indeed true members of Christ seeing that the Lord hath pleased to make you knowne for such by doing that for you which hee doth performe for all true Christians and onely for them I confesse that there is a kinde of cleansing A kind of cleansing may befall an vnsanctified man which is not from Gods sanctifying Spirit such as hath bin found euen in Heathen men without the Church and without Christ This is such a leauing of some one or other outward grosse sin as ariseth from age or misery or other like naturall causes the heart in the generall disposition still remaining the same for a mans owne rod may so beate him as the common Prouerbe speaketh that he may be forced from those euill practices which once he followed as the vnthrifty man after he hath wasted his estate almost to the bottome and perceiueth penury comming against him may so farre returne to himselfe as to cease to bee riotous and the theese that hath beene frighted once or twice with the narrow escape of hanging may cease to giue himselfe ouer to theeuery and the man whose age and bodily decay doth not serue the turne to performe his vnchaste pleasures may cease to follow harlots and so in other like particulars This departing from a few outward acts of euill the heart remaining still impoysoned with the wonted inward disorders or other as bad is not the cleansing which the Lord doth afford to the true branches of the Vine neither may any man intitle himselfe to the comfort wee haue in hand from such a maimed kind of reformation But if any man doe finde himselfe cleansed in soule from the loue and liking of all known euils proportionably that what by the Word what by afflictions or such like meanes hee hath been made to take notice of more corruptions in himselfe then euer before he thought to haue beene there and seeing the same to detest them and abhorre himselfe for them before God crauing his strength and power to reforme them and by crauing strength hath obtained at Gods hands though not a totall release from these corruptions yet a great decay of them and a farre greater ability to leaue them then in former time Let these men reioyce in the liuing God and take this worke of his Spirit in them for an assured proofe of their being truly ingraffed into the body of Christ Those that doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit they shall liue those that are crucified together with Christ shall raigne with him and hauing beene made conformable to his death shall also be made conformable to his glory Wherefore as Samson fed on the honey which he found in the carkase of the Lion that hee had slaine so let all Gods people feede vpon the comfort which growes vnto them from the sinnes that they haue ouercome For doubtlesse nothing is more auailable to increase the worke of mortification then with ioy to looke vpon the good beginnings thereof and comfortably to behold the dying of sinne that a man may say to himselfe Loe now mine inward and spirituall enemies are smitten downe before me and become like foes that are put to flight and many of them slaine in the chase When a man lookes into himselfe and comparing himselfe with himselfe findes that by Gods grace such and such euils doe lesse preuaile within him then they were wont yea that now the least motions of them are more hatefull to him then formerly some grosse outward faultings therein and that the inclinations of that kind which hee feeleth in himselfe are either fewer or weaker or both that hee sooner spyeth more heartily and inwardly lamenteth and condemneth more carefully and diligently resisteth and opposeth them at least is much more humbled and abased to himselfe by meanes of them then formerly This is to be pruned and this is a true signe of a liuely branch in the true Vine Christ Iesus Neither let the people of God take lesse comfort in this pruning because it is not totall nor all at once but if they finde it to goe forward though slowly and by small degrees and to haue been attained by their spirituall industry in the vse of spirituall meanes now let them clap their hands and triumph in God saying Through God I haue done valiantly for he hath troden downe mine enemies that rose vp against me We must not suffer our selues to be so much vexed with the remainders of our corruptions as to depriue the Lord of the glory and our owne soules of the comfort which wee might reape from the beginning of their ouerthrow but must make our selues exceeding glad of this their first falling before vs that so we may more assuredly conclude as they doe concerning Haman when he began to fall before Mordecai that he should not preuaile but should surely fall quite before him When wee obserue the fruits of our faith as meanes to confirme our faith and the good workes of Gods grace as arguments to assure vs that wee are receiued into the state of grace this is an excellent meanes to make these fruits of faith and workes of grace to grow stronger and stronger in vs. An heart cheered vp in beholding and acknowledging the goodnesse of God that hath in some measure blessed his indeuour against sinne shall bee greatly furthered in this spirituall combate It animates souldiers to fight when as Ionathan speaketh concerning Sauls souldiers they eate the spoyle of their enemies but when they doe keepe themselues fasting as it were like as Saul did his souldiers pretending thereby to make them more eager in following the chase this makes them to be faint and weary and so doth very much hinder the slaughter of the foe Wherefore ye Christian souldiers that haue fought manfully vnder Christ your Lord with the weapons of the Word and Prayer and the like and haue found that your holy meditations and prayers haue diminished the force of your corruptions in some good measure eate you the spoyle of your spirituall enemies comfort your selues in the sence of this good worke and with great contentment of spirit conclude for your selues that you are true branches because the Husbandman doth bestow the paynes of pruning vpon you CHAP. XV. Containing the third vse of the poynt to incourage the Saints in striuing against sinne because the Lord will helpe them in this labour and they shall surely preuaile BVt this poynt doth yeeld likewise a third vse Vse 3 Incouragement to proceed in resisting of sinne to animate the people of God to a resolute opposing of all their corruptions because loe the God of heauen is ready at hand to cut off those euils which they are hewing at A man is sure of successe in the worke of mortification if he want not diligence to labour in that worke The flesh must downe corruptions shall tumble the Spirit shall bee victorious stronger is he that is in vs then he which is in the world and certainly the grace
the reasons of it are as cleere as can be not onely from the truth and power of God who is able abundantly to mortifie our sinnes and hath told vs that hee is faithfull and true to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse but also from two other pertinent considerations namely first that their need requireth it secondly that it standeth vpon his honour to performe it For first Reason 1 if the Lord their God should not vndertake the purging and cleansing of them Because else they should perish by the preuailing of sinne their sinnes would totally and finally preuaile against them and they could not possibly but perish If a Garden be not timely weeded it will quickly be so ouer-runne with weeds that there will bee no place left for good and wholesome herbes and flowers to grow therein If a dangerous fote bee not plaistered with conuenient salues it will fester and rankle and rot the ioynt and bring death to the body wherein it bred euen so would sinne also preuaile against the best of Gods seruants to their vtter destruction if hee himselfe did not ioyne to helpe them against it For in truth all their power without the perpetuall assistance of his speciall grace would bee to little purpose for the subduing thereof Either therefore the Lord must purge his people or see them dye for euer for want of purging This latter his tender pity and fatherly compassion his eternall infinite vnspeakable free and vnchangeable loue can neuer indure to see wherefore his wisedome power and goodnesse will set themselues on worke to effect the former euen to purge them that they may be saued And that the rather because in the second place Reason 2 it much importeth his owne honour so to doe It is for Gods honour to perfect the worke be hath begun in them For this is one of those wayes whereby hee is made glorious in all his Saints for that his working in them is so miraculously effectuall as to change blindnesse into sight lamenesse into soundnesse weaknesse into strength and death into life For as a Physiciā hauing vndertaken the cure of some desperat disease wil not for his credit leaue it off bunglingly in the middest halfe whole halfe ill but must perfectly consummate accōplish it to the totall strength of the member ill-affected and person diseased because the glory of a Physiciā doth stand in the multitude of those whom he hath perfectly healed of grieuous maladies So the Lord of heauen and earth hauing begun to heale the sicke yea desperately sicke soules of his poore afflicted and sinfull seruants must euen goe thorow with that hard worke for his glory sake that it may not be said he laid the foundation and was either so weak that he could not or so vnconstant that he would not set vp the roofe and he must winne to himselfe the glory of infinite power and skill in making them euery whit sound as our Sauiour speaketh of one whom himselfe had restored to bodily health It is his honour to shew himselfe strong in their weaknesse true in their falshood wise in their folly good in their badnesse and fuller of excellent ability to redresse their euils then they can be of euils that may need redressing and the glory of glories that hee affecteth to haue in his Church is this that hee turneth Lions into Lambs Woolues into Sheepe and Beares into Kine and Serpents into Sucklings fooles into wise men and sinners into Saints so taking away the most mischieuous violent ouerbearing and but by his strength vnsubduable corruptions of their nature whom he sanctifieth by grace as that he worketh the quite contrary vertuous qualities in them CHAP. XII Shewing the meanes and manner of the Lords pruning NOw hauing sufficiently manifested the present poynt to be true let vs for the better cleering thereof and to make it more easily and plentifully vsefull acquaint you with two necessary poynts about this pruning First The meanes of this pruning by what meanes it is effected and then in what manner For the first the meanes of purging are of two sorts proper Some proper that are fit to bring forth that effect of their owne nature and accidentall that doe not of their owne nature serue for so good a purpose but by Gods wisedome and power are ouer-ruled to the helping forward thereof The proper meanes are also of two kinds principall and instrumentall The principall is the blessed Spirit of God 1. The chiefe Gods holy Spirit for that reason tearmed a Spirit of burning because it serueth to consume the corruptions out of our soules as fire doth the drosse out of the metall The holy Ghost is giuen vnto them that beleeue that they may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit which bestoweth his efficacie vpon them in those spirituall ordinances of his that he hath appoynted they are then said to crucifie their lusts by the Spirit when they doe carefully vse those spirituall weapons wherewith the holy Ghost will neuer faile to cooperate And if there were not a supernaturall operation of the Spirit of Christ Iesus in vs to heale and helpe vs against these euils neuer should we by all our owne indeuours attaine any sound and thorow purging but alone a slight and superficiall washing of the outside And it is of great importance for vs to vnderstand that the holy Ghost is the chiefe worker in this worke without whom it would neuer succeed happily though we should labour therein with all our might both that we may be able with a more abundant thankfulnesse to acknowledge his care of vs and loue to vs in so great and beneficiall a seruice giuing away the whole praise from our selues to him and also that wee may bee ready with more humble carefulnesse to receiue and yeeld our selues vp vnto this heauenly worke of his which can by no meanes be hindred or interrupted but by our not regarding or not submitting our soules vnto it Wee must be strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might His Spirit must cloath vs and come vpon vs through him we must doe valiantly in this spirituall warfare and he must tread downe those lusts that rise vp against vs But this Spirit worketh in 2. The instrumentall the Word of God and by an excellent instrument the Word of God the Law and Gospell read preached heard meditated vpon which therfore we tearme an instrumentall cause of our purging For when as a Christian man doth exercise himselfe in the Word as for example by comming to heare it preached the Spirit of God doth then worke withall to make those speeches effectuall stirring vp and inclining his heart to marke and obserue the corruptions that are discouered vnto him and so to heed the words as to be moued by them So we reade that God cleansed Dauid from his impenitent continuance in his foule sinnes by the wholesome reproofe
will surely come vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Striue to be fruitful stirre vp your selues to consider seriously of the Lords infinite bounty in Christ shew to your selues the sweetnes and goodnesse of the diuine Maiesty in that worke so admirable inconceiueably gratious Prouoke your selues to make high account of him to loue him with the most vehement and feruent of all loue that your hearts being knit-vnto him and set vpon him you may euen for his sake set your selues to know the good the euill that pleaseth and displeaseth him to shun the last imbrace the first Vrge your selues not to dally with-him not to offer him a parcell of obedience an halting goodnesse but inlarge your desires and endeauors to the knowing and keeping of his whole will in all things Let none obiection none inclination of flesh and bloud make you to giue way to the sinfulnesse of your hearts in any thing but still continue and persist to fight against the sinnes which you cannot wholly subdue and to mortifie that by the spirit whereof you cannot quite be rid Prouoke and annimate your selues to the doing of these things say within your selues O that I could doe so Iong for grace and strength so to doe and call vpon thy selfe to be more and more carefull of bearing fruite in this Vine The Vine it selfe is a most sappy and iuyeefull Vine abundantly stored with that heauenly verdure and moysture that may serue to make the branches fruitfull The husbandman is no way defectiue either in skill or paines hee is neither ignorant nor heedlesse of any thing that may further the branches in their fruitfulnesse There is no want either on Gods part or on Christs part but all on ours No man is vnfruitfull but for lacke of will and care to be so I pray you be not wanting to your selues but striue to be fruitfull for in this Vine euery branch might be fruitfull if he were not either wilfull or slothfull or both But that mine exhortation may not be bootelesse I shall direct you how you may doe to be fruitfull and declare those things vnto you by the doing of which you shall be sure to attaine power to liue holily and these directions shall be both so few that you may remember them and so easie that you shall not neede to complaine of difficultie in performance The meanes therefore to become fruitfull The meanes of becomming fruitfull are these First a man must see lament his former vnfruitfulnesse freely confessing that of himselfe he is drie and barren and vtterly vnable to bring forth fruite Whosoeuer would liue godlily 1. To see and lament former vnfruitfulnesse must with sorrow obserue and confesse that his life hath beene farre short of that godlinesse which hee should and might haue obtained and that in him as of himselfe there remaineth no power to make himselfe godly and to make his conuersation holy for the time to come Yea this must be a meanes of making him heauy in heart and base and vile in his owne eyes as that he hath been fruitlesse so that he shall remain fruitlesse stil vnlesse he haue a supernaturall worke of Gods Spirit to make him fruitfull And for want of this sence acknowledgement of their owne wants it comes to passe that most men still remaine and still will remaine vnfruitful They thinke théy do already liue a godly life they thinke they can turne themselues when they lust to a godly life they are ouer highly conceited of their own sufficiency they dreame they haue gone further than they haue But would you not be fruitlesse barren for heereafter see then with sorrow that you haue been so at least in some measure heretofore and know that it must not be a power dwelling in your selues which must make you better but a borrowed power deriued from aboue And when you haue bin drawne to this acknowledgement then giue your selues with all diligēce 2. Attend to the word read and preached to attend vnto the Word of God both read and preached be attentiue I say to the Scriptures both in reading and hearing them for this is that good seed which if it be not receiued no fruit can grow if it be there is a possibility of being fruitful Remember that the Lord hath appointed to deriue the graces of his Spirit into your hearts by meanes of his Word and that he hath appoynted men as instruments and fellow-labourers to make you of euill good and of good better and therefore you must submir your selues vnto the will of God and giue your mindes to an heedefull attendance vpon his ordinance But remember that we doe not require your bare bodily presence at the Church and in the ordinances of God a man may be present in body and absent in minde this his presence shall but prouoke God against him because it is but a direct mocking of God Yea you must bring your soules to the Church as well as your bodies and marke hearken and obserue and consider what is spoken to you in Gods name A man must come to the Word of God as to the Word of God knowing it to be Gods power to his saluation and a meanes that God hath appointed by the commandements reproofes exhortations comforts thereof to plant and water all graces in him to beate downe his sinnes to build vp his new man and to translate him into the image of Iesus Christ Most people that come to the Word for want of esteeming it as an institution of God for so happy a purpose haue no care at all of themselues in hearing neuer looke to their thoughts neuer incline their eares neuer listen neuer heede what is spoken They sit there it may be quietly and stilly for their position of body but are shaken vp and downe in their soules with a world of idle or euill imaginations which stop out all that that should bee conueighed into their minds to doe them good so they giue Satan leaue to fill vp their minds with vanitie that there may be no roome for the grace of God To such hearers we can promise no blessing but it is the attentiue marking and obseruing the Word out of a good opinion of it and an honourable esteeme as a sauing instrument appointed of God to make men holy which we prescribe vnto you as a meanes of changing your barrennesse into fruitfulnesse by the lips of his faithfull seruants will Iesus Christ drop vertue into the hearts of those that come to seeke it there But Thirdly 3. Meditate vpon it after wards after hearing and reading you must meditate and consider of that which you haue heard you must apply it to your selues you must trie your selues by it you must duly consider whether you performe the things which it declareth vnto you yea or no and if you haue beene failing prouoke your selues to more carefulnesse you must vrge your selues to giue credit vnto the
to imagine vnlesse one doe take experience of his owne practice how much the renewing of this holy anger against a mans selfe for sinnes past will strengthen him against the same and abate the power of those corruptions of his heart which brake foorth into such rebellion Wherefore doe thus often many times many score times in a day put thy selfe in mind as occasion shall offer it selfe of thy former sinnes with a rising of thy soule against thy selfe and with an holy kind of sharpnesse and tartnesse being euen out of loue and conceit with thy selfe saying Ah vile creature how could I finde in mine heart to do such things would any man haue thought it possible for any creature from whom all piety and reason both were not banished to runne out into such words such deeds and what is wanting to the length and largenesse of these cogitations throughout the day in regard of the interruptions of other affaires that labour to supply by their oftennesse and by their earnest working within thee closing still with a turning away of thy liking from them and a wishing that thou hadst neuer so offended God Secondly 2. Renew often in thy selfe a resolution of no more committing thy most pleasing sinnes let a good man hold alwayes fast within himselfe a resolution of not committing such and such sinnes as he is most apt to commit and in regard of his condition calling place bodily temper or the like is most in danger to commit and let him often reuiue in himselfe also thoughts and motions to that end saying within himselfe Wel through Gods gracious assistance what euer come of mee I will no more transgresse the Law of God and displease him in such and such offences Should the creature wrong the Creator and the child doe iniury to the father Nothing is more vnreasonable then that I should for any thing sinne against my strength and my Redeemer of my selfe I cannot cease to sinne but God will worke in mee both the will and the deed and doubtlesse by his help I will not sinne in such kind measure manner any more I will no more bee so bitterly wrathfull nor vse such vndecent gestures and speeches in my passion I will no more bee so foolishly wanton nor vse such euill and defiling speeches and behauiours I will neuer be so impatient and discontented againe The Apostle Peter prescribeth this remedy against sin and vseth the phrase of being arm'd with it because a Christian soule so long as it remaineth peremptory in this resolution is like a souldier clad in strong harnesse who though he bee smitten at and receiueth a blow yet through the faithfulnesse of his armour is defended from the piercing of the weapon and from the wound If Satan or the flesh suggest a motion or present an occasion of doing such euils as a man hath often said within himselfe Well by Gods grace nothing shall euer make me doe it the will hauing bent it selfe fully against such things in generall flings away from this particular motion and reiecteth it with disdaine Wherefore Saint Peter as I was in saying commendeth this matter vnto vs in these words For as much as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme your selues with the same minde that he who hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne that hee no longer should liue the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God You see how a Christian should goe fenced well I will no longer follow sin nor doe after the corrupt lusts of men but the holy will of God And you see also by what argument pressed vpon himselfe a Christian should fortifie this settled determination in himselfe namely because Christ hath suffered for vs. And this determination must not alone bee prosecuted more plentifully and earnestly in our settled and solemne meditations but perpetually also renewed and confirmed euen as wee goe about our other affaires for a mans hand may be working in his calling and his heart drawing it selfe to the maine worke of his calling of Christianity by lifting vp it selfe with such thoughts as occasion may offer it selfe Surely that sinne that slew Christ Iesus our Lord is too vile a thing in it selfe too hatefull to God too hurtfull to the committer for a Christian man to liue in or once to practise and therefore what-euer may befall I will not commit such and such and such a sinne naming that that the present occasion shall giue him most cause to name or that his heart hath most reason to be most carefull of shunning And this a good man should doe not once twice or thrice in a weeke but euer and anon twenty and twice twenty times in a day in halfe a day For though we liue in the world yet our maine businesse is to trauell towards heauen and therefore the soule must take all occasions of furnishing it selfe with thoughts that tend to further it in that iourney Thirdly 3. Obserue and resolutely and speedily resist euill or idle motions a Christian ought euer to keepe a most wakefull eye ouer the motions that stirre in his minde that so soone as euer any sinfull or friuolous fancies begin to steale or breake in vpon him he may make speedy and resolute resistance by raising vp some holy affection of loathing the fault griefe for it anger against it or else reuerence of Gods holy presence feare of his fierce anger trembling at his iust threats or else by sending vp some present and short request vnto God for the assistance of his Spirit saying Lord helpe me with thy grace should I euer doe so vile or fruitlesse things nay should I suffer the cogitations of them to dwell in my soule God forbid Lord strengthen me by thy Spirit that I may not dishonour and offend thee by such words such actions Thus the Spirit by lusting against the flesh shall mortifie the deeds of the flesh Yea and if it so fall out that these shorter eiaculations or briefe petitions of the soule will not serue the turne but that the motions grow more thicke or vehement and the heart begins almost to consent vnto them and so we find our selues on the losing hand for when once the will hath giuen ground by either thinking Why should I not doe it or by making but a faint refusall a mans soule is foyled and if occasion bee not for the present committing of it yet the next time occasion doth come vnlesse he haue gotten more strength and armed his will more strongly he will soone bee drawne to commit it I say when wee thus perceiue corruption strong and grace weake we must take so much care of our soules as if it bee possible to lay all other things aside and in the solemnest manner fall on praying to God for strength against that corruption but if other occasions stand so auerse that we cannot haue time or place to make a solemne prayer yet we
or to any other vnlawfull some liberty not to be condemned as wicked will yet so confirme and strengthen certaine peculiar distempers of some mans soule more then of others that the inioying of such contents will proue exceeding mischieuous and doe him an hundred times more harme then the content thereof can be worth vnto him Bee we therefore as wary and cautelous for our spirituall health as for our naturall Let vs set bounds to our selues euen in the vse of our lawfull liberty in things indifferent and not please our senses and fancies to the wounding and hurting of our soules Now brethren these are the most needfull directions for the ouermastering of the euils of our inward man which I thought fit to commend vnto you He that will follow them shall finde a sensible decay of the body of death he shall find the flesh more and more subdued vnto the Spirit hee shall finde himselfe able to preuaile against those passions and lusts that he had sometimes thought impossible to bee preuailed against he shall be kept from many grosse faults and many dangerous our-strayings and shall far lesse frequently and lesse violently be foyled of his spirituall enemy then without them it will prooue or seeme possible Yea in thus pruning himselfe he shall saue the Husbandman a labour of pruning and keepe himselfe at ease from many burthensome crosses that must needs come vpon him otherwise Consider therefore of thine owne infirmity consider that thou art in part alone sanctified consider that sinne is not quite and cleane taken from thy soule but alone deposed from that tyrannicall dominion which once it did exercise ouer thy soule consider that Satan watcheth all aduantages to catch thee in a snare and to bring thee backe againe to folly and because thou art not fully perfect bee content to deuoure the paines of helping thy selfe against thine imperfections which if thou wilt not be perswaded to doe know that thou shalt euen inforce the Lord to compell thee as it were by foule meanes to the doing of that without which hee doth well know that thou canst not bee safe namely of fighting against the fleshly lusts that fight against thy soule CHAP. X. Containing the fourth and last vse of the poynt viz. a consolation to the people of God against their vnallowed finnes BVt moreouer Vse 4 this poynt wee haue spoken of Comfort to Gods people against the sinnes which they feele and disallow though it seeme at first hearing to be altogether vncomfortable doth yet affoord a sure and needfull comfort vnto the seruants of God that haue wisedome to apply it the right way For why it followes hence necessarily that the branches in this Vine should not be appalled nor out of heart because they are continually troubled with the feeling of many things amisse which it were farre more desireable to haue lopped off then continue vpon them Heere is cause not of not being humbled but of not being discouraged in the senfe and feeling of our manifold corruptions For it is sure a man may be a lining and a fruitfull branch and yet stand in great need of much pruning It doth often arise in the hearts of the truest of Gods people as an argument against their truth that they haue so many sinnes still stirring in them and that they doe daily transgresse so many waies and oftentimes in very high degrees and grosse kinds Now if we had well consulted with the Saints of God that liued in former times and of whose liues the holy Scriptures doe giue vs a map or abridgement we should easily perceiue that there were no force at all in this argument vnlesse in so speaking we will offend against the generation of Gods children as the Psalmist speaketh in another case For what reason were strong and good against me or any of you that now liue the same had been also firme and strong against many of those that were members of the Church in former times and if the Scriptures doe assure vs of their being dearly beloued of God and surely ingraffed into Christ euen at the selfe same time when they did complaine of like corruptions to those that wee now doe complaine of then we may safely collect hence that wee also are in Christ and in the fauour of God notwithstanding that wee cannot deny our selues to bee polluted with such euils Wherefore if you will truly conclude of your selues in this behalse whether you be or be not in Christ you must not look so much only to what corruptions you haue as to what you allow For true grace may stand with the hauing of many but not with the allowing of any He that excuseth extenuateth makes light of any sinne at all and thinkes he needs not greatly care for leauing off that because it is so small a matter and because hee is perswaded that there is neuer a man aliue but doth as bad and therefore beares himselfe boldly vpon Gods misapplyed mercy that he shall doe well enough for all that he allowes sinne hee giues it liberty and licence and yeelds himselfe to the dominion of sinne and this man is not a liuing member of Christs body nor a fruitfull branch of this Vine Let him by no meanes beguile himselfe nor suffer any formes of seeming goodnesse that hee hath in other things to make him conceiue well of himselfe he is doubtlesse an halter and Christ Iesus will reiect him at last But he that hath many sinnes sees them acknowledgeth them to God hath his soule troubled at them and desireth rather then his life to be freed of them and becomes exceeding base in his owne feeling because of them still casting himselfe vpon Gods gracious and free fauour in Christ for pardon of them may be and is a fruitfull branch though he haue a thousand sinnes of infirmitie in him yea though he be ouercome of tentation to commit the same sinne againe and againe Let not the diuell abuse any of you to make him lesse carefull of lamenting and opposing and being humbled vnder his sinnes because he heares he may be a good Christian and partake of the benefits of Christ for all them for in so abusing this comfort you shall make your selues vncapable of this comfort because it belongeth alone to those that so haue sinned as they bee troubled vexed and disquieted with it as with the breaking of a leg or arme and do euen make haste to the binding of their soules vp againe by the renewing of their repentance Indeed the Hypocrite if he can once get a conceit fastened in him that though he doe commit such a sinne yet he may goe to heauen well enough for all that he thinketh himself safe and is little careful to oppose or bewaile that sinne which hee conceits will not damne him but the true Christian will be no whit lesse carefull to frame himselfe to mourning for sinne and to take paines against it because he is secured for the matter of
till hee be fully vnited to Christ and walke no longer by faith but by sight seeing as he is seene and knowing as hee is knowne Wee must conclude then to be walking forwards till we lye downe in graues for neuer are we at our iourneys end till then Secondly Reason 2 God hath offred them sit meanes of growing the Lord hath affoorded and prouided vs sufficient meanes and helpes to grow The Word of God is able to build vs vp yet further the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth bring the body and blood of Christ vnto vs to be our spirituall food The Spirit of God that worketh in and with these and all other meanes is a spirit of life and serueth not alone to mortifie the deeds of our flesh but to quicken our inward man also till wee come to bee perfect men in Christ and haue his Image fully renewed in vs. We want none helpes this way that wee can desire if we want not care to vse them and we may bee well assured that hee which hath prouided them did neuer intend that they should bee prouided in vaine but that hee would haue vs vse them and by the vsing attaine the fruit of them Thirdly Reason 3 if we grow not better If they grow not better they shall soone grow worse it cannot bee long afore we grow worse There will bee a sensible decay of grace after a little while if there bee not some addition to it Wee moue either vpward or downeward and wee cannot long hang in the middest for things that doe but tend to perfection and haue not yet gotten it if they approch not neerer to it will bee remoued further from it If the fire be not fed with fewell it will goe out and a young tree if it cease shooting vp its branches doth quickly cease to liue All naturall motions are more and more earnest towards their ending and so much more swift by how much they grow neerer to their proper place of rest so must all the motions of goodnes be in Gods Saints Last of all Reason 4 our growing in grace here Growth in grace will procure growth in glory shall procure vnto vs a growth in glory hereafter The more holinesse we attaine in this world the more happinesse wee shall attaine in the other world Euery dram of grace shall bee rewarded as it were with a pound of glory If we be rich in the worke of the Lord our labour shall not bee in vaine in the Lord but hee will exceeding plentifully requite all the seruices which wee haue performed for him and all the vertues which wee haue for his sake laboured to get and exercise He that sowes liberally shall reape liberally hee that sowes sparingly shall also reape sparingly This life is our seedes-time that to come must be our haruest Who would not bee incouraged by so inestimable rewards to straine himselfe to all painfulnesse that he may grow So it is possible to grow in grace for we haue sufficient helpes and meanes it is profitable for we shall grow in glory and that also proportionably it is necessary for we are not yet come to our full growth yea it is of absolute necessity so to grow for else we shall grow worse and worse euen from ought to nought as the Prouerbe speaketh and all these reasons confirme the poynt and shew that it is the duty of Gods people to wax better and better onely it may be demanded whether that all the Saints of God do performe this duty and bee in act more holy and vertuous euery day then other To which I answere that it is with Gods people as with children who are subiect to many sicke sits in which they doe weare away and euen lose their flesh and strength but yet for all that they recouer and come to be men at last yea and strong men too A Christian oftentimes doth goe backward for a season Sometimes Gods people for a time doe grow worse but they recouer and become more humble that is better at length but hee recouers himselfe feeles his going backe returneth and at the last becomes better indeed though not in his owne feeling then euer he was For after it may bee some long fainting and fading of grace hee is brought backe with a deeper sence of his owne basenesse then euer he had before and so growing in humility growes likewise in all graces for with the growth of that all doe grow though perhaps he may not liue to doe so many excellent workes as formerly hee had done and so the story of holy Writ doth shew that it was with Dauid who seemed worse after his settling in the Kingdome then before and was so for a while but rising vp againe hee was more holy then euer before though he fought not so many battels as before CHAP. XVII Containing the first vse of the last poynt viz. a terrour to them that grow worse NOw this poynt concerning the branches bringing forth more fruit Vse 1 Terrour to them that decay rather serueth to discouer the vnhappinesse of those men in whom no such growth is found but the quite contrary viz. that are grown backwards and falne behinde hand being more feeble in all graces and scant in all good workes then formerly they were wont to be And thus alacke it is with many a man Time was when they were frequent in hearing the Word of God and could not bee kept from it by any meanes now their hunger after it is turned into fulnesse and the least occasion that is will detaine them from it yea rather then faile they will quarrell with the Minister either for some poynt of doctrine which hee teacheth contrary to their minds or for some faultinesse in the manner of teaching or for some mis-behauiour of life or for some thing or other against which they can alleage any probable shew of quarrell rather then that they will not seeme to themselues to haue cause of not caring to come to heare They were wont to reade much and pray often and take time to meditate vpon those things which they had heard but now all these things are either quite laid aside or very seldome performed once they were abundant in workes of mercy now they are scant and sparing formerly they were liuely in their seruices now little lesse then dead and so it is with them that any man which hath occasion of conuersing with them may plainly perceiue them to be changed from better to worse O this is a lamentable condition hauing its originall in the ouergrowth of voluptuousnesse worldlinesse pride or some other like carnall affection and shall haue its issue either in some grieuous sinne or heauy calamity or both euen though they bee Gods children I dare not say brethren that it may not befall a true Christian thus to fade for a season and yet the withering of the blade is a sore signe of a stony ground But this I dare
damnation For the thing in regard of which he doth hate sinne and would faine bee rid of it is neither onely nor chiefly this that it is like enough to bring his soule to hell but this also yea this chiefly that it is offensiue to God and displeaseth his louing Father and makes him vnable to hold such familiar and friendly society with God as else he might haue So that the misapplying of this consolation to nourish security presumption and boldnesse in sinning is a sore signe of a man that is farre enough off from any truth wherefore we desire that none of you should so abuse the sweet comforts of Gods Word But make the right and true vse of this comfort and lay it like a good plaister discreetly and seasonably to thy wounded soule and when thy doubting heart by Satans crafty prompting shall tell that thou art none of Gods because of such and such faults that thou hast committed and dost often fall into and that to this end that thereby he may cause thee to giue ouer all hope and cast off all care of praying to God and humbling thy soule in confession and suing for pardon in Christ and so to frame thee either to vtter desperation or vtter loosenesse one of which things must necessarily-follow vpon the beleeuing of that conclusion When I say Satan is busie thus to turne thy sinnes to the ouerthrow of thy faith and to the turning thee quite out of the way of godlinesse and peace now answere by the seasonable remembring and due applying of the present poynt No no. O mine vnbeleeuing heart I am full of sinnes but I confesse them and am troubled with them I fall often but I euer rise and euer resolue to rise to goe to the Lord and acknowledge and striue to bewaile them and to craue and beg his helpe against them more and more earnestly Wherfore I am sure that those sinnes cannot disproue my being a true Christian and a child of God and therefore I will both call vpon him and stay vpon him and resoluing still to striue to bee more free from sinne will rest vpon Christ for what I cannot but acknowledge to bee wanting in my selfe To see our sinnes so as to grow vile in our owne eyes and more and more contemptible in our owne account and more and more to labour to haue our soules contrite and broken for them this is a good sight of them and we must be perswaded to it but to see them so as to giue ouer hoping in Gods mercy for their pardon and labouring against them in his strength because our often foyles and failings do make vs conclude it is in vaine this is no way allowable As good scald as burnt the Prouer be saith As good not see our sinnes at all as make so bad an vse of the sight of them But now O all ye that are fruitfull branches keepe fast your title and interest into that name and let not your many superfluities so long as you finde them in pruning and cutting off make you deeme your selues vncapable of that honour CHAP. XI Containing the third poynt of doctrine that God will prune the fruitfull branches that is helpe true Christians against their corruptions ANd that you may the better inioy and not abuse this comfort proceed we now to the third of those foure poynts which wee propounded to speake of viz. Gods goodnesse in purging his seruants This pruning must needs import some act of God which is the same to the soule of a Christian man that cutting off the superfluities of the Vine-branches is to them and this can be nothing else but the helping of them against their corruptions For looke what superfluity of leaues twigs or the like is to a branch the same are corruptions of all sorts to the Christian man and therefore pruning is the taking away remouing strengthening them against these corruptions Know then for a surety that as a good and husbandly Gardener wil take away from the Vine all out-shooting and ouer growing things that might make it yeeld him lesse increase of Grapes Doct. 3 so the Lord will lessen weaken redresse the disorders of all sorts that are in his seruants The Lord will more and more weaken the corruptions of his people euen their ignorance their blindnesse their pride their passion their selfe-love their worldly-mindednesse and the like The Lord is very carefull and ready to helpe his seruants against the sinnes of their hearts and liues and against all the euill of their corrupted nature The most High is a partner with a Christian in his combate against his lusts yea the chiefe workman in this businesse of reforming what is amisse in him He will bestow dressing on his sheepe whiting on his linnen weeding on his garden and on his field Those sinnes that are in the people of God not raigning with their good liking but vsurping without their allowance haue Gods holy eyes bent vpon them indeed to obserue and take notice of them not to hate the person in whom they be for he lookes vpon the person through Christ and as Paul saith It is no longer they but sinne in them but to helpe and assist the person against them euen as a good and louing father obserues the spots of his childs face to make him wash them off and his scabs or itch to prouide him a medicine or as a kind Chirurgion lookes on a sore to search and dresse and heale it not to kill the man for it As he that meeteth with an Apple rotten at core though it look soundly on the outside casts it away from him to the dunghill so the Lord meeting with those in whom sinne hath dominion cuts them off and reiects them vtterly but as a man meeting with an Apple a little specked heere or there pickes out that is naught and pares and eates it so the Lord finding men in whom sinne is dwelling in some degree but is not predominant pickes out that sinne and preserues them for the vse of his glory The Apostle saith that God will tread Satan vnder our feet shortly and it is out of question that Satan can neuer be troden vnder foot if sinne be not yea sinne saith the same Apostle shall not haue dominion ouer your mortall bodies Can wee desire a more expresse promise The same thing we may note in the words of the Prophet I will take away the heart of stone out of your bodies and giue you an heart of flesh And againe I will deliuer you from all your vncleannesses We see the Lords intention plaine enough hee will helpe his seruants not alone against one or two but against all their filthinesses So doth the Prophet Isaiah foretell saying The Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughter of Sion and purge the blood of Ierusalem from the middest thereof with the spirit of iudgement and the spirit of burning All these places put the truth of the poynt out of doubt and