k Iame. 5.11 yee haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue knowne what ende the Lord made for the Lord is verie pitifull and mercifull Where marke I pray you that hee notwithstanding all his frowardnesse against his friends who came no doubt with a minde to visit and comfort him howsoeuer either thorowe his own corruption or their euill he was prouoked to saie l â— b 16.2 miserable comforts are you all the sorte of you notwithstanding his horrible execration of the good creatures of god which neuer did him hurt but manie waiâ—s tended to profite and pleasure hâ—m for ease comfort health and strength notwithstanding all his inward impatience and fretting against God and outward furie and open charging of him to doe him iniurie and wrong is yet set before vs as a worthie paterne of patience and a mirror of a milde and quiet spirite These thinges perhaps maie seeme straunge to you and you in your imagination may suppose that they can hardly agree well together The worke of regeneration oâ— reformation But if you will labour wisely to discerne the worke of reformation and regeneration that God hath in his children from the remaynders of their owne corruption that beeing alwaies good and excellent in it selfe and thâ—s naught and abhominable yea manie times also much darkenening the other and consider that notwithstanding our sinnes God is mercifully pleased in Iesus Christ to cure and to couer them all and to receiue vs vnto himselfe in him not onely as though we had neuer sinned but as if wee had actually and really fulfilled all righteousnesse and haue receiued thorow the holie ministerie of the worde and the gracious working of of the spirite the eie of faith to see and the hand of faith to lay holde of and to apply this particularlie vnto your owne selfe in the state and condition wherein you are you shall easilie knowe in your vnderstanding faithfullie feele in your soule stedfastlie beleeue in your heart and francklie confesse with your mouth this woorthie difference and most comfortable point wherein also for the better instruction or perswasion of you or both I will by your good patience spend a line or two Of ioy and feare in one person and at one time Ioy and feare doubtlesse in humaine iudgement seeme one of them to be set against another and yet in the holy gospell it is reported of the women which went to see Christes sepulchre that vpon the glorious apparition of Gods angell at that place and the declaration of Christes resurrection m Math. 28.8 they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great ioy feare as I take it at the strangenesse of the sight and much ioy for the comfortable and gladsome tidinges that they had heard And what I pray you is indeede more contrarie one vnto another than beliefe and vnbeliefe The like of beliefe and vnbeliefe And yet the father of the sicke childe in the Gospell hauing receiued this comfortable speache from our Sauiour himselfe n Marke 23.24 that all thinges are possible vnto him that beleeueth cryed out with teares and that when he prayed Lorde I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe calling and counting that beginning of fayth that God had wrought in him beliefe and the doubtfulnesse and distrust of hys owne hart vnbeliefe And if it haue beene so in hym and others and wee stedfastâ—y beleeue the same because wee see it is reuealed vnto vs in the written worde of God why shoulde wee not perswade our selues that the lyke is and may bee in vs because Gods workes are this waie nowe as then all alike But wee are hyndered from the comfortable sight and the ioyfull feeling heereof one while by suffering of oure myndes to bee whollie taken vp with the beholding of our owne sinnes onely forgetting in the meane while the graces and fauours that God hath bene pleased freely to bestow vpon vs for his glorie and our good and an other while by imagining that whilest we haue not perfection of mercie and goodnesse here we haue receiued no acceptable measure of grace and loue the former of these beâ—ing dangerous vtterly to ouerwhelme vs with distrust and the latter prest and readie to cause vs to deface Gods mercies in vs but both of them powerfull to deteyne and withhold vs from yeelding due glorie to God whilest which way soeuer wee looke wee thinke we haue nothing hauing yet receiued something so yeeld him not holie praise and thankes o Psal 50.14.23 69.32 11.16.12.13 the best and onely sacrifice that he requireth at our handes for all his fauours As for that which seemeth heerein most to wound you namely your blasphemie against God as you call it or speaking euill of him I woulde pray you ouer and besides that that hath bin said alreadie to weigh this following and see whether it may not satisfie you concerning that great doubt yea or no. A comparison or similitude Put the case that some one that had borne you singular good will not onely for worldly considerations but in the trueth also and as a sound testimonie thereof had euerie where as occasion had bene offered giuen you a due and iust commendation for the good partes that be in you and yet afterwardes puffed vp in a haughtie imagination of hâ—s owne heart or forgetting your great fauours shewed him or his own former friendship professed and practised or mislead by some lewd and hypocriticall companie as al and euerie one of these thinges are strong and mightie no doubt to carrie men awaie should eyther by himselfe or together with them in companie either thinke or speake euill of you Tell me I pray you howe you would behaue your selfe towardes such a one speciallie if hee should vnfeinedly confesse his offence and protest sincere sorrowfulnesse of heart for his sinne surely I doubt not but the p Rom. 5.5 loue of God shedde abroad into your heart would make you ready willing with a sound affectioÌ„ to forget and to forgiue and to reciue him euen as though he had not fallen And shal or can you which in respect of Gods infinite fauor towardes you haue not so much as a crum of loue towardes men shewe yet notwithstanding such a larges of the same and god q 1. Ioh. 4.8 who is loue it selfe as the Apostle saith be skant and pinching as in this respect for mine own part rather than I would thinke or say so I would hold and affirme that the bottomlesse depths of the huge and great Ocean might be dried vp want water before the ponds and the cesternes that in a parched land men haue digged vnto theÌ„selues or anie thing that is more absurd vnreasonable than this if anie such can be found Doubting of his election to eternal life The last but yet that not of the least importance wherewith your heart is troubled is that you cannot feele your selfe to be one
that euerie sinne and blasphemy shal be forgiuen vnto men yea eueÌ„ blasphemie against the sonne of God which yet that wee might be the better assured of Paule we haue a comfortable example in Paule who confesseth of himselfe against himselfe for the plaine proofe of the trueth of this point that ouer and besides that he was a 1. Tim. 1 13. a persecutor he was a blasphemer and yet found fauour with the Lord to obteine forgiuenesse To which particular example tending doubtlesse to no small comfort of conscience you may adde for the further not onely inlarging but strengthning of your own ioy that the sinnes that you haue committed or the blasphemie that you haue spoken haue not bene done or sayd with a high hand or of prepensed malice but rather of infirmitie though happily agaynst knowledge and the same proceeding from a passionate and troubled spirite rather than of any wilfulnesse which weakenesse in you Satan by Gods appointment hauing you vppon the racke not to fetche anie thing from you against your selfe but to make your patience constancie and faith playnly known to others effectually felt in your selfe and graciously accepted in hys owne eyes hath vsed as a meane more and more to trouble your heart but yet not to ouerthrowe your hope And euen this consideration of the maner of offending haue Gods saintes obserued in themselues not so much to lessen their transgressions for they knowe that euerie sinne in it owne nature a Rom. 6.23 deserueth death but to comfort their consciences in the dayes of their distresse without which indeede they can hardlie serue God religiouslie or faythfullie discharge anie duetie either publike or priuate And this to be true we may amongest others behold it in Paule who sayth of hymselfe in the height and depth of his grieuous iniquities a 1. Tim. 1.13 that hee was receiued to mercie for that hee did it ignorantly thorow vnbeliefe And if this aforded hym comfort I see no reason why it shoulde not yeeld you consolation speciallie sith your sinnes for anie thing wee knowe are much lesse than his and you haue to deale with the selfe same God who is nowe as then b Psal 103 8. Exod 34.6 slowe to vvrath and of great compassion passing by sins and forgiuing iniquities and restoring mercie vnto thousands of generations Neyther is that of lesse force in my minde An other testimonie to comfort to lessen your sinne and to increase your comfort that either before the offence committed or in the deede doing or after it was performed you had a spirite within you that did not onely tell you it was euill but checked you and controlled you in about the action it selfe wherunto also though you were drawen and did for the time sleepe and delight therein yet would it not gâ—ue you rest till suche time as it had caused you vnfeignedlie to hate it humbly to confesse it and in a notable measure of b 2. Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow soundly to repent you of the same which thing as the wicked doubtlesse The wicked hate not their sinnes seldome or not at all atteine vnto for they notwiâ—hstanding the vglinesse of sinne loue it A speciall grace to gods children to hate their sinnes and hide their transgressions continuallie so are they special graces bestowed vpon such penitent sinners as God is pleased thorowe hys mercy in Christ to call vnto himselfe whâ—ch as it may appeare by many particular examples of the holy scripture so seemeth it to me to be iustificable by these words of the Apostle c Gal. 5. i7 The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh so that you cannot doe the same thinges you would And in another place d Rom. 7.19 what I woulde that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. Pull vp your heart therefore I pray you and be of good comfort An exhortation sâ—â—h that from the sinnes that you haue coâ—â—â—tted speciallie in the maner of the doing of them and from your selfe speciallie in the wrestling affâ—ctions that you 〈◊〉 in your selfe against sinne God and his word would haue you to reape comfort and consolation And as for your partâ—â—â—lar case of a troublous heart and disqâ—â—â—â—t spirite what is it els I pray you but euen that that hath taken holde of Gods saintes as well as of you doth not Iereâ—â—ah himselfe curse as it were himselfe and the mother that bare him and brought him into the worlde when hee saith e Iere. 1â— â—0 Woe is me my mother that thou hast born me a man of contention to all this land And doth not Ionah when God debated with him about the withering of the gourd that God prepared to be a shadowe ouer his head and to shelter him from heate and demaunded of him f Iona. 4.9 whether hee did well to be angrie for the gourd did not hee I saie aunswere and say I doe well to be angrie vnto death And yet these were excellent men and worthie prophetes and such as had receiued rare grace from God no marueile then though men of lesse sauour fall more But moste plainelie shall you see this in Iob of whome I pray you giue me leaue to write largely for your good Hee opened his mouth so wide that he bitterly cursed the night wherin he was conceiued g Iob. 3.1 c. the day wherin he was borne yea he thundred out execrations against many excellent creatures of God which could not bee but blasphemie against the Creator himselfe whose glorye is not onely much ioyned with but greatlie appeareth in the woorke of his owne handes as wee may perceiue by this that Salomon saieth h Pro. 17. 14.31 hee that oppresseth the poore or as it is in an other place mocketh him reprooueth or reprocheth him that made him Yea if wee reade hys Booke with iudgement wee shall see that hee doeth not onelie thus indirectlie as a man woulde say in his wordes oppose himselfe against God while he hudleth out heapes of curses against his workes but proceedeth so farre that hee seemed not eyther affrayde or ashamed to take God euen God himselfe by the face and to accuse him though most faslie of iniustice as maie euidentlie appeare as well by Iobes owne woordes and discourses in many places of his sayde booke as by the Lordes owne voice and answeare out of the whyrlewinde Chapter i Iob. 38. 39. 38.39 And yet notwithstanding this man found fauour with the Lord not onely to bee restored to a farre better estate in worldly respectes than before hee hadde but also to haue the iniquitie of his hart and mouth freely pardoned yea hee himselfe and that by the holie Ghost himselfe to be made a worthie paterne and example to all ages to come as of manie vertues so particularly of patience which you say you lacke for proofe whereof remember what Saint Iames saith of him
some particulars lay at it vvere buried in forgetfulnes by me the same also being at the last ouer-viewed by some good breethren whome I much loue and reuerence in the lord I was at the length ouercome could not choose but yeild Wherein though some perhaps may suppose that I labour in publishing an vnnecessarie impertinent matter because these ignorant dayes require Doctrine for building of men vp in knovvledge and iudgement and these carelesse and contemptuous times abounding vvith all manner of loosnes and levvdnes craue rebuke rather and exhortation for care and conscience in the dueties vve knovve as a more fit and meete argument for this dissolute age◠yet being assured of this both by mine owne knovvledge and other mens faithfull reportes that sundrie there are abroad in this land and amongst the rest euen some of you and yours that as in regarde of your spirituall combats and bickerings and the bitter assaultes and temptations you haue found therein had need of holy and heauenly comfort I could not but as in a generall care for all the afflicted ones to vvhome I wishe all the comforts of God as to my ovvn soule so in particular good vvil tovvardes you your selues vvhose invvard comfort and outvvard ioy I vvould bee glad and ready to procure at all times and by all meanes if I could tel hovv but acquaint you and them specially sith it is one principall portion of the svveet Manna that the lord hath prouided for you vvith such pleasaunt and delightfull consolations that out of the word as God by his spirit hath vvrought in mee for the peace of mine ovvne heart and by me though vnvvorthie euery way communicated vnto som others What root they may take or effects they may bring forth I knovv not Sure I am of this my earnest praiers vnto God as in regard of his religion and vvorship and heartie purpose in my selfe as in respect of Christian good vvill is that all that mourne in our Sion might reape some good by the same vvhich if it cannot bee effected either by meanes of my sinne that medle therin or by reason that the svveet things published cannot so seasonablie or for lacke of oportunitie come to their knovvledge or because that through diffidence they fore-close the vvaie and passage of consolation vnto themselues in all and euerye of vvhich desertes I shall surelye mourne muche yet my hope and heartes desire is that all of you my good friendes might receiue some vvorthie fruite thereby as vvell those amongest you that haue not as yet tasted of thys bitter cuppe a matter that you must looke for and make an account of if euer you vvill feele hovve sweete the Lord is indeed vvhile you perceiue GOD sitting you and furnishing you vvith the best armour of proofe that can bee before the day of battaile dravve nigh as those that haue beene or are tried that beeing the verie state and condition of all Gods children God according to your present distresses prouiding for you and reuealing vnto you the present comfortes of his most faithfull vvorde and infallible trueth that so both the one sort and the other hauing the povver of your ovvne sinnes in the sufferinges of his sonne if not vtterlie remooued and cleane taken avvay yet verie much lessened and as it vvere beaten dovvne you might not onelye the more earnestlie oppose your selues agaist satan in his sleights and haue an assured hope of a glorious and ioyfull victorie against him and his assaults but also may be inabled to stand yea to ouercome in the day of euill and to be more than cōquerors thorow him that hath loued you washed you in his bloud vvho I doubt not shall shortly and mightilie also tread him and all his forces whatsoeuer down vnder your feet Now the very god of peace sanctify you and al yours thorowout I pray God that your whole spirite and soule and bodie may bee kept blameles vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhereof I doubt not because he is faithful which hath called you who also wil doe it Good brethren pray for vs that we may be readie in all things with vnfaignednes to do the Lords vvill At London the tenth of of this December 1589. Yours readie and assured euer in Iesus Christ T. W. the Lord his vnworthy seruant GRACE AND PEACE from God c. BEcause I haue not nowe a long time eyther by wryting or by worde of mouth heard from you good Sir I grow into some vncertain imaginations concerning your estate and by meanes thereof I freely confesse it not onely into neglect of some duety towardes your selfe I meane comming to visite you and writing vnto you such simple comfortes as God hath bin pleased to explicate vnto me which I call simple not as of thēselues for so they are high and excellent but as I haue them in my a 2. Cor. 4 7. earthen vessell but also into cold performance at the least of som seruice vnto God I meane my supplications and praiers vnto his maiestie The duti◠of a Christian and faithfull friend towardes hys friend as on your behalfe To pray for you when God hath bene pleased to giue you and in you me for I take the fauours bestowed vpon you to be kindnesse heaped vp vpon my selfe thorow his merciful deliuerance of you a iust and holy occasion to prayse his name should be the sinne of mine owne soule because it were the offring vp of a wrong sacrifice and presenting vnto God a b Malac. 1.8 blind beast as it were As on the other side to striue to yeeld you comfort when you haue receiued a riche aboundance of the same from God himselfe thorowe his holie worde and blessed spirite were as it might be thought to doe a needlesse and vnnecessarie worke for where there is fulnesse and plentie scarsitie and barrennesse will little appeare and doe small good From the former though I would gladly as in regard of the lack of sound knowledge touching your present condition and in respect of the dulnesse and heauinesse of my soule as to other good workes so to that particularlie cease till eyther from your selfe or others that are as your selfe I should be faithfully certified of the state wherein you are that so I might as a feeling member with you eyther vnfeignedly c Rom. 12.15 reioyce in the asswaging of your trobles and trials or else heartily weepe and pitie you and pray with you and for you in the continuance and increase of these distresses yet wil not the doubts that I haue in me touching the continuance of these calamities and the dutie that I owe vnto you as in that behalfe let me vtterly leaue off but needes I must nowe and then according to my poore measure present you before God and that by name in my requestes and prayers though poore and faynt In the other surely I cannot God ayding me but inlarge my selfe to my
euen such doubtles is the state and condition of many distressed in conscieÌ„ce and amongst the rest your case particularlie wherein whatsoeuer you say of your selfe or vtter against your selfe yet I â—t many other though not the best phisitions yet your vnfeigned familiars that haue nowe a long time knowne you in God and his trueth haue seene in you since the daie and hower of our firste acquaintaunce vntill this present time and yet still doe beho de such euidencie clearnes of the graces of Gods spirite notwithstanding your long and continuall complaintes as all the smoke â—muther mystes and fogges and whatsoeuer els els that Sathan by him selfe and his suppostes hath or can cast out against you shall neuer bee able to take away the cleare sight of them from vs or mooue vs so much as once to doubt of the comfortable reuiuing of them in you euen vnto eternall lyfe And I hope wee haue the spirit of God and by the grace thereof as also by the light of his Woorde and experience that hee hath giuen vs are able to deserue some thinge in this behalfe though not so well in others as in our selues for that shall wee neuer bee able to doo yet in others also Wherefore to make an end where I began Be of good comfort good sir I beseech you and waite with patience the Lords ioyfull appearing whose you are doubtles and whereof you may be assured because you haue him x Rom. 8.31 on your side therefore not feare who shal or can be against you because also you haue his children standing with you and for you not onely suffering the same afflictions in bodie and soule that you do and so learning by themselues to remeÌ„ber you in bonds as those that are bound with you but with all holie comfort as in respect of your selfe and with all earnest praier as in regard of the Lord ayding you to their vttermost yea because he that z Iames. 1.17 Gracs from God bestowed on his elect is free from shaddowe of tyranny hath bestowed so many excellent graces of his his vpoÌ„ you as sound knowledge stedfast faith vnfained loue christian patience and a notable measure of holie obedience to his blessed trueth although that in some of these many go before you yet in al of them I hardly know any of my godly acquaintance in Christ that goeth beyond you And yet farther you may the more certainely perswade your selfe of the trueth of this point because you haue cast him so dear a peece euen the hart blood of his best beloued sonne whom he hath giuen as for the testification of his singular loue towardes man so to this end also a Iohn 3.16 that euerie one that beleeth in him shall not perish but haue eternal life And if that which men buy dear they esteem precious and cannot abide at any hand to haue it perish surely God will not see that lost that hee loueth so tenderlie and which he hath redeemed to him selfe with so great and high a ransome b 1. Pet. 1.18 yea with such and excellent an most pretious iewell To all which if you wil ad the manifold victories that here to foâ—e he hath giuen you against sinne and sathan and all their cruell and craftâ—e assaultes he euen then as it weâ—e most miraculously deliuering you wâ—en neither you nor any for you could so much as once dreame of a way much lesse beholde it how you mighte scape certainlie you may take it as the voice of God from heauen that hee will not now specially sith hee hath vouchsafed you so many mercifull meanes of a ioifull deliueraunce throwe you off or taste you awaye but deale rather with you as hee dooth with other his seruauntes c Phillip 1.6 make perfâ—ct in you the good thing that he hath begunne in you euen vntill the day of Iesus Christ and cause you d Act. 24.22 thorow manifold tribulations to enter into his owne kingdome e 1. Cor. 9.25 2. Tim 4.8 Iâ—mes 1.12 1. pet 5.4 and crowne you there with eternall glorie And what though you thinke it long before the Lord come in comfort to you yet knowe f 2. pet 3. that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but that hee that will come wil come quicklie and wil not tarie His nature is not g psal 103.9 alwaies to bee chiding neither vvill he keepe his anger for euer as the Prophete saith Ioseph woulde not continuallie dissemble his tender affection towards his vnkinde brethren but must of necessitie h Gen. 43 30. breake forth into teaâ—es and weepe vpon Beniamins necke And shall wee thinke that the Lord is lesse compassionate If wee doo so we belie God and dallie with yea deceiue our owne soules I denie not but he maie for a time indeede hâ—de his louing countenance from vs Exâ—d 33 23. and shewe vs after a sorte as it were his darke partes and that the better eyther to prooue our patience in trying howe wee canne for a while forbeare that which wee exceedinglie desire and as it were hunger and thirst after or else to cause vs the more highlie to esteeme of the same For this is naturallie in vs in the continuance of Gods fauours to make little account thereof Howbeit this wee may assure our seâ—â—ues of that though k psal 30 5 vveeping may abide at euening yet ioy shall come in the morning l psal 89 2â— and that his louing kindnesse hee vvill not take from vs for euer nor falsifie the vvoord yea the oath that is gone out off hys mouth And mee thinketh that heereof you not onelye amongest but aboue manye other shoulde bee throughlie perswaded as well by the viewe of your owne estate as by the consideration of his most gracious nature wee beleeue his mercies yea you beleeue them to bee so greate yea so infinite that they cannot bee as a man would say conteyned within himselfe but must of necessitie ere long euen as continuall springing fountaines that will ouerflowe all and make euerie thinge fruitful and pleasaunt where they come breake foorth and shewe themselues not onely generallie to all but in a speciall maner to some chieflie m Esay 66.2 to those that are poor of contrite spirits treÌ„ble at his word n 62.3 and mourn in Sion for to such is it in verie deede that the Lorde vvill looke and haue a speciall regard Amongest the which sith if I knowe any you your selfe may iustlie bee numbred you can not but beleeue that you shall haue a plentifull portion of thys ouerflowing fauour because you bee as certaynelye inrolled in that number as if your name were particulerlye put down And as for your state you and wee together knowe it to bee long tedious and hard where in notwithstanding you ought to comfort your selfe because you are assured of this and that not only by
shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death By fearefull effectes Thirdly the fearefull effectes that the one bringeth foorth more than the other it taking for the time appetite from the stomake sleepe from the eye hearing from the eare and all maner of delight lawfull and vnlawfull outward and inward from the whole man as particular examples of Gods saintes doe manifestly shewe for which see the places quoted in the margine Psal 77.2.3.4 c. Psal 102.3.4 5.6.7 c. and some such like and experience in our selues if euer we haue bene in that estate or the condition of other men if wee haue heedily obserued it will sufficiently warrant the same vnto vs. Neither yet are these thinges propounded to dismaie and discourage those that are after that sorte exercised for surely their afflictions and troubles be hard and heauie inough and indeede doe rather craue all maner of comfort than anie depressing at all their sinne and the sight of the same with the apprehension of Gods iustice and iudgement against them for it beeing as the Prophet saith in another Psalme vz. 38.4 gone ouer their head and become as a weightie burthen to heauie for thē to beare or to throwe downe aboue measure when they come to it such as haue not entred into that course or combate For howsoeuer as yet they haue not felt weakenesse or wantes in themselues or Gods strength assisting them agaynst sinne yet then shall they finde that true that the Apostle sayth d 1. Cor. 10.13 that God is faithull and will not suffer them to bee tempted aboue that they are able but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that they may be able to beare it or to stop anie from striuing to yeeld to particular persons in that distresse anie reliefe or comfort that God hath giuen them themselues for that were to cause them to neglect the best duties of holie loue towardes men in their miserie we being enioyned by the Lord to e Galat. 6.2 beare one an others burthen f Rom. 12 15 and to weepe with them that weepe and to depriue themselues of comfort in the daies of the like daunger for howe can they looke to be pitied that haue had no care to expresse the same to others But rather to comfort them that are afflicted and that euen in the greatnesse of their griefe whilest they see no g ◠Cor 10 13 other temptation to haue taken holde of them but such as appertaineth to man yea to the best men that haue bene in this life which also the greater they are the more are they therein conformed vnto the h Rom 8.17 image of the sonne of God Iesus Christ in his sufferinges who patiently vnderwent and mightily ouercame not onely for himselfe but for vs all that that we beare but in part yet shal at the last thorow him be in and of the same i 29 more than conquerours and to prepare others before they come into those conflicts that so neither an imagination of their own strēgth neuer as yet assaied nor a conceit of the weake force of the foe neuer well felt nor the vnwontednesse of the troubles that they must indure nor the greatnesse or length of the trials that they are to sustain k Ephes 6.10 11. c. nor any other thing whatsoeuer may cast thē downe much lesse ouercome them but prouoke thē rather to be prepared in the strēgth of God the power of his word and the might of his spirite valiantly to encounter with the same l Luke 21 2◠lifting vp their heads harts knowing that the time of their redemption draweth nigh to excite and stir vp the last sort in al christian pitie bowels of compassion to inlarge thēselues to their vttermost yea beyond it if they coulde tell howe towards such afflicted soules that so according to the m 2. Cor. 1.4 consolations which they themselues haue receiued from God they may minister comfort vnto others distressed perswading themselues further of this that the more hard the cure and worke is speciallie if they feele the same left them as a spurre to pricke them forward the more glorie shall thereby rebound vnto God the n Phillip 2.13 Iames. 1.17 onely worker and giuer of all good thinges and the more comfort to themselues whome God hath bin pleased to vse as worthie instrumentes that not in some meane affaire or businesse but in this great dutie of comforting the distressed o Iud. 23. and sauing them with feare pulling them out of the fire Nowe as by that which hath bin alreadie deliuered wee may sensibly see a difference betweene bodily afflictions and the inward sorrowes of a troubled spirite so it is not to be doubted but that euen amōgst those inward griefs temptations and assaultes that such indure some are more sharpe and sore than other some though indeede the least and shortest of them be verie grieuous to flesh and bloud or to speake as the Apostle doth p Heb. 12 11 no chastisement for the present seemeth to bee ioyous but grieuous rather I will not say to bear for I suppose verily euerie man will confesse it but euen to thinke of which were the point doubtfull wee might labour to proue but being a manifest and confessed trueth it shall not be amisse to spare that pains and to trauaile in that which is somewhat more hard and may be of much better vse Amongest those troubles of the inward man that are greatest indeede none in my simple iudgement fitteth more nigh to or pincheth or presseth more hard the hearts of the deare saints and seruauntes of God in the dayes of their fleshe and combating than the sight or memorie of the fearefull sinnes that they haue committed against hys blessed maiestie which also as they aggrauate vnto themselues not onely in their owne nature that is to say as they are sinnes and violations or breaches of the law of God but in the circumstances of time place persons and maner of doing as that they were committed in the daies of knowledge publikely and by men of great note name c. all which doth adde vnto iniquitie causeth the same to be more grieuous so they increase it vnto thēselues as in regard of the bitter effects they bring forth as separation between God and man a taint and curse vpō the creatures horror of heart in our selues infirmities vpon the flesh temporall eternall death both of bodie and soule without great grace singular fauor from almighty god c. in all which respects the weake heart had neede to be g Can. 2.5 1. Thess 5.14 stayed least it faint and fall downe without hope of rysing vp and the wounded spirite calleth indeede for some of the wine and oyle of God to be powred thereinto least otherwise it fester and become irrecouerable But against al and euery one of these though sore assaultes
I confesse we shall see that we haue singular and speciall consolations and that not fewe in number alone and these weake and feeble also but manie and the same verie mightie yea euerie one of them strong and sufficient it selfe to beate backe this assault though it were muche more powerfull and forcible then it is that so being compassed about and as it were backed with such a r Heb. 12.1 cloud of witnesses our hartes might be the more stedfastly vp held not onely in present comfort but in hope of all good thinges to come I say therefore that whether we respect the father himselfe who otherwise s 1 Tim. 6 16 dwelling in light that no man can come vnto hath yet notwithstanding plentifullie and plainely reuealed himselfe vnto vs in his word or by the eye of a stedfast faith looke vppon Iesus Christ his son and our sauior who is also the brightnesse of the glory and the t Hebrew i. 3. ingrauen forme of his person or regard the blessed word of almightie God in all the parts and peeces of it but specially in the promises thereof propounded for our coÌ„fort or consider as we should and are bound The Sacramente 1 Cor. 10.1.2.3 c. Rom 4.11 the holy sacraments that he hath giuen vs in this world as pledges of his goodnes toward vs seales of the faithe that hee hath wrought in vs or might well as wee ought that right order of discipline gouernment Discipline of the Church that he hath established in his Churche for the repressing of euill or maintenance of all well dooing or diligently marke the singular fauors that hee hath plentifullie shedde out vpon those that haue gone before vs in the fleshe and in the faith or see and feele the great graces that hee of his owne good will hath bestowed vppon vs our selues poore and miserable wretches that wee are or behold with a sound iudgement sin it selfe specially as in regard of the good that God maketh to flowe from it howsoeuer it be odious and vglie in it selfe we shall certainely finde that from all and euerie one of these wee may without doubt gather strong argumentes and forcible reasons assured and continuall comfort for the forgiuenesse of all our sins by consequent also for the sound and Christian peace of our own hearts Nowe to the ende that that which hath bene generallie spoken and shortly deliuered may yet appeare to bee as true and certaine so plentiful and large let vs come more particularly and at length as it were yet without tediousnesse to deduct and laie out these poyntes For the first we haue the verie mercifull nature Of the nature of God himselfe and readie inclination of almighty God in himselfe to shew pitie and compassion to those that are humbled who howsoeuer he declare himsâ—lf in word and deede armed and that with iustice against the proud Pharisee or benummed and senselesse professor as he hath good cause indeede for their continuance in sinne and want of a trembling spirite standeth yet notwithstanding in his fatherly compassion and loue moste graciously affected to such as quake and sloupe before him Which that we might be the better perswaded of he hath bene pleased plainly to tel vs and that in his holie worde also that hee hath no desire that u Ezech. 18 23 the wicked shoulde die but rather that hee should liue and againe that hee is the x Exod. 34 6 7 Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant to goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercie for thousandes forgiuing iniquittes and transgressions c. and that he wil giue to such as y Isaiah 61.3 mourne in Sion bewtie for ashes and the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse or as it is in the prophet Ezechiell z Ezek. 9 4 c. a marke by which they shal be known and freed from the common calamitie and destruction of the wicked Of the trueth of all which wee may bee the better assured because it is the worde not of a mortall man who will in the hypocrisie and corruption of hys heart doubt and dissemble but of the eternall God who as he is not deceiued so doth hee not deceiue and who beeing of an vnchaungeable nature remayneth fast and sure and the same with a cleare voyce and in wordes of muche euidencie published and proclaymed not once and awaie for then perhaps in the distrustfulnesse of our owne heartes wee might quickly call it into question a Psal 86 5 â—â— Psal 103.8.9 The sonne of God and mediator but sundrie times and in manie places of his holy word Secondly who seeth not that euen in Iesus Christ wee haue a mercifull measure of spirituall comfort pressed downe and running euer against this sharpe temptation and sore assault and that not onâ—ly because as he is God he is b Math. 9.5 able to forgiue sinnes and as man being c Heb. 2 17 made like vnto his brethren hee is pitifull and readie for that and all other good workes but also because in him dwelleth d Colloss 2 9 al the fulnesse of the godhead bodily we hauing in him e Colloss 1 14 redemption thorowe his bloud that as the forgiuenesse of sinnes in whome likewise f 2 Cor â— 20 all the promises of God are yea and amen hee himselfe being made of God vnto vs g 1 Cor 1 30 wisdom righteousnesse and sanctification redemption who alone was h Isaiah 53 5 wouÌ„ded for our transgressions brokeÌ„ for our iniquitie bearing the chastisment of our peace healing vs thorowe his stripes he himselfe and nowe other 63.3 treading the wine presse of gods wrath agaynst vs for our sinnes whome sith God hath bene pleased to k Rom. 8.32 giue vnto death for vs all howe shall he not together with him giue vs all thinges also If all things why not then the free pardon and ful forgiuenesse of all our sins Shal you imagine that God wil say al giue vs but some that were to make him a lier who is not Rom. 3.4 onely true but truth it selfe Or shall we deeme that for the testification of the largenesse of hys liberality he wil vouchsafe vs some pety fauours and withhold graces of muche greater excellencie that were to make god deale worse with his dear children then earthlie princes do with their dutifull seruants I say therfore againe if all things why not remission of sinnes speciallie sith in him are hidde yet so as they daylie are plainelie and in good time shall bee plentifullie displaied and aboundantlie yea perfectlie communicated vnto his people m Colloss 2 3 all the treasures of wisedome knowledge mercy and whatsoeuer els is excellent in God as in respect of himselfe or comfortable and profitable as in regard of vs. Thirdlie the blessed booke of God it selfe doeth in