soule and anguish of conscience most intollerable and can finde notwithstanding continuail prayers and incessaunt supplication made vnto the Lord no release in your owne iudgement stand reprobate from Gods couenant and voide of all hope of his inheritance expecting the consummation of your misery and fearefull sentence of eternall condēnation I pray you deare brother consider Gods mercies of old and the former experience of his fauour and those holy testimonies of election which you haue in times past made plentifully shew of and consider whether it be not rather a temptation then as you imagine Gods anger against you Of temptations there are diuerse sortes some rising frō our owne natures othersome from without vs such as are without our natures either springe from our malitious enemie Sathan or from such allurementes or terrors which the world tosseth vs withall In these Sathan is a worker besides his owne peculiar manner of tempting His temptations are either by corporall possession or with more liberty and freedome to the tempted Of our owne natures springe the temptations which rise of the roote of originall sinne without any forraine instigation from the world whatsoeuer is either a bayte of pleasure or fright of terror which increase the actuall sinnes springing from the originall roote and lay as it were compasse and powreth on water to that vngracious stock Now if this your affliction be no other but some kinde of these tēptatiōs which I haue no doubt to make manifest and playne vnto you then are you to esteeme of your case more comfortably thē you do and to attend with patience the issue which not onely is not infallible to signifie determinatly of election or reprobation but in such as are of like conuersation vnto you and haue giuen euident testimonies of a sound faith groūded vpō knowledge as you haue done bringeth forth the fruites of patience experience hope increase of faith and not onely in the end yeeldeth plenty of spirituall ioy and comforte vnto themselues but furnisheth also with power and hability to confirme others both by their owne example and wordes of great consolation from their owne experience In all the former kindes of temptations there is hope and examples are sundry in ech kinde of which the corporall inhabiting of Sathan is the greatest fullest of tertour and dispaire yet the history of the deedes and sayinges of Christ the wrytinges of the Euangelist do testifie of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation by the power of Christ mercifully extended vpon such poore and miserable captiues which examples are written for our instruction against like times of affliction that we giue not ouer hope though millions of deuills should possesse vs within and enuirone vs without but knowe his power is aboue all force of the enemie and his mercie farre surmounting Sathans malice But before I proceede in this particular I will make plaine demonstration vnto you that you haue no cause in this sorte to feare nor haue anie shadowe of grounde whereon you should resolue against your selfe vppon the poynt of reprobation but that these molestations and terrours which you nowe indure are temptations rather for your farther good and profite then grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue which hauing declared vnto you in the generalitie I will enter into the particular kindes wherewith I iudge you are thus distressed First I will endeuour to loose the holde your melancholie hath layed vppon the assuraunce as you take it of reprobation which hauing first perfourmed your iudgement may more easilie embrace the other parte which is a tryall onely for a time and a meere temptation Although Gods children euerie one haue their saluation founded vppon his eternall decree of mercie towardes them published by the preaching of the Gospell and written and sealed in the heart of his chosen by the power of the spirite of adoption which crieth Abba father and testifieth in measure some more some lesse according to the dispensatiō of that grace yet on the contrarie part there is no euident and vndoubted signe of reprobation in any while they liue because there may be hope of repentance but onely that sinne which Christ calleth the sinne against the holie Ghost and for which the Apostle forbiddeth to pray this the Diuines do expound to be an open wilfull apostasie from God with malitious hate against the profession of his knowen trueth Next vnto this sinne is impenitencie which can not be knowne till death make shewe thereof and cut of time of repentance Of the first of these examples are verie rare as Iulianus the Emperour called apostata of the other Cain Esau Saul Iudas and the prophane people of the world that know not Christ and such as knowe him onely in vaine profession outwardly and so continue are patternes of the sinne and shall be examples of Gods vengeance But first touching that sinne wherefore no prayer is to be made because it witnesseth and sealeth vp reprobation to the offender in this life I will by comparinge your course of life and your present demeanour with that sinne manifestly lay open your case to be farre other then reprobate Before I enter hereinto you must beware you make no mo sinnes of that kind then God him selfe hath pronounced to be of that sort for in these matters that concerne Gods religion euen the perfection of our wisedome is but follie much more our sicke braines and melancholicke vnderstanding is farre to be remoued from handling such holie thinges whereof none can geue rule but he who knoweth the perfect nature as I may so speake of God which is knowen onely to him selfe so that here you must rest in this case and striue to see with no sharper eye then so farre as God hath reuealed nor enter other course in search of such matters of his secresie then he hath him selfe manifested by whose Oracles we are instructed that only one kinde of sinne cutteth of all hope of saluation in such as haue professed Christ and that only because it is of such nature that it closeth vp all remorse of repentaunce being the height of all iniquitie equall with that of the deuilles them selues who are shut out of Gods fauour for euer If this then be the onely sinne which brandeth the wicked soule to eternall condemnation and you deare heart haue not in anie sort thus offended as I haue no doubt to make euident proofe whie do you vnkindlie torment your owne heart and throwe your selfe into that pit of destruction from which the Lord hath redeemed you and as though you were your owne and not his a possession of your own purchase to be bestowed as fancie leadeth you and not Gods creation wrought by his spirite of regeneration ordayned for his seruice and glorie Nowe let vs enter into the consideration whether you haue sinned against the holie Ghost or not which if you haue in deede done as peraduenture your humour would leade you where is the renouncing of Gods religion
of that kinde of frailty giue comforte vnto you in your case although in an other kinde yet in this respect not vnlike We haue experiēce how diuerse times the desease preuaileth ouer the sicke persons that actions faile and faculties seeme quite to be spent neither hand nor foote is able to do their duetie the eye is dimme the hearing dull the tast altered and the tounge distasteth all things eue of most pleasant relish and the weak and feeble pacient seemeth to attend the time of dissolution when yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature and a forcible spark of life that ouercōmeth all these infirmities and consumeth them like drosse rendereth to the body a greater purity firmenes of health then before the sicknes it did enioy Euen so esteeme of the spirituall case and consider that your soule is sicke and not dead and faith is assailed but not ouercome only haue patience to attend the finishing of this secret worke which passeth all conceite and capacity of man and you shall see these burning feauers of temptations to be slaked and cooled by the mercy and grace of Christ and that sparke of faith which lieth now hidde and ouerwhelmed with heapes of temptation and seemeth to be vtterly quenched to breake forth againe and to consume these straunge causes of the desease of the soule and as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth her self either by stoole vomite sweat or bleeding or such like euacuations to the recouerie of former health so shall you feele all these doubtes and feares and terrors remoued and strength of faith restored with such supply as it shall be able to make euident proofe what secrete vertue laye hid and yet not idle in all this vncomfortable plight which offereth you temptation of dispaire Seing then that you are yet but vnder the conflict and not ouercome haue good cheare in the succession which as in Christ it is victorious ouer head so are we his parts members to looke for the same crowne of glory who both ouercome in him through him in our selues shall in the ende be possessed of the victory and receiuethe crowne of immortality As for that which your owne conceit corrupted by melancholy perswadeth you wherin Sathan is busie and omitteth no oportunity giue no credite thereunto but as it is so esteeme it a delusion which time will discouer and lay open as you your selfe shall hereafter most planly discerne I graunt you the temptation it selfe though your body were free from this infirmity is of the greatest kinde such as doth not skirmish only lightly vpon our soules but setteth the maine battaile against our most happy estate in so much as it forced our Sauiour to cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me But what then are we therefore to be discouraged no no here appeareth rather the aboundance of Gods grace and the mightie supporte of his power which euen in the middest of hel preserueth his and suffereth not so much as their garments to take any smell of the flame but euen from thēce is able to raise them to his celestiall kingdome place them which his sonne in the throne of glory And if you dewly consider the price of our redemption how prerious it was how it could not be obtayned without shedding of the most pretious heartblood of the sonne of God you must thinke the quarrell to be no other to the ende but a matter of blood of strife of sweate of feare of ielousie and whatsoeuer affection goeth with affecting a glorious triumph in all the mēbers of Christ both inwardly and outwardly in the spirite and in the body as our head himselfe could finde in dispensation though he sued vnto his father therefrom with aboundance of tears and thinke that it is Gods busines we are in hād with and that we are inabled of him and accōpt not these smal venies of Satā for deadly woūdes which are no thing other but practises and exercises of the spirituall courage and circumspection and introductions to that vse of the whole armour of God where against no force of the enemy shall preuaile though the attempt seeme to be full of perill terror But you say you feele small strength of faith no support of that hope which maketh not ashamed Beware least you iudge vniustly of the wayes of God esteeme that for small which is great and vile which in the sight of God is most pretious For herein the ennemy may take encouragement to your great disaduantage You feele not that taste thereof you sometimes felt and do you iudge therefore you are bereued vtterly thereof what consider the soule is now sick distestaeth much wholesome meate of consolation and loatheth many pleasaunt and fragraunt cuppes of comfort and counsell and yet the indeuours of Gods childre in this behalfe and the sweete waters of heauēly comfort are not therefore of themselues bitter or vnsauory so you are not to measure the absence of this grace by that you presently but by that in times past while the soule stoode free from this disease of tēptation trial you haue felt of comfort in the spirite through an acceptable measure of faith according to the dispensation of Gods grace and not according to our fancy but as he shal think meete to be ministred vnto vs. Neither is the tryall of faith only to be taken according as the soule feeleth it in it selfe but also and sometimes as in such temptations as these wherein you now trauaile onely by the course and trade of life which hath passed before and those fruites which are euident to the eye of others who can iudge more sincerely then the afflicted whose vnderstandinges are somewhat altered through Sathans terrors But againe you say the course of life past and your estate present hath nothing aunswered the holines of your vocation and that sinceritie the Lord requireth so that here also the comforte faileth you What then are you therefore reprobate No but it argueth want of faith not so but place for farther increase of faith and the fruits thereof Those whome the Lord hath chosen to be his worshipers and hath redeemed and consecrated holy to himselfe and prepared good workes for them to walke in they be his plantes and ingraffed oliue braūches in his sonne which take not their full perfection at once but accorglorie And if you duly consider the price of our redemption how pretious it was how it could not be obtained without shedding of the most pretious hart bloud of the Sonne of God you must thinke the quarrell to be no other to the ende but a matter of bloud of strife of sweate of feare of ielousie and whatsoeuer affection goeth with affecting a glorious triumph in all the members of Christ both inwardly and outwardly in the spirit and in the bodie as our head himselfe could finde no dispensation though he sued vnto his Father therfore with aboundance
is able with ease to worke our anoyance in all respects This giueth him knowledge of our mindes more perfectly who apprehendeth the same by the least shew and inclination of our affection wil. Not that he knoweth our harts entirely and perfectly which is proper to God only the framer of the hart but only through that triall and experience which not one onely particular man hath ministred vnto him but euen our whole race from Adam to this present this maketh him not to expect anie outward signification of speach or gesture to conceiue our intents and purposes but out of our vniuerfall corruption whereof he hath continuall proofe he hath layed vp matter of argument to discouer the vanity of our mindes and the secret thoughtes of our heart which after he hath found he suggesteth as he seeth occasion wherto we must incline instigation of sinne disobedience against God his holy commandemēts His temptatiōs are properly such as neither our natures seme to incline vnto but in a generality to all kinde of wickednes nor the world doth either allure vs or inforce vs especially the children of god who are partakers of his spirit finde them most straunge and such as they abhorre the very least conceite of them finde no parte of their nature to incline vnto them howsoeuer in other respectes they complaine of frailty Of this kinde are certaine blasphemies suggested of the Deuill and laying of violent handes of them selues or vpon others neither moued ther to by hate or malice or any occasion of reuenge of the same sort is the dispaire and distrust of gods mercy and grace besides many other as taking away the seede of the word out of the heart of the negligent hearers the suggesting of errors such like without our natures speciall inclination that way but rather contrarily affected And as he is a spirite an effectuall worker in other meanes so when he applieth his proper trauaile he attempteth the most daungerous assaults to our saluation and entereth so deep that knowing the iudgement is the fountaine of all vertuous action there he maketh traine and after a spirituall manner seeketh possession thereof to the vtter descouraging of all your actions that depend thereon knowing that it once being at his deuotion the corporall grosse actions bodely vices neede no great prouocation Other temptations rise of our owne rebellious heartes vnto the holy commandementes of God or frō the wordely allurements which as baites entice vs frō the way of obedience or else from terrors of life which scar vs with threate of perill if we embrace the way of piety and of holines and setteth before vs a greater awe of men then we haue of feare reuerence of God Now among these temptations falleth your present estate especially Sathan employeth his force to your iudgement and not against the strength of carnall iudgement only but against that which the Spirite of God hath taught and sealed vnto you in your conscience both suggesting vnto you those blasphemous conceites which your heart vtterly abhorreth the least thought and remembrāce of and raiseth that doubt of Gods fauour which now diuersly distracteth you Remember I pray you how the spirite of God calleth him the tempter the deceiuer of the world and the accuser of the faithfull the Dragon and old serpent a lyer and the father of lies by which epethites and descriptions you may consider his power his malice and his craft to deceaue and to abuse you neuer before acquainted with his practises as at this present you haue experience of and not take all that your minde conceiueth of any manner of impiety whatsoeuer to be from you but from Sathan who as he hath power to tempt and to trie to cast before you these stumbling blockes whereat he would haue you fall so hath he no power to fasten them vpō your minde and to giue them setteling your owne conscience bearing you witnes how much repugnant they are to your desires The rather are you to accompt thē as frō him because they be such as are altogether cōtrary to your former conuersation whereto you haue felt your nature incline before and such as haue no inforcement nor inticemēt from any creature but from him Wherefore though such kinde of thoughts doe assaile the hart that being guilty of so great sinne your cōsciēce might be so much the more defiled and the discouragement the greater yet aunswere them againe by the word of God which is the sworde of the spirite and wayte the happie ende of the conflict with patience and accompt not these small venies of Sathan for deadly wounds which are nothing else but practises exercises of your spirituall courage circumspection introductions to that vse of the whole armour of God where against no force of the enemie shall preuaile though the attempt seeme to be full of perill and terrour But you say you feele small strength of faith and no support of that hope which maketh not ashamed Beware least you iudge vniustly of the wayes of God and esteeme that for small which is great and vile which in the sight of God is most pretious For herein the enemie may take encouragement to your great disaduauntage You feele not that taste thereof you sometimes felt and do you iudge therefore you are bereued vtterlie thereof what consider the soule is nowe sicke and distasteth much wholesome meate of consolation and loatheth many pleasaunt and fragrant cuppes of comfort and counsell and yet the indeuours of Gods childrē in this behalfe and the sweete waters of heauēly comfort are not therefore of themselues bitter or vnsauory so you are not to measure the absence of this grace by that you presently but by that in times past while the soule stoode free from this disease of tēptation trial you haue felt of comfort in the spirite through an acceptable measure of faith according to the dispensation of Gods grace and not according to our fancy but as he shal think meete to be ministred vnto vs. Neither is the tryall of faith only to be taken according as the soule feeleth it in it selfe but also and sometimes as in such temptations as these wherein you now trauaile onely by the course and trade of life which hath passed before and those fruites which are euident to the eye of others who can iudge more sincerely then the afflicted whose vnderstandinges are somewhat altered through Sathans terrors But againe you say the course of life past and your estate present hath nothing aunswered the holines of your vocation and that sinceritie the Lord requireth so that here also the comforte faileth you What then are you therfore reprobate No but it argueth wāt of faith Not so but place for farther increase of faith and the fruits thereof Those whome the Lord hath chosen to be his worshipers and hath redeemed and consecrated holy to himselfe and prepared good workes for them to walke in