-shed See Ier. 4. 14. Isa. 55. 7. Now that thou mayest the better conquer and keepe the thoughts of thy heart in subiection and obedience vnto Christ be perswaded and acknowledge 1. The pestilencie of that wicked Prouerbe Thoughts are free It is true the immediate inuisible productions and proiects of the heart lie not within the walke of humane Iustice neither are liable to the censure of earthly Courts and Consistories But there is an All-seeing and Omniscient Eye in Heauen to which the blackest Mid-night is as the brightest Noone-tide Psal. 139. 12. which sees our secretest thoughts afarre off ver 2. and sets them in the light of his countenance Psal. 90. 8. Hence it is that many humble soules sensible of their secret prouoking the glory of Gods pure Eye are more grieued setting aside the ill of example and scandall ordinary attendants vpon open and visible miscarriages for the rebelliousnesse of their thoughts then the exorbitancie of their actions For the sting of these is something eased and lessened as they thinke by the absence of Hypocrisie and because the world sees the worst But concerning the other it cuts them to the very heart that they are not as well able to preserue their inward parts in puritie toward the All-searching Eye of that God who stretched foorth the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth as their words and actions in plausiblenesse towards man who shall die and the sonne of man which shall be made as grasse Whereas then the naturall man is woont to let his heart runne riot and at randome into a world of idle imaginations without remorse or restraint doe thou make thy sanctification sure vnto thy selfe by this infallible signe That thou sufferst the consideration of Gods
euen Bellarmine himselfe speakes proportionably in another case Vpon a passage in Austin acknowledging the interior efficacy of Gods Spirit giuing testimony to our hearts concerning the truth of that which is contained in the Scriptures saith he This light of faith is a certaine testimonie of God by which it is said to the secret cogitations of our hearts That is true thou needest not to doubt thereof Here is an immediate testimony of the Spirit granted for the confirmation of the truth of the Word why may not the like bee expected for an assurance of the worke of the Word Mighty and remarkeable was the worke of the Spirit this way vpon the heart of that Noble Martyr Robert Glouer vpon the first sight and representation of the Stake so sweetely seasonable is God in all his refreshings For two or three dayes before his death hee was full heauily oppressed with the spirituall miseries of a dead heart and spirituall desertion In which time no doubt hee cried mightily vnto God and often reflected the eye of his renewed conscience vpon a truly beleeuing penitent humble holy and heauenly heart resolued to sacrifice its warmest blood in the mercilesse fire for the testimony of Iesus and yet no comfort would come But in the very nicke and needfull time as you may see in the Story the blessed Spirit did suddenly shine into his darke and desolate soule with the glorious beames of his owne immediate comfort and so sensibly filled it with such ouerflowing Riuers of spirituall ioyes that no doubt they mightily abated and quencht the ragefull fury of those Popish flames wherein hee sweetely fell asleepe It was a speciall and immediate springing of the holy Ghost in his heart which made Master Peacock after many dayes of extremest horrour professe that The ioy which be felt in his conscience was incredible We feele and acknowledge by daily experience that Satan doth immediately iniect and shall not the blessed Spirit after his holy and heauenly manner immediately also suggest sometimes Neither is this to bee reputed an extraordinary reuelation or Enthusiasme without or beside the Word of God I heartily abominate all Anabaptisticall fooleries and phrensies For that which the Spirit so reueiles vnto our consciences we our selues may collect and conclude out of Gods Word vpon the conscience of our faith repentance other sauing endowments and holy graces shining in our soules and vprightly exercised in our whole conuersation When wee by these meanes haue assured our soules that we are the children of God which is the testimony of our owne renewed spirits the Spirit of God as another witnesse secondeth and confirmeth this assurance by diuine inspiration and by sweet motions and feelings of Gods speciall goodnesse and glorious sauing presence and so acording to the Apostles phrase Rom. 8. 16. beareth witnesse with our spirits Wherefore if any man presume vpon or pretend any immediate suggestion or reuelation for his spirituall safetie and euerlasting well-beeing and yet want vtterly the testimony of 〈◊〉 renewed conscience to the same purpose the testimony of vniuersall obedience of not lying willingly and delightfully in any one knowne sin of crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts c. I can giue him none but this cold comfort hee is cursedly coozened by the Deuils counterfeit glory of an Angell casting into his abused imagination such groundlesse conceits which in time of triall will vanish into nothing and flye away as a dreame By the way let me tell you that though this last manner of assurance bee more immediately from the Spirit yet conceiue that the other also are not effectuall vpon the heart without the excitation illumination and assistance of the same blessed Spirit For the first consider that forecited place 1. Corinth 2. 12. For the second when the conscience through the ministrie of the Law doth testifie to a man his state in sinne and vnder the curse it is through the spirit of bondage that it doth testifie then when it doth testifie to him his state of grace and freedome from the curse it is much rather from the Spirit of Adoption No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost For the third I doubt not but the blessed Spirit as a comfortable Remembrancer refreshed Hezekias memory when he cryed to the Lord Remember now O Lord c. Isai. 38. 3. But how shall a man discerne and difference a true perswasion and the testimony of the Spirit from a groundlesse presumptuous conceit and the Deuils delusion If Bellarmine aske me I will easily stop his mouth First by demanding him how his Saint Francis and S. Antony knew assuredly that their reuelations of the certaine remission of their sinnes were from the Spirit of God especially sith with him they were reuelations quite besides and without the Word For he holds that this proposition Francis is truly iustified Antony hath his sinnes forgiuen and so of other particular men is not to be found in the Word either immediately or by euident consequence which we vpon good ground contradict if the particular men be true beleeuers Secondly by that saying of Ambrose vrged by Catarinus in the Councell of Trent The holy Ghost doth neuer speake vnto vs but doth make vs know that it is Hee that speaketh But if the doubtfull Christian truly troubled about it would be taught and informed in the point or if it be possible that the Pharise the deluded One should heartily desire to be illightened I aduise that they would consider vpon these following markes of difference 1. A sound perswasion vpon good ground by the Spirit is euer agreeable and answerable exactly to the Word The inward testimony of the Spirit and outward testimony of the Word doe alway sweetely accord and one answeres to the other as face to face in water And therefore if that thy present state wherein thou conceiuest thy selfe to bee sure and safe inough for saluation bee disabled and condemned by Gods Word thy confidence is vaine and Satan deludes thee The Scripture tels vs That whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin 1. Ioh. 1. 3 9. which is not to be vnderstood simply of the act of sinning For who can say My heart is cleane But in this sence He makes not a trade of sinning he sinneth not with purpose pleasure and perseuerance he doth not liue lie and delight in sinne he suffers it not to reigne in him If then thou allowest any lust in thy heart or goe on in the willing practise of any one knowne sinne or sensuall course and yet bee well conceited of thy selfe for comfort in the World to come the Deuill coozens thee God will not heare the prayers but wound the hairie scalpe of euery such a one For instance If thou lyest in lying for it s one thing to be ouertaken that way out of feare or ere thou be aware another thing to continue in