Churches of Macedonia liberallie not onelie according to their power but also straining themselues beyonde their power Yea this reliefe must goe further euen to the bestowing of a mans life if neede so require As saint Iohn saith Hereby wee haue perceaued Loue that hee laide downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to laie downe our liues for the bretheren L The fourth worke is true praier and saint Luke setteth out the faithfull and the children of God by this description That they call on the name of the Lorde As on the contrarie it is saide of the wicked That they call not vpon GOD. The true Christian calleth on the Lorde in truth For the spirite of adoption which is the spirite of Praier is his Schoolemaister to teach him to doe it In Praier hee is thus disposed First before hee praieth hee is stricken with some feare and reuerence in regarde of GODS Maiestie for hee considereth that praier is a familiar talking with God Secondlie hee is inwardlie touched with a liuelie feeling of his owne wants but especially hee is vexed and grieued at his owne sinne and rebellion and this sense of his miserie is as a spurre to quicken his benummed heart Thirdly hee humbleth himselfe before his God and laieth open his heart before the Lorde shewing a feruent and longing desire to obtaine those thinges of which he findeth an extreame want in himselfe as the Prophet Dauid did whose desire was like the yawning of the drie ground and this proceedeth from the spirite of God which stirreth vp groaninges in the heart which a man oftentimes for his life cannot expresse Fourthlie when hee maketh his request hee doubteth not but by faith hee beleeueth that God will graunt his requestes which hee maketh according to his worde The ground of this perswasion is double First Christ Iesus by whose merites as hee hath obtained remission of sinnes so he looketh to obtaine all things else The other ground is the comfortable promises of God which he hath made that he will heare them who truely call vpon him Fifthlie hee praieth not for a brunt or two but hee continueth in praier And although God seeme not to heare him at the first yet hee patiently waiteth on the Lord and still calleth vpon him LI The first worke is to walke in some lawfull calling with painefulnesse and vprightnesse so that in performing all the dueties of it a man may keepe a good conscience before God and men Thus Dauid determined to walke in the gouernement of his house and kingdome I will doe wiselie saith hee in the perfect waie till thou commest to mee I will walke in the vprightnesse of mine heart in the middest of mine house I will sette no wicked thing before mine eies I hate the worke of them that fall awaie it shall not cleaue vnto me This sinceritie of Dauids behauiour in his calling made him bold to offer himselfe to be tried not onely by men but much more by the Lord God himselfe and to bee punished accordingly Iudge mee O Lorde saith hee for I haue walked in mine innocencie prooue mee O Lorde and trie mee examine my reines and mine heart So vpright and cleare was hee in all his doings LII Thus much of faith and the benefites that come by faith Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifolde temptations which are in this life inseparable companions of grace The reason is because the diuell hateth Christ with a deadly hatred and sheweth this hatred in a continuall persecution of his members as saint Iohn saith the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went and made warre with the remnant of hir seed which kept the commandementes of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now therefore as soone as Christ Iesus beginneth to shewe anie token of his loue to anie man the Deuill contrariwise sheweth foorth his enmitie and stirres vp his fellow champions the flesh and the worlde to war against him for his confusion And furthermore the Lord in great wisedome permits temptations to the last ende of a Christian mans life to trie his faith to purge him of sinne to humble him and to make him depende of his maiestie to quicken and reuiue the graces of his spirit which otherwise would be dead and decay LIII The temptations of a Christian are specially sixe The first is when inwardly in his hart he is drawen away and entised by his owne concupiscence vnto anie sinne The Christians exercise in temptation is fight and battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit And this fighting standeth in foure things First the flesh stirres vp euill thoughtes and desires as a burning furnace continually â—endeth vp smoke and sparkes of fire and it â—ggeth a man forward to euill wordes and deeeds according to that of Saint Marke For from within euen from the hart of man proceed euill thoughts adulteries fornications murders theftes couetousnes wickednes deceite vncleannesse a wicked eye backbiting pride folishnes 2 The flesh hindreth and choketh the good motions desires of the hart as Paul saith I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members Again the same flesh mingleth euerie good motioÌ„ and desire with some corruptions so that the godlie mislike the best thing they doe Esay saith of his owne the peoples righteousnes that it is but as a menstruous cloute The prayers of the saintes must be performed with swete odours before they can ascend vp sweete sauorie into the nostrilles of God And Paul said of himself he did that which he disliked not that he was ouertaken with grosse sins but because when hee was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly and soundly according to his wil and desire euen as a man who hath a iorney to go his mind is to dispatch it in all hast yet when he is in his trauel he goes but slowly by reason of a lamenesse in his ioints 3 The spirit on the contrarie kindles in the hart good motions desires puts a man forward to good words and deeds as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season 4 The spirit rebuks a man for his euil intents desires and represseth the face of them and as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shal heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke yee in it when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the world of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did
God is honoured and in my heart I doe the same that you doe with the like delectatioÌ„ feruency of spirit Now he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet receiueth a Prophets reward that is he that consenteth to the deede of a Prophet and maintaineth it the same hath the same spirite and earnest of euerlasting life which the Prophet hath and is elect as thâ— Prophet is Nowe if wee compare worke to work there is a difference betwixt washinâ— of dishes and preaching the word of God but as touching to please God none at all For neither that nor this pleaseth God buâ— as farre foorth as God hath chosen a man and hath put his spirite in him and purified his heart by faith trust in Christ. As the Scriptures call him carnall which is not renued by the spirit borne again in Christs flesh al his works like euen the verie motions of his heart and mind as his learning doctrine and contemplation of hie things his preaching teaching and studie in the Scripture building of Churches founding of Colledges giuing of almes and whatsoeuer he doth though they seeme spirituall after the law of God neuer so much So contrariwise he is spirituall which is renued in Christ and all his workes which spring from faith seeme they neuer so grosse as the washing of the disciples feete done by our Sauiour Christ and Peters fishing after the resurrection yea deedes of matrimonie are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith and whatsoeuer is done within the laws of God though it be wrought by the bodie as the verie wiping of shooes and such like howsoeuer grosse they appeare outwardlie yet are sanctified Timoth. What be the speciall thinges in which you lead your conuersation Euseb. One thing is the reading of the Scripture Timoth. It is dangerous to read the scriptures you that haue no learning may easilie fall into errors and heresies Euseb. As he which knoweth his letters perfectlie and can spell cannot but read if he be diligent and as hee which hath cleare eies without impediment or let and walketh thereto in the light open daie cannot but see if he attend and take hede euen so I hauing the profession of my Baptisme onelie written in my heart and feeling it sealed vp in my conscience by the holie Ghost cannot but vnderstaÌ„d the Scripture because I exercise my selfe therein compare one place with another and marke the manner of speech and aske here and there the meaning of a sentence of them that be better exercised then I. for I feele in my hart and haue a sensible experience of that inwardlie which the spirite of God hath deliuered in the Scriptures So that I find mine own feeling as a good coÌ„mentarie vnto me Timoth. We are all baptized belike theâ— we shall all vnderstand the Scriptures Euseb. But alas verie few there be that are taught feele their ingrafting into Christ their iustification their inwarde dying vnto sin liuing vnto righteousnes which is the meaning of their Baptisme And therefore we remaine all blinde generallie as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning as the poore vnlearned laie man And the Scripture is become so darke vnto theÌ„ that they grope for the dore can find no waie in it is become a maze vnto theÌ„ in which they waÌ„der as in a mist or as we saie led by Robin goodfellow And their darkenes can not comprehend the light of the Scriptures but they read them as meÌ„ do tales of Robin hood as riddles or as olde priests read their Ladies mattins which they vnderstand not And vntil a maÌ„ be taught his baptisme that his heart feele the sweetnes of it the Scriptures are shut vp froÌ„ him so dark that he could not vnderstaÌ„d it though Peter Paul or Christ himself did expound it vnto him no more then a man starke blinde can see though thou set a candle before him or shew him the Sun or point with thy finger vnto that thou wouldest haue him looke vpon As for heresie there is no danger if a man come to the Scripture with a meeke spirit seeking there to fashion himselfe like vnto Christ according to the profession and vowe of his Baptisme but contrariwise hee shall there finde the mightie power of GOD to alter and chaunge him in the inner man by litle and litle til in processe he be full shapen after the image of our Sauiour in knowledge and loue of all truth power to worke thereafter Heresies spring not of Scripture no more then darkenes of the Sunne but are darke cloudes which spring out of the blind hearts of hypocrites giuen to pride and singularitie and doe couer the face of the Scripture and blind their eies that they cannot beholde the bright beames of the Scripture Timoth. By this I also can gather that the Papists which cannot reade the Scriptures except they fall into errours haue not the spirite of Christ working in them and teaching them but the lying spirite of Antichrist the Diuel and that if God woulde giue them anie true feeling and open their eies they would quite change their minds But what other exercises haue you Euseb. Praier and thankesgiuing to God For God hath promised verie bountifullie vnto them which praie in truth and it is one of the greatest comforts I haue at all times Again God which commandeth me not to steale commandeth me also to pray and his will is that one commandement should be as well kept as an other and therfore I am perswaded that condemnation will befall me as well for the one as for the other And that praier ought to be continuallie euen in euerie thing a man doth me thinketh it most agreeable to Gods will For if I shoulde come into my neighbours house and take his goods and vse them not borrowing them or asking anie leaue they would laie handes on mee and make mee a thiefe The world and all the thinges in the world are the Lords not mine so then if I shall dailie vse them neuer seeking to the Lorde by praier for the vse of them before God I am an vsurper nay a ranke thief and therfore I desire of God heartily that I may vse all his good creatures with feare and reuerence and that I may sanctifie his name in theÌ„ which Paule sheweth me to be done by the worde of God and praier the worde showing me the lawful vse of his creatures praier obtaining at Gods hands that I may vse them aright If this practise were vsed of men in their professions and callings I am perswaded there would be a thousand vices â—ut off which are in euerie maÌ„ most abounâ—ant and are committed without shame Timoth. I thinke the rest of your Christiâ—n exercises bee the practising of the commandements of the lawe Euseb. Yea they are indeed Timoth. Me thinkes it is an hard point of the law for a man to loue his enemie Euseb. It is
And this appeareth in Iobs example when he saith Lo though hee sleie me yet will I trust in him I will reprooue my waies in his sight he shal be my saluation also for the hypocrite shal not come before him hee declareth his faith yet when he saith presentlie afterwarde Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enimie hee declareth the want of that feeling which you speake off Christian. Yet euerie true beleeuer feeles the assurance of faith otherwise Paul would not haue said Proue your selues whether you are in the faith or not Minister Indeed sometimes he doth but at some other times he doth not as namely at that same time when God first calleth him and in the time of temptation Christian. What a case am I in then I neuer felt this assurance onelie this I feele that I am a most rebellious wretch abounding euen with a whole sea of iniquities me thinkes I am more vglie in the sight of God then anie toade can be in my sight O then what shall I doo Let mee heare some worde of comfort from thy mouth thou man of God Minister Tell me one thing plainly you say you feele no assurance of Gods mercie Christian. No in deede Minister But do you desire with all your hart to feele it Christian. I doo indeed Minister Then doubt not you shal feele it Christian. O blessed be the Lord if this be true Minister Why it is most true For the man that would haue anie grace of God tending to saluation if hee do truelie desire it hee shall haue it for so Christ hath promised I will giue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely Whereby I gather that if any wante the water of life hauing an appetite after it he shall haue inough of it And therefore feare you not onely vse the meanes which God hath appointed to attaine faith by as earnest prayer reuerent hearing of Gods worde and receiuing of the Sacraments and then you shall see this thing verifyed in your selfe Christian. All this which you saie I finde in my selfe by the mercie of God my harte longeth after that grace of God which I want I know I doe hunger after the kingdome of heauen the righteousnes thereof and further though I want the feeling of Gods mercie yet I can pray for it from the verie roote of my heart Minister Bee carefull to giue honour to god for that you haue receiued already For these thing are the motions of the spirite of God dwelling in you And I am perswaded of this same thing that God which hath begon this good worke in you will perfect the same vnto the day of Iesus Christ. Christian. The third thing that troubles me is this I haue long prayed for manie graces of God and yet I haue not receiued them whereby it comes oft to my minde that God loues me not that I am none of his child therefore that I haue no faith Minister You are in no other case then Dauid himselfe who made the same complaint I am wearie of crying my throate is driâ— mine eies faile whiles I waite for my God Christian. But Dauid neuer praied so manie yeares without receiuing an answere as I haue done Minister Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord before he granted his request then euer you did It s like hee praied for a child in his yonger yeres yet his praier was not heard before he was old And further you must note that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants and yet they bee altogether ignorant of it For the manner that God vseth in graunting their requests is not alwaies knowen as maie appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ. Who in the daies of his flesh did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared And yet wee knowe hee was not freed from that cursed death but must needes suffer it How then was he heard On this manner hee was strengthened to beare the death he had an Angell to comfort him hee was afterward freed from the sorrowes of death And so it is with the rest of Christes bodie as it was with the head Some being in want pray for temporall blessings God keepes them in this want and yet hee heares their praiers in giuing them patience and strength to abide that want Some being in wealth and aboundance praie for the continuing of it if it be the will of God The Lorde dinges them into a perpetuall miserie and yet hee heares their praiers by giuing theÌ„ blessednesse in the life to come You praie for the encrease of faith and repentance and such like graces you feele no increase after long praier yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier in that by delaying to performe your request he hath stirred vp in you the spirite of praier hee hath humbled you and made you feele your owne wants the better to depend on his mercie for the beginning and encreasing of euerie spirituall grace Christian. The fourth thing that troubles me is that I cannot feele faith purifie my heart and to worke by loue in bringing foorth liuelie fruits Minister If this bee so continuallie that faith bring forth fruit it is verie dangerous and argueth a plaine want of faith yet for a certaine time it maie be so Faith hath not onelie a spring time and a sommer season but also a winter when it beareth no fruit And there is manie a true Christian like the brused reede that is ouerturned with euerie blast of wind and like the flaxe that hath fire in it which by reason of weakenes giue neither heate nor light but onelie a smoke Christian Thus much shall suffice for my first temptation wherein I take my selfe satisfied nowe if you please I will bee glad to rehearse the second Minister I am content let vs heare it Christian. I am afraide least I haue not truelie repented and therefore that all my profession is onelie in hypocrisie Minister What mooueth you to thinke so Christian. Two causes especiallie the first is they which repent leaue off to sinne But I am miserable sinner I am laden with great burdens of sinne I doo continuallie displease God by my euill thoughts words and deeds Minister You need not feare For where sinne aboundeth that is the knowledge and feeling of sinne there grace aboundeth much more Christian. I finde not this in my selfe Minister But yet you finde thus much in your selfe those corruptions which you feele and those sinnes that you commit you hate theÌ„ you are displeased with your selfe for them and you endeuour your selfe to leaue them Christian. Yea that I doo with all my heart Minister Then howe miserable so euer you feele your selfe by reason of the masâ—e of your sinne yet you are not subiecte to
none If this be so it may be then required how these vnsounde professours differ from true professours I answere in this they differ that they haue not sounde hearts to cleaue vnto Christ Iesus for euer Which appeareth in that they are compared to stonie grounde Now stony groundes mingled with some earth are commonly hot and therefore haue as it were some alacrity and hastines in them and the corne as soone as it is cast into this ground it sprouteth out very speedily but yet the stones wil not suffer the corne to be rooted deepely beneath and therefore when Summer commeth the blade of the corne withereth with roots and all So it is with these professours they haue in their hearts some good motions by the holy Ghost to that which is good they haue a kinde of zeale to Gods worde they haue a liking to good things and they are as forwarde as any other for a time and they doe beleeue But these good motions and graces are not lasting but like the flame and flashing of strawe and stubble neither are they sufficiēt to saluatiō With the true professours it is farre otherwise for they haue vpright and honest hearts before the Lord. Luke 8. vers 15. And they haue faith which worketh by loue Galath 5. vers 6. And that Christian man which loueth God whatsoeuer shall befall yea though it were a thousand deaths yet his heart can neuer bee seuered from the Lord and from his Sauiour Christ as the spowse speaketh vnto Christ of hir owne loue Cant. 8. vers 6. Set me as a seale on thy heart and as a signet vppon thy arme for loue is as strong as death Iealousie is as cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the floudes drowne it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would greatlie contemne it Wherefore good Reader seeing there is such a similitude and affinitie betweene the temporary professour of the Gospell and the true professour of the same it is the duetie of euery Christian to try and examine himselfe whether hee be in the faith or not 2. Cor. 13. vers 5. And whereas it is an harde thing for a man to search out his owne heart we are to pray vnto God that he would giue vs his spirit to discerne betweene that which is good and euill in vs. Nowe when a man hath found out the estate of his heart by searching it he is further to obserue and keepe it with all diligence Prouerb 4. vers 23. that when the houre of death or the day of triall shall come he may stand sure and not be deceiued of his hope And for this purpose I haue described the most of these small treatises which follow to minister vnto thee some helpe in this examining and obseruing of thine owne heart Reade them and accept of them and by the blessing of God they shall not bee vnprofitable vnto thee 1589. CERTAINE PROPOSITIONS DECLARING HOW farre a man may go in the the profession of the Gospel and yet be a wicked man and a reprobate I A Reprobate hath in his mind a certain knowledg of God of common equitie among men of the difference of good from bad and this is partly from nature partly from the contemplation of Gods creatures in which the wisedom the power the loue the mercie the maiestie of God is perceiued II This knowledge is only generall and imperfect much like the ruines of a Princes pallace it is not sufficient to direct him in doing of a good worke For example the reprobate knoweth that there is a God and that this God must be worshipped come to particulars who God is what a one hee is howe hee must bee worshipped Here his knowledge faileth him and he is altogether vncertaine what to doe to please God III By reason of this knowledge the reprobate doth giue consent and in his heart subscribeth to the equitie of Gods lawe as may appeare by the saying of Medea Video meliora probóque deteriora sequor That is I knowe what is best to be done and like it yet I doe the worst This approbation in the reprobate commeth from constraint and is ioyned with a disliking of the lawe in the elect being called the approbation of the lawe it proceedeth from a willing ready mind and is ioyned with loue and liking IIII And by reason of this light of nature a meere natural man and a reprobate may be subiect to some temptations for example he may be tempted of the Deuill and of his owne corrupt flesh to beleeue that there is no God at all As Ouid saith of himselfe Eleg 3. 8. Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos I am often tempted to thinke there is no God V The reprobate for all this knowledge in his heart may be an Atheist as Dauid saith the foole hath saide in his heart there is no God And a man may nowe a daies finde houses and townes full of such fooles Nay this glimering light of nature except it be preserued with good bringing vp with diligent instruction and with good company it will be so darkened that a man shall knowe very little and leade a life like a very beast as experience telleth and Dauid knew very well who saith Man is in honor and vnderstandeth not he is like to beasts that perish VI Wherfore this knowledge which the reprobate receiueth from nature from the creatures albeit it is not sufficient to make him doe that which shall please God yet before Gods iudgement seat it cutteth off all excuse which he might alleage why he should not be condemned VII Beside this naturall knowledge the reprobate may be made partaker of the preaching of the word and be illuminated by the holy Ghost and so may come to the knowledge of the reuealed will of God in his word VIII Thus when they heare the preaching of the word God profereth saluation to them and calleth them yet this calling is not so effectuall in them as it is in the elect children of God For the reprobate when he is called he liketh himselfe in his owne blindnes and therefore neither will hee and if he would yet could he not answer and be obedient to the calling of God The elect being called with speede he answereth and commeth to the Lord and his hart being ready giueth a strong and a loud eccho to the voice of the Lorde This eccho wee see in Dauids heart when saith he thou saidest seeke ye my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I wil seeke thy face And God himself speaketh the same of his children Zacha. 13. 9. They shall call on my name and I will heare them I will say it is my people nowe marke the eccho and they shall say the Lord is my God IX After that he hath an vnderstanding of Gods word he may
separation must bee made before the ende of this life For this is the order which God taketh hee will haue all them to be in his kingdome in this life that shall bee in the kingdome of heauen after this life And the time of their calling is termed in scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirite indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the elect For the better knowing of it there is to be considered First what faith is Secondly howe God doth worke it in the hearts of the Elect Thirdly what degrees there bee of faith Fourthly what are the fruits and benefites of faith IIII Faith is a wonderfull grace of God by which the Elect doe apprehende and apply Christ and all his benefites vnto themselues particularly Here first it is to bee considered that the verie nature of faith standeth in a certaine power of apprehending applying Christ. This is declared by Paule when hee saith ye are buried with him through Baptisme by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God who raised him from the deade Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe his death and buriall and so all other benefites to the beleeuer Againe to beleeue in Christ and to receiue or to laie holde on Christ are put one for an other by S. Iohn which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ. euen as we see when a man hath any thing giuen him hee reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himself and so makes it his owne Moreouer faith is called the putting on of Christ Which cannot bee vnlesse Christs righteousnes bee specially applyed to the heart as the garment to the backe when it is put on Lastly this may appeare in that faith is called the eating and drinking of Christ for there is no eating of meate that nourisheth but first it must bee tasted and chawed in the mouth then it must be conueyed into the stomack and there digested Lastly it is to be applied to the partes of th◠body that are to bee nourished And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that Christ ma◠dwell in their hearts by faith which plainly importeth this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further that faith is a wonderfull grace of God which may appear First in that Paule calleth it the faith of Gods power because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith Secondly experience sheweth it to bee a wonderfull gift of God when a man neither seeth nor feeleth his sinnes then to say he beleeueth in Gods mercie it is an easie matter but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes and the anger of God for them then to applie Gods free mercie to his owne soule it is a most hard matter for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man to blaspheme God and to dispaire of mercie Iudas who no doubt often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the security of his hart when Gods hand was vpon him and the Lorde made him see the vilenes of his treachery hee coulde not comfort himselfe in Christ if one woulde haue giuen him ten thousand worlds but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged him selfe desperately which sheweth what a wonderfull harde thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this as it may appeare in Dauid In the daie of my trouble saith he I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish and hee addeth the worde Selah a note of some wonderfull thing Againe he being almost in the gulfes of hell euen then cried to the Lord for help Iob saith If God should destroy him yet he would for all that beleeue in him still Vndoubtedly strang is the bād of faith knitting Christ and his members together that the anguish of spirite cannot and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by anie corporall touching of him but spirituallie by assurance which is when the Elect are perswaded in their harts by the holie ghost of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes and of Gods infinite mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of Paul Nowe we haue receiued not the spirit of the word but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God The things which the spirit of GOD maketh knowen to the faithfull particularlie are their iustification adoption sanctification eternall life And thus when anie are perswaded of these things concerning themselues they doe in their heartes distinctlie applie and appropriate Christ and his benefites to them selues VI. The manner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this First he prepareth the heart that it maie be capable of faith Secondlie he causeth faith by little and little to spring and to breed in the heart The preparation of the heart is by humbling and softening of it and to the doing of this there are foure things requisite The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God both of the lawe and of the Gospell without the which there can bee no faith according to that saying of Esaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie And that of Iohn This is eternall life that they knowe thee to bee the onely verie God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. The onelie ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by is the word preached which must bee heard remembred practised and continuallie hid in the heart The least measure of knowledge without which a man cannot haue faith is the knowledge of Elements or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religion A fundamentall doctrine is that which being once denied all religion and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrowen This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it which is an assent of the heart to the knowne truth of Gods word This faith when it is growen vp to some great measure it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of vnderstanding and it is to be seene in the Martyrs who maintained Gods truth against the persecutions of the false Church vnto death VII Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightened to know the word of God yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates for it is speciallie said of thē that God is their schole-master that he softeneth their stonie heartes maketh
skinne and the entralles I burned on my backeside the fleshe wee dressed by quarters and did eate it with thanksgiuing as my manner is but surely verie coldlie and mee thought my prayer was abhominable in Gods sight After I had thus done we fared wel for the space of two daies but I felt my heart hardned and my lips were almost locked vp that I could not as I was wont praise the Lord. The third night after I went with a quiet conscience mee thought to my bedde and then I slept soundlie till three of the clocke in the morning but I dreamed that one came to carrie me to pryson vpon that on a sudden I awaked and beeing afraide looked about mee and fell to consider why I should be afraide and I remembred that I had sinned against God by robbing my neighbor ô then my feare increased and I thought that hell gaped to deuoure me and the law looked vpon me with such a terrible countenaunce and so thundred in myne eares that I durst not abide in my bed but vp to goe Then the Diuell assailed me on euerie side to perswade that God had cast mee awaie saying they that be Gods haue power to keepe his law thou hast not but breakest them Therefore thou art a cast-awaie and a damned creature hell gapeth and setteth opē his mouth to deuour thee And I thought with my selfe that I had beene alwaies a ranke hypocrite for as the cloudes of the ayre doe couer the sunne so that sometimes a man cannot tell by anie sense that there is anie Sun the clouds windes hiding it from our sight euen so my cecitie and blindnesse and corrupt affections and the rage of my conscience did so ouershadow the sight of Gods seed in me and so ouerwhelme his spirite as though I ha◠beene a plaine reprobate And thus i◠came to passe that Dauid making his praier to GOD according to his owne sens◠and feeling but not according to the truth desired of God to giue him againe his spirite Which thing GOD neuer doth indeede although hee made mee to thinke so for a time for alwaies hee holdeth his hande vnder his children in their falles that they lie not still as other doe which are not regenerate I being thus turmoiled and stong with the conscience of sinne and the cockatrice of my poisoned nature hauing behelde hirselfe in the glasse of the righteous law of God there was no other salue or remedie but to runne to the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus which shedde his blood hanging vppon the crosse and to his euerlasting testament and mercifull promise that it was shed for mee for the remission of my sinnes therefore I got me speedilie into a close corner in my house and there vpon my face groueling I confessed my sinne and prayed after this manner in effect Father what an horrible monster am I What taytor what rascall and villaine thy mercie is woonderfull that hell hath not deuoured me hauing deserued a thousand damnations I haue sinned I haue sinned against thy godly holy righteous law and against my brother by robbing him whome I ought to loue for thy sake as dearlie as my selfe forgiue mee father for thy son Christ his sake according to thy most mercifull promisses and testament forget not good Lorde thy olde mercies shewed vppon me let them not at this time in me be quite remooued On this manner praiing I continued fiue howers and GOD which is neere to all them that call vppon him heard me eased my paine and assured mee of the remission of my sin After presently for the more easing of my conscience I went to my neighbour betweene him and me vpon my knees confessed my fault with teares desiring him to forgiue me I woulde as Gods lawe requireth restore that which I stole foure folde he I thanke him was contented and toke pittie on me and euer since hath beene by Gods mercie my good friend So by little and little God restored mee to my first estate but mee thinkes I haue not that feeling which I had before and haue bene worse euer since God of his mercie amende me and increase his graces in me Timoth. Praised be God that we fel into this communicatiō for I had thought that no mā had ben in such a case but I for I frō my hart detest that babbling which in time past I haue vsed and I haue vowed with my selfe to vse it no more and God hath giuen mee strength and will to paie my vowes to keepe them halfe a yere or tweluemonth together and then falling into a companie of the honester sort of good fellows I take otherwhiles a cuppe of Nimis for which afterwards I am so touched in my conscience and so grieued inwardlie that often I haue no delight in my meate and then I vse praier and reading and meditating of the scriptures and do receiue much comfort But I praie you what thinke you will not God condemne his children if they sinne Euseb. No for the ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election and a thousande sinnes nay all the sinnes in the worlde nay all the Deuilles in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election And it maie bee that sins doe harden our hartes weaken our faith make sadde the spirite of God in vs but take awaie faith or altogether quench the spirit they cānot God cōdemneth no man for his sinnes if he bee adopted in Christ. For then Ioseph Abrahā Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene should bee condemned God is like a father a father if his childe be sicke and therefore be froward and refuse and cast away his meate hauing eaten it spew it vp againe and in his fit be impacient and raue and speake euill of his father yet I say the father wil not cast him forth of his dores but pittieth him and prouideth such things as may restore him to health and when hee is whole remembreth not his disordered behauior in his sicknes Timoth. What means do you finde most effectuall to strengthē your faith to increase Gods graces in you and to raise you vp againe when you are fallen Euseb. Surely I haue very great comfort by the sacrament of the Lords Supper for whereas I am spirituallye diseased and am prone and readye to fall and am most cruelly oftentimes inuaded of the feend the flesh and the law when I haue sinned and am put to flight and made to runne awaye from God my father therefore hath God of all mercie and of his infinite pitty bottomlesse compassion set vppe his sacrament as a signe vpon a hie hill whence it may be seene on euery side far and neare to call againe them that be runne awaye And with this sacrament he as it were clocketh to them as a hen dooth for hir chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy and hath commanded his sacrament to be had in continuall vse to put vs in minde of his cōtinuall mercy
A Treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first how he may in time come out of it if in the second how he maie discerne it and perseuere in the same to the end The points that are handled are set downe in the page following Giue all dilligence to make your calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. ver 10. Printed at London by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin and I. Porter The Contents of the Booke 1 How farre a reprobate may go in Christian Religion 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life which also sheweth how farre the Electe being called go beyond all Reprobates in Christianitie 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose gathered out of the sauorie writings of Maister Tindall and Bradford 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the Church of Rome 5 The conflicts betweene Sathan and a Christian. 6 How the word of God is to bee applyed aright vnto the conscience 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians To the right Worshipfull and my Christian friend Maister Valentine Knightlie Esquire one of her Maiesties Iustices of Peace in Northampton-shire SIR I pray you consider with mee an especial point of Gods word carefullie to be waied it is this Manie professors of Christ in the day of grace perswade them selues that they are in the estate of grace and so the true Church esteemeth of thē too yet when the day of grace is past they contrariwise shall find themselues to bee in the estate of damnation remedilesse A dolefull case yet a most resolute trueth and the reason is playne Men that liue in the Church are greatly annoyed with a fearefull securitie and deadnes of hart by which it comes to passe that they thinke it inough to make a common protestatiō of the faith not once in al their life times examining themselues whether they be in the estate of grace before the eternall God or not And indeed it is a grace peculiar to the man Electe to trie himselfe whether he be in the estate of grace or not The further opening of the trueth of this point as also the danger of it I haue enterprised in this treatise which I am willing to bestowe on you both for the profession of the faith which you make as also for that Christian friendship you haue shewed to me Accept of it I pray you vse it for your edification Thus I commend you to God and to the word of his grace that is able to build you vp further and giue you an inheritance among them which are sanctified From Cambridge this 24. of Nouember 1589. Your Worships to command William Perkins To the Christian Reader GOod Reader it is a thing to be considered that a man may seeme both vnto himself and to the Church of God to bee a true professour of the Gospel and yet indeede be none All professours that are of this sort are excellently described Luke 8. vers 13. in these words And they which are vpon the stonie ground are they which when they shall heare receiue the word with ioy but hauing no roote beleeue for a time and in the time of temptation goe awaie where are to bee noted three thinges First their faith in that they are saide to beleeue for a season Secondly the fruits of that faith in that they are said to receiue the word preached with ioy Thirdly their vnsoundnes in that they are compared to stony ground and in the time of temptation goe away Concerning their faith whereas the spirit of God saith that they doe beleeue these thinges are to bee considered first that they haue the knowledge of the word of God secondly that they both can and doe giue assent vnto the worde of God that it is most true Thirdly in more speciall manner they giue assent vnto the couenant of grace made in Christ that it is most certaine and sure and they are perswaded in a generall and confused manner that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church I his is all their faith which indeede proceedeth from the holie Ghost but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound professours For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises yet herein they deceiue themselues that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their owne soules An example of this faith wee haue Iohn 2. vers 24. where it is said that when our Sauior Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter manie beleeued in his name yet he would not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them al and what was in them To come to the second thing those professours which are indewed with thus much grace as to beleeue in Christ in a confused manner goe yet further for this their faith though it be not sufficient to saluation yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth for as a tree or a braunch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting but either is couered with a few moules or els lieth in the water at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes and some fruite too and that for one or two or mo yeares so one that is an hearer of the worde may receiue the word and the word as seed by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season and may bring forth some fruits in his life peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies yet indeede neither sound nor lasting nor substantiall What these fruits are it may be gathered forth of these words where it is saide that they receiue the word with ioy when they heare it for here may be gathered First that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word secondly that they are as forwarde as any and as ioyfull in frequenting Sermons thirdly that they reuerence the Ministers whom they so ioyfully heare lastly they condemne them of impietie which will not bee hearers or bee negligent hearers of the word Now of these and such like fruites this may bee added though they are not sound yet they are voide of hypocrisie For the mindes of those professours are in part inlightened and their hearts are indued with such a faith as may bring forth these fruites for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not that faith which they haue not but rather shewe that which they haue Adde hereunto that a man being in this estate may deceiue himselfe and the most godly in the worlde which haue the greatest giftes of discerning how they and their bretheren stand before the Lorde like as the fig tree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as hee was man for when in his hunger hee came vnto it to haue had some fruit he found
meat was within their teeth God in his anger stroke them with a sore plague And which is more strange then this God hath performed that which he hath promised to the vnbeleeuers though they refused to aske it at his handes of this thing wee haue a worthie example in King Achas who vtterly refused to haue a signe of his deliuerance and the confusion of his eneâ—ies when God offered it to him and yet â—e Lord deliuered him XVIII The reprobate may yet goe further in the â—rofession of religion and may seeme for a â—ime to bee planted in the Church for hee doth beleeue the promises of God made in Christ Iesus yet so that hee cannot applie them to himselfe In this thing the elect and the reprobate differ The reprobate generally in a confused maner beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of some men and he neither can nor desireth to come to the particular applying of Christ. The Elect beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of him particularly The reprobates faith may perish in this life but the faith of the elect cannot The reprobate may be perswaded of the mercie and goodnes of God towardes him for the present time in the which hee â—eeleth it the elect is not onely perswaded of the mercies he presently inioyeth but also he is perswaded of his eternall election before the foundation of the world of his euerlasting life which yet he doth not inioy Yea if God would confound him and he sawe nothing but present death and hell fire yet such is his nature that still he would beleeue for faith and hope are noâ— grounded vppon sence and feeling but are the euidence of those thinges which were neuer yet seene or felt The life of the faithfull is hid in Christ as the sappe in the roote of the tree their life is not in sence and feeling but in hoping and beleeuing which often times or contrary to mans sence and feeling is in Dauid who saith Create a newe heart in me Psal. 51. XIX After that hee hath receiued a generall a temporal faith in Gods heauenly word and his most mercifull promises of euerlasting life contained therein by the power of the spirite of God he commeth to haue a tast in his heart of the sweetnes of Gods mercies and a reioycing in consideration of the election adoption iustification and sanctification of Gods children But what is this tast I expresse it thus after the meaning of Gods word Suppose a banket prepared in which are many sweete and pleasaunt and dainty meates At this banquet they which are the bidden guests they must be set downe they see the meates they tast them they chawe them in their mouthes they digest them they are nourished fed and strengthned by them they which are not bidden to this â—east may see the meates handle them and â—ast of them to feele how good they are but â—hey must not eate and feede of them The first resemble the elect which truely eate digest and are nourished by Christ vnto euerâ—asting life because they haue great aboundance of the vitall heate of Gods holy spirit in them and doe feele sensibly his grace and vertue in them to strengthen them and guide them The second sort truly resemble the reprobates which neuer in truth enioy Christ or any of his benefites appertaining to saluation but onely see them and haue in their heartes a vanishing but no certaine or sound feeling of them so that they may be changed and strengthened and guided thereby To vse another similitude The reprobates haue no more feeling and enioying of Christ and his benefites than those men haue of the Sunne which see onely a glimmering of his light at the dawning of the day before it riseth Contrarywise the elect they haue the day-star euen the sonne of righteousnes Iesus Christ rising in their hearts the day spring from an high doth visite them the glorie of God doth rise vpon them they haue their eies annointed with the ointment of the spirite which is the true eie salue and doâ— plainely behold this sonne of righteousnes they inioy his presence they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken anâ— reuiue them XX From this sence and taste of Gods grace proceede manie fruites as first generallie he may do outwardly all things which true Christians doe and he may leade such a life here in this world that although he cannot attaine to saluation yet his paynes in hell shall bee lesse which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ saith it shall bee easier for Tyrus Sydon for Sodome and Gomorrah than for Capernaum and other Cities vnto which hee came in the day of iudgement XXI Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God but this loue can bee no sincere loue for it is only because God bestoweth benefites and prosperitie vpon him As appeareth in Saule Who loued God for his aduauncement to the kingdome and here is a difference betweene the elect and reprobate the elect loue GOD as children their fathers but reprobates as hirelings their maisters whome they affect not so much or themselues as for their wages XXII Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing â—n doing those things which appertayne to â—he seruice of God as preaching praier Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladlie and the seconde kinde of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy XXIII A reprobate often desireth them whom he thinketh to be the children of God to pray for him As Pharao desired Aaron Moses to pray to God for him So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which hee had spoken against him should come to passe But yet they cannot pray them selues because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII He may shew liking to Gods Ministers he may reuerence them and feare to displease them Thus did Simon Magus who at Phillips preaching beleeued wondered at his miracles and kept companie with him And Herod is saide to feare Iohn knowing that he was a iust man holie also he gaue reuerence to him Antonius the Emperour called Pius though hee was nâ— Christian yet in a general Parliament helâ— at Ephesus he made an act in the behalfe of ChristiaÌ„s that if anie maÌ„ should trouble oâ— accuse a ChristiaÌ„ for being a Christian the party accused shuld go free though he were found to bee a Christian and the accuseâ— should be punished And Plinius Secundus gouernour of Spaine vnder Traianus the Emperour when he sawe an innumerable company of Christians to be executed being moued with compassion he wrote in their behalfe being no Christian vnto Traianus to spare them that coulde be charged with no crime and his letter is yet extant XXV Hee may bee zealous in the religion which he professeth and fall from that profession as the Galathians did who after that they had receiued Paule as an Angell and woulde haue
operation of Satan they fall to open infidelitie and contempt of Gods word and so runne headlong to their own damnation and perish finally Iulian the Apostata was first a man learned and eloquent and professed the Religion of Christ but afterward he fell and wrote a booke against the religion of Christ answered by Cyrill and on a time in a battell against the Persians was thrust into â—he bowels with a dart no man then knewe â—ow which dart he pulled out with his own â—and and presently bloud followed which â—s it gushed out he tooke it in his hand and â—loong it into the aire saying Vicisti Galilaee â—icisti O thou Galilean meaning Christ thou art the conquerour thou art the conquerour thus he ended his daies in blaspheming Christ whom he had professed The reason of this Apostasie is euident Seede that is not deepely rooted in the earth at the beginning of the yeare springeth vp it is green and bringeth forth leaues and flowers and it may bee some kinde of fruit too when the heate of sommer commeth it parcheth the earth and the corne wanting deepe rooting and therefore wanting moisture withereth away Gods word is like seede which that it may bring forth fruit vnto euerlasting life it must bee first receiued of the ground secondly it must be rooted the receiuing of it is when it pearceth to the heart and the affections take holde of it This rooting is of two sorts the first is when the word rooteth but not with the residue of the affections The second is a deepe and a liuely kind of rooting of the word when the word is receiued into the minde and into the heart The first kind of rooting of the word befalleth to a reprobate who vnderstandeth and reioyceth in the promises of saluation yet hee doth not put any confidence in them he cannot rest in them hee doth not reioice that his name is written in the booke of life hee doth not worke out his saluation with feare trembling In a worde his heart is in part softened to reioice at the preaching of the worde of God yet his heart is not opened as Lydias was nor inlarged as Dauid saith to imbrace the trueth but the elect hee receiueth the word not only into his mind least it should be onely an imagination but also it is deeply rooted in his heart For 1 In full confidence hee resteth himselfe on Gods promise Rom. 8. 38. Hebr. 10. 22. 2 Hee hopeth and longeth to see the accomplishment of it 1. Thess. 1. 10. 3 He hartily loueth God for making such a promise to him in Christ. 1. Ioh. 4. 10. 4 He reioiceth in it and therefore doth meditate on it continually Luke 10. 20. Rom. 5. 2. 5 Hee hateth all doctrines which are against it 6 He is grieued when he doth any thing that may hinder the accomplishment of it Math. 26. 75. 7 He vseth the meanes to come to saluaâ—ion but with feare trembling Phil. 2. 12. 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ by this meanes is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart Thus it commeth to passe that the reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation but the elect can not be changed By this which hath beene saide the professors of Christian religion are admonished of two things First that they vse most painefull diligence in working their saluation in attaining to faith in dying to sinne in liuing to newnes of life and that their harts be neuer at rest till such time as they go beyonde all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus Seest thou howe farre a reprobate may goe presse on the straite gate with maine and might with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Shall Herode feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist and heare him gladly and wilt thou neglect the Ministers and the preaching of the worde shall Pharao confesse his sinne nay shall Sathan beleeue and tremble and wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes and thy wicked conuersation it behoueth thee to feare and take heede least wicked men and the diuel himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thy life For if thou shalt come short of the dueties of a reprobate and doe not goe beyonde him in the profession of the Gospell sure it is thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate The second thing is that the professor of the Gospell diligently try and examine himselfe whether hee is in the state of damnation or in the state of grace whether he yet beare the yoke of Sathan or is the adopted child of God Thou wilt say this neede not thou professest the Gospell and art taken for a Christian Yet marke and consider that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians and they are often so like them that none but Christ can discerne the sheep from the Goates true Christians from apparent Christians Wherefore it behoueth all men that shewe themselues to bee Christians to lay aside all pride and all selfeloue and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word and to make iust triall whether in them repentance faith mortification sanctification c. giue weight answerable to their outward profession which if they doe let them praise God if not let them with al speed vse the meanes that they may be borne a new to the Lord and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirite to giue obedience to his will least in the day of Gods triall they start aside from him like a broken bowe and fall againe to their first vncleanes To conclude let the most zealous Papist that is trie him and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie and he shal find that for all his profession hee dooth come short of a reprobate or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named God open their eies that they may see it Amen The estate of a Christian man in this life which also sheweth how far the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christi-anity that by many degrees I THe Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life for the praise of the glorie of his grace For this cause the Elect onely are said to haue their names written in the booke of life II Whom God electeth them hee calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose This calling of the Elect is nothing else but a singling and a seuering of them out of this vile worlde and the customes thereof to be Citizens of the kingdome of heauen to bee of Gods housholde to bee liuing stones in the spirituall Temple which is the Church of God the companie of predestinate to eternall life And this
as may appear in Caine Saul Achitophel Iudas and now of late in Iohn Hoffmeister a monke Latomus who for the space of certaine daies neuer left crying that hee was damned because that hee had wilfully persecuted the Gospell of Christ and so he ended his life Therefore most worthie is Paules counsell for the moderating of this sorrow It is sufficient saith he vnto the incestuous man that hee was rebuked of manie so that now contrariwise ye ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him lest he shoulde be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines And further hee giueth another reason which followeth lest Sathan should circumuent vs for we are not ignorant of his enterprises And indeed cōmō experiēce sheweth the same that whē any man is most weak then Sathā most of all bestirreth himselfe to worke his cōfusion The third is that all mē which are hūbled haue not like measure of sorrow but some more some lesse Iob felt the hand of God in exceding great measure whē he cried O that my grief were well weied my miseries were laid together in the ballance for it would be now heauier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are now swallowed vp for the arrowes of the Almightie are in me and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirite and the terrors of God fight against me The same did Ezechia when on his death bed he said he brake al my bones like a Lion and like a Crane or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne like a doue c. Contrariwise the thiefe vpon the crosse and Lydia in her conuersion neuer felt any such measure of grief for it is said of her that God opened hir heart to be attentiue to that which Paule spake presently after she intertained Paul and Silas cheerefully in hir house which she coulde not haue done if shee had beene pressed downe with any great measure of sorrowe neither are any to dislike themselues because they are not so much humbled as they see some others for God in great wisedome giueth to euery one which are to bee saued that which is conuenient for their estate And it is often seene in a festred sore that the corruption is let out as well with the pricking of a small pin as with the wide lance of a Raser XII The fourth thing in true humiliation is an holy desperation which is when a man is wholly out of all hope euer to attaine saluation by any strength or goodnes of his owne speaking and thinking more vilely of himselfe then any other can doe and heartily acknowledging himselfe to haue deserued not one onely but euen tenne thousand damnations in hell fire with the diuell and all his Angels This was in Paule when hee said of himselfe that he was the chiefe of all sinners This was in Daniell when in the name of the people of Israell he praied and said O Lorde righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and to vs open shame as appeareth this daie c. Lastly the same was in the prodigall childe who saide Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and I am no more worthie to bee called thy sonne XIII Many are of opinion that this sorrow for sin is nothing else but a Melancholike passion but in trueth the thing is farre otherwise as may appeare in the example of Dauid who by all coniectures was least troubled with Melancholie and yet neuer any tasted more deepelie of the sorrow and feeling of Gods anger for sinne then hee did as the booke of Psalmes declareth And if anie desire to knowe the difference they are to bee discerned thus Sorrow for sinne maie be where health reason senses memorie and all are sound but Melancholike passions are where the body is vnsound and the reason senses memorie dulled troubled Secondlie sorrow for sinne is not cured by any Phisicke but onelie by the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ Melancholike passions are remoued by Physicke diet musicke and such like Thirdlie Sorrowe for sinne riseth of the anger of God that woundeth pearceth the conscience but Melancholike passions rise onelie of meere imaginations stronglie conceiued in the braine Lastlie these passions are long in breeding and come by little and little but the sorrow for sinne vsuallie commeth on a sudden as lightning into a house And yet howsoeuer they are differing it must be acknowledged that they may both concurre together so that the same man which is troubled with Melancholie maie feele also the anger of God for sinne XIIII Thus it appeareth how God maketh the hart fit to receiue faith in the next place it is to be considered howe the Lord causeth faith to spring and to breed in the humbled hart For the effecting of this so blessed a worke God worketh foure things in the hart First when a man is seriously humbled vnder the burden of his sinne the Lord by his spirit makes him lift vp himselfe to consider to ponder most diligentlie the great mercie of God offered vnto him in Christ Iesus After the consideration of Gods mercie in Christ he commes in the second place to see feele and from his heart to acknowledge himselfe to stande in neede of Christ and to stand in neede of euerie drop of his most pretious bloude Thirdlie the Lorde stirreth vp in his heart a vehement desire and longing after Christ and his merites this desire is compared to thirst which is not onelie the feeling of the drines of the stomacke but also a vehement appetite after drinke and Dauid fitlie expresseth it when he saith I stretched foorth my handes vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Lastlie after this desire he beginnes to praie not for anie worldly benefite but onelie for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes crying with the poore publican O God be merciful to me a sinner Now this praier it is made not for one day onelie but continuallie from daie to daie not with the lippes but with greater sighes groanes of the heart then that they can be expressed with the tongue Nowe after these desires and prayers for Gods mercie ariseth in the heart a liuelie assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinne For GOD who cannot lie hath made his promise Knocke it shall bee opened and againe Before they call I will aunswere and while they speake I will heare Therefore when an humbled sinner commes crying knocking at his mercie gate for the forgiuenesse of sinne either then or shortlie after the Lord worketh in his hart a liuelie assurance thereof And whereas hee thirsted in his hart being scorched with the heate of gods displeasure beating vpon his conscience Christ Iesus giueth him to drink of the well of the water of life freelie hauing dronken thereof he shall neuer be more a thirst but shall haue in him a fountaine of water springing vp
into euerlasting life XV For the better vnderstanding of this that God worketh sowing faith in the hart of man after this manner it must bee obserued that a sinner is compared to a sicke man oft in the scriptures And therefore that the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sinne A man that hath a disease or sore in his bodie before hee can bee cured of it hee must see it feele paine of it and be in a feare lest it bring him into danger of death after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of Phisick and he longeth till he be with the Phisitian when he is once come to him he desireth him of all loues to helpe him to shew the best skill he can he will not spare for any cost then he yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes perswading himselfe that by Gods blessing he both can and will helpe him after this he comes to his former health againe On the same manner euerie man is wounded with the deadly wound of sinne at the very heart and he that woulde bee saued and escape damnation must see his sinne bee sorrowfull for it and vtterlie dispaire of his owne strength to attaine saluation thereby furthermore he must see himselfe to stande in neede of Christ the good Phisition of his soule and long after him and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and grones for mercie after this Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart bloud which beeing applied he shall finde himselfe reuiued and shall come to the assurance of the forgiuenes of all his sinnes So it was in Dauid when he repented of his adulterie and murther First God made him see his sinnes for he saith I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are euer before me Secondly he felt Gods anger for his sinnes make me saith he to heare ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice Thirdly hee vtterly dispaired of his owne strength in that he said stablish me with thy free spirit signifying therby vnlesse the Lord woulde staie him with his glorious power he should run headlōg to his own cōfusiō Fourthly he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour one mercie will not content him hee praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies to bee bestowed on him to doe away his iniquities Fiftly his desire and his praier for the forgiuenes of his sin are set down in the whole Psalme And in his praier hee gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towardes himselfe in that he saith the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise XVI There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith according as there be diuers degrees of Christians some are yet in the wombe and haue their mother the church traueling of them some are new borne babes feeding on the milk of the word some are perfect men in Christ come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. XVII The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue is compared to the graine of mustard seede the least of all seedes and to flaxe that hath fire in it but so weake that it can neither giue heate nor light but onely maketh a smoake and is called by the name of a litle faith and it may be thus described when a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and yet hee is perswaded they are pardonable desiring that they might be pardoned And therfore praieth to God that he woulde pardon them and giue him strength to leaue them XVIII A litle faith may more plainly be known by considering these foure points first that it is onely in his heart who is humbled for sinne for the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirite to receiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Secondly it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion and calling to Christ after which hee is to growe from faith to faith Thirdly this faith though it be in the hart yet it is not so much felt in the heart this was in Dauid at some times my God my God why hast thou forsaken me saith he The first wordes my God my God are speeches of faith yet the latter why hast thou forsaken me shewe that then he had no feeling of Gods mercie A little faith then is in the heart of a man as in the spring time the fruit is in the bud which yet appeareth not but only hath his nature and substance in the bud Lastly the beginnings and seeds of this faith are three The first is a persuasion that a mans own sins are pardonable this perswasion though it bee not faith yet it is a good preparation to faith For the wicked cut themselues of quite from Gods mercie in that with Cain they say their sinnes are greater then that they can be forgiuen The second is a desire of the fauor mercy of God in Christ of the meanes to attaine to that fauour This desire is a speciall grace of God and it hath the promise of blessednes and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue who though they desire life eternal as Balam did yet they cannot desire the meanes as faith repentance mortification c. The third is praier for nothing in this world but onely for the forgiuenes of their sins with great sighes and grones from the bottome of the heart which they are not able to expresse as they feele them Nowe this hearty praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh but onely from the spirite who stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing desiring sighing after remission of sinne and all other graces of God which hee bestoweth vpon his children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needs be faith for Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faith full by faith Therfore as Rebecca whē she felt the Twins striue in hir wombe though it pained hir yet shee knewe both that she had conceaued and that the children were quicke in hir so they who haue these motions holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of God dwelleth in them cōsequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the sauior of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascention of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at his death they
all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not saide to haue no faith but to be of litle faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a lōg space in his two great sins adultery murther was admonished therof by Nathan the Prophet being admonished he cōfessed his sins and strait way Nathan declared vnto him from the Lord the forgiuenes of thē Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sins euen as though it had not beene true that they were forgiuen as Nathan tolde him The reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a persuasion that they might be pardoned And therefore hee vehemently desired and praied to the Lorde to remitte them and to sanctifie him anewe This then beeing the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4. verse 20. 21. Abraham not weake in faith but beeing strengthned in the faith was fullie perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can saie with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor anie other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And lest any should think this saying is peculiar to Paule the whole Church in the cāticles vseth the same in effect saying Loue is strong as death iealousie is as cruell as the graue the coals thereof are fierie coals a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space hee hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towardes him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romans in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holie Ghost which is giuen to them hence ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtlesse saith he kindnes and mercie shall followe mee all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Marke this his resolute perswasion and consider howe hee came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundry times and after sundrie manners For before he set down this resolution he numbred vp diuers benefites receaued of the Lord that he fed him in greene pastures led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word That he restoreth him leadeth him in the pathes of righteousnes That he strengthneth him in great dangers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies hee enriched him with many benefites By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towards him Againe Dauid said before king Saul let no mans heart faile him because of Goliah Thy seruant wil go and fight with the Philistine And Saul saide to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy he is a man of war from his youth Dauid answered he was able to fight with to slaie the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he said Thy seruant kept his fathers sheep and there came a Lyon and likewise a beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke And I went out after him and smote him took it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slewe him So thy seruant slew both the Lion and the Beare Therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath railed on the host of the liuing God The like proceeding must bee in matters concerning eternall life Litle Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the army of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power Hee therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keep watch ward ouer his own hart he must fight against his own rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiēces of Gods power strēgthning him in many tēptatiōs before he shal be assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it self now followe the fruits and benefites of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the elect are truely ioined vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowshippe with him and therfore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holie spirite moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in hir wombe Christ is as the heade in the bodie euerie beleeuer as a member of the same body now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to moue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus receiue and quicken euerie true beleeuer and by his heauenly power maketh him to doe the good which he doth And as from the stocke sappe is deriued to the graft that it may liue and grow and bring foorth fruite in his kinde so doe all the faithfull that are grafted into Christ the true Vine And as the graft loseth his wilde nature and is chaunged into the nature of the stocke and bringeth forth good fruit so in like manner it is with them that are in Christ who by little and little are whollie renewed from euill to good XXIII The elect being thus ioyned vnto Christ receiue three wonderfull benefites from him Iustification Adoption Sanctification Iustification is when the elect being in themselues rebellious sinners and therefore firebrandes of hell fire and Gods owne enemies yet by Christ they are accepted of the Lord as perfectlie pure and righteous before him XXIIII This Iustification is wrought in this maner Sinne is that which maketh a man vnrighteous and the childe of wrath and vengeance In sinne there are three things which are hurtfull to man the first is Condemnation which commeth of sinne the seconde is the
elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
any euill his hart smote him 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked the godly In the godly when they are tempred to sin there is a fight between the hart the hart that is betwene the hart it self In the wicked also there is a fight when they are tempted to sinne but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience The wicked man whatsoeuer hee is hath some knowledge of good and euill and therefore when hee is in doing anie euill his conscience accuseth checketh and controuleth him he feeles it stirring in him as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body and gnawed vpon his hart and therevpon he is verie often greeued for his sinnes yet for all that hee liketh his sinnes verie well and loueth them and coulde finde in his hart to continue in them for euer so that indeede when hee sinneth hee hath in his hart a striuing and a conflict but that is onlie betweene himselfe and his conscience But the godlie haue an other kinde of battell and conflict for not onelie their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne but also their hartes are so renewed that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne and when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Sathan they feele a luste and desire to doe that which is good LIIII The second temptation is a quietnesse in the hart of a Christian because hee cannot according to his desire haue fellowshippe with Christ Iesus hee is exercised in this temptation on this manner 1 Christ let him see his excellencie how he is affected towards him 2 Then the Christian considering this desireth Christ and his righteousnes 3 He delighteth himselfe in Christ and hath some inioying of his benefits 4 Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-celler that in the word and sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. 5 But he falles loue sicke that is hee becomes troubled in spirit because he cannot eioy the presence of Christ in the saide manner as he would 6 In this his spirituall sicknes hee first feeles the power of Christ supporting him that the spirite bee not quenched and hee heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart as a man speakes to his friende when hee is comming towardes him a farre off 7 After this Christ comes neerer but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him then a man enioyes the companie of his friend who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or lattesse 8 Then his eyes are opened to see the causes why Christ so withdrawes himselfe to be his owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ his slacknes in spirituall exercises as in prayer and thankes-giuing the deceiptfulnesse and malice of false teachers 9 Then he comes to feele more liuelie his fellowship with Christ. 10 Lastlie he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end LV The third temptation is trouble of mind because there is no feeling of Christ at all who seemeth to be departed for a time The exercise of a christiā in this tentatiō is this 1 The poore soule lying as a mā desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate prayer meditation but it will not preuaile 2 He vseth the helpe counsel praier of godlie brethren yet Christ cannot bee found 3 Then hee seekes to godly ministers to receiue some comfort by them by their meanes he can feele none 4 After that all meanes haue bene thus vsed and none will preuaile then by Gods great mercie when he hath least hope hee finds Christ feeles him come againe 5 Presently his faith reuiueth and layeth faster hold on Christ. 6 And he hath an earnest fellowshipp◠with Christ in his hart as before 7 Then comes againe the ioye of the holie ghost the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falles vpon him 8 Then his hart ariseth vp into heauen by holie affections and prayers which doe as pillers of smoke mount vpward sweet as myrrhe incense 9 Also hee is rauished there with the meditatiō of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen 10 He labours to bring others to consisider the glorie of Christ his kingdome 11 After all this Christ reueiles to his seruāt what his blessed estate is both in this life in the life to come more cleerely thē euer before makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him 12 Then the Christian prayeth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirite that hee may bring forth the fruites of those graces which are in him 13 Lastlie Christ graunteth him this his request LVI The fourth temptation is securitie of hart rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the world The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this 1 He slumbers and is halfe a sleepe in the pleasures of this world 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures and to make him more heartilie receiue his beloued 3 But he delayeth to doe it beeing loth to leaue his ease and sweet delights 4 Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures 5 He then beginnes to be more earnestlie affected towards Christ. 6 With sorrowe hee settes his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his olde manner and this he expresseth by bringing foorth sweete fruites of righteousnes 7 Then hee feeleth that Christ hath withdrawen his spirit 8 He almost dispaires for this 9 Yet by priuate praier seeks for Christ. 10 When that will not helpe he resorts to the ministers of the word at whose hands hee finds no comfort but discomfort 11 Not recouering his first estate through impatience of the loue of Christ hee makes his miserie knowen to strangers to see if they can comforte him and hee somewhat comforts himselfe in describing Christes excellencie to them 12 They then are rauished with him to seeke Christ and require then to knowe where to finde him 13 Answere is made in the assemblies of the Church 14 After this cōmunication the Christians faith and feeling reuiueth Christ returning to him againe 15 Thē Christ assureth him in his hart of his loue and liking towards him 16 Giuing further assurance to him that he shall grow vp and be made fruitfull in euerie good grace 17 m After this the Christian comes in such a high measure to loue Christ that nothing shal be able to seuer him from Christ. LVII The first temptation is a fall into some great sin as Noah into drunkennes Dauid into adulterie and murder Peter into the deniall of Christ. The exercise of a
my conscience and went nie to perswade mee that my father would thrust me awaie and hang me if hee catched me so that I was like a great while to runne away rather then to returne to my father againe Feare and dread of rebuke and of losse of my fathers loue and of punishment wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnesse and as it were gaue my faith a fall But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past and my minde was more quiet And the goodnes of my father and his olde kindnes came vnto my remembrance either by mine owne courage or by the comfort of another And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroie me and hee hoped that I woulde doe no more so And vpon that I got me home againe dismaied but not altogether faithlesse the olde kindnes would not let me dispaire how beit all the worlde coulde not set mine heart at rest vntill the paine had beene past and vntill I had heard the voice of my father that all is forgotten Timoth. Seeing that you haue thus plainelie and truelie shewed the weaknes of yours and consequentlie of all mens faith shewe mee I praie you howe by the weakenes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted and assured of his saluation Euseb. God doth not so much regarde the quantitie of his graces as the truth of them hee approoueth a litle faith if it bee a true faith yea if faith in vs were no more but a graine of mustard seede which is the least of al other seedes it should be effectual and God would haue respect vnto it The poore diseased beggar with a lame hande hauing the palsie also is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a king and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficieÌ„tly able to reach out it selfe and to apprehende the infinite mercies of our heauenlie king offered vnto vs in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn is compared vnto the eie of the Israelite which although it were of dimme sight or looked a squint yet if it could neuer so little beholde the brasen Serpent it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fiery serpeÌ„ts to saue life Timoth. Seing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully shew me I pray you whether a man may be wicked haue faith whether faith entring expelleth wickednes For I haue heard some saie that a maÌ„ might beleeue the word of God and yet be neuer the better in his life or holier theÌ„ before he was Euseb. Many there are which when they heare or read of faith at once they consent thereunto haue a certain imagination opinioÌ„ of faith as wheÌ„ a man telleth a storie or a thing done in a straÌ„ge land that perteineth not to theÌ„ at al which yet they beleeue tel as a true thing this imagination oâ— opinion they call faith Therfore as soone as they haue this imagination or opinion in their heartes they saie verilie this doctrine seemeth true I beleeue it euen so theÌ„ they thinke that the right faith is there but afterward when they feele in themselues no maner of working of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the horrible captiuity vnder Satan neither can perceiue any alteration in theÌ„selues that any good works follow but find they are altogether as before abide in their old state theÌ„ think they y t faith is not sufficient but that works must be ioined with faith to iustificatioÌ„ but true faith is only the gift of God is mightie in operation euer working being full of vertue it renueth man begetteth him a fresh altreth him changeth him turneth him altogether into a new creature conuersatioÌ„ so that a maÌ„ shal feel his hart clean changed far otherwise disposed then before hath power to loue y t which before he could not but hate delighteth in that which before he abhorred hateth y t which before he could not but loue And it setteth the soul at liberty maketh hir free to follow the wil of god is to the soul as health to y e body after y t a maÌ„ is pined with loÌ„g sickâ—es the legs cannot bear him he cannot lift vp his hands to help him his tast is corrupt sugar is better in his mouth his stomacke longeth after slubbersauce and swash at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge when health commeth shee changeth and altereth him cleane giueth him strength in all his members lust and will to doe of his owne accorde that which before he could not doe neither coulde suffer that anie man should exhort him to doe hath now lust in wholsome things and his members are free and at libertie and haue power to doe all things of his owne accord which belong to a sounde and whole man to doe And faith worketh in the same manner as a tree bringes foorth fruite of his owne accorde and as a man neede not bidde a tree bring foorth fruite so is there no lawe put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith neither is it needefull For the lawe is written and grauen in his heart his pleasure is dailie therein and as without commaundement euen of his owne nature he eateth drinketh seeth heareth talketh goeth euen so of his owne nature without anie compulsion of the lawe bringeth foorth good workes and as an whole man when hee is a thirst tarrieth but for drinke and when he hungreth abideth but for meate and then drinketh and eateth naturallie Euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst and an hungred after the will of God and tarrieth but for an occasion and whensoeuer an occasion is giuen hee worketh naturallie the will of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloude that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods will He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and workes and neither worketh what hee bableth nor whereunto his words pretend For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes after his owne blinde reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euerie member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paule Rom. 7. That good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that doe I. So it is not I that doe it saith hee but sinne that dwelleth in mee So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I being one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and
sit one on y e right hand of Christ the other on the left They would pray that fire might descend froÌ„ heaueÌ„ consume the Samaritans WheÌ„ Christ asked who say men that I am Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing God as though Peter had beene as perfecte as an Angell But imediatlie after when Christ preached â—nto them of his death and passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestlie that hee had raued and not wist what hee had said as at another time when Christ was so feruentlie busied in healing the people that he had no leasure to eate they went out to holde him supposing that hee had beene beside himselfe And one that cast foorth Diuelles in Christes name they forbadde because hee waited not on theÌ„ so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgiue yet Peter after long going to schole asked whether men should forgiue seauen times thinking that eight times had beene too much And at the last supper Peter woulde haue died with Christ but yet within fewe houres after he denied him both cowardly shamefullie And after the same manner though he had so long hearde that no man must auenge himselfe but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe yet when Christ was in taking Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sworde and taried no answere but laide on rashlie So that although wee bee once reconciled to God yet at the first we be but children and yong scholers weake and feeble and must haue leasure to growe in the spirite iâ— knowledg loue and deeds thereof as yong children must haue time to growe in their bodies and so in like manner the sting of the serpent is not pulled out at once but the poyson of our nature is minished by little and little and cannot before the houre of death be wholie taken awaie Timoth. I perceiue by your godlie discourse the manifolde conflictes betweene the flesh and the spirite and that the flesh is like to a mightie Giant such a one as was Goliah strong lustie stirring enimie to God confederate with the Diuell and the spirite like to a little childe such a one as was little Dauid new borne weake and feeble not alwaies stirring nowe then what meanes do you vse to weaken the flesh and strengthen the spirit Euseb. I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting watching deedes of mercie holie meditations reading the scriptures and in bodilie labour and in with-drawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde in my bodie most inclined to and with absteining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit as reading of toyes and wanton bookes seeing of plaies and enterluds wanton communication foolish iesting effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnes which Paul forbiddeth Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions If these will not mortifie my flesh then God sendeth me some troubles and so maketh me to grow waxe perfect and fineth and trieth me as gold in the fire of tentations and tribulations Thus verie often he maketh me to take vp my crosse naileth my flesh vnto it for the mortifying thereof Marke this if God send thee to the sea promise to go with thee he wil raise vp a tempest against thee to prooue whether thou wilt abide by his word and that thou maist feele thy faith weakenes and perceiue his goodnes for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie whence his mercie onlie deliuereth thee thy faith should bee onelie a presumption thou shouldest be euer vnthankefull to God and merciles vnto thy neighbour If God promise riches the waie therevnto is pouertie whom he loueth him he chasteneth whom he exalteth hee casteth downe whom he saueth he first damneth hee bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if hee promisâ— life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth downe all first he is no patcher hee cannot abide another mans foundation he will not worke till all bee past remedie and brought to such a case that meÌ„ may see how that his haÌ„d his power his mercy his goodnes his truth hath wrought altogether hee will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie his works are wonderfull contrarie to mans workes who euer saue he deliuered his own sonne his only sonne his deere son his darling vnto the death for his enimies to win his enimies to ouercome theÌ„ with loue that he might see loue loue again and of loue likewise to doe to other men to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sun and the Moone and seauen starres worshipping him neuertheles ere that came to passe God laid him where he could see neither sun nor moone neither anie star of the skie and that many yeres and also vndeserued to nurture him to make him humble meeke to teach him Gods waies and to make him apte and meete for y t roome honor again he came to it that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke honie yet hee brought them foorth the space of fortie yeares into a lande where in riuers of milke and honie were but where so much as a drop of water was not to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne and to doe them good at the latter ende to seduce their cankred nature to make them strong in the spirite to vse his benefites aright Lastlie God promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatelie stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him and to hunt him as men doe hayres with gray-houndes and to ferret him out of euerie hole and that for the space of manie yeares to turne him to make him to mortifie his lustes to make him feel his own diseases in fine to make him a good man and a good King Timoth. But how if it come to passe that you be tempted to anie great sinne and the fleshe ouercome the spirit in what case are you then Euseb. There is no bodie here but you I and I take you to bee a Christian and a faithfull friende therefore I will shewe a little of my exhortation The last yeare by reason of the dearth I and my familie were put to great pinches and most commonly we had nothing but bread and water here vpon I bethought mee howe I might get somewhat to releiue my familie It came into my minde that in our Towne a rich man had a great flocke of sheepe and that I might take one of them without any hurt of him I was verie loath at the first but because there was such great stealing of sheepe I was in extremitie in the night I went among his sheep and tooke a lambe and told my familie that it was giuen me I presently killed it the
and quaffing and all such like Galathians 5. 19. 20. 22. All these they cannot proceede from thee Sathan or from my fleshe but onelie from faith which is wrought in me by gods holie spirite Sathan If this were so God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this worlde I am sure of it because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies than it hath beene in times past I haue sinned heretofore with ful purpose and consent of will but now doubtles I doo not Before I commit anie sinne I do not go to the practising of it with deliberation as the carnall man doth who taketh care to fulfill the lustes of the flesh but if I doo it it is flat beside my minde and purpose In the doing of anie sinne I woulde not doe it my heart is against it and I hate it and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it afterwardc when it is committed I am grieued and displeased at my selfe and doe earnestlie with teares aske at Gods hands forgiuenesse of the same sinne Sathan Indeede this is verye true in the children of God but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne louest it with thy whole heart otherwise thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance and commit euen one and the same sinne so often as thou doest Thou hypocrite this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee Christian. Nay it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God and from the repentance which they professed and God in thus calling him putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people and for particular men both for their ignorances and their voluntarie sinnes which signifieth that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his children yea if they sinne daily Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife Ioseph swore twise by the life of Pharao Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie often because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba Vriahs wife also kept sixe wiues and ten concubines Gods will is that meÌ„ forgiue till seuentie seuen times and therefore he will shew much more mercie And for my part so oft as I shall fall into the same sin so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the father for me who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me I will abstaine from externall iniquitie and I wil not make my members seruants vnto sinne and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne mee for Christes perfection is reputed to be mine by faith which I haue in his bloud God is not displeased if my bodie be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknesse of the soule A naturall father will â—ot slay the bodie of his childe when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weakenesse of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenâ—y word the food of my soule Nay which â—s a strange thing I know it by experience â—hat God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisition of ranke â—oison is able to make a soueraigne medicine to preserue life Sathan Well be it that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christian. I know I am a meÌ„ber of Christs misticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenlie power and vertue of my head Christ Iesus and for this cause I cannot perish but shall continue for euer and raigne in Heauen after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan THy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is full of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art whollie vnfit for anie good work wherfore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith bee no more than a litle graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for mee God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith foâ— in time past when according to thine own opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I wil put my trust in god for euer his former mercies shewed mee heretofore strengtheÌ„ me now in this my weaknes 1. He created me when I was nothing 2. He created me a man when he might haue made me an vglie Toade 3. He made me of comelie bodie and of good discretioÌ„ wheras he might haue made me vglie deformed franticke mad 4. I was borne in the daies of knowledg when I might haue beene borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5. I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turks or Iewes or some other sauage people for my parents 6. I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7. Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnesse some sorrowe for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that heâ— would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his worâ— from mee but I haue heard the plentifuâ— preaching of it I vnderstand it and hauâ— receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powâ—â— his full wrath on me which he dooth noâ— but mercifully maketh me to feele miâ—… owne wants that I might be humbled aâ—… giue all glorie vnto him for his blessingâ— Wherefore there is no cause why I shouâ—â— bee disquieted but I will trust still in tâ—â— Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the hâ—… lie Ghoste in thee nor anie true tokens 〈…〉 faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the râ—bellion of thy heart and of thy lewde aâ—â— wretched conuersation therefore thâ— canst not put anie confidence in Christâ— death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hopâ— and although according to mine owâ— sense and feeling I want faith yet I will bâ— leeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be sauâ— by him Sathan Though the children of GOD haue beene in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue bin in
〈◊〉 h Math. 11. 20. 21. 22. 23. i 1. Sa. 10. 9 k Mark 6. 20 l Mat. 13. 20. m Exod. 9. 27. n Act. 8. 24. o Ro. 8. 16. 26 p Act. 8. 13. q Mar. 6. 20 r Euseb. lib. 4. s Plin. lib. 10. epi. 97. t Gal. 4. 16. u 2. Kin. 10. 〈◊〉 x 30. 31. y 2. Pet. 2. 20. Hose 6. 4. 1. Sam. 9. 21. z Hest. 5. 9. 10. a 1. Thess. 5. 23. a Math. 7. 22. Mat. 9. 38. b 1. Sam. 10. 9. c Mat. 7. 22 d Act. 1. 16. 17. Coloss. 4. 2. Tim. 4. 10. e Ioh. 2. 23. 24. 25. The electe may be of the Catholike Church and not of the visible the reprobate may be of the visible and not of the Catho like a 1. Cor. 5. 5. b Rom. 8. 9. 11. c 2. Cor. 2. 7. 11. d Gen. 7. 1 Gen. 19. 21 18. 32. 39. 3. e 1. Sam. 7. 13. f Act. 27 24. g Gen. 17. 7. 10. h Gal. 3. 8. i 1. Cor. 7. 14. Rom. 11. 16 k Rom. 9. 22. 2. 4. 5. Gen 6. 3. l Psal. 73. 12. m 2. Pet. 2. 22. 1. Tim. 1. 4. 2. The 2. 6. Esa. 6. 10. n Theodor. lib. 3. Hist. cap. 25. Jacob Bergom Chron. o Math. 13. 28. p Act. 16. 15 Psa. 119. 32 q Phil. 2. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 17 Rom. 11. 20. r 1. Cor. 11 31. Psal. 19. 12. 119. ver 59. s Math. 25. 32. 33. A cauâ—at to them that are of the church of Rome a Eph. 1. verse 4. 5. 6 7. Election b Apoc. 20 verse 12. Vocation c 2. Thess. 2 verse 13. 14 d Eph. 2. 19 e 1 Pet. 2. verse 5. f Gal. 4. verse 26. g 2 Cor. 6. verse 2. Luke 19. verse 42. h Colloss 2. verse 7. Iohn 15. verse 19. What faith is i Coloss. 2. verse 12. k Iohn 1. verse 12. Rom. 5. verse 17. l Gal. 3. verse 27. m Iohn 6. verse 35. n Eph. 3. verse 17. * Col. 2. 1â— o Psal. 77. verse 2. 3. p Psal. 103 verse 1. q Iob. 13. verse 15. r 1. Cor. 2. verse 12. How God worketh in the hart Knowledg s Esai 53. vers 11. t Ioh. 17. 3. u Iob. 33. 23 Ro. 10. 14. y Coloss. 2. ver 2. Rom. 14. 14 a Ioh 6. 25 Eze. 11. 19. Esay 50. 5. Psal. 40. 6. Psa. 119. 18 Apo. 3. 18. â— Ioh. 2. 27. b Phil. 1. 9. c Gal. â— 17 cum Rom. 7. 23. Ro. 3. cum Ro. 8. 38. Mar. 8. 24. 25. d 1. Cor. 8. 2. 14. 23. e Psa. 4. 2. Tim. â— Tit. 1. 1â— 2 Sight of sinne f Ier. 3. 13. g Luk. 2. 25 Ioh. 16. 8. h Ps. 40. 12. i Iames 3. verse 40. k Psal. 4. verse 4. l Rom. 7. verse 7. 10. m Iere. 17. verse 9. n Psal. 19. verse 12. o 1. Cor. 4. verse 4. p Luke 16. verse 15. q Iob 4. verse 18. 3 Sorrow for sinne r Act. 2. 37. s Habba 3. verse 16. t Rom 8. verse 15. a Iob. 30. verse 30. b Lame 1. 20. 2. 11. Osea 11. 8. c Psal. 32. verse 4. d Psal. 88 verse 15. e Gen. 32 verse 25. * Exo. 12. 8 Zach. 12. 10 f 2 Cor. 2. verse 6. 7. 3 g Iob. 6. verse 3. h Esai 38. verse 13. 14. i Act. 16. verse 14. 4 Holy dispaire 1. Tim. 1. verse 15. x Dan. 9. verse 7. y Luke 15. cerse 19. Sorrow for sinne Melancholie z 1. Sam. 16. ver 12. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1 Consideration of gods mercie 2 Feeling of the waÌ„t of Christ. 3 Desire a Reu. 21. verse 6. Isay 55. 1. Luk. 1. 53. b Psa. 143. ver 6. 4 Prayer for the pardon of sinne A liuelie assurance c Math. 7 Esay 65. 24. d Re. 21. 6. â—oh 4. 14. * Luk. 4. 18 Math. 9. 11 12. e Psal. 51. verse 3. f verse 8. g verse 12. h verse 1. i verse 17. Degrees of faith p Reuel 12 verse 2. Gal. 4. verse 19. q 1. Cor. 3. verse 2. r Eph. 4. verse 13. The least measure of faith s Math. 17. 20. t Esai 43. 2 u Math. 8. 25. x Esai 51. verse 17. y Psal. 2â— verse 1. 1 A perswasion that sinne is pardonable a 4. Gen. 3 2 A desire of grace b Math. 56 Luk. 1. 53. Psal. 145. 19. Psal. 10. 17. 38. 9. Num. 23. 9. 3 Praier for pardon c Ro. 8. 25. Eph. 3. 17 Ge. 25. 22 e Math. 16 f Math. 17. 23. Luke 9. 45. g Act. 1. 6. h Mat. 8. 29 The greatest measure of i Rom. 8. 38 k Cant. 8. verse 6. 7. l Rom. 5. verse 45. m Psal. 23. verse 6. n Psal. 23. 2. 3. 4. o 1 Sam. 17. 32. p Ver. 33. q Ver. 34. Ver. 35. s Ver. 36. a Eph. 3. 17 VnioÌ„ with Christ. b Eph. 3. 20 Eph. 1. 19. 1. Cor. 13. 16. c Eph. 1. 22 23. Communion with Christ. d Rom. 6. 4. 5. Ioh. 15. 1. 2. Ephe. 4. 13. 16. e Act. 15. 9. f 1. Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21 Iustification a Luk. 1. 35 Coloss. 2. 9. Ioh. 4. 14. Mar. 2. 17. c Coloss. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 13. Ephe. 1. 7. d Rom. 4. 18. 19. Mat. 3. 15. Phil. 2. 8. Esa. 53. 11. e Rom. 8. 1. 2. 3. Ioh. 27. 19. a Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 1 Reconsiliation b 2. Cor. 5. 18. c 2. Cor. 6. 9. Heb. 12. 6. 2. Sa. 7. 14. 2. Sam. 12. 13. 14. 2 Afflictions onelie chastisments Rom. 5. 10. 11. 3 Merite in Christ. d Mat. 19. 28. 29. Apoc. 22. 12. 21. 6. Peace of coÌ„science e Heb. 10. 22. Rom. 5. 1. Ro. 15. 16. A difference betweene a dead conscience a quiet coÌ„science f Ioh 7. 37. Esay 57. 15 2 g Rom. 5. 1 Heb. 9. 14. h Act. 23. 1. 24. 16. i Eph. 3. 12. Rom. 5. 2. 2 Entrance with boldnes into God presence 2 k Rom. 5. 3 14. 17. 3 Ioye 3 l Rom. 5. 5. 4 4 Feeling of Gods loue a Ioh. 1. 12 Gal. 3. 26. 1 Heb. 2. 11. 12. 2 1. Pet. 2. 9. 3 Heb. 6. 7. 8. 4 1 Cor. 3. 22 Heb. 1. 14. 5 Rom. 8. 28. 2. Cor. 12. 7 b Heb. 2. 15 1. Cor. 15. 54. 6 Rom. 5. 5. 1. Cor. 10. 10. Assurance of adoptioÌ„ The spirit of Adoption c Ro. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 3. 21. d 2. Cor. 1. 21. e Ro. 8. 23 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Coloss. 3. 3. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Ephe. 4. 14. Labour in prayer for it is the proper marke of the spirite of adoption and in praier wee shall most of all feele the spirite of adoptioÌ„ Hope a Rom. 8. 25. 5. 5. 2. Cor. 5. 6. 7. Hebr. 11. 1. b 1. Thess. 1 3. Rom. 8. 38. a Act. 15. 9 Psal 103. 5. Eze. 11. 19. Psa. 51. 12. Sanctification b Gal. 5 24 Col. 3. 5. c Eph. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Mortification d Ro. 6. 3. 4. Col. 2. 12. 3.
to dwell in the store-houses to horde vp his heauenlie graces in doth otherwhilesvse a milde and gentle remedie maketh the law to looke vpon vs though with no louing gentle yet with no feareful countenance otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the law maketh it to wound the hart very deepe and as a strong corasiue to torment them to frette gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience that a botch or a bile in a mans bodie is as wel eased of the corruptioÌ„ that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherfore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrowe for sinne in anie small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are greeued sorrowfull for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surelie this is a great comforte â—ou giue mee God make mee thankefull â—or it And I praie you more plainely shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued born in sin so my PareÌ„ts brought me vp in ignoraÌ„ce neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law I liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in truth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor Diuel And the Diuel himself as now I perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of God and shoulde be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to this perswasion and did verilie thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednesse and securitie denounced Gods iudgementes and hell fire I haue saide vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keepe all the commandements of the lawe I saide that I coulde and being asked whether I neuer sinned I saide I thought that otherwhiles I did marrie for them which were but fewe I hoped God woulde haue mercie and haue me excused And all my neighbors were glad of my company they spoke well of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeed before God I was a vile beast the childe of wrath inspired with the spirite of the Diuell continuallie Well afterward I heard the law preached and I sawe and remembred manie fearefull iudgements of GOD vpon men whom I in reason thought were as good men as I then I beganne to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sinnes and my cursednesse and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made mee inwardlie afraide and my flesh then beganne to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraide of euerie thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroade I thought euerie crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallow me I started at euerie strawe and at the moouing of a flie my meate was lothsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustlie turne it to my bane the greefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of tears and vpon that I remembred that I had heard read in the Church in Dauids Psalmes that his teares were his drinke and that hee did wette his bed with teares And now the Deuill changed both his coate and his note in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto anie for feare they shoulde haue mocked mee and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was fayne to go to a godlie learned Preacher I shewed myne estate vnto him after I had continued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed mee in the booke of God and by his feruent godlie and effectuall prayers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the Deuill that I doe apperteine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I graunt that hee is able to forgiue you but how know you that he will you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snow and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned verie often Euseb. Tell mee not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest praier to God is hereafter to take better heede and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that inough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer graunt for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe mee that that is the thing I earnestly desire to bee assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your feeling Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so will I shewe it you And first of all the dealing of God towards me is a good argument to mee In the first commandement God hath commaunded me to take him to bee my God and in the Lords praier he teacheth me to call him father he hath created the world generallie and euerie creature particularlie for man so for me to serue for my commoditie necessity and admonition Also he hath made me after his owne image hauing a reasonable soule body shape where he might haue made me a Toad a Serpent a Swine deformed frantick Moreouer he hath woÌ„derfullie preserued me in my infancie childhood youth middle age hitherto from manifold daÌ„gers perils all which do confirm in me a perswasion of Gods fatherlie loue that I should not doubt hereof where I might haue beene borne of Turks lo it was the wil of God that I should be borne of Christian PareÌ„ts be brought into Gods Church by Baptisme which is the Sacrament of adoption requireth faith as wel of the remission of my sins as of sanctification and holines to bee wrought of God in mee by
his grace and holie spirite where I might haue been borne in an ignorant time and region God would that I shoulde be borne in these daies and in this countrie where is more knowledge reuealed then euer was here or in manie places els is Where I might haue beene of a corrupt iudgement entangled with manie errours of Papistrie of the familie of loue of that hypocritical Brown by Gods goodnes my iudgement is reformed and he hath lightened mine eies to see my heart to imbrace his sincere truth By all which things I doe confirme my faith of this that God alwaies hath beene is and wil be for euer my father at my departing forth of this world will giue me the crowne of euerlasting glorie Secondlie when as man is euermore doubting of the promises of God be they neuer so certain God of his infinite mercie to preuent all occasions of doubting promiseth to giue his owne spirit as a pledge pawne or earnest pennie vnto his children of their adoption election to saluation Now since it pleased God to call me from hypocrisie to bee a member of his Church I feel that in my self which I neuer felt or heard of before In times past I came to praiers and to the preaching of Gods word euen as a Beare commeth to the stake now the word of God is meate and drinke to me and praier is no burden vnto me but my ordinarie exercise If I rise in the morning I am not well till I haue praied and giuen thankes to God if I doe any thing it commeth into my minde to pray In my praiers I finde great ioy and comforte and the exceeding fauour of God I neuer think I can well take my rest or doe anie thing else except first I aske it at Gods hande in Christ. Lastlie when my minde and heart is whollie occupied in worldlie matters I am stirred vp and as it were drawne to pray vnto God for the remission of my sinnes and the assurance of my saluation and in praier I haue had those grones which for their greatnes cannot bee expressed Nowe from whence commeth all this From the Diuell No. In these actions I haue found him my enemie and a continuall hinderer of them For he by his craft when I haue beene heauie and weake hath assailed to prouoke me to some sinnes whereunto my cursed nature was most giuen and I hauing yeelded to him haue beene so hardened and blinded by those sinnes that for a time I haue made light account of the worde of God and praier Well then peraduenture this came from mine owne selfe No neither This cursed nature of mine hath beene more pleased and delighted with sinne and with the pleasures of the world then with such exercises from which it draweth mee presseth me down as lead I cannot think that such a poisoning Cockatrice can laie such good egges or that wild crabbe trees such as all men are in Adam can bring foorth sweete fruites according to the will of God except God plucke them foorth of Adam and plant them in the garden of his mercie and stocke them and graft the spirite of Christ in them Wherefore these are the workes of Gods spirit and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath giuen me the spirite of adoption and therefore that his fauour and mercie shall continue towardes me for euer For the giftes of God are without repentance and whome God once loueth him hee loueth for euer Thirdlie there bee certaine fruites of Gods children which I finde in mee by which I am confirmed in Gods fauour Saint Iohn in his first epistle saith that hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the bretheren Truelie â— feele in my heart a burning loue towardes them which are good Christians though I neuer knewe them nor saw them and I am verie desirous to doe anie good for them and if drops of my heart bloude would doe them good they should haue them Moreouer I hate all sinne and wickednesse with a bitter hatred and I long to see the comming of my sauiour Christ to iudgement I am grieued and disquieted because I cannot fulfill the law of God as I ought all which I haue learned foorth of Gods word to be tokens of Gods children And thus you see what euidence I haue to shewe that I am a true member of the Church militant and in the fauour of God Timoth. Haue you a stedfast faith in Christ as these arguments seeme to proue without all wauering doubting and distrusting of Gods mercie Euseb. No no. This my faith which I haue in Christ is euen fought against with doubting euer assailed with desperation not when I sinne onely but also in tentations of aduersitie into which God bringeth me to nurture me to shew me mine owne heart the hypocrisie false thoughts that there lie hid my almost no faith at al and as litle loue euen then happily wheÌ„ I thought my self most perfect of all for when tentations come I cannot stand when I haue sinned faith is feble when wrong is done vnto mee I cannot forgiue in sicknes in losse of goods in al tribulation I am vnpatient wheÌ„ my neighbor needeth my helpe that I must depart with him of mine owne then loue is cold And thus I learne feele that there is no power to do good but of God only And in al such tentations my faith perisheth not vtterlie neither my loue and consent to the law of God but they be weake sicke wounded not cleane dead As I dealt with my parents being a child so now deal I towards God my louing father When I was a child my father and mother taught me nurture wisedome I loued my father all his commaundements and perceiued the goodnes he shewed mee that my father loued mee and all his precepts are vnto my wealth and profit and that my father commandeth nothing for anie need he hath thereof but seeketh my profit onelie and therefore I haue a good faith vnto all my fathers promises and loue all his commaundements and doe them with good will and with good will goe euerie daie to the schoole And by â—he waie happilie I sawe companie plaie and with the sight was taken and rauished of my memorie and forgot my selfe and stoode and beheld and fell to plaie also forgetting father and mother all their kindnes all their lawes and mine owne profite also How beit the knowledge of my fathers kindnes the faith of his promisses and the loue that I had againe vnto my father and the obedient minde were not vtterlie quenched but laie hid as all things doe when a man sleepeth or lieth in a traunce And as soone as I had plaied out all my listes or else by some had been warned in the meane season I came againe to my olde profession Notwithstanding manie temptations went ouer my heart and the lawe as a right hangman tormented