on getting that which they see in their new good and heavenly Father leaving both to appeare and to be like their mother And as before they came unto the kingdome of God◅ they had and represented in them the image the likenesse of depraved nature so likewise being entered into the kingdome of God they haue and represent in themselves the image and similitude of God recovering that which the first man lost By this I understand in what sort a man was created unto the likenesse and similitude o God and in what doth consist the benefit that men haue received by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXV Whence it is that that difficulty comes which pious persons haue to continue in that whith appertaines to Piety and Justification Considering that the duty of Piety is for a man to content himselfe of every thing which God doth perswading himselfe and holding for certain that all that so comes to him is Good and Holy and Iust And believing that all that which comes to passe in this present life comes to passe by divine providence without admitting that anything should come to passe by chance And considering that the duty of Christian Faith is to accept with his minde and to confesse with his mouth the Gospell of Iesus Christ our Lord. And seeing on one side in many men that haue not the spirit much conformity to the will of God in such manner that they neither grieve themselves nor resent out of measure the death of those persons whom they greatly loue nor for the losse of goods nor for the losse of Honour and that they themselves are content to dye And seeing likewise in many other men that haue not the spirit much acceptation and much confession of the Gospell without any scruple of doubt at all And seeing on the other side that some spirituall persons grieve themselves resent themselves and are very sorrowfull for the death of those persons whom they loved for other inconveniences that befall them and they cannot bring themselves to be willing to dye and that they feel the losse of estate and the losse of Honour And seeing also in other persons who haue the spirit much wavering in the acceptation and confession of the Gospell that they cannot certifie nor confirm themselves of all that is therein I haue many times set my self to consider the causes whence these contrary effects should proceed forasmuch as it seems that in him who hath not the spirit there should not be conformity with the will of God nor should he giue credit to the Gospel and in him that hath the spirit there ought to be both the one and the other And after I haue considered the matter I understand that however flesh doth sometimes a litle contradict flesh yet in the end flesh suffers her selfe to be overcome and subdued by the flesh whereupon there being a man that hath not the spirit as well an aff◅ction of the flesh willing to conform it selfe with God as to grieve to be sorrowfull and to resent it selfe for the inconveniences that offer themselves in this present life it comes to passe that one affection overcomming the other it seems that such a man doth conform himself with the will of God and it is not true For hee doth not conform himselfe but with his own proper will by which for his own satisfaction and for his own designes he doth determine to content himselfe of every thing and to cōform himselfe in all things with the will of God That this is true wee read in many Books of the Gentiles and we heare and see it in many other Nations altogether Infidels and others that counterfeit faith Likewise I understand that there being a man that hath not the spirit as well an affection of the flesh to accept and confesse the Gospell as not accept nor confesse it it comes to passe that one affection overcomming the other it seems that such an one believes the Gospell and it is not true for he doth not belieue but only his own opinion and imagination as the Iew that stands stubborn in his Law and as the Moore that believes his Alcoran On the other side I understand that the flesh alwaies repugnes against the spirit alwaies contradicts it and alwaies struggles with it by reason of the great enmity that is between them two Whereupon it comes to passe that there being in a man that hath the spirit an affection of the spirit that makes him willing to conform himselfe with the will of God contenting himself of every thing that God doth and repugning and contrasting with the flesh which suffers not it selfe to be overcome but after a long space it comes to passe that the man who hath the spirit laments resents and is grieved for the corporall incommodities and for all those other things in which the flesh suffers and aboue all things for death even as we see that the saints of the Law did grieue themselues and as S. Paul a Saint of the Gospell would haue resented it as himselfe saith if that friend of his had died and as the proper son of God our Lord God Iesus Christ did resent himselfe In like manner I understand that there being in the man which hath the spirit an affection of the spirit to be willing to accept and confesse the Gospell and the Flesh repugning and contradicting because it hath no part in such desire nor in such will it comes to passe that a man that hath the spirit feels a weaknesse in his faith goes wavering and doubting in it as wee haue read in some Saints and as we our selues see it in others in such sort that as from the small contradiction which the affections of the flesh haue amongst themselues there comes forth an appearance of Piety and appearance of Faithin them that haue not the spirit so from the great contradiction that is between the Flesh and the Spirit there proceeds in them that haue the spirit a weaknesse in faith that befalling in a man which befalls in the world in a Province or in a common-wealth I would say that as it comes to passe that when any person speaketh or publisheth any thing with an affectiō of the spirit he presently findes a contrast a contradiction and outward persecution although it be a thing which is ordinarily spoken practised but without the spirit and out of humane affections so likewise when a man goes about through the motion of the spirit to perswade himselfe and confirme himselfe in any thing pertaining to piety or iustification he suddenly findes an inward contrast and contradiction for his own affections his own appetites which are mortall enemies to the spirit rise up against him And this comes to passe not withstāding that the selfe same things haue been formerly accepted and believed of him by his own proper affection and opinion Whereupon I gather this conclusion That it is a signe that it is the holy Spirit which
considered foure countersignes whereby spirituall persons may discover whether he that comes unto them comes called of God or comes on his own designes being called by his own proper loue I would say whether he that despising that false religion which the men of the world follow would apply himselfe unto that true religion which the sonnes of God follow comes freed from the deceipt by his own wisdome and by his own humane reason or purely by the participation of the holy spirit For as I understand they who come to bee freed from the deceit of false religions by humane wisdome are alwaies impious and are pernitious to spirituall persons The first countersigne is The great affection to spirituall things being delighted in them and running after them with anxiety And I call spirituall things all those things which are properly of the holy spirit and are inward divine things such as are the reading of holy Scripture disâ—…urses of holy things continuall prayer and continuall adoration in the spirit that is for a man to bee contented with what ever God doth holding it for holy and for just and for good as much as the frailty of the flesh permits The second Countersigne is The totall abhorring of all those conversations and of all those readings of men and of books in which there is no part of the holy spirit to be seen For I understand that a man that hath truly tasted the conversation and the reading of those persons and of those books in which the holy spirit is cannot tast other men and other books and if hee doe rellish them it is a signe he hath not tasted those other The third Countersigne is To approue the things of the holy Spirit the conceits and the knowledges and the apprehensions that are obtained by the holy spirit and that with the minde and not with the wit Humane wisdome doth sometimes approue spirituall things not with the minde but with the wit and by opinion not by inward sense And I understand it that a man that hath the inward feeling doth easily know when one approves it with his minde or with his wit The fourth Countersigne is The Mortification of the minde and of the body of the minde in all the affections that are according to the world amongst which I put especially Curiosity in what way soever it come palliated and adorned and of the body in all the appetites that are according to the flesh Humane wisdome approues and teacheth mortification but however much it approue and teach it there never was yet nor never shall be man that without the Christian spirit I would say without remaining incorporated in Christ can obtaine it in such sort that it may not be easily discerned by him that shall in part haue got it by Iesus Christ our Lord. And therefore I resolve my selfe in this that pious and Christian persons may securely admit unto their conversation and acquaintance those men whom they shall see affectioned unto spirituall things drawn away and disenamoured from those things in which the holy spirit hath no part and those of whom they shall see the things of the holy spirit to be approved and in whom they shall see true mortification holding for certain that humane wisdome and humane craft sufficeth not to feigne nor to dissemble in all these things although it suffice for some of them even in this not altogether but in part And this part is easily discovered by pious persons and Christian to whom it appertaines to use the Serpentine wisdome in such sort that making use of these foure Countersignes they shall know those who come unto them making shew of sheep being indeed wolves and so doing they shall make use of that help which Iesus Christ our Lord gives CONSID. XLVIII That hee who prayes and workes and understands doth then pray worke and understand as hee ought when hee is inspired to pray to worke and to understand S. Paul in the 8 to the Romans understands that Prayer is one amongst those other things wherein in our weaknesses and infirmities wee are favoured of God and helped by the Spirit of God And so hee saith that we not knowing how to pray as wee ought the Spirit of God prayeth for us Whereby I understand that then holy Spirit prayes for us when it moves us and when it moves us to pray for then it prayes in us And I understand that he who prayes with the Spirit of God demands that which is the will of God and so hee doth obtaine what he will And he who praies with his owne Spirit demands that which is his owne will wherein consisteth the not knowing neither what nor how we ought to pray Mans minde is presumptuous and arrogant and not willing to yield that it knowes not what nor how it ought to pray saith I will crave of God that hee should doe his owne will and so I cannot erre and doth not consider that to pray in this manner comes because a man cannot choose and that peradventure it would not goe well with him nor is convenient that God should doe his will as it was not convenient for Ezekias when death was intimated unto him and that he doth not know how he shall content himselfe and conforme with the will of God But man not willing to give himselfe as overcome no not by this neither saith I will demand of God that he would cause that I should content my selfe with that which shall be his will and so I shall be sure to hit the marke and doth not consider that oftentimes it is better for a man not to content himselfe nor to conforme himselfe with Gods will as it was better for Hezekias and as it is better for those persons who grieving and resenting themselves for that which God doth come to re-acknowledge themselves and to know God and to humble themselves and to exalt God in such sort as will they nill they mans mind is forced to confesse that which S. Paul saith that we know not what nor how wee ought to pray And he who confesseth this understanding from the selfe same S. Paul that the Spirit of God praies for us and in us will apply himselfe to pray God that he would give him his Spirit to pray for him and in him When he that prayes by humane Spirit saith those words of the Pater noster Thy will be done albeit they be words spoken with the Spirit of God he doth not pray with the Spirit of God because hee doth not pray being inspired but taught And S. Paul doth not say That the holy Spirit teacheth us to pray but that he prayes by us and that hee prayes in us I will adde this That they who pray with their owne proper Spirit when they obtaine that which they demand in Prayer they feele in their minds a contentednesse mixed with pride and with selfe estimation and they who pray with the holy Spirit obtaining that which they demand
and miserable and being subiect feeble and infirme to bee able to hold in it selfe the knowledges and senses of divine things it comes to passe that by the efficacy of them it is affrighted and becomes vile in such manner that it is easily overcome and mastered by the spirit and so it remaines mortified together with all those things which are corrupt in a man by the depravation of the flesh And because the remembrance of the calling by God is very efficacious in men with the knowledge and sense of heavenly things and they are subject frayle and infirme I understand that which God saith That a man who shall see him shall not be able to sustain himselfe with his minde nor with his body And therefore the perfect vision of God is reserved to the just in eternall life when the flesh being raised up shall bee a subject able to endure the vision of God In this mean space on the one side by the benefit of God the Flesh is mortified in the just not onely with the memory of their vocation but also with every other vocation and sense which appertaines to the things of God And on the other side God goes moderating in them these knowledges and these senses to the intent they should not come to nothing accommodating them to the frailty of the flesh as we temper the hot liquour which we would keep in a glasse vessell in such manner as the liquor is conserved in the vessell without breaking the glasse And I understand that corporall and outward exercises together with those other things which are of mans industry doe serve unto those persons which are called of God for a certain entertaining of themselves in that estate in which a knowledge or sense of some of Gods things hath left them which is past and that through their labour there should bee given or communicated unto them another which may make them to make progresse in Mortification in such manner that I haue reason to say that the Christian businesse is not knowledge but experience If it were knowledge it would work the effect that other knowledges doe that is to swell up and make proud those who have them And because it is experience it doth the effect which other experiences doe that is to humble and cast on the ground all that which is humane wisdome and to exalt and lift up to heaven all that which is in the spirit I understand this effect is in them who being called of God are members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LVIII Eight differences between them who pretend and procure to mortifie themselves with their proper industry and them who who are mortified by the holy Spirit THis is alwaies a truth that all men in applying themselves to religion as well unto the false which consisteth in superstitious observations as unto the true which consisteth in accepting the grace of the Gospell of Christ doe apply themselves likewise to Mortification But amongst them who procure to mortifie themselves with the holy spirit I haue considered eight notable differences by which a person may know whether he mortifie himselfe by his own industry or whether he be mortified by the holy spirit The first Difference is that they who mortifie themselves with their own proper industry are presumptuous ambitious knowing their own proper vertue in their mortification and they who are mortified by the holy spirit are humble and modest not knowing any proper virtue of their own in their mortifications for the holy spirit works in them that which a very great Feaver doth in a man I would say that as by the presence of a great Feaver a man becomes as it were deprived of all carnall desires keeping aliue only the desire of health so by the presence of the holy spirit a man becomes as it were deprived of all that which is flesh keeping aliue only spirituall desires The second Difference is that they who pretend to mortifie themselves goe alwaies seeking new manners and new inventions to obtain mortification they who are mortified by the spirit embrace those occasions of mortification which are offered unto them by what way soever they come perswading themselves that with thē and in them God will mortifie them The third Difference is that they who mortify themselves alwaies liue sad and discontent because they deprive themselves of their pleasures and corporall contents and are not cherished with the spirituall and they who are mortified liue as it were alwaies cheerefull and contented because they abhor or begin to abhor corporall pleasures and begin to tast spirituall pleasures The fourth Difference is that they who mortify themselues are much like unto a man whose head were cut with a rough and rusty saw in as much as all things are unsweet and sowre unto him And they who are mortified are like unto a man whose head were cut with a sharp sword and an arme skilfull in cutting In as much as the holy spirit mortifies him without that himself feels the mortification That this is true those persons who are mortified by the holy spirit know by experience The fift Difference is that they who mortify themselues living alwaies in continuall trouble and in continuall labour are like unto a man that learnes with exceding paines a most difficult and unpleasant science who finding in the principles thereof much unsweetnesse and much molestation comforts himselfe only with an opinion that he shall proue excellent in that science And they that are mortifyed neither travelling nor labouring themselves in their mortifications are like unto a man that goes delighting and recreating himselfe in the study of that science which he hath already learned wherein finding few things which he understands not hee findes few things that trouble him The sixt Difference is that in them who mortify themselves by themselves there is never true mortification nay rather they are like unto quick lime in as much as the quick lime smoakes not whilst there is no water cast thereon which is no sooner cast upon it then it shewes the fire that it hath within so they whilst they haue no occasion to erre doe not erre and when occasion comes they presently shew the liuelinesse that they haue within them either erring or being straightly sollicited to erre And they who are mortified by the holy spirit haue true mortification and are like unto dead lime in as much that like as the dead lime doth not smoake how much water soever be cast upon it so neither doe they erre nor are much sollicited to erre although many occasions offer themselves unto them And so shall this be The seaventh Difference is that they who mortifie themselves in the occasions of erring doe miserably loose themselves For being deceived by humane wisdome they doe alwaies goe avoiding the occasions which incite them to erre And they who are mortified in the occasions of erring that offer themselues unto them are refined as gold in the fire for
of the Ceremonies and Superstitions that arise frō it as also they who attend to cause others to obserue them are severe and rigorous against them that doe not obserue thē From hence I understand the cause whence the severity and rigour in the Hebrewes did proceed And hereby I doe not marvell if they that in being superstitious and ceremonious are like unto the Hebrewes are also severe against the vices and defects of men And that which I more esteem is that hereby I understand why God in the time of the law was severe and rigorous shewing more severity and rigorousnesse unto men then piety and mercy although he did shew them both the one and the other And I esteem it much more that hereby I understand that because after that God sent his onely begotten son Iesus Christ our Lord into the world men stand not subiect to the Law but under the Gospell which is estranged from severity and rigour it comes to passe that they who belong unto the Gospell being the people of God are not severe nor rigorous against the vices and defects of men but are rather pittifull and mercifull And also it comes from hence that God shews more pitty and mercy then severity and rigour In such manner that the affection of severity and rigour in a man is a signe of selfe-loue and of a minde subject to the law to superstitions ceremonies as were the minds of the Hebrews And a pittifull and mercifull affection is a signe of mortification and of a minde freed from the Law by the Gospell such are those of true Christians members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXI In what manner a pious person governes himselfe in those things that befall him EVery Pious person in those things that come unto him in this present life as I understand governes himself in this manner The accidents being of that quality that his own will concurres not in them if they be adverse and contrary as the losse of honour or of estate or the death of some person deare unto him he comforts himselfe saying so it hath pleased God And if they be prosperous and favourable as the increase of outward and inward goods he doth not pride himselfe considering this is the work of God and not mine The things being of that quality that his own proper will concurres in them if they be of evill such as are his proper defects and sins he embraceth himselfe with Christ saying If in me there be defects and sins there is in Christ satisfaction and justification And if they be of good and of favour in outward works or in inward sentiments he doth not grow proud because in such matters he sees the goodnesse of God and not his own proper goodnesse And I understand that the content which such a person finds in those things which he doth well is much like to the content which a person may feel when a person makes a good letter because another that writes well leads his hand by his I would say that as such a person contents himselfe seeing a letter made with his hand although not with his industry attributing the industry to him that guided his hand and attributing to himselfe the errours that are in the letter knowing that the other would haue made a better with his own hand so the spirituall person doth content himselfe of the consideration of the works which God doth in him and by him attributing them to God and attributing to himselfe the errors that are in his works knowing that they would be much better if God had done them without him That this is true they shall understand by proper experience who haue a rellish of the things of the holy spirit which are obtained by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXII That humane wisdome hath no more iurisdiction in the judgement of their workes who are the sonnes of God then in the iudgement of the proper works of God IN the selfe same manner and for the selfe same cause which S. Paul understood that they who are governed by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God I understand that they who are the sonnes of God are governed by the spirit of God And I understand that as humane wisdome is uncapable of the knowledge of God so likewise it is uncapable of the knowledge of them who are the sonnes of God And even as humane wisdome penetrateth not to understand the admirable ccunsell that is in the works of God neither doth it also penetrate to understand the divine counsell that is in the works of them who are the sonnes of God Both those and these being done by the spirit of God Farther I understand that humane wisdome when it sets it selfe to judge the works of them that are the sons of God condemning and taxing them through cause of that selfe same temerity which appeares when it sets it selfe to judge the works of God condemning them and calumniating them I would say that that rashnesse of men is not lesse which follow the iudgement of humane wisdome when they sett themselves to iudge evill of Moses for the Hebrews whom he slew when they worshipped the Calfe and when they sett themselves to judge evill of Abraham because he commanded his wife Sarah that she should lye saying that she was his sister and not his wife And because S. Paul cursed Ananias standing at iudgement in his presence And because hee excused his cursing saying he did not know him And when in like manner they set themselves to iudge certain things like unto these which the sonnes of God doe being governed by the spirit of God which according to the iudgement of humane wisdome are absurd and reproveable and according to the iudgement of God are holy and good I say that this is no lesse rashnesse then that with which they sett themselves to iudge evill of God because he favours many lewd men with temporall good depriving many good and because hee doth other things which humane wisdome calumniates and condemnes and for which humane Laws doe rigorously chastise those men that doe them In as much as humane wisdome hath no more iurisdiction in the iudgement of the works of pious men then in the iudgement of the works of God they being done by God himselfe and the other by those who being the Sonnes of God are governed by the spirit of God and therefore are free and exempt frō all humane law as God himselfe is free and exempt I would say that men should not haue had more reason to haue chastised Abraham if he had killed his soone Isaac then to condemne God because he slaies many men by suddain death But this goverment of the spirit of God is not known nor vnderstood but of them who are partakers of the spirit of God itselfe as it is known by experience and as it is said by S. Paul the great Preacher of the Gospell of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXIII
impetuous and the holy is by nature mild and quiet in so much that if at any time there seeme to be violence or alteration that is none of its own but of the livelinesse of mans flesh in which and by which the Holy spirit works And the other is founded in the proper nature of men for they being more inclined unto the motions of the malignant spirit then to that of the Holy Spirit it comes to passe that unto that of the malignant spirit they are incited with their proper affection and inclination and to those others of the Holy Spirit they are benummed from the selfe same thing In such manner as the malignant spirit being impetuous of its own proper nature and the malignant spirit being incited in the impious with the proper nature of the impious and the Holy Spirit being made more slow in the pious through the proper nature of the pious in as much as he is a man it comes to passe that the malignant spirit is more impetuous in the impious then the Holy Spirit in the Pious And in the impious I understand that ordinarily the Holy spirit is nothing at all impetuous and in the Pious I understand the malignant spirit is more or lesse impetuous according to the greater or lesser livelinesse of affections that is found in him And in the same manner I understand that the motion of the Holy Spirit is more or lesse effieacious according as the mortification that is in him is greater or lesse in as much as through the livelinesse of the affections and appetites of the pious the force and violence of the malignant spirit are increased and by mortification are repressed and retarded and because it is likewise true that through the livelinesse of the affections and appetites of the Pious the forceablenesse of the Holy spirit are retarded and repressed and with mortification are increased and helped Vnderstanding that all this is true I understand likewise that the Pious who would that the motions of the malignant spirit should not have force nor be efficacious in him and that the motions of the Holy spirit should have force and efficacy in him ought to attend unto the mortification of his affections and appetites attending to Mortify in himselfe that which he hath of Adam and to make alive that which he hath of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXVII That in the regenerate only by the Holy Spirit there being experience of the things of God there is also Certification of them ALL that in this life is done known or understood is either by naturall instinct or it is by experience or by knowledge or by divine inspiration and revelation In the beast there is naturall instinct and experience as every one may by himselfe consider In men there is generally naturall instinct and experience as in Beasts although with greater excellency And there is also knowledge which as I understand consists in that which one man learnes from another man having no greater assurance thereof then the relation that is made unto him And it is as much in divine things as in hâ—…mane In men regenerated by the Holy spirit there is naturall instinct and experience and knowledge and moreover divine inspiration and revelation I would say that regenerated men wise know and understand some things by naturall instinct others by experience and others by Science and others by Divine inspiration The naturall instinct standing more chast and more pure in them then in other men And having experience not only of naturall and humane things as other men have but also of spirituall and divine things having not only science learned from other men but also inspired and revealed from God All men being without the Holy spirit are without experience of spirituall things and divine having only that science of them which is gotten by the Scripture whence it comes to passe that as in the humane and naturall things of which they have no experience having only the science they remain with opinion without any assurance even so in divine matters being without experience they remain with opinion without any assurance In as much as where there is no experience there can be no assurance And experience in the things of God is reserved to them who have the spirit of God who having experience of spirituall matters know that they know and understand naturall and humane things I would say that the difference between that which regenerated men have science of know and understand in divine matters and that which other men how wise soever they be have science of know understand in the selfe same things is as much as is between that which those Physitians which only know the Theory have the science of know and understand in Physique and that which those Physitians who together with the Theory have the practise have the science of and know Whence I gather that unregenerated men having no experience in divine matters cannot have either confidenee or diffidence that should be sollid and firme but only through opinion in such manner as they haue in humane affaires And therefore that comes forth true which I haue written in another Consideration that God ofttimes giues unto pious persons some things which they haue no confidence to obtain denying them some other which they haue confidence to obtain understanding that this comes to passe when his confidence and his diffidence consists in science and opinion and not in experience certification Furthermore I come to gather that regenerated men having experience of spirituall things haue assurance of them and that having assurance they haue also confidence and diffidence solid and firme And therefore that comes forth true which I haue written in another Consideration that through that certainty or incertainty with which pious persons finde themselves in prayer they may understand when they are inspired to pray by the holy spirit and when they are moved to pray from humane spirit and consequently when they are to be confident and when they are to be diffident Ezechias King of Iudea had experience in spirituall matters and therefore being inspired to pray in his infirmity he prayed and his life was prolonged to him according to his confidence And the selfe same King being diffident to be able to obtaine by his prayers of God that he should revoke the sentence given against Hierusalem did not care to pray If he had not had experience in divine things governing himselfe only with science hee would with so much the more confidence haue prayed demanding the revocation of the sentence given against Hierusalem in as much as he had praying obtained the revocation of the sentence given against his life But having experience he forbore to be governed by science and so he stood firme in the confidence and firme in the diffidence And if experience of divine things teacheth thus much to one of them who had the spirit of Moses how much better shall it teach it to them
the Christian faith and the Evangelicall truth stand firme and constant Here I will adde this that when a Christian person scandalizeth a Christian who knowes the Evangelicall truth because he would not scandalize another Christian who as yet doth not well understand it if his error proceed from covetousnesse or from ambition because the one is richer or more powerfull then the other his error is intolerable And if his error proceed from indiscretion or from weaknesse and infirmity it is tolerable In all the things that have been said I learne these thirteen things First what a Scandall is The Second that to the intent I be not scandalized at the works of God it is needfull to renounce my wisdome and my human reason and to pray to God that he give me spirituall light with which I may understand his works The third that I doe then scandalize God when I distrust my selfe of the promised works and of his omnipotency and providence The Fourth that I ought to keep my selfe as much as is possible not to use my Christian Liberty in presence of weak Christians and that are infirme in the faith The Fift that I ought lightly ro esteeme the scandall that the Saints of the world take at the truth of the Gospell The Sixt that the scandall that is pernitious to him who scandalizeth is that which the Saints of the world doe pretending to doe service unto God And here I learne that I ought to keepe my selfe as from the fire to persecute any man of what manner soever pretending to â—…oe God service therein The Seventh that I ought to hold it for a good countersigne of Piety when the works of the impiety and of the infidelity of the men of the world doe Scandalize mee The Eight that it is a good countersigne to know the Saints of the world by the felicity wherewith they are scandalized from every manner of person and their publishing and shewing of their Scandall The Ninth that it is a signe of impiety for a man not to be offended nor scandalized in any thing The Tenth that it becomes me to be like god and Christ in the inward to the end I be not Scandalized but of that wherewith god and Christ are scandalized The Eleventh that it becomes me to live like Christ that I may not scandalize but as Christ. The Twelfth that for no cause I ought to scandalize any in preiudice of the Christian faith although I doe know that I scandalize the weaknesse and infirmity of imperfect christians The Thirteenth thing that I here learne that when I shall have scandalized in preiudice of the Christian Faith through indiscretion or through weaknesse my error will be tollerable and when I shall scandalize in preiudice of the same christian faith through covetousnesse or ambition my error will be intolerable And from this error I am certaine my god shall preserve me and hee shall also preserve all those persons whom he hath called to the acceptation of the grace of the gospell to be heires with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXVII Two contrarieties between them that live according to the flesh and them that live according to the Spirit COnsidering that men who live according to the flesh while they think not of it doe believe litle have lesse confidence and love yet much lesse as they themselves well know and feele and accordingly as they shew it in their words albeit they would not shew it And considering that the selfe same persons when they take themselves into consideration doe perswade themselves that they believe much and have much confidence and doe yet love much more And considering on the other side that those persons who Live according to the spirit although they seeme regardlesse believe have confidence and love more or lesse according to that part of the spirit which they have according as they themselves know it and feele it in themselves and as they shew in their words speaking with more piety with more faith with more confidence and with more affection of the things of God when they speak coldly and when the force of the spirit moves them to speak of the things of piety and of faith and of confidence and of love then all the men of the world together when they set themselves with diligence and attention to speak thereof And considering also that it comes oft-times to passe that those selfesame persons grounding upon themselves cannot bring themselues to believe nor lesse to have confidence and much lesse to love I have set my selfe to be willing to understand whence these so contrary effects proceed And I find that one part proceeds from that which Christ saith that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Whence it comes to passe that he who lives according to the flesh having not in his heart neither faith nor confidence nor love cannot give of that which he hath not and consequently cannot except he set himselfe purposely thereto make shew offaith confidence or love And because he who lives according to the spirit hath in his heart piety faith confidence and love and having to give of that which he hath it is necessary how carelesse soever he seeme to be that he should yeeld forth piety faith confidence and love And therefore the holy Scripture calls the just mans mouth a veine or mine of life And I finde likewise that the other part of these contrarieties proceeds from this that the man who lives after the flesh because he keepes no accompt with his heart then perswades himselfe that he believes that he hath confidence and that he loves when he hath the faith the confidence and the love in his understanding He knowes that it is necessary for a Christian that he should believe have confidence and love and then he perswades himselfe that he believes hath confidence and loves And the persons who live according to the spirit because they keep accompt with their hearts not contenting themselves to hold the faith the confidence and the love in their understandings cannot perswade themselves that they believe have confidence or love but when they feele in their hearts the effects of confidence and love And because this sentiment is through the favour of God who gives it not when men would but when it pleaseth his Divine Maiesty hence it comes that those persons who live after the spirit doe then find most difficulty in believing loving and having confidence when they doe most instantly procure it Whence it is well gathered that the signe of what a man hath within him is to be taken from that which he shewes outwardly when he stands regardlesse And farther that through the facility or difficulty with which a man perswades himselfe to believe have confidence and love it may be known whether his faith confidence and love stand in the Vnderstanding or in the Heart And so this conclusion is made that they who while they think not of it speak
selfsame pretending to satisfie his appetites with Barsabe◅ caused her husband to be s◅aine and did with the wife what pleased him to which matter God set no impediment at all In like manner S. Peter not pretending piety denyed Christ and God consented it to him and pretending piety he would not converse with the Gentils and God did not consent to it As likewise he did not consent to it that S. Paul should goe where he pretending piety would haue gone untill that pretence of his became not his but of the holy spirit which abode in him And I hold it certain that the most continuall and ordinary temptation with which pious persons are tempted is this of pretending piety in which the Angell of Satan transfigures himselfe into an Angell of light making that to seem piety which is no piety But pious persons may comfort themselves with two things The one is that against the temptations of the Angels of Satan they haue the illustrations of the holy spirit who discovers the deceit of the malignant spirit And the other is that God useth to restrain with his hand pious persons that they should not fall into this kinde of errour it being so much contrary unto true piety And together herewith pious persons ought alwaies to stand watchfull in such manner as the Angell of Satan comming transfigured into an Angell of light they may know him guard themselves from him Three things here offer themselves to me The first seeing the errour is so great which is committed pretending piety every man ought to goe with more regard to doe those things with which he pretends piety then to doe things with which hee pretends his proper satisfaction The second that those persons which are elected of God doe not erre pretending piety through the illustration which they haue of the holy spirit and because God restraines them with his hand It is a great signe of piety and of the election of God not to erre pretending piety And the third that then a man erres pretending piety when he doth a thing wherewith by himselfe alone he thinks to satisfie God to oblige God As if I should chastise my body not with that intent with which Saint Paul saith he chastised his that is to hold it in servitude and subjection to his spirit but with intent to merit by that chastisement which I doe on myselfe Amplifying this cōparison throughout all the outward things which men doe it is understood when they erre pretending piety And I return to say that he who shall feel himselfe directed by that way through which hee doth not erre pretending piety he may certifie himselfe that he is the sonne of God and consequently Brother of the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXX What Gods intent is demanding of men that which of themselves alone they cannot giue him And why he giues them not at once all that which he will giue them VNderstanding that it is true in effect that men who see with the eyes of humane wisdome hold it for injustice and cruelty in God that hee demands of men things which they of themselves alone cannot giue him such as are The loue with all the heart even in the time of the law and the Faith of the heart in the time of the Gospell which are two things which a man is of himselfe as able to giue unto God as he is able to touch heaven with his hand And understanding likewise as it is in effect true that the men who see with the eyes of the holy spirit doe in the selfe same demand and through the selfesame demand know mercy and piety in God And they should haue known altogether the contrary in him if so be hee should demand things that men could giue unto him with ease And setting my self to consider whence these two so contrary judgements proceed which humane wisdome and Gods holy spirit make conce◅ing this demand of God I haue understood that the judgement which humane wisdome makes proceeds from the not knowing the being of God and the not knowing the being of man and that the judgement which the holy spirit makes proceeds from the knowledge of Gods being and the being of man And it is certain that because humane wisdome knows not the being of God it proceeds that seeing he demands of men that which they cannot giue it judgeth that he doth this to condemne them as it would of one of the Princes of this world who sould require of his subject◅ that they should not sleep for a whole yeare setting a penalty if so be they did sleep And because humane wisdome knows not the being of a man it proceeds that it would hold it for a better and more profitable thing for a man that God should rather require of him that which he can give rather then that which he cannot giue even as it judgeth and holds for better that a Prince of the world should demand of his vassalls rather that which they can giue him with ease then that which they cannot give him though with difficulty And it is also true that from the knowledge which the spirit of God hath of Gods being it proceeds that not judging of him that which of the Princes of the world it knowes that he demanding of men that which they cannot give him he doth it not to condemne them but to save them and that from the knowledge which the holy Spirit hath of the being of man it proceeds that knowing that he in himselfe is so arrogant that if God should demand of him for his salvation things that he could with facility giue of himselfe he would enter into such pride when he had given them that by the selfe-same way whereby he thought to obtain salvation hee would get condemnation he comes to know that the intent with which God demands of men that which of themselves they cannot giue him is not to condemn thē as humane wisdome judgeth neither is it to difficult their salvation as the selfesame humane wisdome judgeth which hereupon holds God for unjust and for cruell but it is to saue them and to facilitate their salvation God doing this to the intent that men proving to loue God with all their heart he knowing their impossibility in the one and in the other matter should haue recourse to God demanding of him both the one thing and the other to the intent God may giue them both the one thing and the other and they giving to God the one thing and the other may obtain that felicity which they desire not for that which they are of themselves but for that which they are through God In such manner that with much reason not humane but divine men that see with the holy spirit know mercy and piety in God considering that he demands from men that which they cannot giue him of themselves and they would know cruelty in God when he should demand of them that
mortifie it whilst he liues And he mortifies it rather with the consideration then with outward effects And the consideration is of that which Christ suffered of the being dead on the Crosse with Christ and the being raised with Christ and that it is his intent to liue in life eternall with Christ which considerations are of such efficacy in a man that making him to loose the tast of all things of this present life it mortifies in him all that is flesh and all that is world albeit I doe not think that it dies altogether untill that a man dye indeed From all this is gathered that humane wisdome knows not what thing mortification is and that the law of Moses commanded it but did not giue it and that it is onely gotten through the incorpororation wherewith wee who believe are incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXV Foure manners by which a Christian knowes God by meanes of Christ. HAving often spoken of the knowledge of God as of a most important thing and so much that in it felicity and eternall life consisteth And having said that there are three waies to know God One by the contemplation of the creatures which is proper to the Gentiles the other by reading of the holy Scriptures which was proper to the Hebrews and the other by Christ which is proper to Christians And having never remained satisfied in this third I would say in the manner of that understanding through the which we Christians know God by Christ after that I had well considered it I finde Foure manners by which we Christians know God by Christ. The first is by the Revelation of Christ The second is by the communication of the holy spirit The third is by christian Regeneration Renovation And the fourth is by a certain inward vision by revelation of Christ. I understand that a Christian knows God when Christ himselfe suffers himselfe to be known because wee then know God in him he being the expresse image of God conformable to that he saith to S. Philip He that sees mee he seeth my Father also Ioh. 14. And conformable to what S. Paul saith Colos. 1. speaking of Christ who is the Image of the invisible God And that it is true that a Christian knows God by Revelation of Christ is manifest by that No man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. This Revelation I understand is inward having nothing that is visible and so it appertaines to the inward eyes and not to the outward And this presupposeth the knowledge of Christ. I would say that to the knowledge of God by Revelation of Christ the knowledge of Christ proceeds which I understand consisteth in knowing his Divinity his Humanitie his being Divine and Humane his glory and his ignominy his dignity and his basenesse and so his omnipotency and his humility And it is certain that I knowing that Christ is the Image of God and seeing in him Omnipotency Iustice Truth and Fidelity I come to know not now by relation of holy Scripture but by the revelation of Christ himselfe that there is in God omnipotency justice and truth fidelity for as much as these things are in Christ and Christ is the Image of God In such manner as hee who in this manner knowes Christ not by relation of men but by inward revelation of Christ himself may say with truth that he knowes God in Christ As the man to whom S. Paul in whom was a great part of the image of Christ should haue discovered all his minde all his inward things might haue said with truth that hee knew Christ in S. Paul although this comparison serves not to ascertaine but to explain that which I would say By the communication of the holy spirit I understand the christian knowes God for I understand that the holy spirit is given to them that believe in Christ. And understanding by S. Paul that the spirit of God searcheth out the deep secrets of God I understand that we also know God himselfe and by Christ in as much as the holy spirit is given unto us by Christ Christ himselfe being he that gives it unto us by the will and ordinance of God even as by the selfe-same will and ordinance the light is given unto us by the sunne And it is certain that the holy spirit is efficacious in mee that am a christian to make mee know omnipotency in God through the great power which he shewes in mee mortifying me making mee alive to make mee know wisdome in God by the wisdome which I get through his holy spirit to make mee know justice in God because he justifies me in Christ to make me know truth in God because he keepes promise with me and to make me know goodnesse and mercy in God because he beares with my slothfulnesse and sinnes And so I come to know all these things in God not now by relation of Scriptures but by that which the holy spirit workes in me which is communicated to me through Christ. By the Christian Regeneration and Renovation I understand that a christian knowes God For I understand that he being regenerated and renewed by the holy spirit which is communicated unto us by Christ goes on leaving and renouncing the image of Adam which is proper unto us by the humane generation by which we are naturally the sons of wrath we are enemies of God impious rebells and infidels and goes on taking and recovering that image of God which is proper unto us by christian regeneration by which we are as it were naturally the sons of grace adopted sons of God we are the friends of God pious obedient and faithfull and so by litle and litle we come to know God in us knowing in us those divine perfections which the holy spirit attributes to God And getting the regeneration and the renovation through the holy spirit and the holy spirit through Christ it comes to be true that by Christ we know God in us And it is a cleare ease we should never know in God truth fidelity justice bounty were we not first true faithfull just good c. It being naturall of man to judge of others according to that which he knowes in himselfe By a certaine inward vision I understand that a christian knowes God after that he hath known him by the revelation of Christ by the communication of the holy spirit by the Christian regeneration And for as much as belongs to this knowledge I referre my selfe to that which I have said in another Consideration Wherein I have set certain comparisons by which a man that hath not attained to this knowledge of God may in some sort arrive to understand in what it doth consist And if he doe arrive I am sure that there will come upon him so great a desire of this knowledge that he will continually goe after God saying unto him these amorous words shew unto me thy
Countenance And I am also certain that God will shew it unto him when he shall please and as it shall please his divine Majesty accommodating himselfe to humane incapability which is most incapable of this inward vision And because the Christians incorporated in Christ who know God by the revelation of Christ by the communication of the holy spirit by the christian renovation and regeneration goe on making themselves capable of this inward vision going on neerer and neerer to impassibility and immortality it is truly said that we christians come to know God by Christ by a certain inward vision but in part as may be in this present life the perfect and intire vision being kept for the life eternall where perpetually seeing God face to face we shall be most blessed with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXVI To know the inward Motions when they are of the holy spirit when of the malignant spirit and when of a mans proper spirit I Remember to have written in an Epistle in what sort men in this present life are moved to all things with one of these three spirits with the holy and divine spirit with a mans own and evill spirit with the malignant and diabolicall spirit And because I understand how much it imports to the who attend unto Christian perfection to be wise to know with what spirit they are moved to worke or not to worke I come a new to consider that we who attend to Christian perfection doe well know that to obtain that which we seek which is immortality and eternall life it becomes us to follow the motions of the holy spirit and to fly those of the Malignant spirit and to contrast with those of our own spirit Farther I consider that it befalls many that not knowing how to make difference between these Motions thinking to follow the holy spirit they follow the malignant spirit or goe after their own proper spirit Their error proceeding not because they know not where away they ought to goe for they well know they ought to goe towards eternall life nor because they know not the way for they know well that the way is piety justice and holinesse but from their not knowing in what thing properly piety justice holines doe consist for in case they knew it they would draw nigh to know when they are moved by the holy spirit when by the malignant spirit and when by their own proper spirit For in as much as a man goes on knowing in what thing properly piety justice and holinesse doe consist his eyes goe on opening to know when he is moved by one spirit and when by another without which knowledge a man that attends to Christian perfection is much like unto a ship which stands in the midst of the sea not knowing with what wind to saile because it hath lost the needle Having afterwards considered how that all this is true of which there is none that attends unto Christian piety but can give testimony I am come likewise to consider that after that a man who attends unto Christian piety knows that he travells towards life eternall and knowes that the way is piety justice and holinesse it is necessary that he should know that holinesse consisteth in the election of God that is that they only are holy whom God chooseth and accepteth for himselfe that justice consisteth in believing in Christ that is that they only are just who believing make Christs justice theirs and that piety consists in approving for good all that which God workes and to be contented therewith that is onely they are pious who with their mindes approve that which God workes and in such manner content themselves that they would not change nor alter it though they could For I understand that this being known a man begins to approach to know the motions of the spirit when they are of the good spirit and when they are of the evill spirit and when they are of a mans own spirit For as much as he holds for motions of the good spirit all those things which goe directed to answer unto the vocation of God to say with S. Paul Lord what wilt thou that I should doe And with Ananias Behold Lord here am I And all they which goe directed to believe in Christ to say alwaies Lord increase my faith And all they which goe directed to remit themselves in all things and altogether to God to suffer themselves to be ruled and governed of God approving and holding for good all that which God doth The selfe-same holds for ◅tions of the evill spirit all those which are contrary to these Hee holds for motions of his own spirit those which although they be not contrary to these are not cōtrary to himselfe By this I suppose every person who shall keep strict accompt with himselfe shall much approach to the true knowledge of the Spirits to understand with which of them he is to walk And I suppose that he should more and better approach certifying himselfe that those are motions of the holy Spirit which shal draw him to the imitation of Christ principally In as much as he was most obedient to his eternall Father in as much as in him was perfect charity in as much as hee had profound humility and most great meeknesse For it is certain that the holy spirit in them who are the members of Christ being the selfesame which was in Christ it doth inspire and move them unto that unto which it did inspire and move Christ he as head and as the lawfull Son we as members and adopted sonnes And certifying himselfe likewise that those are motions of the malignant spirit which are contrary to these And that those are motions of a mans own spirit which doe draw a man unto his proper interest to his proper honour glory to his proper recr◅ation satisfaction And moreover I doe not say hereby that he doth ascertain himself in making this difference of spirits in knowing these motions but I say that so a man comes approaching thereunto reserving the perfect and intire knowledge to thē who haue it by particular guift of God who know Satan even when he transforms himselfe into an Angell of light when he offers and propounds unto them things of apparent piety justice and holinesse to which time these advises doe properly belong it being as it is a very great inconvenience into which men fall when they erre pretending piety Finally I resolve my selfe in this that the man who desires to travell to God with prosperous winde pretends to recover in this present life the image of Christ setting Christ before his eyes and bringing himselfe to follow those Motions which Christ would haue followed and to contrast with those motions which Christ would not haue followed And this is that perfection which is proposed to all of us that are the members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXVII That all the creatures were spoyled in mans
comforts them and gives them content considering that death is the end of their Pilgrimage They who albeit they be indeed prized loved and favoured of God are not yet despised hated and persecuted of the world doe not as yet esteem themselves Pilgrims in this present life not being handled as Pilgrims albeit they esteem themselves Citizens of eternall life in as much as they know that they are prized favoured and loved of God It is true indeed that this estimation is not entire nor perfect in them untill that the world knowing them prized loved and favoured of God begins to handle them as Pilgrims despising them hateing them and persecuting them For as then they feeling themselves handled by the world as Pilgrims have recourse to Christ and recourse to God and being as they are more prized more loved more favoured of God and more illustrated in the knowledge of eternall life they esteem themselves Pilgrims and strangers in this present life in such manner that however afterwards the world returne to prize love and use them well they doe not leave to esteem themselves Pilgrims and to hold it good to goe out of this pilgrimage Here I understand two things The first that it is Gods will that they whom he loves should live as Pilgrims And the second that between them who hate the world because they are persecuted of the world for piety and them who hate the world for other respects there is this difference that these second although they bear hatred to the world whilest they are despised of the world and would be contented to goe out of the world when the world returnes to prize them loving the world they would by no meanes goe out of the world And the other after that they once hate the world seeing themselves despised hated and persecuted of the world they never more returne to love the world how much soever it love and esteem them This difference proceeds from hence that following the light of the holy spirit and being illustrated in the knowledge of eternall life they doe alwaies hold themselves for pilgrims in this present life and alwaies hold themselves for Cittizens of the Kingdome of God and in eternall life and therefore hate this life and rejoyce to goe out of it On the contrary the other following the naturall light have no certainty of eternall life and if they have any they doe not stand sure to be well in it therefore they doe not altogether hate this life nor rejoyce to goe out of it In this discourse christian persons shall understand that they are to esteem themselves pilgrims and strangers in the world in this present life and that they are to esteem themselves Cittizens of the Kingdome of God and of life eternall And that if so be the feeling themselves very fearefull of death shall make them know that they are not come to this to esteem themselves pilgrims they ought with continuall prayer to pretend it being certain that by how much more perfectly they shall stand therein then they shall be most like to Christ and most like to God who have been and are in this present life strangers and pilgrims and like such have been and are used And to every Christian person it appertaines to procure to be like to God and to the sonne of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XCVII Whether Iustification be a fruit of piety and whether piety be a fruit of Justification WIlling to examine between these two gifts of God Piety and Justification which of them may be said to be the fruit of the other that is whether piety be the fruit of justification a man being first just before pious or whether justification be the fruit of Piety a man being pious before just and willing in this matter to proceed with order as it were I first say that by Piety I understand the true divine worship which consisteth in worshipping God in spirit and in truth Iohn 4. approving with the minde whatever God doth holding it for just holy and good In this signification I understand S. Paul useth this word Piety 1. Tim. 3. And I say that by justification I understand the purity of conscience which dares appear in judgement such as was S. Pauls when he said there is laid up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse c. Passing on farther I understand that calling into counsell for the making of this examination the naturall light prudence and humane wisdome shee will alwaies say and affirme that justification is a fruit of piety understanding that one cannot have justification and purity in his conscience if he doe not first adore God in spirit and in truth giving unto him that which it ought to doe as his creature and that suddenly when he gives to God that which he ought to give hee is iust having cleannesse in his conscience And so it is resolved that Iustification is a fruit of piety since from a mans being pious it redounds that he is iust Farther I understand that calling into counsell for the making of this triall the holy spirit and the Christian spirit he will say and affirme that Piety is the fruit of Iustification understanding that a man cannot haue Piety worship God in spirit and truth if he be not first iust accepting the Gospell of Christ making Christs iustice his and understanding that instantly when a man believing is iust he begins to haue Piety adoring God in spirit and truth And so it is resolved that Piety is a fruit of Iustification for a man is first iust then pious If that were true which naturall light saith prudence and humane wisdome for the selfesame cause it would follow that there hath not been nor is nor shall bee a pious man I would say who should giue entirely compleatly unto God that which he ought to give And it being true that which the holy spirit and the Christian spirit saith it well follows that there hath been is and shall be a great number of iust men for there haue been are and shall be many men that haue been are and shall bee iustistified by Christ accepting and making Christiustice theirs Men that Iudge that Iustfication is a fruit of piety by the selfe same case give testimony of themselves that they iudge by naturall light by prudence humane wisdome as Plato and Aristotle would have iudged who had no notice at all of Christ. And in very truth I knowe not what they think of Christ of the Christian businesse nor of the Gospell The men that iudge that Piety is a fruit of Iustification by the selfesame case give testimony of themselves that they iudge by the holy spirit by the Christian spirit as S. Peter and S. Paul iudged who largely knew Christ and had the spirit of Christ. They haue this opinion of Christ that in him God chastised all our sinnes that is all that wherein we faile unto that which as the creatures of God we are
descends a vitall vertue by meanes whereof it lives so every one of those who being incorporated in Christ are the Church of god because he can speake saith and affirmeth that he feeles that from Christ there comes unto him a spirituall vertue by meanes whereof he lives a spirituall life This S. Iohn thus understood Chap. 1. when he said For of his fullnesse have we all received and grace for grace And so S. Paul understood it Colos. 1. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell I know Christ for King in the people of god for I understand that he is he who with his spirit rules and governes it not onely in inward things and divine as head but also as god In outward things and corporall as King In all which things being as they are the Sonnes of god as S. Paul saith Rom. 8. they are lead by the spirit of God And so I understand that the kingdome of god is not called the spirituall kingdome because he governes us in spirituall things but because governing us in spirituall and corporall things he doth not govern us with the outward law but with the inward law which is the government of the Holy Spirit the Christian spirit Of this kingdome of Christ the holy Scriptures are full Esay 5. Mic. 5. Daniel 7. By which I understand that in this present life God reigns but by Christ that in lifeeternall god shall reign but by himselfe For then he shall be all in all 1. Cor. 15. In this manner I know Christ glorious for King in the people of god for Head in the Church of god and for Lord of the Elect of god And I know Christ humble most innocent and free from all sinne and abounding in all justice And I know fullfilled in him in part the promises of god made to David and to Abraham And I know him for the Sonne of god first borne and onely begotten I know that he is the Word of god with which god created all things I know him eternall consubstantiall And I hold for certain that as the Christian faith shall goe on being in me more efficacious mortifying me and quickening me so theseknowledges of Christ shall goe on being more cleare and more distinct by which I shall goe on from day to day alwaies more knowing god as he may be knowne whilst this flesh being passible and mortall is not a subject habilitated to see Christ to see God face to face as I shall see him in life eternall Having taken this resolution in the conceit which I ought to have of Christ I goe resolving my selfe in the conceit that I ought to have of them who are the members of Christ considering every one of them a Sonne of god not first borne as Christ who alwaies was a Sonne but an adopted Sonne by Christ and in Christ not onely begotten as Christ who is the sonne by generation but regenerated by Christ and in Christ borne the sonne of wrath and re-borne the sonne of God not in the state of gloryfication in which Christ i◅ but in the state of opprobry in which Christ was not Lord of Gods elect but one of the number of them who being elected of God are the servants of Christ redeemed and bought by Christ Not head of the Church of God as Christ but a mēber of the Church of God of which Christ is the head Not King of the people of God as Christ but governed by the spirit of Christ by meanes of which spirit I know that all the members of Christ stand united amongst themselves and united with Christ himselfe and therefore united also with God God abiding in them and they in God And so I see fullfilled that Prayer which Christ made unto his Father for this union Iohn 17. saying That they may be one in us c. And I understand that in this vnion consisteth all the christian perfection I pray God that he doe in such manner Imprint it in my memory that it may not seeme that it sever itselfe or depart from it not so much as for one moment to the intent that I never may doe thing which shall not be worthy of this union which I acknowledge from my christ who is my Lord my Head and my King To him be glory with the Father and the holy spirit Amen CONSID. CX That the principall gifts are not understood untill they be possessed A Most great testimony of the Christian life is this that according as a christian man goes perfecting himself in his christian customes so he goes clearing himselfe in his christian conceptions Nay I hold for certain that the selfesame christian spirit which goes perfecting him in his customes goes clarifying him in his conceptions so much that it can be hardly understood whether the clarification in the conceptions comes from the perfection in the customes or the perfections in the customes come from the clarification in the conceptions And therefore it is sure to say that both the one and the other thing comes from the christian spirit which doth marvellously work both the one and the other in them who accept the Gospell of Christ. This I haue said to this purpose that I having understood that the christian businesse is not science but experience and having by many comparisons procured to make some persons capable of this truth I haue never remained satisfied in my minde in such manner that it seemed to me to haue expressed to mine own manner my conceit untill now that having in mine own judgement comprehended it with more clearenesse itseems to mee to bee able to expresse it better And so I say that between the believing and accepting the christian things Faith Hope Charity with humane wit◅ or with the christian spirit I know the difference which I know between accepting approving those three naturall vertues Magnanimity Valour and Liberality and having them indeed I would say that as there be mē who hearing speak of these three naturall vertues and of the perfection of them albeit they doe not know them in themselves do approue them and accept them for good so there bee also of those men who hearing speak of those three gifts of God Faith Hope and Charity and of the perfection and efficacy of them albeit they doe not know them in themselves doe approve them and accept them for good believing that thy who accept the grace of the Gospell doe enjoy the remission of sins the reconciliation with God through Christ and approving the hope with which they expect the felicity of eternall life and the loue with which they loue God aboue every thing and they loue their neighbour as themselves And I say farther that as whilst they who approve those three natural vertues not possessing them albeit they willingly heare talk of them through the desire which they haue to possesse them yet is not that so much as that it gives them entire
us in such manner that no need haue we of other regiment nor of other goverment so long as we shall not sever our selves from our heavenly Father And as it is possible that a man may be the son of God and suffer himselfe to be ruled and governed of God so is it possible that a sonne of God should conserve and maintain himselfe in bodily and spirituall health The sonnes of God will make use of the Physitians of the physick to conserue the health of the body as they also make use of the Scripture to conserve the health of their mindes but they doe it without putting cōfidence either in this or in that for all their trust stands put in God They make use likewise to conserve the health of their bodies of the observation of times and places as they make use of some ceremonies to cōlerve the health of their soules This they doe rather to conforme themselues in the outward with the sonnes of Adam then because they feel themselves needing of such observations forasmuch as they being govern'd by God alone observe the will of God and wholly depend on it These truths they understand that prove them the others finde in them many intricacies For the naturall man perceives not the things that are of the spirit of God alwaies he blames them and condemnes them That I may be the better understood I put this Example There are two men would passe a great river by wading there comes to them one that is experienced in the river and saith unto them in this manner If you will passe of your selues alone you are to enter here-away when you are entred you are to govern your selves thus and thus and if so be you will that I should passe you over come after me and haue no feare Of these two men one confident in his own wisdome upon that which hath been told him puts himselfe alone into the water by him I mean the sonnes of Adam The other having confidence in him that is experienced in the river goes after him by him I understand the sonnes of God And as I hold for certain that the presumption and errour of the sonnes of Adam is much greater folly then then that of him who when hee might passe the river with a Guide and safely puts himselfe to the hazard to passe it alone so I hold it for certaine that the prudence and discretion of the Sonnes of God that suffer themselves to be ruled and governed by the spirit of Christ is much greater then that of that man that chooseth rather to passe the river with a Guide then alone And it is to be understood that in as much as wee are Incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord in so much are wee the Sonnes of God CONSID. IV. From whence the revengefull affection proceeds in men◅ And what effects the long sufferance causeth wherewith God goes deferring the revenge of those injuries which men doe unto him PVtting on one part all the offences that from the beginning of the world untill this present day have been done by men one towards another and putting on the other part onely those which one man inone day only doth to God It seemes to me to behold beyond all comparison a greater Quality and Quantity of these then of them Passing on further and considering the Revengefull affections in men so extreame that there are very few injured who being able to revenge themselves doe not take revenge And considering in God that hee being able with one beck to anihilate all those that offend him he doth not anihilate them but rather tolerates them and comports and gives unto them of his good things I have set my self to examine whence this revengefull affection in men proceeds And what effects the Patience of God doth worke And I hold for certaine that the revengefull affection in men proceeds from the depravation of the first man confirming my selfe in this that if humane nature had not been depraved men would have been most estranged from all revenge For the first man being created unto the Image and likenesse of God it is a manifest thing he was created with an affection estranged from revenge as we know it to be in God This is for that which belongs to men From the patience with which God suffers the injuries which are ordinarily done him I consider that all these effects proceed worthy according to my judgement of great consideration The first is that many of the injurers and impious become servants and pious which would not come to passe if they be punished in their injuring The second that if God should suddainly punish the wicked in a short space all the wicked that are in the world would be consumed And there being no wicked the pious would not have the meanes to exercise their piety the which is necessary should be exercised to the intent that being purified it may shine out to the glory of God The third is that pious men considering how God is estranged from revenge and remembring themselves that that which belongs to them in this present life is to recover the Image of God with which the first man was created they should reduce their mindes to leave all affection of wrath and of revenge saying when they are assaulted these and other like words My intent is to recover the Image and likenesse of God with which the first man was created This was altogether estranged from revenge for as much as God being able to revenge himselfe doth not revenge himselfe And therefore it belongs not to me to revenge my selfe but to doe that which my God doth to whom I procure to liken my selfe These three effects I finde redound to the gaine of the pious And I finde other two which redound to the damage of the impious The first of which is that by how much they live the longer by so much the more doe they offend and doe injuries And in this manner they goe accumulating and increasing eternall condemnation The second is that with the unquietnesse and travaile that they suffer in their owne consciences they begin to feele in this life that which they are to suffer in the other They desire to dye supposing to be free from their punishment And on the other fide they would not dye doubting that it should be augmented unto them In so much that through the patience wherewith God suffers and deferres the revenge of the injuries which men doe unto him I finde three profits of the pious and in the selfe-same I finde two damages of the wicked Whereupon it seemes to me that even as the good redounds to the damage of the wicked so also that which seems evill redounds to the profit of the pious that doe hold and embrace that piety which is obtained by faith in Iesus Christ our Lord. I will here adde three things the first that God commanding me that I should pardon them that doe me injury it is
if it should not be true that God would provide things necessary for my sustentation without mine own sollicitousnesse what shall become of me And if it be not true that God hath executed upon Christ the rigour of his justice and that by his order the Proclamation of Pardon generall be published through the world I shall remain miserably abused And it is certain that so much more any person makes these discourses by how much it seemes to him that he might of himself provide both for the one and other thing Passing on further and willing to examine whether with greater difficulty a man brings himselfe to hope from God either the sustentation of his body or that of his minde I suppose it is the sustentation of the body This I suppose to be so in regard that a man brings himselfe with lesse difficulty to expect from God that which he certainly knowes he cannot be able to obtain of himselfe It being therefore true that a man doth more distrust of himselfe touching his justification then his sustentation it is concluded that there is greater difficulty to bring a mans selfe to hope for his corporall then his spirituall sustentation Having gone thus far with my consideration I well understand what the cause is that the rich man enter◅ with difficulty into the kingdome of God And willing to perswade my minde that it should bring it selfe to depend on God as well in corporall as in spirituall things I bring to remembrance how Christ doth promise them for vantage to the◅ who seek the kingdome of God And I suppose that finding all that which Christ promiseth in things pertaining to the soule to be true I haue no cause to doubt that I should not finde him true likewise in those things which appertain to the body When this doth not suffice me I think in this manner Since that I am justified in having accepted and believed the Proclamation of the Pardon generall and since that I am entered into the kingdome of God from which the first man was driven by rebellion and that I goe on recovering the priviledges which the first man lost by his rebellion ought I to doubt that God without my sollicitousnesse will not provide for me in outward things since it is true that the first man as long as he remained in the kingdome of God was provided of them without his own sollicitousnesse And that this is true I know from hence that amongst those other punishmets with which God chastned his rebellion this was once In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread From all these Considerations I gather that it becomes me to attend with my minde to depend on God as well in the sustentation of the body as in that of the mind And so much more in the sustentation of the body now I haue accepted and believed the Proclamation of the Pardon generall and am entred into the kingdome of God as I know that it is true that with greater difficultie a man brings himselfe to trust in this matter then in that other Together with this I gather that I shall then bee entirely a citisen of the kingdome of God when I shall depend altogether on God being a lively and true member of the son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XV. How Christian persons ought to governe themselves in their tribulations afflictions and troubles BEcause humane wisdome as we haue otherwhere said thinks that it is humility not to haue confidence in God and that it is pride to haue confidence in him it is necessary that a Christian person should alwaies stand upon his guard touching this point in such manner that he come not to be couze◅ed with the white for the black nor the black for the white When a pious person findes himselfe in some great trouble distresse he is sollicited by the Divell through the meanes of humane wisdome perswading him that it is amisse to believe that God shall deliver him from that distresse and trouble in which he finds himselfe and that that which appertaines to him is only to bring his minde to content himselfe of that which God will doe concerning him This perswasion seemes pious and holy but being examined with a Christian spirit a man may know in it a certain spice of desperation and diffidence which consisteth in that first part where it is said that it is a misse to haue confidence in God And although the second part with the desire of reducing the minde to submit it selfe to God by good yet it is marred by the first Now to the intent that the second may be good the Christian spirit makes the first good perswading every pious person when it sees him in distresse and trouble that God hath promised that hee will make account of them that make account of him and that he will not suffer them to be evill entreated of worldly persons nay rather he will haue great care of them and will help thē and will defend them Thou makest account of God hold then for certain firme that God makes accompt of thee and that by and by he will draw thee from this distresse and trouble in which thou findest thy selfe in such sort as the wicked who seek thy harm shall haue no cause to rejoyce of thy harme Speaking to him these words it redu◅eth to his memory all the promises that God in holy Scripture makes pertaining hereunto And when the pious person that is in tribulation is made capable of this truth and stands firme and constant in this hope it perswades him to reduce his minde to content himselfe of that which God will doe with him in that tribulation And in such case this conformity with the will of God is pious and holy because it is founded upon confidence which is a pious and holy foundation To this humane wisdome opposeth it selfe and saies Thou having seen that God permits that his should be persecuted afflicted and evill entreated in what canst thou found thy confidence that he will free thee from this affliction and trouble In what I say O Christian canst thou found this confidence To this the Christian spirit replies It is true that God permits all that you say to befall them which are his but when it is for the cause of the Gospell for the manifestation of his own glory for the illustration of his own name and not for the malignity and appetite of the men of this world God well consents that his Saints shall be evill entreated when they are evill entreated because they be Saints For from hence redound all that which we haue spoken of But he doth not now consent when they are evill entreated as men for the things of the world For he hath promi◅ed altogether the contrary David glories not to haue seen in all his life any ◅ust man forsaken of God And in this very selfe same may all just men boast themselves for albeit God permits that
spirit then that of the Appetites Furthermore I consider that in the eyes of humane wisdome he is reprehended and defamed that is unbridledly aliue in his Appetites And he is praised and honoured that is moderate and temperate in them and hee is esteemed to be a Saint that hath altogether mortified thē And on the contrary he is esteemed and prized that keeps liuely his Affections of honour and his own particular esteem and he is esteemed vile and of no worth that is in all these things mortified Now it being true that to the eies of humane wisdome that alwaies appears great which to the eyes of the holy Spirit seems litle that alwaies appeares litle to humane wisdome which appeares great to the holy Spirit it will easily follow that humane wisdome holding the Appetites more dammageable then the Affections the holy Spirit will hold the Affections more dammageable then the Appetites Many other things might be considered to confirm this but these abundantly suffice to come to my intent which is this that that pe◅son who studies to be like unto Christ and like unto God and to comprehend the Christian perfection in which he is comprised by the incorporation whereby he stands incorporated in Christ must attend to the Mortification of his Affections and Appetites alwaies keeping strict account with them to kill them in that wherein hee shall see them aliue But principally hee ought to attend to the mortification of his Affections as well for that respect which we haue spoken of as also because in the death of the Affections the Appetites dye But the Affections doe not at all dye in the death of the Appetites nay it comes to passe that in the death of the Appetites the Affections revive For as hath been said in in the eyes of humane wisdome the mortification of the Appetites is very highly esteemed of Hereby I understand this that when any Person kills his Affections by Humane wisdome and industry despising Honour and reputation of the world he growes Vicious and Licentious for the Appetites live and grow unbridled And when another Person kills his Affections by the Holy Spirit hee doth together therewith kill his Appetites by which proofe a man may judge of many designes and motions pertaining to the despising of the world whether they be of humane spirit or from the Holy Ghost I would that in mee the Affections were altogether dead and likewise the Appetites so that neither my minde should be delighted with any thing that were not spirituall and divine nor my body should take of the things of the world more then that which sufficeth to maintaine and sustaine them in the world the time that God hath ordained that it should live here But if so be I must runne out in any thing and that some kinde of Livelinesse is to be kpet That of the Appetites would lesse displease me then that of the Affections I would say I should hold it for lesse inconvenient to see in me some Livelinesse of Appetites and to satisfy my selfe in them then to see in my selfe any Livelinesse of Affections and to satisfy my selfe and others in them Nay verily if the shame of the world and the ill example I should give to spirituall persons did not restraine me I could scarce containe my selfe sometimes from suffering my selfe to be transported to the satisfaction of my Appetites holding it for certaine that by that meanes I should sooner mortify my Affections and that my Affections dying my Appetites would also dye w◅th them I will adde this that the Affections are mortified when a man having opportunity to grow in Honour and reputation and in much credit with men will not but renounceth all And that the Appetites are mortified when a man properly may satisfie them and doth not satisfie them He that mortifies his Appetites doth kill his flesh and he that mortifies his Affections crucifieth himselfe entirely with Iesus Christ our Lord. In saying that sometimes satisfying my Appetites I should think to mortify my Affections I meane that the shame and confusion which I should deserve in having satisfied my Appetites would be a cause that I should not think to put in execution my Affections and that I should be wary from any more satisfying my Appetites as I hold for certaine many of those persons prove in themselves who attend unto the Spirit of which Persons only I speake CONSID. XXXII In what consisteth the abuse and in what consisteth the use of Jmages and of Holy Scriptures I Vnderstand it that learned men being without the Spirit doe suffer the selfe same deceit in the Holy Scriptures which unlearned men without the spirit of God doe in Images in this manner An unlearned man keepes a Crucifix of Christ in his Chamber by meanes whereof alwaies when he enters into his chamber hee remembers that which Christ suffered And finding Piety and Religion in this remembrance he puts in all other parts of his house other Images like unto that and knowing well that alwaies as he walkes up and downe his house and as he goes into the Churches and also through many parts of the City hee shall finde such like Images which will reduce unto his memory that which Christ suffered he cares not to imprint in his minde Christ Crucified contenting himselfe to see him Painted And as long as he doth not keepe him in his minde hee neither feeles nor tasts the Benefit of Christs Passion And it comes to passe that when this unlearned man is moved to demand any thing of Christ it seeming sufficient to him to behold him painted with his Bodily Eyes hee careth not to lift up his minde to behold him with Spirituall Eyes in such sort that a man may say that he doth not pray unto Christ but unto that Picture In the selfe same manner a learned man without the Spirit keepes written in Holy Scripture the things that pertaine to a Christian man that which hee ought to believe and that which he ought to doe in such sort that when ever he gets his book he understands both the one and the other And this seeming sufficient to him he imployes all his study and all his diligence in having many bookes that may declare unto him Holy Scripture not caring at all to imprint in his minde that which hee reads and that which he studies in Holy Scripture nor to forme his opinions nor his conceits in things pertaining unto Christian Piety according to that he there reads and studies And it comes to passe that being desirous to understand some secret of God and of spirituall matters applying himselfe to seeke it in Holy Scripture he doth not lift up his minde to pray God that he would shew it him and that hee would teach it him in such sort that he doth take for his aime the spirit of God but that which by his owne proper nature and his owne proper wit he learnes from that which was written by them
works in a man that which sets him in the will and in the desire to haue much piety and much faith when in all this a man finds in himselfe much contrast and much contradiction and when also the same comes to passe in that which is exteriour unto men And I resolve my selfe that in this contrast in this fight a man ought to labour and travell much but without affliction or grieving himselfe for although the flesh together with all its affections remain aliue yet the holy spirit should haue the victory and bethe conquerour For it is not meet that the son of the slave that is the flesh should be heire with the son of the Free-woman that is the spirit of those goods that properly belong to the spirit that is of the knowledge of God in the present life and of the vision of God in life everlasting And saying the flesh I understand the affection of flesh that which men receive from Adam all which must needs dye in us to the intent that all that may live which we can receive from Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXVI In what the Christian Liberty doth consist how it is knowne and how it is exercised THat it may be well understood wherein it is that Christian liberty doth consist how it is to be knowne and how it is to be exercised it imports much to understand first in what the Hebrew servitude doth consist how it was understood and how it was exercised The Hebrew servitude as I understand it proceeded from the command of the law which menacing and promising kept men in servitude and intreated them as servants Amongst them that were of the Hebrew people some applyed themselves to the law by inspiration and others out of opinion and there were others also who cared not for the law living licentiously they knew not the Hebrew servitude neither exercised themselves in it They who out of opinion applyed themselves to the law desiring and procuring that the Menaces wherewith the law threatned trangressors should not be executed on them and that the promise which the law made to them that observ'd it might bee fulfilled in them knew the Hebrew servitude but did not exercise it as they ought For being governed by their owne proper spirit they were most superstitious in some things and most licentious in other They who by inspiration applyed themselves unto the law and exercised themselves in it as was meete desiring the promises thereof and fearing the threatnings knew the Hebrew servi â—…ude seeing that it behoved them alwaies to stand knit unto the law and they exercised themselves in it as was meete holding themselves for servants and depending on the will of God for being governed by the holy spirit that did inspire them to the fulfilling of the law they were pious holy and just in such sort that the Hebrew servitude consisted in the law and was knowne when men applyed themselves to the observation of the law and was exercised when the application proceeded from the holy spirit On the contrary the Christian liberty consisteth in the abrogation of the law which was altogether abrogated in the comming of the holy spirit which succeeded in place of the law to governe the people of God Among them who have the name of Christians there are some who feele this Liberty by the holy spirit there are others who divine it by humane spirit and there are others who neither feele nor divine it They who neither feele nor divine it are in all points and altogether like unto them amongst the the Hebrew people who divined the servitude of the law being in all things and altogether most superstitious obliging and binding themselves not only to that which they think to be the law of God but also to that which they know to be the law of man and more then this they themselves doe oblige and binde themselves to other lawes in such sort as they know not in what Christian liberty doth consist neither doe they know it nor exercise it living wretchedly in miserable and hard servitude They who by humane spirit divine Christian liberty are much like unto them amongst the Hebrew people who made no account of the law they taking away from themselves all manner of yoak live licentiously not knowing nor exercising the Christian liberty as was meete They are ordinarily impious and vicious and I understand it that they divine Christian liberty by humane spirit they who by their owne wit and Iudgment and by that which they read and heare and understand that a Christian man is free not considering whether they bee Christians in such manner as that Christian liberty appertains to them grow to make the licentiousnesse of the flesh Christian liberty They who by the holy spirit feele the Christian liberty are like as it were to them amongst the Hebrew people who through the holy spirit applied themselves unto the law They know that Christian liberty consisteth in this that a Christian shall not bee chastized for his evill living nor shall not be rewarded for his well living knowing that chastizement is for the unbelievers and the reward for the faithfull in as much as God will chastize them that believe not on Christ and not believing on him doe not accept the covenant that hee set betweene God and man and that hee will reward them that shall believe in Christ and accept the covenant of Christ. They who in this manner know the Christian liberty having no regard neither to chastizement nor to punishment and having a regard to observe the decorum of those persons whom they represent in this present life that is to bee a member of Christ the most perfect head and to live in this life a life like unto that which they are to live in eternall life doe well exercise the Christian liberty For being governed by the holy spirit on one side they finde and know themselves to bee free and exempted from the law in so much that it seemes to them that they may say with S. Paul All things are lawfull unto me Neither fearing to be chastized for transgression nor hoping to bee rewarded for observation in which they feele and know the Christian liberty And on the other side they finde and know themselves obliged to be like unto Christ in their life and manners and therefore they say with S. Paul all things are not expedient And standing in this they exercise themselves in Christian liberty in such manner that Christian liberty consisteth in the abrogation of the law and is knowne when men doe not feare the chastizement of the transgression of the law nor pretend the reward of the observation thereof And it is well exercised when men observe the decorum that belongs to a Christian who is a member of Christ and ought in all his things to bee very conformable to Christ. Hence I gather that since men that divine Christian liberty by humane spirit and wit and Iudgment
make themselves vicious and impious and not understanding it make themselves superstitious and miserable and understanding it knowing it feeling it and exercising it by the holy spirit become holy pious and just becoming very like unto Christ our Lord it is good that a man should apply himselfe to understand the Christian liberty craving of God his holy spirit which may cause him to know and feele it and likewise make him to exercise it And in this manner neither will the not knowing it make him to live with superstition and in misery nor the knowing it by humane spirit make him to live licentious in his manners and impious in his minde And to understand it know it and exercise it will make him to live without feare before God with holinesse and Iustice all the time of his life and will afterward set him glorious in life everlasting with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXVII That they who know God by mens relation have a false opinion of him and they who know him by the holy spirit have a good THis is alwaies true that men frame their opinions and their conceits of those things which they know not according to the relations and informations that men give them of those things And it comes to passe that understanding that a man takes an affection to every thing which he seeth we hold him for vaine And understanding that hee doth delight to take money and gifts we hold him for covetous and understanding that he doth not pardon when hee is offended wee hold him for cruell inhumane and vindicative In like manner this is alwayes true that if it come to passe wee have need of such a man wee doe endeavour to gaine his good will with those things which are according to the opinion and conceit which we have of him by relation in which we continue and persevere untill such time as holding strait familiarity with that man by litle and litle wee goe framing other opinions and other conceits according to that which we our selves know of him Whereupon it comes to passe that now we doe not goe about to gaine his good will by those things with which we did at first following the Relation But by those things which according to our owne knowledge seeme to us to bee to purpose This selfe same betides us with God Men being deceived by humane Philosophy and by their owne wisdome and reason which doth reach unto the knowledge of God and being deceived principally by superstition and false religion they make relation that God is so delicate and sensitive that hee is offended for every thing that he is so vindicative that he doth chastize all offences that he is so cruell that hee chastizeth them with eternall punishment that he is so inhumane that hee de lights that we should evill intreat our persons in so much as to shed our owne blood which he hath given unto us and that we should deprive our selues of that substance which he hath given unto us to the end that wee should therewith maintaine our selves in this present life that he doth delight that we should goe naked and barefoot alwaies suffering That he is vaine and that presents doe please him and that he delights to have gold and goodly furniture and in summe that he delights himselfe of all those things in which a Tyrant doth delight and reioyceth to have from them that are subject to him According to this Relation which men make us of God we frame our opinions and our conceits of God and so much the more in as much as what men tell us by word of mouth we finde written in the writings of men And in as much as both they and we when we begin to read holy Scripture have already conceived this opinion of God and formed these conceits of him it comes to passe that not gathering the true fruit of holy Scripture which consisteth in the knowledge of God but rather stretching it out and understanding it according to that opinion and to those conceits which we bring with us by the Relation of men it befals us that the holy Scripture being the Relation of the holy spirit by meanes where of we might conceive a true opinion and right conceits of God we make it that it become the Relation of men and that it speakes not that which the holy spirit intends but that which humane ignorance imagines From whence it comes that men knowing that they have neede of God because they hold him for sensitive for vindicative for cruell live in continuall scruples in continuall feare and terror which are things that ordinarily beget hatred Because we hold him for inhumane wee evill intereat our own persons with fastings with watchings with disciplines and with all those other things which the flesh abhorres And in this we think much to please God Because wee hold him for covetous we offer unto him our goods and wee adorne him with ornaments of gold and of silver and of jewels And in summe because wee hold him for a Tyrant we demeane our selves with him in all things and every where as we demeane our selves with them that are Tyrants In this we abide and in this we persevere with God all the time that we frame our opinions and our conceits of God by the Relation that we have of men Whence I understand that whilst a man procures to gaine Gods good will by these things he shewes that the opinion and conceit that he hath of God is by mans Relation And if any man shall say unto me I doe these things to conforme my selfe with others but I have no confidence in them nor I esteeme them at all I shall answer him that it is a most difficult thing to understand whether he trust in them or no And I shall say unto him Wilt thou Brother understand whether thou trust in thē or no Examine thy selfe well whether thou finde satisfaction in doing of them or no whether thou hast a good opinion of them who doe them or no and whether thou hast an evill opinion of them that doe them not or no And so shalt thou understand whether thou hast confidence in them or no. And finding that thou hast confidence in them hold for certaine that the opinion and the conceit which thou hast of God is by Relation of men They who accepting the Gospell and through the Covenant of Iustification which is by Iesus Christ our Lord being made the sonnes of God and having familiarity with God know God and get a new opinion of God and frame new conceits of God not now by relation but by knowledge and experience and going unto the holy Scriptures with their new opinion and with their new conceits finde written in it the selfe same which they know and experiment They understand that God is patient mercifull slow to wrath estranged from revenge except it bee in them that are the vessels of wrath whom also God for sometime
the good which he findes in himselfe in such sort that he hath confidence in himselfe and not in God And it is cleane contrary And therefore the pious person finding himselfe in that first estate shall know and understand what he is of himselfe what his owne being is and the being which he hath from Adam and shall thinke because hee hath at other times felt the favour of God he feeles in that estate his disfavour for as much as none ever feeles the disfavour but he that hath felt the favour And so thinking shall assure himselfe of his election of his vocation and prededestination and shall say The selfe same God who without my desert hath at other times favoured me shall draw me out of this disfavour and returne mee unto his favour When a pious person shall finde himselfe in the estate of prosperity he shall know and understand that which he is through God and the being which hee hath from God and the being which hee hath through Christ and shall know in himselfe the presence of God unto which he shall attribute his loving his confidence his believing and his hope knowing that they are all the gifts of God having already knowne what hee is of himselfe what he is without God In this manner knowing himselfe in that first estate deprived of the presence of God and knowing God in the second state and beeing rich by the presence of God hee shall much augment himselfe in the knowledge of himselfe and in the knowledge of God And this as Solomon saith is all that belongs to a man He would say that herein consisteth all his being and all the perfection of a man that he should know that his being and his perfection comes from God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Addition I doe not meane that Iustification answers to Faith but that they who believe enjoy Iustification of the Iustice of God executed in Christ. And I understand that a man being Iust by this Iustice doth as much prize himselfe or esteeme himselfe or vaine-glory himselfe as much as the theife who is taken from the Gallowes in the Holy Weeke prizeth himselfe esteemes himselfe and vaine-glories himselfe for his deliverance Men never esteeme themselves but for that wherein they finde and know their owne proper vertue I speake of them who have good judgment And if any man shall say unto me wherefore doth S. Paul so much prize himselfe and glory for his being a Christian◅ I will answer him that S. Paul did not prize himselfe of himselfe for his owne glory but he did prize himselfe of Christ for the glory of God as the thiefe prizing himselfe for his deliverance glorieth not nor prizeth himselfe for his proper glory but prizeth himselfe as a man may say of the Holy Weeke for the glory of Christ. CONSID. XLIII How a pious person may assure himselfe to have obtained Piety and Justification by the Spirit and not by Humane wisdome FOr as much as I understand that amongst other things with which the evill Spirits disquiet and molest the thoughts of persons applyed unto piety one is to perswade them that the knowledge which they haue of God and of Christ and that understanding of the spirituall things of the holy Spirit is not gotten by them through Revelation or inward Inspiration as they obtaine it who are elected of God and as it ought to be to the intent that that blessednesse for which our Saviour pronounced S. Peter blessed may reach unto them but by humane wisdome by Iudgment and by humane industry as those men obtaine it who are not elected of God and therefore are neither held nor called blessed And because understanding this I desire that they who know God and Christ by the holy spirit should understand their good and their felicity I say that every pious person and just by the Iustice executed in Christ being sollicited with such imaginations and with such perswasions should for the first hold it certaine that his piety and his justification were not the worke of the holy Spirit he should not bee sollicited with such imaginations nor with such perswasions For flesh is never contrary unto flesh and it is alwaies contrary to the spirit And therefore the evill spirits who as David saith seeke ill thoughts serving themselves of the enmity that is betweene the flesh and the holy Spirit doe disturbe the Spirit with such imaginations and with such perswasions If they cannot by such meanes drive away from them such kinde of imaginations and perswasions let them compare that which they know of God and of Christ and that which they understand of spirituall things by the operation of the holy spirit himselfe with that which men of the world who are prized and esteemed for their wits and judgments and for their industries doe cōmonly understand who have read the same things which they have and have heard the same things which they have and pretend that selfe same which they doe And finding it as indeed they shall finde it that it is much different and very diverse and of another quality that which they know of God and of Christ and that which they understand of spirituall things by meanes of the holy spirit himselfe from that which commonly men know and understand They may well certify themselves that neither by wi◅ nor by Iudgment nor by humane Industry they have obtained the grace of Piety and the grace of Iustification b◅t properly by divine revelation and by divine inspiration and by the holy Spirit except they bee so presumptuous and so arrogant that they think themselves to have more wit and more industry and more judgment then other men But this thought is alwaies farre from those persons which are elected of God to the participation of the grace and favour of God which is preached amongst men in the Gospell of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLIIII In what manner a man shall know what fruit hee hath made in Mortification and what is the cause that they who apply themselves to Piety are sollicited by Affections and Appetites with which they were never before sollicited I Vnderstand that when a person would understand the profit that he hath made in mortification I would say what affections and appetites he hath mortified he shall know it by examining himselfe throughly what affections and appetites he hath found alive in himselfe and intire being sollicited by them And considering what and which of them are now dead and mortified he shall understand what profit hee hath made in mortification For I understand that he who hath never felt the shame to speake of the Justice of Christ hath not mortified the affection of shame which is proper and naturall unto man And he that hath felt the shame and now no more feeles it he it is that hath mortified it as S. Paul had mortify'd it according as he shewes saying that he was not ashamed to preach the Gospell And I understand
them for this but for another And for a man to be thus not contented of this life only as I understand it is a great countersigne for a man to bee assured of his piety and of his Predestination For I hold for certaine that to them to whom God meanes to give eternall life hee doth also put a great love and great affection of it in such sort that hee who shall finde in his minde a desire that there were no other life let him hold himselfe impious although hee would choose to die and let him not despaire For albeit he be out of piety hee ought to thinke that God is able to draw him out of it as he hath drawn and doth draw all them that have beene and are in it And hee who shall finde in his minde a love of eternall life not contenting himselfe with ◅his present may hold himselfe for pious and for predestinated unto life everlasting although he feare death considering all this which hath beene said and above all that even the only Begotten Sonne of God feared Death Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLVI That they who walke through the Christian path without the inward light of the holy Spirit are like unto them that walke in the night without the light of the Sunne ALL they who being guided only by their naturall light and by humane wisdome presume to understand the things that are of the Spirit of God to walk in the Christian way that is to live Christianly I liken them to a man that goes by night with the light only of his own eyes through a way that is full of dangers and inconveniencies And it seemes to me that as to such a one sometimes a piece of wood will seeme a thiefe and a stone an armed man and thereupon he will fly and be afraid and another time the water will seeme a stone and he will wet himselfe and the shadow will seeme to him a tree and thinking to leane to it he will fall on the ground Even so neither more nor lesse hee that walkes Gods way being guided by his naturall light is sometimes affrighted by those things which ought not to affright him and is sometimes secured and reposeth himselfe on those things on which he ought not to secure nor repose And so going hee goes on groping like a man amazed and without knowing what he doth Hee that walkes by the light of the holy Scripture and by the examples of Saints but without the Spirit I liken him unto one that walkes by night carying a candle in his hand and goes not altogether in the darke but yet notwitstanding he goes not without feare nor hee goes not secure in his minde nor certaine not to fall into many inconveniences Whereupon I understand that as to the traveller of whome I have spoken that travels by night by the light of his owne eyes only the best and most wholesome counsell that could be given him were that hee should stay in his journey whilst the night lasteth untill such time as the ◅unne were risen and would shew him the way and the things that are in it and he might travell being helped by the light of his own eyes Even so to him that walkes Gods way only with his naturall light with the testimony of Scriptures and with the example of Saints the best and most wholesome counsell that could be given him is that he should firme himselfe in his journey whilst the night of his owne proper blindnesse continueth untill such time that God send him his spirit by meanes whereof with his naturall light◅ and with his wisedome hee may be able well to understand the journee and to see all that is therein And if any person shall demand me saying How shall I doe to firme my selfe in this journey I will answer him Exercise not thy selfe in any thing pretending Iustification thereby nor Religion of any sort nor of any quality and pray God affectionately that hee would send thee his Spirit which may be unto thee as a Sunne in this journey wherein by thine owne wisedome thou neither knowest nor canst travell and stand attentive all the time that God shall deferre to send unto thee his Spirit applying thy selfe to all those things which offer themselves to thee in which thou knowest true piety without any mixture of superstition and content thy selfe of whatsoever God doth and be discontented of all whatever thou dost thy selfe This is that which I should say unto him And I understand that as if the sunne should breake forth altogether with all his splendor it would in such sort blind the eyes of the Traveller of whom I have spoken that he would not be able to make any more use of them then as if it were night Even so in like manner if the Spirit of God should at once give unto a person all that knowledge which he gives in lengh of time it would blind him and put him in greater inconvenience then at first And because this is true I understand that our God rich in liberality and in mercy gives unto us his spirit and he gives it unto us in such manner as it may helpe and not harme us not according to our appetites but according to his eternall wisedome by which as a good Father he governeth them who are his sonnes remaining incorporated in his only Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLVII Foure Counter-signes to know them by who pretend piety and the spirit not having either the one or the other VNderstanding that the false Prophets of whom our Lord Iesus Christ counselleth us to beware because they shew themselves as Sheep and are Wolves are properly those who having entred themselves into Christian piety pretending by their own exercises and by their own industry to obtain the spirit of God and to become spirituall and not being able to compasse their intent remain alwaies impious in their minds although they dissemble and feigne piety as much as it may bee feigned with strange superstitiōns and other ceremonies which haue an appearance of piety understanding likewise that the cause why Iesus Christ our Lord ◅aith unto us That we should beware of them is because they are the most pernitious pestilence that can be for them who attend unto piety in as much as having ◅ost the shame of the world and having renounced honour and outward reputation and having lost the respect unto God and to all religion they doe only attend to doe all the dammage that they can to piety and to those persons that attend unto it finding the dore open thereunto by the communication and conversation that they haue with such persons Now desiring that pious and spirituall persons should know these kinds of Wolves that make themselus Sheep and knowing them should beware to converse and deale with them with that dove-like simplicity which they haue obtained through the holy Spirit using that serpentine wisdome which is naturall unto them I haue
God knowing to pray as he ought he is heard in his prayer that being granted him which he demands Consideration as I understand ought to bee helped on mans part who considereth of spirituall things with his proper experience I would say that he who considers should haue proved in himselfe those things of which holy Scripture speaks in such manner that by what hee findes and knows in himselfe ◅e comes to understand that which is written in holy Scripture They who consider without this experience goe in the dark and goe groping and albeit they sometimes divine and some other times they doe hit right not having the proofe thereof in themselues they neither know whether they doe hit right nor rellish that wherein they doe hit right And they who are in prayer helped from the holy spirit and in consideration are helped by their own proper experience oft-times hitting right or rather as it were alwaies they doe both know that they hit right and they doe rellish that wherein they doe hit right To bee better understood I declare my selfe with two authorities one of S. Paul and the other of David daring to put the example in my selfe I say that reading that of S. Paul Even as the testimony of Iesus Christ is confirmed in you willing to understand it well first I will work with the book of prayer praying God that he will open unto me the way for the understanding of these words and in my prayer I stand steady as much as I can keep my minde firme in it Afterwards opening the book of consideration I begin to consider within my selfe of what Christian matters I haue any experience and I begin also to examine what is that testimony of Iesus Christ which hee brought unto the world And finding in me the government of the holy spirit and feeling my selfe justified in the justice of God executed in Christ which two things are so joyned together that a man can hardly understand which of them he feels most either the goverment of the holy spirit or the justification by faith and understanding that the testimony which Christ published unto the world doth principally resolve it selfe into two parts that is into that The kingdome of heaven or the kingdome of God which is all one drawes neere and into that which he speaking of his own bloud saith For you and for many it shall be shed to remission of sinnes Of which two parts one hath intent unto the kingdome of God which is begun to be felt and tasted in this present life and is continued and perpetuated in life eternall the other un◅o the justification that is by Christ I come to resolve my selfe that S. Paul understood that the Corinthians might testifie by their proper experience that Christ spake the truth in the testimony which hee gaue unto the world as well touching the comming of the kingdome of God as also of justification by the justice of God execured in his most pretious flesh And I understand that so much a man may call and judge himselfe a Christian in as much as he hath this testimony of Christ our Lord confirmed in himselfe In like manner willing to understand that of David For I am a stranger with thee c. and having opened the book of Prayer I open that of Consideration and I goe examining in what manner I am a Pilgrim and stranger in this present life And finding that I am such in as much as I am not knowne nor am prized nor esteemed in the world and in as much as I doe not prize nor esteem the world And finding likewise that God in this selfesame manner is a Pilgrim in the world for he is not known nor prized nor esteemed in the world and because he neither prizeth nor esteemeth the world holding it for that which it is I understand that David would say Lord because the world doth that with me which it doth with thee and I doe that with it which thou dost And I understand that in this manner the Saints of the Law were strangers with God and in this manner are the Saints of the Gospell amongst them as the head the Son of God our Lord. In this manner I understand a man is to serve himself of these two divine books and I understand that the one helps the other marvellously And I also understand that he who can consider with his proper experience doth alwaies erre when he sets himselfe to consider without having first opened the book of Prayer And I think that alwaies as it were when this selfesame is moved to pray motion is the instinct of God Out of all this I gather that this being true that the true understanding of the Scripture ought to be sought by meanes of these two interpreters or books which are Prayer and Consideration and that prayer needs to bee helped with the inspiration of God and Consideration with the experience of that man that considers it is also true that to the pious Christian who sets himselfe to holy Scripture it appertaines to liue in a continued desire that God would giue unto him his holy spirit and to attend to the mortification of all that which is flesh humane wisdome in him to the intent that vivification may succeed to mortification for they only who haue begun to be mortified and to liue can consider by their own proper experience for they onely feele in themselves the spiritual gifts of God which they obtain who belieue in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LV. Against curiosity and how the holy Scriptures ought to be read without curiosity MAns minde desires to maintain it selfe aliue and to conserve it selfe in its liuelinesse with divers meats amongst which as I understand Curiosity is that which most pleaseth it and most satisfieth as well in regard of it selfe as that alwaies there goes ambition and vanity mingled therewith And I understand that this Curiosity is so savory unto the minde of man that it feeds thereon in what manner soever this meat be seasoned dressed so that it be Curiosity Now it being needfull that this humane minde should dye to the intent that in the persons who attend unto Christian piety that resolution may be maintained which knowing themselues to be dead on Christs Crosse they haue made and doe make with the world and with themselves It is also needfull that this food of curiosity should be taken from them not giving it unto them in any manner nor by any way taking it from them principally in those things in which piety religion and holinesse which are the most pretious things may be pretended And amongst these I hold for most dangerous the study of holy Scripture whē it is with curiosity for albeit it is ordinarily a good meanes to kill the minde of man the minde is on the other side so liue that it converts it into curiosity delighting to maintain it selfe with that alone when it cannot with other
who haue the spirit of Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID LXVIII That the desire of knowledge is Imperfection in a Man contrary to the judgement of Humane Wisdome HVmane wisdome judgeth that the desire to know is a great perfection in man And the holy spirit iudgeth that it is a great imperfection in a man Humane wisdom confirmes her opinion saying that it hath been seen by experience that in the world those men haue lived most virtuously who having the greatest desire to know haue most given themselves to indeavour to know and haue known most And here is alleaged a troup of Philosophers And the holy spirit on the contrary affirmes his sentence saying that through the desire of knowing sinne came into the world and through sin death and with it all the miseries and all the troubles whereunto wee stand subiect in this present life That this is true is proved by the perswasion of the Divell who said unto E◅e You shall be like Gods knowing good and evill Passing on farther the holy spirit faith that the desire of knowledge destroyed the Hebrews in as much as desiring to understand the prophecies that spake of the Messias and procuring to understand them by the way of wit and humane discourse they imagined to themselves and figured a M◅ssias so cōtrary to him whom God sent them as when they had him they knew him not and not knowing him they did not receaue him and from their not receauing him redownded not onely that they did not enioy him but it caused their ruine and perdition Passing on farther the holy Spirit saith that the Gentiles desiring to know the originall and the beginning of naturall things did procure to know them with their own wits and discourses whence comes to passe that which Saint Paul said They became vain in their imaginations and they worshipped the creatures and ran headlong into other absurd and bruitish inconveniences In the selfe same manner the holy spirit saith that many men desiring to know the things which appertain to Christian Religion and procuring it with naturall light haue made such strange conceits of God of Christ and of the Christian state and of the Christian living that a man may say with truth that of Christ they haue nothing but the name participating on one side of the inconvenience of the Hebrewes in as much as they read holy Scripture and desiring to understand it procuring this not with that spirituall light with which it was written but with naturall light they doe not understand it And participating on the other side of the inconvenience of the Gentiles in as much as desiring to know that which the Gentiles knew they read that which the Gentiles writ and they think as the Gentiles thought frame Gentiles mindes The holy spirit having proved his sentence against that desire of knowing which men haue saith further that that vertue which is got by desiring to know and knowing that which may be known with naturall light is rather a vice then a vertue in as much as it makes men presumptuous insolent and consequently impious incredulous That this is true appeares by this that the men that follow their proper naturall light by how much they are more vertuous according to the world by so much they haue lesse confidence in God and doe so much lesse belieue in Christ and therefore are so much more impious and more incredulous in such manner that it stands well to say that the desire to know is a great imperfection in a man In this discourse I learne two things The one that humane wisdome hath no iurisdiction in judging of the perfection and imperfection of a man The other that it appertaines to every man who being called of God to the grace of the Gospell makes answer thereunto to mortifie and kill in himselfe the desire to know of what sort soever it be that he may not fall into the inconvenience of false Christians and of the Gentiles and of the Hebrews nor into that wherein our first Fathers fell and that they may come to the perfection whereunto S. Paul came not desiring nor procuring to know other then Christ and him crucified Which wisdome wee ought to desire and procure but with prayer to God we who having accepted the grace of the Gospell are true Christians incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXIX That a man ought alwaies to acknowledge himselfe incredulous and defectiue in faith and that there is so much faith in a man as much as there is knowledge of God and Christ. VVHen I consider the great efficacy which Iesus Christ our Lord attributes unto Faith saying that with it how little soever it be we may remoue mountaines from one place to another returning upon my self and not finding my selfe with such an efficacious faith I know how weak and feeble my faith is and then I turne my minde to God saying with the Apostles Lord increase my faith and saying with the father of the Lunatique Lord help mine unbelief And understanding that my faith is to come through the guift of God and holding for certain that I shall haue so much of faith as I shall haue of the knowledge of God and of Christ for as much as men how ever good relation they haue of other men doe so much trust them as they know them I turn my selfe to pray God that he would let me know him and would let mee see him and that he would let me know and see Christ as much as may be in this present life to the intent that I may haue confidence and so my faith may be strong and efficacious Wherein I consider the craft of the enemy of mankinde and most full of enmity against Christ in as much as he understanding that the intent with which Christ did so much exaggerate the efficacy of Faith makes that men how much soever they believe and how much confidence soever they haue should alwaies judge themselves incredulous and defectiue in the Faith hath made that amongst men who doe approue the Gospell of Christ it should be an honourable thing to belieue and a shamefull thing not to belieue or to doubt to the intent that perswading themselves for their own honour sake that they doe believe they should not come to knowe themselues incredulous and defectiue in the faith and so they never come to get that which Christ pretends they should get that is the knowledge of God and of Christ by the knowledge Faith and by Faith iustification by justification glorification and eternall life And in very truth great is the blindnesse ignorance of men in every thing that see only with the eyes of humane wisdome very excessiue great in this that not admitting in humane matters one testimony that testifies only of heare-say except he speak of certain knowledge or proper experience it perswades it selfe by it selfe and by others that in divine matters it sufficeth to testifie
most christianly and when they would bring themselves with humane industry to have confidence to believe and love finde most difficulty in this are true Christians incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXVIII Two griefes one according to the world and the other according to God And two weaknesses one according to the flesh and the other according to the Spirit AS Saint Paul puts two griefes one according to the world and saith that this causeth death and the other according to God and saith that this causeth life Even so I put two weaknesses one according to the Flesh and I understand that this causeth feare and another according to the spirit and I understand this causeth love And I put them because I feele them in the Griefes which S. Paul puts understanding that then a man feeles griefe according to the world when he falls into some such inconvenience as causeth shame or losse or any other discommodity in the eyes of the world in the reputation and dignity of the world And I understand that this griefe causeth death in as much as a man that grieves in this manner except he speedily remedy his griefe becomes blasphemous against God in as much as attributing unto him the cause of his griefe he laments of him and by being blasphemous against God he comes to get himselfe eternall death In the selfe same manner I understand that then a man feeles griefe according to God when he falls into any inconvenience by reason whereof he feares to be deprived of the grace of God and of the holy spirit of Christ and of God himselfe And I understand that this griefe causeth life in as much as he who is grieved in this manner doth more and better know himselfe and ◅o doth more cordially recommend and remit himselfe to God and from this recommending himselfe to God he comes to obtain resurrection and life everlasting For the two weaknesses which I put I understand that a man is then weak according to the flesh when his weaknesse growes from selfe love And I call weaknesse to resente himselfe for those things which come to passe against his will This weaknesse I understand causeth feare for where selfe-love is there is alwaies fear And I understand that this weaknesse is tolerable in Christian persons being no signe of impiety but of imperfection ◅n the selfe same manner I understand that a man is then weak according to the spirit when his weaknesse growes from the love of God resenting himselfe when he sees himselfe deprived of God or of any of the things that are of God which are meanes to him to grow in the love of God and in the confidence in God This weaknesse I understand causeth love because it proceeds from love and so is converted into love and is therefore laudable and a signe of christian perfection Weaknesse according to the Flesh but not blame-worthy I understand was that which S. Paul felt for the reprobation of the Hebrewes And weaknesse according to the spirit I understand was that which S. Paul ◅elt through the sting of the flesh and that which he felt for the sicknesse unto death of his friend And that also was weaknesse according to the spirit which they of Miletum felt for the departure of S. Paul Whence I gather that Christian persons ought not to grieve themselves much in their weaknesses that are according to the flesh since in them they be tolerable for they are not mortall And that the selfesame Christian persons ought to rejoyce much in their weaknesses which are according to the spirit in as much as they are signes of perfection and the way of vivification of resurrection and of eternall life The sons of this world feele the griefe that is according to the world but they doe not feele the griefe which is according to God And those of God feele the one and the other griefe the one in as much as Adam lives in them and the other in as much as Christ lives in them The sons of this world have indeed the weaknesse that is according to the flesh but all of them doe not know it for weaknesse neither feele it as such The weaknesse which is according to the spirit they neither have nor know nor feele And the sons of God have know and feele both the weaknesses knowing in the weaknesse that is according to the flesh the reliques of the old Adam and knowing in the weaknesse that is according to the spirit the renovation of the new Adam our Lord Iesus Christ. CONSID. LXXIX How perilous the errors be which men doe pretending piety I Hold for certaine that amongst those errors which wee who are the sons of God committing may offend God the greatest are those which are committed pretending piety That this is true I see as well by the rigorousnesse with which God hath chastized these errors according as it is read in holy Scripture as also because it appeares in the selfe same Scripture that God hath with his hand restrained them who have been his not consenting that they should fall into these kind of errors not having done the same in other errors wherein they have had intention to satisfy their appetitites and affections Of the rigorousnesse with which God hath chastized them who have erred pretending piety he might principally give testimony who willing to hold up the Arke of the Testimony which to his seeming was about to fall died instantly And Saul who was deprived of the kingdome of Israell and perpetually deprived of the grace of God for the sacrifize that he made to God for the victory that he had against certain nations of which God had given him command that he should not leave any live thing which should not passe the edge of the sword Whereupon if any shall demand saying Why then hath not God used the selfe-same rigorousnesse with others who have erred more perniciously pretending piety as a man might say with S. Paul who before he was a Christian pretending piety persecuted and slew the Christians I will make answer First that as hitherto God hath not given me the accompt thereof And then I will say that God doth not use this rigorousnesse except with them who are of the number of his And S. Paul when he was in that error was not in the number of those who were Gods the Hebrew people having then left to be the people of God and therefore his error was not chastized as that of Vzzahs nor as that of Sauls That God hath restrained with his hand his elect not suffering them to erre in piety albeit he haue suffered thē to erre in other things it serves me for a most effectuall example that which is written of David who pretending piety desired to build the Temple of Hierusalem and God did not consent thereunto because it was not his will that he should build it unto him and therefore hee should haue erred if he had builded it And the
their writings of the knowledge of good and evill in that of which it is capable in which thing it is also illustrated in them by the spirituall light And that they have renounced it and mortified it in that of which it is incapable that is in the justification by Christ in the reconciliarion with God in the regiment and government of the holy Spirit and generally in all celestiall things spirituall and divine I understand it indeed that the felicity would be much greater and the perfection of a man that the knowledge of good and evill were totally extinct and dead and the spirituall light were totally kindled and alive But I understand that the flesh passible and mortall is not a subject habilitated for so great felicity And I understand that this shall be after the resurrection when it shall have obtained impassibility and immortality in the mean space it is necessary that the Saints should serve themselves of the knowledge of good and evill and of the naturall light because they converse and deale together with men who serve themselves of the selfe same science and of the selfe same light following in that the counsell of Christ be you wise as serpents Mat. 20. and that which S. Paul saith be you wise in understanding 1. Cor. 14. Here two things offer themselves unto mee The first that because the knowledge of good and evill the Naturall light Prudence and Humane reason are in a man through his disobedience of God and are of the state of depravation it comes to passe that this science this light and this prudence never give man true felicity nay rather as Solomon affirmes As the science the light and wisdome increase the affliction the anguish and the griefe increase and therefore felicity decreaseth The second that considering that Adam before he had the knowledge of good and evill was not ashamed to stand naked and after he had the knowledge of good and evill was ashamed and cloathed himselfe I come to understand that whilest a man hath the spirituall light and serves himselfe thereof he knowes no defect in any of the workes of God nor doth pretend to correct and moderate them And whilest he hath the knowledge of good and evill and serves himselfe thereof he knowes defects in the workes of God and pretends to correct and amend them such is the arrogancy of the men who glory to have the knowledge of good and evill to have much naturall light much prudence and much human reason And such likewise is the humility of the men which have the spirituall light who stand in the Kingdome of God standing by the faith of the Gospell incorporated in the Son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. CVII In what manner from a man 's not knowing himselfe nor God there is caused in him an impossibility in accepting the Grace of the Gospell BY how much I set my selfe more profoundly to consider the benefit of Christ considering that it is in all and upon all them that accept it so much the more doe I marveile that all men run not after it and embrace it and set it in their hearts there being offered unto them by way of guiâ—…t the remission of their sinnes the reconciliation with God and consequently immortality and life with Christ And having set my selfe many times to consider whence it may proceed that all they who have knowledge of this most singular grace doe not accept it I have understood that it proceeds from a man 's not knowing neither himselfe nor God And in effect it comes to passe that man not knowing in himselfe the impiety and the malignity and the rebellion which are naturall to him through originall sinne he doth not distrust himselfe to be able of himselfe to satisfy God to be just before God In the selfesame manner it comes to passe that man not knowing in God bounty mercy and fidelity doth not trust in God and so cannot perswade himselfe nor secure himselfe in his minde that the justice of Christ appertaines to him that God accepts him for just by reason of that which Christ suffered And if a man knew himselfe considering himselfe impious malignant and rebellious not onely of himselfe but for being as he is the son of Adam he would distrust himselfe to be able of himselfe to justify himselfe And if he knew God knowing in him bounty mercy and fidelity he would easily trust himselfe of him accepting the pardon which the Gospell offers him and so much the more as knowing himselfe it would not seem strange to him that God should pardon him without his proper merit the evills inconveniences wherein he knowes himselfe to have fallen partly without his own proper fault and partly with his own proper fault bred and derived from that of others with which as I understand David excused his sinne saying behold J was shapenin in wickednesse c. whence I understand that as it is impossible that a man not knowing himselfe nor knowing God should accept the grace of the Gospell and should secure himselfe with it so it is impossible that a man knowing himselfe and knowing God should pretend or thinke to justify himselfe by his own proper workes nor to avoid the evill not to apply himselfe to the good And if one shall say unto me How then did the Hebrew Saints who knew themselves and knew God pretend to Iustify themselves with the sacrifises which the law commands I will answer that the Hebrew saints did not place their iustifications in their sacrifices but in the word of God which promised to pardon them they making those sacrifices And here I understand that here it was much more difficult to the Hebrew saints because they knew themselves and knew God to reduce themselves and to hold themselves for iust sacrifising then it is for the Christian saints who know themselves and know God to reduce themselves and to hold themselves for iust believing and accepting the grace of the Gospell in as much as it is most certain that the Hebrew saints in sacrifising knew that they gave unto God that which they themselves out of their naturall inclination did delight to give him and that which they knew is not pleasing in it selfe or for it selfe nor contents God as is approved by many things which we read in the old holy Scripture and is particularly in the Psalmes and Isaia And in as much also as it most certain and true that the Christian Saints believing know that they give unto God that which by their naturall inclination they would not give and that which God delights and would should be given unto him as is approved by all the Scripture Whence I take this resolution that the men who in the time of the Gospell pretend to iustify themselves working give testimony of themselves that they know not themselves neither know God That they who pretend to be iust believing give testimony of themselves that they know themselves
understand that this word of God as Isaia saith 53. was prosperous in Christ in as much as that came to passe which God pretended in him and by him And so I understand that it is one and the selfe same word that of which S. John saith In the begining was the word and the word was with God and the word was God And more beneath And the word was made flesh And with that which S. Paul saith Colos. 1. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth But setting my selfe to search in what thing this divine generation of the son of God of the Word of God doth consist in what manner the Son is generated of the Father for what â—…ause the Word is called the Son and the Son is called the Word I finde my selfe so uncapable of this intelligence that I anew confirme my selfe in that which I have written in another consideration saying that as the wormes which are bred of the corruption of the earth are altogether uncapable of the manner by which one man is generated by another man even so the men who are generated by carnall generation are altogether uncapable not only of the manner how the son of God was generated but also of the manner how the sons of God are regenerated by the holy spirit of God And if I should understand in what manner Moses and David S. Iohn and S. Paul understood it that God created all things by his Word I should also understand this divine secret which I goe searching out wherein I goe considering the power where with Christ also in his humble state did that which he would being suddenly obeyed by his creatures without that any gave any farther impediment then was granted unto them If it shall please God that I be capable of this divine secret before I goe out of this present life I will also adjoyne that here which hee shall teach mee to his glory and of Christ and of those who are the sonnes of God in Christ and through Christ. Otherwise I will content my selfe of this for I am sure that I shall see with these corporall eyes in life eternall that which at present I desire to see with the eyes of my mind And in the mean space I rejoyce in this that at present I know that this Word of God this son of God with whom by whom God hath created and repaired all things is of the selfe-same substance of the Father and one selfe same thing with him and is eternall as is he I understand that the holy spirit accommodating it selfe to our incapacity speaking with us useth these words used amongst us such as are Word and Sonne not to the end that by them we should comprehend the divine secret but because we may have some name of him According to this divine generation I understand that Christ is the first begotten son of God by his eternity that he was alwaies the Son and that he is the only begotten sonne of God by his singularity that he is only the Sonne by generation all others that are Sonnes being Sonnes by regeneration For what belongs to the divine generation of Christ I understand that in him was neither diminution nor augmentation He was the same before his incarnation that he was in his incarnation and that he is in his glorification According to the human generation I understand that Christ by the work of the holy spirit was generated in the womb of the most holy Virgin in what manner I know not to me it sufficeth to know that the flesh with which the Word of God cloathed it selfe in this world was taken from that most holy Virgin For according to this flesh I know Christ for the Son of David and of Abraham And I see now in part fulfilled in him the promises of God made unto David as much as belongs to the perpetuity of the Kingdome in his seed and those made unto Abraham as much as belongs to the multiplication of his seed and as much as belongs to the inheritance of the world And I expect to see them intirely compleat in life eternall the resurrection of the just being made According to this human generation I know in Christ two Times the one of shame and the other of glory In the time of his opprobry I know him a man passible and mortall with all the miseries which being annexed unto passibility and mortality doe grow in a man that lives in poverty And I know him with a flesh like unto mine saving that his was not sinfull flesh nor flesh subject unto sinne as mine is In this time I know Christ most humble and most meek he esteeming himselfe for that which he was in that being in which he stood cloathed with flesh as one disguised amongst men that he might be handled of men as man In this selfe same time I know Christ most obedient to his eternall father most cleane from all sinne and therefore most iust and most holy in such manner as he might securely say to them who persecuted him and calumniated him who of you can convince me of sin Joh. 8. And S. Paul speaking of him might well say 2. Cor. 5. He who knew no sinne And S. Peter 1. 2. who did no sinne nor was any guile found in his mouth And of this innocency of Christ all the Scriptures are full as of a most necessary thing to be understood of all them who know themselves iust in him and by him In the time of glory I know Christ a man impâ—…ssible and immortall and I know him most glorious and most triumphant as he who hath gotten absolute power in heaven and in earth having obtained the kingdome of God and the inheritance of God for Gods elect having slain all of them in him raised them all up in him and glorified them all in him And so that comes to be of them which is of him In this time I know Christ for Lord for Head and for King of the people of God of the Church of God and of the elect of God I know Christ for Lord of the elect of God because I understand that he hath redeemed them with his pretious bloud delivering them from sin from hell and from death in which things the first man had set them and unto which things he had obliged and made them subject And because the Apostles in their Writings doe joy to call Christ Holy they know Christ for the Head of the Church of God For I understand that God having put in him his holy spirit with all the treasures of his divinity he communicates and distributes them most liberally to those who being incorporated in him appertain to the Church of God to every one according to his capacity doing with them that which my head doth with my body In so much as that as my hand if it could speak would say and affirme that it feeles that from my head there
satisfaction Nay rather when they look upon themselves and finde themselves without theÌ„ they grieve themselves are male-content and so much the more as it seemes to them that they are more perfect because they doe more loose the hope of being able to obtain them so likewise they who approve these three gifts of God not possessing them albeit they rejoyce to heare speak of them through the desire which they have to possesse them yet is it not so much as that gives them entire satisfaction Nay rather when they look upon themselves and finde themselves without them they grieve themselves and stand male-content so much the more as it seemes to them that the gifts are the more perfect because they so much more loose the hope of obtaining them Farther I say that as when it should happen that those 〈◊〉 who approve the three naturall virtues not possessing them should come to possesse them knowing themselves magnanimous valiant liberall they would affirm to have never well understood what thing these three virtues are and would after a much other manner rejoyce to hear speak of them knowing them to be in themselves and albeit it would grieve them when they knew themselves imperfect in them it would not grieve them that they should be as perfect as they are So likewise when it befalls that the men who approve the three gifts of God not possessing them come to possesse them because God gives them unto them knowing themselves with Faith with Hope and with Charity they affirm that they never well understood what these three gifts of God are and doe most fully reioyce and satisfie themselves to heare speak of them and so much the more in as much as hee who speaks more highly of them because they know them in themselves And albeit they are sorry and grieve themselves when looking upon themselves they know themselves imperfect in them it grieves them not that they bee so perfect as thâ—…y are nay rather they are content and if it were possible they would adde unto them much more perfection So much is the satisfaction which they finde in believing hoping and loving In this manner I understand that as none is capable of being magnanimous or valiant or liberall but only he who hath magnanimity valour liberality so none is capable of Believing Hoping and Loving but he who through the Christian spirit hath the gift of Faith Hope and Charity And so it comes to passe to be so true that a man may as it were touch it with his hand That the spirituall gifts and Christian are not understood untill they be possessed In this discourse I understand all this First that it being true that none are capablo of the gifts of God to understand them but they only who haue them it appertaines to every person that would understand them first to demand them of God and not to think that he understands them untill that hee know them and feel them in himselfe as the Magnanimous knows and feels magnanimity in himselfe Secondly that they may say that they know and feele the gifts of God in them who finde entire satisfaction when they heare speak of Christian matters and albeit they are sorrowfull and grieue themselves when they see themselves imperfect in them they reioyce content themselves that they should be so perfect as they are considering that by how much they are the more perfect by so much the more doth the glory of the Gospell of Christ and of God come to be illustrated so much doth the basenesse the vilenesse the infirmity the weaknesse of man come to be more known Thirdly that as one in being magnanimous hath magnanimity in being valiant hath valour in being liberall hath liberality so in ones accepting the grace of the Gospell he hath Faith and is Iust and in desiring the day of iudgement hath Hope and is holy and in Loving God and his neighbours hath charity and is pious Fourthly that as the magnanimous doth not loose his magnanimity for twise or thrise falling into pâ—…sillanimity except he neglect himselfe in such manner that forgetting to be magnanimous he becomes pusillanimous And what I say of the magnanimous I say of the valiant and of the liberall So the just man by the Christian faith doth not loose the iustice of Christ for committing two or three iniquities except he neglect himselfe in such sort of the Faith that forgetting himselfe of his being iust by faith he become uniust And that which I say of the Iust I say of the Holy through Hope and I say of the Pious through Charity where if one shall demand me saying whether I belieue that hee who hath by the gif of God Faith Hope and Charity can come to loose his iustice his Holinesse and his Piety which hee hath gotten with Faith with Hope and with Charîty I will say unto him that if it be possible that he should come to loose his Faith his Hope and his Charity it will be also possible for him to loose his Iustice his Holinesse and his Piety these being the effects of those And I will say unto him that I hold it for more difficult that one who hath by the gift of God Faith Hope and Charity should depraue himselfe in such manner that he should loose them and with them should loose his Iustice his Holinesse and his Piety then it is for another who is by naturall gift magnanimous valiant and liberall should come to make himselfe so pusillanimous so fearefull and so covetous that he should loose his magnanimity vallour and liberality And I will say moreover unto him that as it is a secure thing for the magnanimous valiant and liberall to liue upon his guard suspicioning of himselfe that if he should grow neâ—…ligent he might come to loose his magnanimity his valour and his liberality so likewise is it a secure thing for the Iust Holy and Pious to liue upon his guarde suspicioning of himselfe that if he should grow negligent he might come to loose Faith Hope and Charity and with them Iustice Holinesse and Wisdome It is very true that I shall hold him for much more secure who by the inward spirit shall be certified that hee can by no meanes come to loose his Iustice his Holinesse and his Piety then that other that alwaies lives upon himselfe suspicious of himselfe For I understand that the security which is divine mortifies and kills all the desires of sinning as that which is humane quickens them and kindles them And because I understand also that the susâ—…icionating which is as it were a fearing even when it is of the holy spirit being a thing proper to the Hebrews is a thing of imperfect Christians it being proper to the perfect Christians of them who haue much Faith much Hope much Charity to say with S. Paul who shall seperate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. Here I will adde this That as