way vnto his first sinfull motions Lastly a principall imployment of holy wisedome in guarding the thoughts is spent in giuing a wise and humble entertainement vnto the good motions of Gods blessed spirit and in furnishing and supplying the mind with store of profitable and godly meditations For as vnregenerate men giue commonly easie passage to pleasing worldly thoughts but suppresse gratious stirrings inclinations to godly sorrow repentance sincerity as though they were tentations to precisenes so contrarily Gods child labours by all meanes to stoppe the way to the first sinfull sensuall thoughts but alwaies desires with speciall humilitie and reuerence to imbrace all the motions of Gods spirit warranted and grounded in his word Hee deerely and highly esteemes them cherisheth and feeds them with spirituall ioy and thankfulnesse of heart with prayer meditation and practise For if a man begin once to be neglectiue of godly motions by little and little he grieues the spirit at length he quencheth it at last he is in danger of despighting it if not by profession and directly yet in his practise and by an indirect opposition in slandering and persecuting spirituall graces in Gods children Besides this worthie care of entertaining and nourishing good motions hee is prouident to gather and treasure vp store of good matter and heauenly businesses for the continuall exercise of his mind left that noble power of his soule should be taken vp with trisles and vanitie feede vpon earth or weare and wast it selfe with barren and lumpish melancholie Hee is much grieued and vexed if he find at any time his heart caried away with transitorie delights carnall and vnprofitable thoughts or his mind musing impertinently and gazing vpon the painted and vanishing glory of the world Especially sith there is such plentifull and pretious choice of best meditations obuious to euery Christian able to fill with endlesse contentment all the vnderstandings of men and Angels for euer As the incomprehensible gloriousnesse of God in the infinite beauty of his owne immediate Maiesty and sacred attributes in his word and workes in his iudgements and mercies in his Church and Sacraments The miraculousnesse of our redemption and all the comfortable and glorious passages thereof The great mysterie of godlinesse the power of grace trade of Christianity and course of sanctification matter of sweetest contemplation Concerning our selues there is to be thought vpon all the affaires of our calling the particulars perplexities and cases of conscience incident vnto them Our present vilenesse and fearefull infirmities the miseries and frailtie of this life the traines of Satan the terrors of hell that great iudgement euen at hand In our spirituall state how to preserue our first loue escape relapses grow in grace keepe a good conscience come to heauen And when the â—ie of our vnderstanding is dazled with those higher considerations or wearied with these inferiour it might refresh it selfe with the speculatiue fruition of many inuisible comforts with variety of heauenly things concerning the immortality of our soules the large promises of euerlasting blessednesse the glorious rising againe of our bodies the ioyes and rest of Gods saints aboue and that which is the crowne and conclusion of all our owne most certaine blissefull state of happinesse and eternity in the second world If men had grace and comfort to enlarge their harts to such meditations as these what roome would there be for earthli-mindednes vanities and impertinencies much lesse for proud ambitious couetous lustfull enuious and reuengefull thoughts Thus far of the care and conscience of the true Christian in watching ouer and guiding his thoughts which is a speciall marke of difference from all states of vnregeneration for the regenerate onely keepe the last commandement which rectifies the inward motions of the heart Now lastly in a fourth place and in a word Gods child is distinguished from the formall hypocrite in respect of the issue of his thoughts The most comfortable and sanctified soule is neuer in such perpetuall serenitie but that it is sometimes as it were ouerclouded with dumps of heauinesse and inwardly disquieted with it owne motions or the suggestions of Satan While this flesh is vpon it it shall be sorrowfull and while it is in this vale of teares it must mourne There is not an heart so sweetely and resoluedly composed for heauen but is sometimes dissetled with thoughts of indignation And that especially as appeareth by Dauid Psalm 37. and 73. When follie is set in great excellencie when men neither of worth conscience or ingenuitie are aduanced to high roomes domineere in the world and imperiously insult ouer sincerity when the wicked prosper and spread themselues in fresh pleasures and honours like greene Bay-trees when those haue their eyes standing out for fatnes and more then heart can wish to whom pride and insolencie are as a chaine and who are couered with prophanenesse and crueltie as with a garment But here marke the diffâ—â—ence Discontentfull discourses in the mind of the formall hypocrite either breake out into desperate conclusions and fearefull horrour although this be but seldome for commonly this kind of vnregenerate man liues flourishingly and dies fairely in the eye of the world exemplarie and irrecouerable despaire in this life doth oftnest befall either the notorious sinner the meere ciuill honest man or especially the grosse hypocriâ—e therefore I would rather say that in him such discontentfull debatements are either appeased by some opposite conceit of stronger worldly comfort abandoned by entertainment of outward mirth diuerted by companie pleasures and ioyfull accidents composed by worldly wisedome or the like But heauie-hearted thoughts in Gods child though for a while not vtterly without some aspersion of distrust fretting and discontent yet commonly at length being mingled with faith and managed with spirituall wisedom by the grace of God breake out into fairer lightening of comfort greater heate of zeale more liuely exercise of faith gratious speeches and many blessed resolutions I will but onely giue one instance and that in Dauid a man of singular experience in spirituall affaires Looke the beginnings of the 62. and 73. Psalmes And you shall find Dauid to haue beene in a heauie dumpe and sore conflict in his owne heart with strong tentations vnto impatiencie He recounts the issue of the dispute with himselfe in the beginnings of these Psalmes Yet saith he in the 73. for all this God is good vnto Israel euen to the pure in heart In the 62. Yet let diuels and men rage and combine yet my soule keepeth silence vnto God of him commeth my saluation c. His many wrongs vexations and indignities together with the implacable malice and impotent insultations of his aduersaries had no doubt a little before much run in his mind Let vs conceiue such as these to haue beene his thoughts and that thus or in the like maner hee communed and confered with his royall selfe Lord thinks he with himselfe I haue with lowest humilitie and
the practise and actions of true and sound regeneration and therefore it is transcendent to his most happie naturall capacitie to the depth of his worldly wisedome and to the greatest height of his speculations though otherwise neuer so vniuersall and profound Now as concerning other parts of diuine knowledge and other points of religion hee may be furnished with store of rare and excellent learning in Fathers Schoolemen Commentaries Cōtrouersies he may be endewed with suttletie in disputing and defending the truth of God yea and in resoluing cases of cōscience too so far as a formal obseruatiō and Popish Doctors can leade him For their resolutions in that kind are only busied about cases incident to their Antichristian Hierarchy about perplexities arising out of their wil-worship and bloudy superstition and determination of some particulars in the Commandements which may fall within the capacitie of an vnregenerate man but their profession I meane the Papacie cannot possibly reach vnto the heart of godlines the mysterie of regeneration and the sauing power of the life to come Nay yet besides this the formall hypocrite may be made partaker of some degrees of the spirit of illumination in vnderstanding and interpreting the book of God for the good of his Church and children For I doubt not but many haue much light of iudgement that haue little integritie of conscience and are inspired with the spirit of illumination for the good of others that haue no part in the spirit of sanctification and sound conuersion for their owne happinesse But yet me thinks there may be conceiued some differences betwixt the child of God and the formall hypocrite in the very speculation and knowledge of Gods truth and in apprehension of things diuine in the vnderstanding Which I take to be such as these First the light of diuine knowledge in the formall hypocrite doth onely discharge his beames and brightnes vpon others but neuer returnes and reflect◠on his owne soule to an exact discouerie of the darkenesse of his owne vnderstanding the disorder of his affections the slumber of his conscience the deadnesse of his heart but euery child of God is euer in some measure both a burning and shining Lampe he is both illightned and inflamed inwardly in his owne vnderstanding heart and affections and also the brightnesse of his Christian vertues are euer dispersed and working vpon others Wheresoeuer hee liues he shines as a light amid a naughtie and crooked generation in the sight and censure of God the blessed Angels and good men though to the iudgement of the world and eye of prophanenesse his glorious graces euer did and euer will appeare to bee nothing but darkenesse and dissembling You may conceiue this difference thus The sun beames you know are not onely cast and shed into the inferior Orbs and aire but are first rooted in the sunne and doe inwardly and vniuersally fill with light that faire and glorious body It is otherwise in the moone for howsoeuer she receiue light for the cheering and comforting other bodies yet she remaines darke within and in respect of her selfe it serues onely to make her spots more conspicuous It is iust so in the point wee haue in hand The light of diuine knowledge in the child of God doth not onely shine vpon the soules of others for their instruction and refreshing but doth first fully illuminate his owne though not to an excellencie of degree for that is reserued for heauen yet to a perfection of parts of which only our mortalitie is capable But in the formall hypocrite howsoeuer it may sometimes dispell ignorance and errors from the minds of others yet within he is darkenesse in the Abstract in respect of sauing light as is euery vnregenerate man Ephes. 5.8 And his light of knowledge in respect of himselfe serues onely to make his sinnes more soule and sinfull his damnation more iust and himselfe more inexcusable For he that knowes his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Secondly the knowledge of diuine mysteries in Gods child is entertained and enioyed with a peculiar kind of sweetnes with an impression of incomparable ioy and pleasure It is far sweeter vnto him then hony and the hony combe Hee hath more delight in it then in all manner of riches It is more precious vnto him then gold yea then much fine gold It begets and stirres in him flagrant desires and affections correspondent to it pretiousnesse and excellencie But it is not so with the formall hypocrite for his earthly-mindednesse by which his affections are as it were glued vnto the fashions of the world if he were sensible of it would tell him that it is many times not so sweete vnto him as his pleasures His close couetousnes or other vnconscionablenes in his calling if his conscience were illightned would informe him that many times it is not so deare vnto him as gold Thirdly the child of God hath an humble and gratious resolution a sweet and willing submission euer mixt with his diuine knowledge of being mastered guided and gouerned by it though against the violent bent of his owne inclination and the current of the time but the formall hypocrite if he deale faithfully with his owne heart may feele in himselfe a secret subordination and subiection of his vnderstanding therein to his wealth honours and worldly preferments Fourthly in apprehension of diuine truth in the formall hypocrite the power of naturall discourse and light of reason beares the chiefest sway and therefore hee stickes as it were in the bone and barke in generalities and vncertainties but in the child of God the sacred illustration of Gods spirit doth plentifully concurre and therefore hee is able to prie into and pierce the marrow and pith of Gods holy truth the particular veines and the sauing sense thereof I come now to the other habit which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall prudence by which the word and faith take no root in the vnderstanding of the formall hypocrite This habit I told you is a spirituall prudence or a sanctified vnderstanding in the practicall affaires of the soule by which a regenerate man is inabled with a iudicious sinceritie to deliberate and determine in cases of conscience in the perplexities of tentations in all straites ambiguities and difficulties incident to the consideration and cariage of a Christian and with spirituall discretion to guide and conduct all the actions of grace and euery particular both in his generall and speciall calling This wisedome as I take it is an attendant vpon iustifying faith and onely and inseparablie annexed vnto sauing grace and therefore the formall hypocrite though I place him in the highest perfection that is attaineable in the state of vnregeneration is vtterly vncapable of it and a meere stranger vnto it as he is vnto the life of God By this holy wisedome Dauid Psalm 119. vers 99. is said to be wiser then his aduersaries that is then Saul and
sanctification from the state of formality then words actions and all outwardnesse of cariage For in these many times is much cunning and enforcement artificiall and fained behauiours counterfeit and formall conueiances disguisements and hypocrisies They are liable to the lawes of men open and obuious to the eye and iudgement of all and therefore feare of punishment reproch and base reputation shame speech of the world hope of reward and rising desire of maintaining a good opinion for honesty and religion of holding some gainfull coherence with Gods children are of great power to restraine them and to keepe them within good compasse and moderation So that a mans words and actions may be faire ingenuous and honourable whose thoughts are base prophane and abominable But thoughts are the free immediâ—â—â— and inuisible productions of the heart neuer taken within the walke of humane iustice by their naturall secrecie exempted from mans most priuie search and all executions of State Their aberrations are onely censurable by the searcher of all hearts no eye pries into these secrets but that which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne And therefore millions of thoughts many thousand formes of imagination spring continually out of the harts of men which without feare or maske without restraint or reseruation doe vndissemblingly resemble and represent the true state and disposition of the heart So that from them we may be euer sure to take infallible notice whether the heart as yet onely worke naturally in framing them in it owne sinfull mould and feeding them with consent and delight or else be taught and guided by a supernaturall power to compose them according to the light of Gods word and holy motions of his sanctifying spirit Let vs then consider what deepe roote the word of God doth take and what speciall soueraignty it doth exercise in the thoughts of a sanctified man whereby hee is cleerely differenced from all states of vnregeneration euen that of formall hypocrisie which I place in a degree aboue ciuill honesty and in the highest perfection attainable by an vnregenerate man We will then for our present purpose conceiue these differences betwixt the child of God and the formall hypocrite in this point of thoughts First in respect of their nature forms maner of working Streames doe resemble and expresse the nature and propertie of those fountaines whence they spring so ordinarily thoughts and imaginations follow the temper and constitution of the heart wherein they are moulded I say ordinarily for as wee doe not passe our iudgements of the depth of a riuer or quality of the water when by suddennesse of inundation or incursion of neighbor brooks it is growne into a torrent and becomne muddie for a while so neither are we to censure or take measure of our thoughts by some vncouth motions and extraordinarie stirrings we somtimes feele in them but according to the ordinarie current and generall sway they commonly hold and exercise in our hearts For sometimes euen the vnregenerate may haue good purposes and inclinations towards sinceritie earnest longings for the happinesse of the Saints and the heauenlinesse of their latter end some flashes of comfort and perswasion though from false grounds that the spirituall state of their soule is safe and sound but such thoughts as these in such men spend their life in their birth as they rise so they glide and passe away without all fruit true comfort or profit to their owne soules On the otherside the calmnesse and serenitie of sanctified thoughts in a good Christian may sometimes be fouly disquieted and interrupted either by some sudden eruption of the relikes of our owne sinfull nature by violent inuasion of some enticing obiect from abroad or by the malicious and immediate iniections of Satan But because such thoughts as these oppose against the general and settled purpose of Gods child hee well knowes out of his spirituall wisdom and holy experience how to repell and bridle them how to repent of them and pray against them how to bee humbled and bettered by them in setting a stronger guard and more narrow watch ouer his heart for afterward left he be vnawares surprized the second time Sith therefore the heart of a notorious sinner is hardnesse it selfe for besides naturall obduration it is yet further and more fearefully hardned by a desperate extinguishment of those lesser sparkes of a generall inclination to ciuilâ— honesty by a long custome in a dissolute course by the contagious company of leaud and gracelesse companions by the curse of God vpon his wilfull continuance in sinne therefore I say his thoughts are all continually and resoluedly sinne and that in a high and horrible degree Wickednesse hath so enwoouen it selfe into his heart that within he is very corruption And whereas amongst all other comforts of life sleepe doth most sweetly feed and refresh nature yet the humour of sinning is farre more naturall vnto him and more dominant in his affections then desire of sleep For he cannot sleepe except hee hath done euill and his sleepe departeth except hee cause some to fall He imagineth mischiefe vpon his bed Psal. 36.4 When he is encompassed with the feares and darknes of the night an image and representation of his graue and of the horror of that great day when his mind is retired from worldly affaires the noise and tumult of men when it is most actiue powerfull and fitted for diuine contemplation euen then are his thoughts as blacke as hell and deepest in the works of darkenesse then is he plotting and contriuing mischiefe How to compasse his pleasures and accomplish the lusts of his heart where to crowne himselfe with fresh Rose-buds by what meanes to set forward the trade of drunkennesse and to enlarge the number of Satans reuellers that with more contentment and companie he may leaue some tokens of his pleasures and swaggering in euery place how to supplant his brother oppresse his neighbour grieue and disgrace Gods seruants indeed how to become an absolutâ— villaine vpon earth and the foulest fiend in hell You see what are the thoughts of the notorious sinners obdurate heart which is as full of hardnesse as the Moone of light and therefore inforced as it were to emptie and discharge it selfe of some stonines by transfusing an iron sinew into the necke and a brasen brow into the face Neither iudgement nor mercie will bend and encline him to grace no admonition or ministery of the word wil make him blush at his open and profest impietie So that his heart doth not onely greedily entertaine what leaudnesse doth ordinarilie spring from corruption of nature and is suggested by others but being past all sense both of shame and sinne becomes one of the diuels new inuentours and sets the thoughts busily on work for the deuice of strange villanies and mischiefs and for addition of new formes fashions and circumstances of sinning No better are the thoughts of the grosse hypocrite another kind
of sinner but fully as soule and abominable For if we could look into his heart though his outward life be ordered smoothly and ciuilly yet we should see within a bloody slaughter-house of malice crueltie and reuenge an hateful stewes of impure imaginations and adulteries of the heart a forge of much mischiefe of furious and fierie rage against the power of grace an insatiable gulfe of greedie desires for wealth and riches for vndeserued respect and reuerence in the world indeed a cage of all vncleane and rauenous birds Here is only the differeÌ„ce the notorious sinner dares act and execute the abominations of his hart in the sight of the Sun but the grosse hypocrite would gladly sinne vnseene and go to hell with as little noise and notice of the world as may be and therefore he drawes a curtaine of cosenage and hypocrisie betwixt the sight of the world and foulenesse of his sinne In the hearts of Ahab and Iezebel was nothing but blood and murder couetousnesse oppression and mercilesse enclosure onely vpon the vgly visages of these soule fiends they put a vizard of a fast formall witnesses and legall proceeding The ordinarie thoughts then of the grosse hypocrite are the same as vile and hellish as those of the notorious sinner Nay he doubles his iniquitie and addes waight â—o the vengeance preparing for him in that he straines the vtmost veine of his wit and founds the depth of his damned policie to clothe them with faire pretences and colourable shifts as they passe and present themselues vnto the world in words and actions and in that he labours to seeme a Saint while he is in truth an incarnat diuell But the thoughts of the formall hypocrite for with him I am specially to deale I haue onely added in this point the notorious sinner and grosse hypocrite for further distinction and illustration I say his thoughts as they come certainly short of true sanctification so they are farre better then these now mentioned For we suppose his heart to be seasoned with goodnesse of nature and ciuill honesty to haue tasted of the generall graces of Gods spirit and in some sort of the powers of the world to come and therefore his thoughts are more faire ingenuous sober and moderate then those soule and hateful ones of the notorious sinner and grosse hypocrite His heart will rise and be affrighted with suggestions of infamous consequence and markeable horror as those of Atheisme Crueltie Drunkennesse Adulterie Herâ—sie and such like but notwithstanding because it is not softned and sanctified by speciall grace without much scruple or conscience it will let the imaginations loose to much idlenesse and vanitie to many fruitlesse conceits impertinencies and prophane wandrings but especially into the endlesse maze of worldly cares earthlymindednes For he doth in some sort in his practise approue and iustifie that wicked and pestilent prouerb Thoughts are free They are free indeed in respect of obnoxiousnes to humane iustice in respect of discouerie and danger from any creature but the eie and vengeance of heauen takes first and speciall notice of them and holds them punishable as the principals and chiefe plotters of al transgressions Words and actions are as it were sinnes at second hand the very first life and freshest vigour of all ill is immediately receiued and inspired into the thoughts Hence it is that Peter aduiseth Simon Magus to pray God if it were possible that the thought of his heart might be forgiuen him as though there lay the greatest guilt and deepest staine before God By the way before I passe to the thoughts of Gods child obserue one speciall marke of difference in this point betwixt the true Christian and formall hypocrite The formall hypocrite doth euer harbour and maintaine in himselfe one sweet pleasing bosome sinne or other as voluptuousnes worldlinesse a greedy pursuit of temporall felicitie an excessiue desire of greatnesse and note in the world an opposition to sinceritie a delight in good fellowship or some such like carnall contentment or secret sinne on which his mind most runs whereupon the best and the flower the feruency and dearenes of his thoughts are spent Gods word honor and seruice checkes of conscience motions of the spirit ministrie of the word admonition of friends saluation of soule by an vnreasonable and inconsequent discourse of his sensuall reason are all made subordinate and seruiceable to this Idoll To which with much delight he daily sacrificeth the noblest and immediate workes and issues of his soule As for the state of his conscience spirituall affaires care of heauen that One necessarie thing these things take vp his thoughts but at reuersion by starts by accident and when they come into the heart their entertainement is very cold and strange their abode short and while they stay they are apprehended and enioyed with much wearinesse and weaknesse I conceiue this to be the reason Hee hath a full taste and present feeling of the pleasures of his sweet sinne hee hath sensible and certaine possession of worldly contentments but no reall and sound assurance by sauing faith and his forsaking all sinne of the ioyes and comforts aboue and therefore doth greedily follow and feed vpon the present with consent of his erring iudgement delight of heart the best of his affections and most of his thoughts And as for hereafter sith he is conscious to himselfe of an honest ciuill life of a sober formall cariage in the affaires of religion and that he is not infamous with any notoriousnesse in the world but as good as the best a few precise fellowes of purer straine onely excepted whose pretence and profession of extraordinary sanctity is nothing in his conceit but humour and hypocrisie he therefore I say for hereafter referres himselfe at all aduentures vnto the mercy of God and to the lot and condition of many thousands which are in the same case and state with himselfe But it is otherwise with Gods child For by the power of sanctifying grace as hee hath also mortified all other so specially he hath broke the very heart of the sweete sinne of his vnregeneration And as in a besieged citie where the greatest and most dangerous breach is made there the inhabitants concurre with chiefest care and highest resolution to fortifie and make resistance euen so sith he knowes and feeles that before his calling his delightfull and darling sinne most fearefully wasted his soule and wounded his conscience hee makes sure to imploy his thoughts with speciall edge and indignation to countermine preuent resist abominate and abandon all thought of that sinne And now by the grace of God sitâ— the heart the fountaine is purged and sanctified the streame and heate of their intention and delight is caried another way For he hath found that rich and inestimable Treasure in the Gospell and therfore he sels all that he hath he parts with euery pleasure he casts out of his conceit whatsoeuer hath beene formerly deare
comfort and heauenly matter enough to worke vpon a pleasing contentment and satisfaction arising from an humble and sober remembrance of a well spent life doth infinitely more refresh them then all the reuellings and pleasant deuices of merrie companions nay manie times in their seasonable solitarinesse diuine graces are more operatiue and stirring and raise inflamed motions of delight and ioy Now in a third place we are to consider that the child of God is yet further very much differenced from the formall hypocrite by his skill and dexteritie in ruling by his holy wisedome and godly iealousie in watching ouer his thoughts The heart in which Gods spirit is not resident with speciall grace and sanctifying power howsoeuer the words may be watched ouer and the outward actions reformed lies commonly still naked and open without speciall guard or settled gouernment For the best naturall man is too impatient of restraint and seuerity ouer the power of imagination and freedome of his thoughts they being naturally exempted and priuiledged from all humane and created soueraignty and the vncâ—ssantnesse of their workings and perpetuall presence in the mind would make the abridgement of their libertie more sensible and distastfull It may be out of the natural grounds of ciuill honesty some generall apprehension of the power of the world to come he may be so farre solicitous about his thoughts thaâ— if any start vp of more soule and monstrous shape enticing him to some grosse and infamous sinne which would disgrace him in the world or breed extraordinarie horrour in his conscience he presently sets against it disclaimes abandons and expels it He may bee of experience and skill to conquer and suppresse thoughts of heauinesse and melancholie although in this point he many times fearefully deceiues himselfe taking the holy motions of Gods spirit enclining him to godly sorrow for his sinnes to be melancholicke thoughts tending towards too much strictnes and vnnecessarie discomfort So grieuing the good spirit and stopping against himselfe the verie first and necessarie passage to saluation Thus the formall hypocrite may haue sometimes and in part a sleight misguided and generall care and ouersight of his thoughts But because the depth of his deceitfull heart and the many corruptions that are daily and hourely hatched in it were neuer ript vp and reuealed vnto him by the power and light of sauing grace he cannot hold that hand ouer his heart as he ought hee doth not keepe a solemne particular and continual watch and ward ouer his thoughts which is little enough to keepe a Christian in sound comfort and inward peace he hath no heart with such anxiety and care to looke vnto his heart he doth not so often and seriously thinke vpon his thoughts holding it the last and least of a thousand cares But euery child of God certainly makes it his chiefest care and one of his greatest Christian toiles to guard his heart and guide his thoughts Hee followes in some good measure by his practise that holy counsell of Salomon Prou. 4.23 Aboue all watch and ward keepe thine heart The word in the Originall is borrowed from the affaires of warre Let vs imagine a citie not onely begirt with a strait and dangerous siege of cruel and blood-thirstie enemies but also within infested with lurking Commotioners and traitors to the State how much doe you thinke would it stand that citie vpon with all vigilant policie to stand vpon it guard for preuention of danger It is iust so with the heart not onely Satan is euer waiting opportunitie to throw in his fierie darts and sensuall Obiects from abroad like false Simons to insinuate themselues but also it feeles to it much vexation many rebellious stirrings within it owne bowels The tender conscience of a true Christian is verie sensible of all this danger and by his owne experimentall and practicall knowledge hee is acquainted with the many breaches and desolations made in the soule both by these open enemies and secret rebels and therefore furnisheth himselfe daily with much holy wisedome and watchfulnesse with experience and dexteritie in this great spiritual affaire of guarding and guiding his hart We may take a view of this his sanctified and Christian wisedome in gouerning his thoughts in these foure points In a timely discouerie and wise defeatment of Satans stratagems and policies whether hee deale by suggestions raised from the occasions and aduantages of his temper and naturall constitution of his temporall state either happinesse or contempt of his infancie or growth weaknes or strength in Christianity of the condition of his calling companie place where hee liues or the like Or whether he come addrest with his owne more fearefull immediat Iniections which he sometimes presents in his owne likenesse As when he casts into the Christians mind distrusts and doubts about the truth of heauen and of diuine and heauenly truth concerning the certaintie and being of all that maiestie and glory aboue for such thoughts as these are somtimes offered to the most sanctified soule Bernard cals theÌ„ terribilia de side horribilia de diuinitate But marke here the cariage of Gods child hee doth not wrastle with these hel-bred thoughts he sets not his naturall reason vpon them for thence perhaps would follow inclinations to Atheisme desperatenessâ—â— in sinning and other fearefull consequents but at the very first approch abandons and abominates them to the very pit of hell whence they came he praies repents and is humbled by them and thence clearely sees they are none of his and so in despite of such diuellish malice walkes on comfortably in his way to heauen If Satan speed not in this blacke shape he at othertimes puts on the glorie of an Angell and perhaps may bring into his remembrance euen good things but out of their due time that he may hinder him of some greater good As at the preaching of the word he may cast into his mind vnseasonably godly meditations that so he may distract and depriue him of the blessings of a profitable hearer At the time of prayer he may fil his head with holy instructions that so hee may coole his seruencie and bereaue him of the benefit of so blessed an exercise With these and a thousand moe such like vexations in his thoughts the child of God is sore troubled and much exercised Secondly another branch of spiritual wisdome in watching ouer his thoughts is busied about those sinfull pleasures which vpon the remembrance of his former old iniquities may reinfect the soule For a man may commit the same sin a thousand times by renewing the pleasures of it in his thoughts Though the act be past yet as often as the mind runnes ouer the passages and circumstances of the same sin with the same delight so often the soule is polluted with a new staine and laden with more guiltinesse Whereas therfore the sensuall sweetnes of a mans beloued sinnes hath before his calling got such strong hold and hant
A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons in Oxford and at Pauls Crosse By ROBERT BOLTON 2. CORINTH 13.5 Prooue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be reprobates AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for EDMVND WEAVER and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-gate of Pauls Church 1611. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR AVGVSTIN NICOLS Knight Serieant at the Law the glorious comforts of Grace here and the blessednesse of immortalitie hereafter SIR I hauing been often and much solicited with varietie and iteration of strong importunitie to publish and let passe into the eie of this censorious world these thevery first fruites and essaies of mine imployment and businesse in the Ministerie did apprehend and embrace this season with better contentment and with more cheerefulnes addresse and compose my self thereunto because I did see opportunitie offered thereby to let appeare abroad my thankfull acknowledgement of your respectfull and more then ordinary fauour vnto me and a publike testimonie of your worthie and exemplarie integritie in discharging your hands and faithfully disposing that portion of the Church his patrimonie committed to your trust and conscience An affaire though in these desperately sinfull times fearfully and accursedly abused of high and waightie consequence and of great power as it shall be discharged with conscience or corruption either further to ruine our Church and bring it to more miserie and desolation or to repaire and aduance it to better state more happinesse For mine owne particular it hath so pleased God to guide your heart in this busines and to blesse me with his prouidence that wheras too many Patrones now adaies either by detaining sacrilegiouslie Gods portion agaiâ—â—â— all grounds of equitie both diuine humane or by furnishing Church-liuings simoniacally and corruptly do certainly pull vpon their own heads soules and bodies goods and posteritie an heauie and horrible curse and shall thereby make their account to be without fauour at the last day and whereas many worthie men after they haue wearied and wasted their bodies and mindes their spirits and patrimonie in studie and worne out their hopes with long and tedious expectation pursuit and dependance come at length with much adoe to no great matters and when all is done it is well if they escape all galling and gash of conscience such is the strange iniquitie of the times yet I say so worthily haue you dealt with me so vprightly in the Church his cause that vpon your owne first motion you sent vnto me to accept the place I now enioy from you and offered me a faire a free and comfortable passage to the exercise of my Ministerie abroad which next vnto the saluation of mine own soule I hold most deare and precious when I neither sought after nor thought vpon preferment This your rare and singular bountie did at the very first affect me with a secret sense of an extraordinary obligation for all inward affectionatnes and with a desire of representing it in some visible forme of outward testification But when I did after further consider first how that Sacriledge and Simonie that damned couple of crying sins like two rauenous Harpies and the two insatiable daughters of the Horsleech had seazd euen vpon the Heart of our Church readie to rent and teare in peeces her very heart-strings and to sucke out the inmost blood and last life of our dearest Mother when I looked aboue me in this famous Vniuersitie where I haue liued and saw many reuerend and learned men full of the light of diuine truth and of the water of life able gloriouslie and comfortablie to illighten many darke places and drie soules in this land readie to expire and powre out their soules in the bosome of this their famous Nurce not brought vp by her to die at her breasts but if they might haue honest and lawfull passage readie and resolute to enlarge Christs kingdome abroad and to oppose with all their power against the bloodie torrent of Poperie and rage of Antichrist lastly when I weighed with my selfe mine owne naturall declination and resolued vnfitnes to make a noise and stirre in the world for preferment I did finde that as these considerations did before giue small hope of changing my station so now they were of power yet further to double the impression of your worthie and extraordinarie goodnesse vnto mee and freshly to renew the thankfull deuotions and apprehensions of mine heart Out of which hath sprung in me a thirsting earnestnes and contention of spirit to returne vnto you for these temporall fauours so farre as the nature of that high Ministeriall function wherein I stand shall guide me and the power of my poore abilitie can reach the Blessings of Heauen and comforts of a better world To which end I here present vnto you this Treatise which I haue intended to be so farre as my gracious God hath giuen me vnderstanding in the point as it were a looking-Glasse or Touchstone to whomsoeuer it shall please to take thorow notice thereof for the discerning and trying in some good measure whether he alreadie bee of the number of those fewe which truly liue the life of God and vnder the Scepter of his Sonne or lie as yet enthralled in the inuisible chaines of damnation and death and vnder the large and powerfull raigne of Satan For I am perswaded that in this glorious noontide of the Gospell many thousands deceiue not only the world and others but euen themselues and their owne soules about their spirituall state thinking if they finde in themselues a freedome from grosse and notorious sinnes fairenes of conditions ciuil honestie a formall profession of Christianitie outward performances of religious seruices that then their case is good enough for heauen though there bee wanting the sauing power of inward sanctification and the truth of a sound conuersion though they bee strangers to the great mysterie of Godlinesse and disacquainted with a conscionable and constant course of Holinesse in their liues and actions But we must conceiue that ouer and besides these degrees of goodnesse with which millions of men content and deceiue themselues yea and quite beyond and vtterly without the compasse of all worldly glorie all visible pompe the most admited greatnesse and sufficiency vpon earth for which a great part of the world exchange the euerlasting happinesse of their soules there is a Paradise of Christian comforts a Royall Peculiar a victorious Simplicitie a neglected Innocencie a marueilous Light an inuisible Kingdome an Heauen vpon Earth which I call the state of Grace and labour in the ensuing Discourse to difference from al perfections and sufficiencies attaineable in the state of vnregeneration I meddle not purposely with the notorious sinner for me thinkes in these daies of light there should none so wilfully and deeply inwrap
himselfe in darknes but that in his cold blood and more sober consideration will acknowledge and confesse that the state of notorious sinfulnes is the state of wretchednes and of death And that there is no hope for the Drunkard the Swearer the Lier the Vsurer the vncleane person the Sabbath-breaker the Sacrilegious Simoniacall and sinners of such infamous ranke but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and without repentance and forsaking their sinnes an eternall separation both from al possibilitie of grace and sound comfort in this life and from the fruition of the ioyes and blessednes of heauen hereafter I therefore endeuour and desire to come neerer and closer to mens consciences and to tell them that out of a conceit of their morall honestie and outward religiousnes they may perswade themselues that they are rich and encreased in spirituall store and haue need of no more for the attainment of heauen when in deed and truth as concerning the power of sauing grace and sincere exercise of religion they are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked In these luke-warme times many there are who with the fruites of a temporarie faith and some light of the generall graces of the Spirit make a faire shew and win good reputation for their spirituall state both with their owne hearts and with the world abroad when to the eie of heauenly wisdom and in truth they are but only Blazing-stars and earthly minded not fixed in the same firmament with the Sunne of righteousnes nor of an heauenly stampe And if they rise not higher in their affections and conuersation from earth and earthly vanities when their rootlesse graces shall be withered and wasted away their fall will bee sudden and fearfull and their former vanishing flashes of vaine hope for future happinesse will be turned into horror and extremest miseries of despaire Most behooffull then is it for euery man in time to search and examine himselfe whether Christ Iesus be in him or no. And it is one of the worthiest and noblest imployment of the soule to reflect vpon it selfe and with an vndazeled and vndissembling eye thorowly to trie and descrie cleerely it owne state whether it be already washed with the blood of Christ and enliued with a supernaturall vigour and life of grace or yet lie polluted in it owne blood and vnder the power of the first death I wonder how any man can bee at rest and quiet vntill he be assured and secur'd in this point sith vpon it depends his euerlasting estate in another world Nay sith euen in this world euery vnregenerate man let him be otherwise neuer so great or adored aboue others neuer so absolute in all other excellencies and perfections whatsoeuer yet being out of the state of grace is a very limbe of Satan a child of darknesse and one of the familie of Hell The wrath and vengeance of God all the furie of the kingdom of darknesse the rage of all the creatures though hee little thinke vpon it are euerie houre readie and addrest to seize vpon him as a traitor and rebell to the highest Maiestie and to dragge him downe into the bottome of Hell Whereas the state of true Christians and Gods faithfull Ones is most comfortable and glorious euen in this life in this vale of teares and in these Tabernacles of clay For their comforts are not fading and earthly springing out of the sinfull pleasures transitorie glorie of the world not fastned vnto honors greatnes and possessions to the encrease of Corne and Wine and Oyle but they are of a right noble and heauenly temper framed and emplanted in the sanctified soule by the spirit of all comfort and therefore euerlasting and vnconquerable able to keepe a man in heart and resolution against the malice and cruelties of all aduersaries of all creatures They only are truly and soundly perswaded by the sweet and secret testimonie of the spirit and by the euidence and experience of their own holy life that after the approching and much longed for period of a few and euill daies they shall raigne with God almightie the holy Angels and glorified Saints in vnutterable and endlesse pleasures for euer and euer and therfore easily and resolutely with much indignation contempt ouer-looke and throw out of their hearts all worldly thoughtfulnes all excessiue desires of earth and earthly vanities all restlesse aspirations after transitorie honors the noble miseries of this wretched life They alone haue fastned the eye of their mindes illightned from aboue with sauing faith vpon the vnualuable pretiousnes and lasting beauty of their immortall crownes in heauen and therfore all the glittering and golden representations with which the flattering world hath formerly deceiued and dazled their eyes appeare to be nothing but darknes and desolations Their glorie indeed heere vpon earth doth not consist in outward pompe and state it doth not shine to carnall eyes it is vndiscernable to the sharpest sight of worldly wisedome and policie but inwardly and with spirituall fairenes their diuine graces make them so truly honorable and louely that somewhere in Scripture they are called the Glory of God and are as deare vnto him as the pretious ball and apple of his owne eye They are in so high esteeme and account with Angels that those excellent creatures with much ioy alacrity become their Guardians and seruiceable vnto them with extraordinarie care and tendernes All the creatures groane and desire to bee deliuered into their glorious libertie and in the meane time with a secret and insensible reuerence they adore the sacred character of diuinitie that is stampt vpon them All the Saints acknowledge them to bee more excellent then their neighbours of the household of God and heires of heauen Nay the wicked themselues many times are confounded and stand amazed at the height of spirit and resolution that possesseth their hearts and at the sober vndanted maiestie that shines in their faces This and a thousand times more then this is the blisfull state of Gods children euen in this life Howsoeuer they be neglected and trampled vpon by the world and wicked men yet in the iudgement of God himselfe the blessed spirits and all men of true worth indeed they are the only Angels vpon earth and the royall citizens of this kingdome of Grace The prosecution of this point would bee comfortable but so I should be more tedious No more but this therfore at this time Certaine it is if a man were crowned with the royall state and imperiall command of all the kingdomes vpon earth if his heart were enlarged to the vtmost of all created capacitie filled with all the exquisite and vnmixed pleasures that the reach of mortalitie and most ambitious curiositie could possibly deuise and might without interruption and distast enioy them the length of the worlds duration they were all nothing to the enioyment of the pretious and peereles comforts of the state of Grace but euen for an houre
our first loue Would to God that we would keepe fresh in our minds but this one consideration That the same God which against the expectation both of heauen and earth of Rome and hell of diuels and Papists turned our feares and amazements at the death of that glorious Saint the late Queene into safetie and a sure foundation by the most happie succession of our gracious Soueraigne and his roiall seed can out of his iust iudgements for our vnthankefulnesse and securitie in the very turning of an hand and closing of an eie dash all our hopes and shut vp the whole Body of this flourishing kingdom in the pit of irrecouerable destruction It had bin done had Fauks fired the powder and who knowes what those busie and bloody heads are euen now hammering in the same kind Besides these two now mentioned there is another capitall cause of Gods heauie displeasure which though iâ— make no great noise nor be much taken notice of vpon earth yet â—t is much lothed of God almighty and cries loud in heauen for vengeance vpon vs It is a Lukewarmenesse and vnzealousnesse a cold and carelesse mediocritie in spirituall matters and as it were a neutralitie betwixt notorious sinfulnes and sauing sinceritie When men perhaps with diligence willingnesse and forwardnesse submit themselues to the hearing of the word but subordinate the power and practise thereof to their â—ase honours and worldly contentments When they wil needs hold an outward correspondence with the world and yet inwardly maintaine and nourish hope of saluation in themselues When they straine their wits and striue to partake both of the comfortable fauour of God and corrupt fashions of the times both of the pleasures of their sweet sinne and the sweetnesse of the true peace of conscience which are as inconcurrent as two parallel lines and as incompatible as light and darkenesse These men though in the worlds opinion they be of ciuill honest cariage of moderate spirits and of a stated temper in religion and in their owne conceits rich and enriched and want nothing yet indeed they are meere staruelings and starke beggers in respect of the true riches and lasting treasures of sauing grace and in the very case of those except in the meane time they buy of him gold garments and oile which shall neuer see Christ Iesus in his Kingdome to their comfort for Amen the faithfull and true witnesse hath vowed it that he will spue such out of his mouth and wishes much rather that they were key-cold then such formall Christians His speech imports thus much I had rather you were Pagans and Infidels then professors without zeale Now my chiefe and speciall aime is with all humble submission to beâ—ter iudgements and the censure of the Prophets to lay open the state of thâ—se men because besides their fearefull deceiuing their owne soules and particular certaine damnation if they so continue they mightily inceâ—se the Lords wrath against this laâ—d with an insensible and vnacknowledgde prouocation and mainly hazard the continuance of his glorious Gospell amongst vs. It is commonly conceiued indeed both of themselues and of the world that if they bee morally honest and outwardly conformable to the ministery of the word so that they bee hurtlesse and innocent in respect of humane iustice that they are also I know not how harmelesse and guiltlesse before the Tribunall of God But the Euangelist telles vs That that which is highlie esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God And God himselfe by Isaiah That his thoughts are not our thoughts neither are his waies our waies For certainely the state of Lukewarmnesse and formalitiâ— in religion howsoeuer it may be full of worldly applause and happinesse and beare away the bell vpon earth yet it is as burdensome and hatefull vnto God as luke-warme water or the most lothsome potion to the nicest stomacke And doth with a more naturall importunitie then other sinnes knock at the gates of diuine iustice for the remooueall of our candlesticke and the glory of his Gospell from amongst vs. All kinds of sinnes according to their nature measure and ripenesse haue proportionally a part and hand in drawing downe all manner of plagues vpon the sonnes of men but this hath a peculiar and predominant power in hastening that particular and greatest of all iudgements the famine of the word For God cannot endure without speciall indignation that his word which is his power vnto saluation should recâ—iue such limitation and prescription from mens wisdome that it should worke no further vpon them nor beget more change and holinesse then may consist with the enioyment of their worldly contentments reputation and the pleasures of their beloued sinne He cannot abide that men discontented with the straâ—tnesse of the gate of grace and impatient of a strict course of godlinesse should labor to find out and follow another way to heauen then that which is sanctified by his word and which hath and must be troden by all those that will euer see the Lord. Knowledge and profession of Gods truth without sanctification and zeale are but meanes in the meane time to put out the glory of Israel and will hereafter but encrease the number of stripes and adde waight vnto endlesse torment In the name of God therefore let all luke-warme and formall Christians be contented to take notice of their state and before the Sun goe downâ— ouer the Prophets suffer their hearts to be thorowly heated with true zeale and besides their outward reformation and generall lightnings of the Spirit to entertaine that speciall sauing and sanctifying grace which onely can saue their soules and prepare them for the glory that is to be reuealed Lest now at length for he hath borne with vs miraculously our iust God cause our Sunne to goe downe at noone and darkenesse to surprize vs in the cleare day Lâ—st he roote vs out of this good land as a fruitlesse and faithles nation turne vs out of our houses of peace as the vnworthiest and vnthankefullest people vnder heauen and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen which will deliuer him the fruites in their seasons And the more secure and fearelesse wee bee as wee were neuer more the more sudden and ineuitable is like to bee our surprizall and destruction For as Gods mercies are then most magnified when they relieue the extremest miserie and shine into the depth of discomfort and darkenesse when all other helpe is vtterly despaired of so his iudgements are most glorious when they strike at the height and top of pride and impenitencie while they thinke themselues most sure and with greatest confidence repose vpon the arme of flesh and policie of man The third reason and motiue why I insist so long in the point of formal hypocrisie was taken from the condition of mine auditors who being of deepest vnderstanding are naturally aptest and stroÌ„gliest tempted to mistake vnderualue the mystery of godlines and to deceiue their owne
soules in the high point of saluation For men of greatest noblenes and pregnancie of spirit of most rich and vniuersall endowments of mind without the power of grace and a sanctified humilitie the fairest branch springing thence and the true crowne of Christianity are readiest to make an idoll of their great sufficiencie with a disdainefull preiudice to passe by the simplicitie of the Saints out of a flattering conceit of their owne hearts to thinke their spirituall state as good as the best and most blessed from God when as yet they haue no part in the first resurrection For when they find themselues far aboue others in all other excellencies and whatsoeuer remarkeable worth the world takes speciall notice of they conceiue also that in a proportionable congruitie as indeed it should be they are inferiour to none in those sacred apprehensions of heauen and taste of eternall life Vpon this consideration I was bold out of a Christian iealousie to treate on this argument being persuaded of their great wisedome and gratious humility to listen to any heauenly message which might either discouer or preuent spirituall danger Thine in Christ Iesus Robert Bolton A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE PSALM 1. 1 Blessed is the mâ—n that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornefull 2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night THere is no greater encouragement or stronger motiue to stirre a man to an eager and earnest pursuite of the meanes then to purpose vnto him an end wherein at length his heart may repose as in a concurrence of all comforts and contentments To which there is no possibilitie of attainment but by purenesse of heart holinesse of life constancie in a course of sanctification which only leade vnto the face and presence of God where and with whom alone is the highest perfection of blisse a riuer of infinite pleasures the well of life and endlesse rest of all created desires For the capacitie of mans soule cannot possibly be filled with the sufficiencie of any creature no not with a world of creatures for they are all nothing to the worth of a mans soule Christ himselfe hauing preferred it in valuation What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his owne soule And therfore can neuer be free from motion and vexation vntill it reach vnto either in certaine hope or actuall fruition an obiect infinite as well in excellencie of nature as duration of time Blessed then was the wisdome of the disposer of these heauenly Songs of Dauid whether it was himselfe or Ezra or whomsoeuer in that he prefixed this excellent Psalme as a preface to all the rest wherein is proposed and comprised a matchlesse happines whereby the godly man may euen in this life flourisâ— like a Palme tree and grow like a Cedar in Lebanon refreshed continually with riuers of ioies and comforts shed into his heart by the spirit of God and may stand like mount Zion vnasâ—onished and vnremouâ—d at that great and fearefull day when the wicked shall call for the mountaines to couer them and wish they had neuer bin What ingenuous mind would not be inflamed with zeale to the prosequution of those meanes which leade vnto an end as full of happines as the Sunne is full of light and the Sea of waters What heart not possessed with an iron sâ—ew would not thirst and long after found and vndissembled sinceritie euen as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water and as the drie ground gapeth for drops of raine sith by it alone wee purchase and put on an vnconquerable resolution issuing from an assurance of being in Christ and from the clearenesse of a good conscience whereby we may walke euen as bold as Lions thorow this valley of teares amid the mercilesle vexations of prophane men nay we may walke vpon the Lion and Aspe the young Lion and the Dragon we may tread vnder feet and hereafter be sure to be satisfied with the fulnesse of ioy in the presence of God and with pleasures at his right hand for euermore This happie man is here described vnto vs by many arguments First are laid downe his markes and properties negatiue and affirmatiue in the two first verses Secondly his happinesse is liuelily set out by a similitude in the third verse Illustrated by an opposition of the miserie and vnhappie condition of the wicked in the fourth and fifth verses Concluded with the causes of them both to wit of the happinesse of the godly and vengeance vpon the wicked in the last verse The negatiue properties in the first verse are three Hee doth not walke in the Counsell of the wicked He doth not stand in the way of sinners He doth not sit in the seat of the scornofull amplified with a threefold gradation in the persons actions and obiects of the actions The gradation in the persons the wicked sinners and scornefull implies all forts of vngodlie men The gradation in the actions walke stand and sit all manner of commerce and correspondence with them The gradation in the obiects the counsell way and feare all kind of iniquitie inward corruptions or outward impieties The whole verse laboureth with an emphaticall exaggeration to set downe hiâ— blessed forbearance of sinne and communicating with sinfull men The second verse containing his imploiment in pietie seemeth to answer in opposition the three negatiues with three affirmatiues His delighting in the Law of the Lord is opposed to the counsell of the wicked His mediation and exercise in that Law to the way of sinners Day and night there is his constancie and habit oppos'de to the seate of the scornefull Why then let the prophane and flattering world say what it will let sensuall and vnsanctified men iudge as they lift That man and that man alone is truly and euerlasting happie That walketh not in the counsell of the wicked that is that doth not delight in their vaine imaginations sinfull affections lustfull desires speculatiue wantonnesse In their proud and swelling thoughts which conceiue mischiefe and bring forth a lie chaffe bring forth stubble the wind and bring foorth the whirlewind That doth not partake with their impotent passions vnhallowed policies their exorbitant and indirect proiects for their pleasures honours and profits Whose soules desire not to come into the secret of their cruell consultations and malicious designments In a word whose heart hateth and abominateth all venome of inward pollution that hath either fountaine or seate in any power of the soule That standeth not in the way of sinners That is that breaketh not into open prophanenesse that imitateth not their actions and conuersation Whose mouth is not full of bitternesse and lying whose lippes aâ—e not infected with the poison of Aspes whose hands are not ful of bribes
and falshood whose fâ—et are not swift to run after mischiefe vanitie and leaud companions That â—itteth not in the seate of the scornefull That is that confineth not himselfe to the chaire of iniquitie that confirmeth not himselfe in his malice and hardnesse of heart that doth not make a mooke of sinne and iest with the sacred word of God that doth not direct the poisonous arrow of a spiâ—â—full tongue euen at the apple of Gods own cie his dearest Saints and seruants That with the scorner doth not dare the highest maiestie of the Almightie to whet his glittering sword and take hold on iudgement to put on his habergeon of righteousnesse and the garments of vengeance for clothing saying as it is Isai. 5.19 Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that we may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel draw neere come that we may know it Thus farre his forbearance of sinfull actions Now followes his practise in actions of pietie But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. That is the whole doctrine diuinely inspired is the very ioy of his heart and delight of his soule It is sweeter vnto him then hony the hony combe It is more pretious vnto him theÌ„ gold yea then much fine gold It is more worth vnto him then heauen and earth And when the heart is once enkindled with loue there the imagination embraceth with dearest apprehension the thoughts are impatient of any other obiect all the powers of the soule are vnited in a strong endeauour for the attainment The whole mind must needs be possest with meditation If he delight in the Law of the Lord hee must needs meditate therein And this feruencie of the heart cannot possible be enclosed within the compasse of the breast it will spread it selfe in speech and actions As is plaine Psalm 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement The reason followes For the Law of his God is in his heart And Psalm 119 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly And this loue delight meditation and exercise in the Law of God of this happie man is not as a morning cloud and as the morning dew before the Sunne but like the light of the Sunne that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day It is not for a start for feare for restraint for reputation for aduantage or to couer the terrors of conscience for a while with a few flashes of deceiueable comforts out of some misapplied promises in the word of God but it is out of a free resolution and with vndaunted constancie day and night But giue me leaue I beseech you before I proceed to the explication of the rest or deduction of Doctrines from these particulars to propose vnto you this generall Doctrine which hath his strength from the body of the Psalme and the maine scope of the spirit of God There is in the booke of God proposed and offored vnto vs an happinesse standing in opposition to all the vaine felicities which ancieÌ„t Philosophers deuisde out of their deep speculations or prophane men frame out of their corrupt affections not consisting in pleasures riches honours greatnes in ciuill honesty formall hypocrisie or the whole possibility of nature but in supernaturall grace and the blessed consequents The whole book of Ecclesiastes Salomons sacred retractations is a large and sound demonstration of this Doctrine Salomon was sonne vnto the worthiest king that euer swayed scepter vpon earth and he was predecessor in the royall line vnto the Sonne of God and so matchlesse for nobility if true happinesse had consisted therein He was king of Ierusalem the lady of the world the perfection of beauty and the ioy of the whole earth Hee gaue siluer as stones and gaue cedars as the wild figtrees that grow abundantly in the plaine He built him houses and planted Vineyards He prouided him men fingers and women fingers and the delights of the sonnes of men Whatsoeuer his eyes desired he with held it not from them and withdrew not his heart from any ioy For wisedome and vnderstanding hee had a large heart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore It speculatiue knowledge hee excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt Hee was able to discourse from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the Hyssope that springeth out of the wall In wisedome of politie and gouernment there was none like vnto him before him neither after him shall arise the like vnto him So that Salomon was the most fit and absolute man that euer liued both for ability in vnderstanding abundance in possession and desire in searching to take an exact measure and the â—tmost extent of the worth and sufficiencie of all creatures and to raise from them the best contentments they could possiblie afford Yet when he had wearied himselfe in the variety of passages of this life and in the book of Eâ—clesiastes becomes a publick penitentiary to the whole Church and to all posterity see his iudgement he vtterly disauowes and disclaimes them all as miserable comforters as meere shadowes and dreames wherin there is no more matter of sound comfort then there is light in the greatest darknesse or taste in the white of an egge He saies of laughter thou art mad and of ioy haâ— is this that thou doest And whereas wisedome and knowledge are the most incomparable treasures this transitorie world hath he saith that in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe and hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow And of these and all other things vnder the sunne yea and if to the glory of all created natures were an addition of ten thousand excellencies that neuer man saw or enioyed hee hath pronounced of them all in respect of true happinesse and diuided from the grace and feare of God and a sanctified heart that they are all vanity And if he had staied there it had beene well that argues but a passiue imperfection and a weakenesse of being in the things themselues but they are vexation of spirit Nothing in themselues yet full of power and actiuity to inflict vengeance and vexaâ—ion vpon the spirit of a man The spirit of a man being sound in sincerity and seconded with a good conscience is able to beare out his infirmities and all the miseries incident to his nature It is able to passe by with a resolute and contented patience the lying imputations of the prophanest malice It is able by the grace of God to encounter with the terrors of death and the fearefulnesse of the graue yea to endure with a gratious humility euen the prâ—sence of God and Angels at that great day But a wounded and an afflicted spirit who can beare If the eye bee darke how great is that darkenâ—sse If the spirit of a man which should refresh all the faculties of
be no better then a broken staffe of reede whereupon if a man leane it will goe into his hand and pearce it yea and strike his heart too thorow with many sorrowes and that in the time of trouble they will all prooue but as a broken tooth and sliding foot To let them therefore passe and die and perish I come to two other branches of the negatiue part ciuill honestie and formall hypocrisie These indeed are the two great engines by which in this full light and glorious noonetide of the Gospell the prince of this world draweth many multitudes into his snares in this life and into chaines of darknesse in the life to come Sweetnesse of nature louelines of disposition fairenes of conditions a pleasing affability in cariage and conuersation an vnswaied vprightnes in ciuill actions and negotiations with men make a goodly shew But if there be an accession of profession of the Gospell of outward performance of religious exercises of some correspondence with the seruants of God why then the matter is strike dead There is the perfection Whatsoeuer is aboue is proud hypocrisie vaine-glorious singularitie phantasticke precisenesse when God knowes there may be all this and yet no power of religion no life of grace no true happinesse no hope of eternitie To the demonstration of which point before I proceed let mee preuent two obiections First I denie not but that morall vertuousnesse is good and excellent in it self the outward performance of religious duties and the exercise of the meanes of our conuersion are necessarie But if morall vertuousnesse were able to put on the greatest magnificence and applause that euer it anciently enioyed amongst the precisest Romans whereby it might worthily draw into admiration and iust challenge euen these times of Christianity yet in respect of acceptance with God and conformitie to his will and being not guided and â—anctified by supernaturall grace it is but at the best the very filthinesse of a menstruous clout And outward actions of religion be they performed with as glorious a shew and vndiscernable conueiance as euer they were by the most formal Pharisie yet seuered from a sound and sanctified hart the fountaine which giues 〈◊〉 sâ—eetnesse and acceptation to all outward seruices they are but all as the cutting off of a dogs necke and the offering of swines blood Secondly I doe not here by any meanes purpose the discomfort of that man whose soule is yet wrastling with the grieuous afflictions and terrors of conscience in the fore trauell of his new-birth I wish vnto him the sweetest comforts that either he in his deepest agonies can desire or the bowels of Gods tenderest compassions are wont to powre into broken and bleeding hearts and that the ioyfull light of his Sauiours countenance may break forth vpon his cloudy and drouping conscience with farre greater brightnesse then euer the clearest Sun vpon the face of the earth Neither doe I purpose the discouragement of him who hath happily passed the fearfull but necessarie pangs of remorse for sins and hath already by the grace of God laid hold vpon the merits and mercies of Christ by a true though a weake faith I wish that his soule as a new-borne babe in Christ may bee touched with the smoothest hand of the most wise charitable discretion and that it may be nourished with the sweetest milke of the most gratious and comfortable promises I euer esteemed it most bloody cruelty to quench the smoking flaxe or breake the bruised reed or to adde sorrow to him whom the Lord hath wounded and therefore rather infinitely desire to turne the smoking flaxe into a burning fire of zeale to refresh the weake and wounded heart with softest oyle of Gods dearest mercies to make the bruised reed a piller of brasse that it may stand strong and sure at the day of triall Whereupon I pronounce out of most certaine grounds of Gods eternall truth vnto the weakest faith if true and sound that the gates of hell with all the furie and malice of the prince and powers of darkenesse shall neuer preuaile against it That neither Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor depthes below nor heights aboue nor the creatures of tenne thousand worlds shall euer bee able to worke a separation of it from that infinite loue of God which first planted it in the heart or a disunion of it from Christ which inspires it continually with life spirit and motion It is not difference of degrees and measure that takes away the nature and being of it A small drop of water is as well and truely water as the whole Ocean a little sparke is as truely fire both in essence and quality as the mightiest flame the hand of a little child may receiue a pearle as well as the hand of the greatest Giant though not hold it so strongly a weake faith may be a true faith and so a sauing faith as well as the full perswasion and height of assurance This onely I must aduise in this point that if this graine of mustard seed watered with the dew of grace grow not towards a great tree if this sparke enkindled by the spirit of God spread not into a big flame if this small measure of faith be not edged with a longing feruencie after fulnesse of perswasion and seconded with an assiduous and serious endeauor after more perfection it was no sound and sauing faith but onely a counterfeit shew and a deceiuing shadow But yet for all this I cannot without a woe speake good of euill and euill of good I must not put darkenesse for light and light for darkenes Wise Salomon hath taught vs that hee that iustiâ—ieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore I must tell you that a man may be great in the eye of the world and in the iudgement of the greater part for his ciuill honesty and solemne performances of outward duties of religion to which many thousands neuer attaine and yet himselfe be not onely a stranger from the life of God and right happinesse and holden fast vnder the power and tyrannie of the first death but also by accident being pust vp with a conceit of an imaginarie perfection become a violent opposite to the power of religion and true godlinesse The reason whereof may bee this Our corrupt nature as in matters of vnderstanding and opinion worketh in euery man a too too much loue of his owne inuentions and conclusions all opposition inflames the affection and sets on foot the wit to find out arguments for their proofe lest hee seeme to haue beene too weake of iudgement in framing them or too inconstant in not defending them euen so also in matters of life and conuersation and the more plausible a mans course is and the more gloriously it is entertained of the world the stronger is his resolution to continue in it and the more impatient hee is
which is a horrible and feareful curse euen esteeme them foolishnes The third reason shall be taken from the example of Nicodemus Iohn 3. Nicodemus I am perswaded was an honest and an ingenuous man I am sure he was a great man and a teacher of Israel yet when he comes out of his ciuill honestie and naturall wisdome to reason and confer with Christ about the saluation of his soule and eternall happinesse hee is strangely childish and a meere infant For when Christ tels him Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God he replies How can a man be borne which is old can he enter into his mothers wombe againe and be borne A replie which may breed an astonishment in all that shall euer reade this story vnderstandingly vnto the worlds end nay it seemes to seeme strange to Christ himselfe by his interrogatiue admiration afterward Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things And no maruell for who would think that one of the best of the Pharises a ruler of the Iews a profest Doctor in the Law and the Prophets and one carefull to saue his soule should be so grossely and palpably ignorant in a most materiall and necessarie point of saluation especially hauing many times no doubt read it in Moses and the Prophts Amongst many places he might see Ezech. 36.26.27 most cleerely laid downe the great and glorious worke of our new birth A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony hart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh c. But when he comes from teaching and reading of this and the like places to be examined in the practise and experimentall feeling of these graces of regeneration vpon his owne soule why hee talkes of a man that is old entring againe into his mothers wombe from whence he should certainely returne with a doubled pollution and corruption of nature and once more the child of Satan then he was before But so it is where the hart is not seasoned with sauing grace let the vnderstanding be neuer so great with swelling knowledge the practicall powers of the soule neuer so pregnant with wisdome and policie and perfected with morall vertues yet there is nothing to be expected from that man in matters and mysteries of saluation but darkenes and blindnesse childishnesse and stupiditie Fourthly the young man in the Gospell may be a fit instance for our present purpose He was vnreprooueable in the externall iustice and outward obseruances of the second table wherein ciuill honesty doth principally consist but how farre hee was from inward sanctification the state of grace and happinesse of Gods children appeares in the story For when the sacred and powerfull words of our blessed Sauior had insinuated into the secrets of his soule and strucke at his sweet sinne of couetousnesse the young man is presently cast into a fit of melancholie Christ is too precise a preacher for him he cannot digest such a strict and seuere course he will not abandon his pleasures of worldlinesse his palaces his possessions to follow Christ the Lord of heauen and earth in this life though he assure him of the rich treasures of eternall blessednes in the life to come When the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions Whereby we may see that a man may be ciuilly honest and vncensurable in outward workes of iustice and yet harbour and nourish some close corruptions and sweet sinne in his heart from which rather then he will part he will lose his part in Christ the bottomlesse fountaine of endlesse ioies and comforts and his portion of vnualuable glory in the new Ierusalem This point being thus manifest for conclusion I will lay downe certaine differences betwixt the righteousnesse of faith and sanctification and the righteousnesse of ciuil honestie that a man may haue some directions to examine his soule and conscience in this respect First the fountaine and originall of righteousnesse of faith is the sanctifying Spirit of God I call it the sanctifying spirit because the spirit of God may by a generall influence concur to the illumination of the vnderstanding with knowledge and a ciuill reformation of the wil euen in the vnregenerate but the sanctifying spirit by the miraculous operatiue of sauing grace doth purge and mortifie the inmost affections plant iustifying faith in the heart renew al the powers of the soule and reinuest them in some good measure with the blessed image of holinesse and integritie which they lost in Adam But the cause and fountaine of righteousnesse of ciuill honesty may bee goodnesse of constitution and ingenuousnesse whereby a man may not be so apt and inclinable to notorious sinnes or want of trials and prouocations or feare of lawes and temporall punishments or desire of reputation and rising or a vaine hope to stay Gods iudgements for inward corruptions by ciuill outwardnesse or at best the restraining Spirit of God by which hee doth onely represse the furies and outrages of the wicked and reduce them to some moderation and honestie for the quiet of his Elect and conseruation of Kingdomes For if God did not put his hooke into the nostrils of prophane men and his bridle into their lippes euery one of them sith euery man hath in his corrupt nature the seedes of all sinnes that euer haue are or may be committed I say euery one of them might become a cruell Senacherib a railing Shemei a traiterous Iudas a bloodie Bonner an hellish Fawkes fierce Woolues and Lions against the sillie and innocent Lambes of Christs fold Secondly righteousnesse of ciuill honestie in outward actions may make a colourable pretence of pietie and vprightnes but indeed hath many secret relations to pleasures to friends to profit to preferments to reuengement to passions partialities and euents and such like by-respects not easilie discernable but by him whose eies are tenne thousand times brighter then the Sunne But righteousnesse of faith hath in all actions for the maine scope and principall end the glory and honour of God and if infirmitie doe sometimes distaine them with some mixture and adherence of respects for who can say my heart is cleane euen the purest actions are mixt with some spice of corruptions it workes in the faithfull soule much griefe sorrow striuing against repentance and humiliation Thirdly righteousnesse of faith doth labour watchfully religiously and conscionably in that particular calling wherein Gods prouidence hath placed a man and in all the parts and speciall duties of godlinesse and obedience But ciuill honesty wanders in the generalities of religion and many times in impertinent vnsetled and vnlimited courses Fourthly righteousnesse of faith doth striue with greatest earnestnesse and contention of spirit for spirituall comfort and a good conscience before God But ciuill honestie is fully and finally satisfied with credit and plausiblenesse amongst men Fifthly
ciuill honestie makes no great conscience of smaller sinnes as lying lesser oathes gaming prophane iesting idlenesse and pastime on the Sabbath day and the like But righteousnesse of faith hauing a sensible feeling of the heauie weight of sinne from those anguishes which the conscience felt before the infusion of faith and being still stung with a checke and smart for all kind of transgressions doth seasonably and proportionablie hate and make resistance to all knowne sinnes Sixthly ciuill honestie doth not vse to make opposition against the sinnes of the time but is euen willing to be caried with the streame onely vpon more faire and probable tearmes then notorious sinfulnesse and therefore will goe on and encourage a man in godly courses and good causes vntill he meet with either a wound to his state a disgrace to his person a disturbance to his pleasures an imputation to his forwardnesse a stop to his preferments losse of friends imminencie of danger or any such crosse and discouragement and then it teacheth him to step backe as a man ready to tread vpon a serpent and to start aside like a broken â—ow But righteousnesse of faith doth stand out for the honour of God and ordinarily goes thorow stitch in good causes come what come can crosses or calumniations good report or euill report men or diuels For it is compleatly armed with confidence of future happinesse and hath sixt the eye vpon the crowne of immortality which if heauen and earth conspired they were not able to pull it out of his hand that reserues it in the heauens for all those that sight a good fight that keepe the faith and run with constancie the race of sanctification The next point of the negatiue part of my doctrine is formall hypocrisie Which that you may more cleerely vnderstand consider with me three kinds of hypocrisie priuy hypocrisie grosse hypocrisie formal hypocrisie Priuie hypocrisie is that by which a man makes profession of more then is in his hart And this somtimes doth mixe it self euen with the fairest and most sanctified actions of Gods dearest children and doth soonest insinuate into a hart stored with the rich treasures of true godlines For Satan if he cannot detain a mans soule in notorious sinfulnes in meere ciuil honestie or formality but that by the sacred inspirations of Gods good spirit it is pulled out of the mouth of hell from the slauery of sin and courses of darkenes into the glorious light liberty of Christs kingdom he is inraged with fierce and implacable furie doth euer certainly with eager pursuit persecute that soule both by his owne immediate malice and by the cruell agencie of prophane men And if so be he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into grâ—sse sins yet that he may in some measure worke the dishonour of God and the discomfort of his noblest creature the two maine ends of all the policies of hell hee doth labour to distaine the pure streames of diuine grace in the soule puddle of our corrupted nature and at least to fasten the spots of priuie hypocrisie vpon the best actions and the very face of innocency This hypocrisie as I take it ariseth from spirituall pride For when a godly man by the great worke of regeneration is become more excellent then his neighbour as indeed he incomparablie is howsoeuer the worlds estimation be otherwise Because the one is as yet a limme of Satan receiuing from him the cursed influence of scule pollutions of vncleannes and lying of malice and reuenge of pride and prophanenes c The other is already a blessed member of Christs mysticall body continually inspired with holy motions and the life of grace The one lies polluted in his owne blood encompassed with the menstruous clouts of loathsome corruptions of all natures except onely the diuell and his angels the most wretched and woefull of the familie of hell heire of horrour and desolation The other by the immortall seed of the pure and powerfull word of God is made partaker of the diuine nature clothed with the rich and vnualuable robe of Christs iustice guarded with an inuincible troope of heauenly Angels iustly intituled to a kingdome of vnconceiueable glory and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number The one is a wrongfull vsurper of the riches honours and preferments of this life for which hereafter hee must be condemned to chaines of eternall darkenes and a dungeon of endlesse miserie and confusion the other while he continues in this world is a rightfull owner and possessor of the earth and all the creatures and blessings of God and when hee departs hence he shall bee made a glorious inhabitant of those sacred mansions where constant peace vnmixed ioyes and blessed immortality euen for euer and euer doe dwell Which great difference when the godly man perceiues and his owne prerogatiues he is filled with a strange and ioyfull amazement and admiration at his owne happinesse which Satan seeing who is perfectly experienced in all aduantages and opportunities for spirituall assaults and working vpon the reliques of mans proud nature doth cunningly draw him to aduance aboue that which is meet within himselfe in his owne opinion the worth of his owne graces and vertues Which that he may conuey and reprâ—sent to the view of the world with an excellencie proportionable to his owne ouerweening conceite he is forced to admit the secret and insensible poyson of priuie hypocrisie which he doth more easily at the first entertaine because the pestilencie and bitternesse thereof is not discernable by reason of the predominancie and sweetnesse of the fresh present graces of Gods spirit in his soule But when by afflictions or disgraces by some extraordinary temptation or particular checkes from the Ministery of the word the vglinesse of it is discouered to his conscience hee for euer abhorres it as a consuming canker that would fret out the very heart of grace and extinguish the life of sincerity and therefore with much humiliation and feruencie doth pray against it striue against it and by the mercies of God preuaile against it This kind of Hypocrisie belongs not to my present purpose onely by the way let mee giue aduertisement to the child of God for to him onely I speake in this point to the end he may keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse and preserue the true relish and sound ioy of good actions entire and vndistempered that he would strongly fence his heart with a gracious and vnfained humility against priuie pride the mother of this hypocrisie as against a close vndermining and a most dangerous enemie and the more seriously and watchfully for these reasons partly drawne from the nature of the sinne and partly from the state of his soule From the nature of the sinne First other sinnes grow from poysonous and pestilent roots as Adulterie from idlenesse Faction from discontent Murder from malice Iesting out of the word of God from a a prophane heart the
man professeth that which is not in his heart at all and so deceiues others but not his owne heart And this is most properly hypocrisie For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a stage-plaier who sometimes putteth on the roabes and maiestie of a Prince himselfe being of a base and neglected state Or the grauitie and wisdome of a Counseller himself being of roguish dissolute conditions Sometimes he representeth a chast and modest louer his owne life being a practise of vncleannesse Sometimes he assumeth a good and honest vocation his own being accursed and vnwarrantable Euen such is the grosse hypocrite vpon the stage of this world a very painted sepulchre and whited wall glorious indeed in outward fashions and solennities in shewes and representations to the eie of the world but if it were possible for a man to make an exact inquirie into the close and hidden passage of his heart he should find many black and bloodie proiects for compassing reuenge euen vpon surmised opposites many ambitious steps built vpon flatterie and dissembling basenesse and briberie for his rising and preferments many stinging swarmes of fierie lusts and impure thoughts which are either spent in speculatiue wantonnesse and the adulteries of the heart or else for feare of the worlds notice breake out onely into a strange and secret filthinesse In a word vnder the vaile of his outward religiousnesse hee should see a perfect anatome of the infinite and deceitfull corruptions of the heart of man and many plausible and politicke conuâ—iances to bleare the eies of the world howsoeuer wretched man vpon his owne fillie and forlorne soule he certainely drawes an exceeding waight of vengeance This kind of hypocrite is more miserable and of lesse hope then the open sinner First because he sinneth against the light of his conscience which manner of sinning makes him incapable of sauing graces For how can that heart which to naturall hardnesse addeth a voluntary obfirmation in sinne and resistance to godly motions receiue the softening and sanctifying spirit of God How should those vnrulie affections be tamed by the power of religion who please themselues and hold it their greatest glory to seeme most moderate outwardly when inwardly they boile most intemperately in lust pride malice contempt of zealous simplicity and in other soulest pollutions How should the brightnesse of wisedome shine where the windowes of the soule are shut close wilfully and vpon set purpose Secondly by reason of the shining lampe of an outward profession howsoeuer he want the oyle of grace in his heart he so dazles the eyes of men that he barres himselfe of those reproofes and wholesome admonitions whereby the open sinner is many times confounded and amazed in his conscience humbled and cast downe in himselfe and happily reclaimed and conuerted Thirdly all publicke reprehensions and aduertisements from the Ministery of the word although they be as so many loud cries sounding in his cares to awake him out of the dead slumber of hypocrisie he either interprets to proceed from some particular malice or indiscreet heate and so passes them ouer with a bitter and peremptorâ—e censure or else out of the pride of his heart hee posteth them ouer from himselfe as not infamous or notorious in the worlds opinion and transfers them vpon the open sinners being assured that in the iudgement of others whom hee blinds and deludes by his Art of Seeming they belong not to him Fourthly he is iustly obnoxious to an extraordinarie measure of Gods hatred and indignation For euery ingenuous man out of the grounds of morality holdeth in greatest detestation a doubling and dissembling companion as a fellow of extreme basenesse and seruility most vnworthie to be entertained either into his inward affections and approbation or outward seruices and imployments how much more the God of heauen and earth who seeth cleerely into the inmost closet of the heart For hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sons of men I say how much more must he needs double his infinite hatred of sin against the double iniquity of hypocrisie how must his soule abhorre that wretched creature which beares the world in hand and makes a shew vnto men that he stands for God and his honour and seruice but indeed is a close factor for Satan his owne pleasures and the powers of darkenes And as the hypocrite is subiect to Gods extraordinarie hatred so is hee liable to an extraordinarie weight of vengeance For when the wrath of the Lord is once enkindled against him it is powred out like fire and burnes euen to the bottome of hell His feare commeth like an horrible desolation and his destruction like a whirlewind Terrors shall take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And so certaine are these plagues that as though the hypocrite were already turned into a diuell or into the very fierie lake it is said in the Gospell of other sinners that they shall haue their portion with the hypocrite where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Good Lord it is strange and fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man endewed with reason and vnderstanding like an Angell of God hauing besides the pretiousnes of the holy booke of God those great and vniuersall motiues the immortality of the soule the resurrection of the dead the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen the endlesse paines of the wicked which except he be a damned Atheist he doth certainely beleeue and whereas hee might liue on earth with vnconquerable comfort and shine hereafter as the brightnes of the firmament bee a companion of Saints and Angels and stand in the glorious presence of the highest Maiestie for euer and euer yet for all this will euen wilfully against the light of his conscience and with the certaine knowledge of his heart by his grosse hypocrisie secret abominations and vncleannes priuie practises for some wretched pleasures and preferments make himselfe in the eyes of God howsoeuer he deceiue men a very incarnate diuell vpon earth and after this life iustly heape vpon his body and soule all the horrours and despaires tortures and plagues which a created nature is capable of Oh that the hypocrite would consider these things in time lest the wrath and fierie ielousie of the Lord breake forth vpon him suddenly and ineuitably like sorrowes vpon a woman in trauell and teare him in pieces when there bee none that can deliuer him Well may he carrie the matter smoothly for a time and by his iugling dissimulation cast a mist about him and inwrap himselfe in darkenesse from the eye of the world yet let him know that in the meane time his sinnes are writing by the hand of Gods iustice with the point of a Diamond in the register of his conscience and when their number and measure is accomplished the Lord will come against him euen with whole armies of plagues and vengeance as against the most hatefull
obiect of his reuenging iustice the most base and vnnaturall Opposite to so pure a Maiesty and the most notorious and transcendent instrument of Satans deepest malice This kind of hypocrite belongs not to my present purpose and therefore I leaue him without sound and timely repentance to some strange and markeable iudgement euen in this life Or if he passe these few daies honourably and prosperouslie as it is many times the lot of the wicked lot him expect vpon his deaths-bed the fierie darts of Satan empoysoned with hellish malice and cruelty to be fastned deepely in his soule and such pangs and anguish of conscience that will possesse him of hell before hand Or if he depart out of this world without sense of his sinne or else at the best with some formall and perfunctorie shew of penitencie yet let his heart tremble for the feares that it shall feare at the great and terrible day of the Lord when the vizard of his hypocrisie shall certainely be pulde off his face and he ashamed and confounded in the presence of the blessed Trinity of Angels and all the men that euer were and irrecouerably abandoned from the face of God and from the fruition of his ioyes to the most consuming flame of the fire of hell and the lothsomest dungeon of the bottomlesse pit The third kind of hypocrisie is Formall hypocrisie by which a man doth not onely deceiue others with a shew of piety and outward forme of religion but also his owne heart with a false conceit and persuasion that he is in a happie state when as in truth his soule was neuer yet seasoned with sauing grace and the power of religion And I beseech you marke me in this point it is of greatest consequence to euery one for a sound triall and examination of the state of his conscience whether he yet liue the life of God and stand in the state of grace or lie enthralled in the setters and slauerie of sinne and Satan For herein I must tell you how farre a man may proceed in outward profession of the truth in supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse in some kinds and measure of inward graces and yet come vtterly short of true happinesse and without an addition of the truth of regeneration and a sound conuersion shall bee cut off for euer from all hope of immortality and shall neuer bee able to stand firme and sure in the day of the Lord Iesus For a more perspicuous explication of this point conceiue with me those perfections which may befall a man as yet vnregenerate and in state of damnation We may suppose in him first all those gifts which the possibility of nature can conferre vpon him all ornaments of Arts and knowledge of wisedome and policie not onely that which is purchased by experience obseruation and imployment in points of State but also the spirit of gouernment as Saul had To these wee may adde gentlenesse and fairenesse of conditions an exactnesse of ciuill honesty and morall iustice immunity from grosse and infamous sinnes And thus far the heathens may goe And thus far we proceeded in our last Discourse But in these times of Christianity a reprobate may goe farre further then euer the most innocent Heathen that euer liued could possibly though some of them were admirable for their mild and mercifull disposition some for their vertuous seueritie some for integritie of life some for constancie and resolution in goodnes some for preferring the vnspottednesse of their life before most exquisit tortures For to all these he may adde a glorious profession of the Gospell a performance of all outward duties and exercises of religion many workes of charity and monuments of his rich magnificence Nay besides all this he may be made partaker of some measure of inward illumination of a shadow of true regeneration there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithfull whereof a resemblance may not be sound in the vnregenerate This last point will more clearely appeare vnto you out of the 8. of Luke and the 6. to the Hebrewes In the 8. of Luke the hearer resembled vnto the stonie ground is the formall hypocrite who is there said to beleeue for a time and therefore by the inward though more generall and inferior working of the spirit may haue a temporarie faith begot in him In which faith we may consider these degrees First he may be endewed with vnderstanding and knowledge in the word of God He may be perswaded that it is diuinely inspired and that it is most true He may see clearely by the Law of God the grieuous intollerablenesse of his sinnes and the heauie iudgements due vnto them He may bee amazed and terrified with fearefull horror and remorse of conscience for his sinnes He may giue assent vnto the couenant of grace in Christ as most certaine and sure and may conceiue that Christs merits are of an inualuable price and a most pretious restoratiue to a languishing soule He may be perswaded in a generalitie and confused manner that the Lord will make good his couenant of grace vnto the members of his Church and that he will plentifully performe all the promises of happinesse vpon his children He may be troubled in mind with grudgings and distractions with reluctation and scruples before the commission of sinne out of the strength of naturall conscience seconded with a seruile apprehension of diuine vengeance but especially illightned with some glimmerings of this temporarie faith Much adoe was there euen with Pilate inward trouble and tergiuersation before he would bee brought to giue iudgement on Christ. Herod was sorie before he beheaded Iohn Baptist. And these men I hope were farre short of the perfections attaineable by the formall hypocrite After a sinne committed besides the outward formes of humiliation by the power of this temporarie faith he may bee inwardly touched and affected with some kind and degree of repentance and sorrow I meane not onely that which is a preparatiue to despaire and hellish horror but which may sometimes preuent temporall iudgements as in Achab and with a slumbering and superficiall quiet secure the conscience for a time And from this faith may spring fruits Some kind and measure of hope loue patience and other graces It is said in the Euangelists that that hearer which we call the formall hypocrite receiues the word with ioy Whence may be gathered First that with willingnesse and cheerefulnesse hee may submit himselfe to the ministerie of the word With forwardnesse and ioyfulnesse hee may follow and frequent Sermons With a discourse of the sufferings of Christ he may be moued euen vnto teares for compassionate indignation that so glorious and infinite innocencie should be vext with al manner of indignities and torments for the grosse and willfull impieties of sinfull men He may loue and reuerence giue countenance and patronage to the Ministers whom he heares with gladnesse For it is the nature of man to be kindly and louingly affected vnto him
that brings him a message of ioy and comfort He may esteeme the negligent or no hearers of the word of God as prophane and of feared consciences which do not onely abandon the necessary meanes of saluation but that they may with more securitie and absolutenesse reape in this life what sensuall profit or pleasure soeuer the world yeeldeth endeuour to banish and extinguish all thought and notice of heauen or holinesse The word of God by this temporary faith and other graces may worke such a change in him as is called the vncleane spirits going out of a man Matth. 12.43 A flying from the pollutions of the world 2. Pet. 2.20 A washing 2. Pet. 2.32 And may haue such power vpon him that he may doe many things therafter Herod is said to haue reuerenced Iohn to haue heard him gladly and to haue done many things Marke 6.20 To these for illustration and because we are hereafter to consider their differences from a true entire and vniuersall sanctification we may adde those fiue degrees incident to the reprobate Heb. 6. First hee may bee illightened in his vnderstanding with some glimpses of heauenly light Secondly he may haue some taste in his heart of the heauenly gift Thirdly he may be made partaker of the holy Ghost the authour and fountaine of all graces He may in some measure enioy the good word of God the glorious instrument of the conuersion of soules He may haue some taste and feeling euen of the powers of the world to come Nay and besides all these that which nailes him fast vnto formalitie and makes him with contentment to walke in a plodding course of outward profession is a perswasion that he is already in the way of life when as yet hee neuer entred no not the very first step vnto it For indeed he may be perswaded though from false and mistaken grounds that he is rich in heauenly things and hath need of nothing and that he is already possessed of the kingdome of grace intituled to the kingdome of glory and yet bee most wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked His state in this case being not vnlike the dreame of a poore or hungry man which in his sleepe filleth himselfe with varietie of dainties or tumbles himselfe amid his rich treasures and heapes of gold but when he awaketh behold he is faint his soule longeth and he embraceth nothing but emptines and aire yea and besides the very imaginary fruition of his supposed happinesse when he is awaked encreaseth his languishing and doubles the sense of his necessities Euen so the formall hypocrite in this life dreames of much comfort to come makes sure of heauen thinkes himselfe the onely man his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles calles it his forme of godlinesse in his conceit is the onely true state of saluation whatsoeuer is short of him is prophanenesse whatsoeuer is aboue him is precisenesse But when vpon his deaths bed hee awaketh and hath his conscience illightned and his particular sinnes reuealed vnto him in stead of catching a crowne of glorie which he hath vainely possest in his hopefull securitie he graspeth nothing but feare and amazement anguish and sorrow Yea and now his former false perswasion of his happie state enlargeth the gulfe of his despaire and makes him more sensible of his present and vnexpected miseries Giue me leaue I beseech you to enlarge this point and to acquaint you with some reasons of this perswasion For a false perswasion of alreadie being in the state of grace is a barre that keeps thousands from the state of grace indeed The good spirit of God you know doth perswade euerie regenerate man by a sweet and silent inspiration out of a consideration of an vniuersall change and sanctification and present sinceritie in all the powers and parts of his soule and body calling that he is most certainly in the state of grace and heire of heauen Whence spring perpetually whole riuers of vnspeakeable comfort that most then refresh his soule when hee is neerest to bee ouerwhelmed of the maine Ocean of the worlds bitternesse and pressures In a lying resemblance to this sacred worke of the holie Ghost in the hearts of Gods children Satan lest he be wanting to his puts on the glory of an angell of light and insinuateth into the imagination of the formall hypocrite some flashes of comfort and conceites that he is in state of grace and shall be saued Whence issues a cursed security a wretched opposition to more sinceritie then he finds in himselfe a slumber and benummednes of conscience an impatiencie of hauing his formalitie censured by the ministerie of the word a neglect of a more sound search into the state of his soule For Satan in his Angelicall forme tels him that more strictnesse and purity is but onely a proud hypocrisie and pretence of such as affect a transcendencie aboue the ordinarie degrees of holines and bids him take heed of being too busie and pragmaticall in taking notice of euery small corruption and infirmitie for tendernes of conscience and a too nice apprehensiuenes of euery little sinne will vncomfortablie enchaine him to Melancholy Vnsociablenes and some degrees of despaire And howsoeuer saith Satan some Preachers of preciser humour out of their vnhallowed zeale and censorious austerity breath out nothing against thee but fire and brimstone indignation and wrath damnation and horrour yet take not these things to heart but let such peremptorie comminations passe as malicious thunderbolts discharged from too fierie spirits begot by indiscreet heate and directed to priuate ends Thus this wilie serpent cries peace peace vnto his soule when God knowes there is no peace towards but noise and tumbling of garments in blood and burning and deuouring of fire The conscience indeed may bee asleepe for a while like a fierce wild beast gathering vigour and puissance that being awaked by the hand of God at the approch of sicknesse or death may more implacably rent deuoure and torment for euer But I come to the grounds of this persuasion I told yee before that the spirit of God assures his children that they are in state of grace out of a consideration of an vniuersall sincerity in all their waies But Satan for his children hath other reasons which I conceiue to be such as these First the formall hypocrite is notablie confirmed that his state is good when he compares himselfe with those which are more sinfull as Murderers Adulterers Drunkards Prophaners of the Sabbath Vsurers Swearers Liers Iesters out of the word of God and fellowes of such notorious ranke But if besides the disclaiming of these his conscience bee able to informe him of his ciuill honesty externall iustice some workes of charity c. why then the matter is put out of all controuersie and he presently canonized a saint in his owne conceite You may see his picture in the 18. of Luke O God I thanke thee that I am not as
must either enioy it in some kind and measure or it will waste and consume it selfe Hence it is that those who want inward and spirituall ioy arising from the testimonie of a good conscience from an assurance of remission of their sinnes and the fauour of God hunt after worldly contentments and carnall ioies At home in their owne hearts they find little comfort rather much terrour if their consciences awake and therefore they seeke to refresh themselues amid their treasures honors and sports at Plaies in Tauernes with merrie companie and many other such miserable comforters nay they had rather be necessarily imploied then solitarie not so much to auoid idlenesse as bitings of conscience Yea some had rather cease to be men then that their consciences should awake vpon them and therefore they labour to keepe it asleepe and to drowne sorrow for sinne with powring in of strong drinke But let them looke vnto it though it goe downe pleasantly yet secretly and insensiblie it strengthens the rage and sharpens the sting of the worme that neuer dies against the day of their visitation for in the end saith Salomon it will bite like a serpent and hurt like a cockâ—trice This outward and worldly ioy because the children of God doe not pursue because they will not relie vpon those broken staues of reed they are estâ—emed the onely melancholike and discontented men But I maruell when or with what eyes the worldlings looke vpon the faithfull Christian. It may be while hee is yet in the sore trauell of his new-birth and humbled vnder the mightie hand of God with affliction of conscience for his sinne If so then they should know that men must mourne for their sins as one that mourneth for his onely son and be sorie for them as one is sorie for the death of his first borne There must be in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon as it is Zac. 12.11 And this sorrow is a blessed sorrow for it brings forth immortality And either themselues must haue a part in it or they shall neuer be made partakers of the fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand What though the child of God lie for a night in the darkenesse of sorrow and weeping for his sins marke a while and the day will dawne and a day-starre will arise in his hart that will neuer set vntill it hath conducted him vnto the light that no man can attaine vnto The sunne of righteousnesse will presently appeare and will drie away his teares and with euerlasting light will shine vpon him for euermore But it may bee the worldlings take notice euen of the whole course and best state of the child of God and yet can see nothing therein but vncomfortable strictnesse and sad austerity But then I must tell them they looke onely vpon him with carnall eyes and deceiue themselues for so indeed he doth not appeare a boisterous Nimrode or dissolute Ruffler amid the vanities and delicacies of the world that is for Satans reuellers who haue smiling countenances but bleeding consciences glorious outsides but within nothing but rottennesse and prophanenes much laughing when the heart is sorrowfull But if they were able with illightened eyes to pierce into the inward parts of Gods child they should see within hope alreadie feasting vpon the ioyes of eternity they should see faith holding fast the writings by which the kingdome of heauen is conueied vnto his soule sealed with the precious blood of the sonne of God that nor man nor diuell is able to wrest out of it hand They should see the white stone mentioned in the Reuelation wherein there is a new name written which no man knoweth sauing hee that receiueth it Whence springeth such a strong comfort and high resolution in the affaires of heauen that no sword of the Tyrant no flame of cruelty not the combination of heauen and earth shall euer be able to amaze abate or extinguish Fifthly the formall hypocrite doth more confidently continue in a selfe liking of his owne state though the state of vnregeneration because he seeth those that besides his outward forme of religion are indewed with an inward and vnfained sinceritie in all their waies to be reputed but as the ofscouring of all things the simple fellowes and precise fooles of the world They haue indeed beene so accounted in all ages For the hearts of wicked men being stuft with prophanenes and earthly pleasures being swelled with ambition and worldly wisedome easilie bring forth pride and contempt And therefore they looke a farre off at the children of God as at fellowes of base and neglected condition of low spirits of humble resolutions of weake minds vnable to manage affaires and occurrents for their preferments of no dexterity to plant themselues in the face and glorie of the world when God knowes if they could be perswaded that there were no heauen but vpon earth and that the power and exercise of godlines were nothing but an vnnecessarie precisenes if they would enlarge their consciences proportionablie to the vast gulfe of the times corruptions if they durst make a couenant with death and an agreement with hell and put the euill day farre from them sure they might outstep many of these great Ones in their Proiects of policie and the precedencies of the world but sith they cannot they daâ—e not they will neuer by the grace of God be so perswaded they are well content with their continuall feast a good conscience while the others are fatted with their wine and their corne and their oyle against the day of slaughter And then at that day they will change their minds For goe I beseech you into the sanctuarie of the Lord and vnderstand their end they are now vpon the stage of this world in their full glory but were they as mighty as Leuiathan as cruell as Dragons could they reare their honours to the height of the clouds nay aduance their thrones aboue beside the starres of God yet they must downe they haue but one part to play they must make their beds in the dust and then when they are once disroabde of their greatnes and glory and stript naked of their honours and preferments and without all mitigation by worldly comforts left vnto the ful rage of a stinging conscience then they change their note and alter their iudgements and sigh for griefe of mind and say within themselues These are they whom we sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproch we fooles thought their life madnes and their end without honour How are they counted among the children of God and their portion is among the Saints Therefore wee haue erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not vpon vs wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction and wee haue gone thorow dangerous waies but we haue not knowne the way of the
Lord. But here by the way I must giue this caueat lest I bee mistaken in this last point or that which followes I doe not diuide by necessary and ineuitable diuorce greatnesse and godlinesse holines and high places God forbid I make betwixt them no other opposition then Dauid doth in the 73. Psal. himselfe being most holy and most honourable I rather infinitely desire to inflame the noble and worthie spirits of all those whom the Lord hath aduanced iâ— gifts in greatnesse in honours in gouernment or any kind of precedencie aboue their brethren to a proportionable excellencie of zeale and sanctification For certainely as power policie authority being abused and not sanctified to the owners become in the meane time strong pillars for the supporting of the kingdome of darkenesse pestilent instruments of much mischiefe and hereafter shall be soundly payed with an answerable degree of extraordinarie vengeance horrour and torment so great wisedome great knowledge great honours being imployed impartially resolutely and vnreseruedly in soliciting and furthering the causes of God in strengthening the cold and languishing state of his religion in refreshing the hearts of his Saints which ordinarily are opprest and disgraced by the cruelties of prophane men procure in the meane time great honour to his great name great good vnto his Church great ioy vnto his Angels great comfort vnto the soules of the owners and fairer and brighter crownes of glory to their heads in the world to come And so I come to the Third reason whereby the formall hypocrite doth falsly perswade himselfe to be in the state of true happines and saluation And that is an outward happinesse and successe in worldly matters much plenty and prosperity in his outward state For thus he reasons in his owne thoughts and plaies the cunning sophister to deceiue his owne soule The Lord thinks he with himselfe hath maruellously encreased me in riches and honours he hath strangely continued vnto me my health and harts desires The secret influence of his blessing hath still followed and prospered me in all my businesses and affaires therefore doth he conclude vndoubtedly I am protected from aboue my state is the state of grace these many louing fauours must needs argue that I am in high sauour with God and these outward blessings are signes that my seruices are sanctified and accepted of him But in the Schooles we should tell him that this is a fallacy à non-causa For all outward happinesses are for speciall reasons and by particular indulgence more often and very plentifully in this world vouchsafed to the wicked and prophane This appeares Ierem. 12. vers 1.2 Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they haue taken roote they grow and bring forth fruit Mal. 3. vers 15. Euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yâ—a they are deliuered Iob 21. vers 7. c. Wherefore doe the wicked liue and wax old and grow in wealth Their seed is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies Their houses are peaceable and the rod of God is not vpon them They send foorth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dance They take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs Let him therefore that thus concludes the happines of his soule from his worldly prosperitie know and consider that as the end and reward of the godly and wicked is different in place and nature the one being the highest heauens and the highest aduancement of the soule to the fulnesse of glorie and blisse the other the lowest hell and the very extremitie of the greatest miseries and vexations which a created nature can possibly endure So experience of all times teacheth vs and heauenly iustice requires a contrarie manner of passage and proceeding to these ends The wicked in this world doe easily run vp without rub or interruption many times with acclamation and applause all the golden steps of honours and preferments but vpon the highest staire they find the most slipperie standing and the top of their earthly felicitie is the most immediate and certaine descent vnto their greatest downefall They are roially mounted here vpon earth and gallop swiftly ouer the faire and greene plaines of plentie and pleasures but at the end of their race they are ouerturned horse and man and tumbled headlong into the pit of destruction They fairelie glide ouer the sea of this world with full saile with much calmenesse and serenitiâ— and richly laden but in the brightest Sunshine and when they least suspect it they suddenlie and without recouerie sincke into the gulfe of darknes and desolation But it is iust otherwise with the children of God for they many times in this their pilgrimage sticke fast in the mirie clay of pouertie and contempt sometimes they are inclosed euen in a horrible pit as Dauid speakes of feare and terrour of conscience for their sinnes They are by the way companions to Dragons and Ostriches they walke among rebels thornes and Scorpions that rent and teare aâ—d sting them with many oppressions and cruell slanders Neither is the danger in the way all they haue persequuters which are swifter then the Eagles of the heauen who pursue and hunt them vpon the mountaines euen like Partridges and lurk for them in the wildernesse as those that lie in wait for blood Nay yet besides all these vexations from the world the immediate malice of hell raiseth many tempests of temptation against them and sometimes euen all the waues and flouds of God himselfe goe ouer their heads This the way the race and the euening of Gods children in this world but ioy comes in the morning their end is peace their reward is a bright morning starre their hauen is endlesse happines and life eternall The reasons of this contrarie state and condition of the wicked and godly in this life may bee these First for the flourishing of the wicked One reason may be the notable cunning and policie of Satan in plotting and contriuing the prosperity of those whom he perceiues hopes it wil insnare and in whose harts it begets hardnes pride insolency and forgetting of God For we must vnderstand that the diuel euer proportiones his traines and temptations most exactly euen at a haires breadth to the tempers humours and dispositions of men If he meete with an ambitious and working spirit he is well enough content to lighten him the way to hell with some ray or beame of al that great glory of the world which hee offered Christ if hee will fall downe and worship him Little cares hee so that he may keepe a man fast in his hold vntill the day of execution whether in the meane time he lie in a lower dungeon of discontented retirednesse or in the golden fetters or some more honourable seruitude and glorious miserie If he meete with a base and
earthly minded fellow that preferres a little transitorie trash before the pretiousnesse of his owne soule and the lasting treasures of immortalitie why he can easily prouide a golden wedge and cast in his way to enrich him he can compasse for him though by bloudy meanes and mercilesse enclosure a Naboths vineyard to enlarge his possessions For all is one to him so he keepe him his owne whether by want and pouertie he driue a man to impatiencie murmuring and independencie vpon the prouidence of God or by heaping vpon him abundance of wealth and filling him a full cup of temporall happinesse he cast him into a deepe sleepe of carnall securitie and a senselesnesse in al matters of sanctification and saluation But whereas Satan hath found by much experience that such as are fenced with riches and honours doe many times falsely assume vnto themselues a conceit of greatnesse and goodnesse of protection and immunitie from dangers so that they are more fearelesse of the iudgements of God because they are not plagued like other men more carelesse of storing themselues with spirituall comfort against the day of visitation because they are in the meane time plentifully encompassed with worldly contentments more regardles and neglectiue of the ministery of the word because they would not willingly be tormented before their time therefore I say hee followes with more hope and better successe this temptation by prosperitie And the rather because crosses afflictions and heauie accidents are many times liuely instructions and compulsions to bring a man to the knowledge of God and himselfe to abandon all confidence in earthlie things and to embrace the most comfortable and heauenlie state of true Christians Wherefore if any man be content to stand for Satans kingdom either by open and profest impietie or by close conueiances and secret practises and conniuencie he will be sure to prepare incline and dispose all occasions meanes and circumstances for his aduancement into reputation with the world And how potent he is in these cases yâ—u may conceiue sith he swaies the corruptions of the time sith he rules and raignes in the hearts and affections of the most men and is euer the arch-plotter in all Simoniacall indirect corrupt and vnconscionable consultations and compacts The second reason of the flourishing of the wicked in this life is their large and vnlimited consciences For if a man once haue so hardned his heart by often grieuing the good spirit of God and repelling his holy motions if he haue once so darkned the eie of his conscience by offering violence to the tendernesse and neglecting the checks thereof that hee can now entertaine and digest without scruple or reluctation any meanes though neuer so indirect any condition though neuer so base any aduantage though neuer so vnconscionable or dishonourable it will be easie enough for him to thriue in the world and raise himselfe For what I pray you were not the Papists now able to do who haue enlarged their consciences like hell nay they haue stretched them beyond the whole compasse of all hellish darkenesse euen into a vault of their owne what I say were not they able to do except they were countermanded by that irrefragable eternall and particular decree of God that Babylon must now downe as irrecouerably as the great milstone in the Reuelation cast with violence into the sea Why certainly they were able by their policies principles not onely to reestablish their former Antichristian tyranny but to cast the whole Christian world nay this and the other world and the whole frame of nature into combustion darknesse and confusion And no maruell for these fellowes consciences can without â—emorse digest euen the sacred bloud of Kings and swallow downe with delight the ruines and desolations of whole kingdomes Their bloudie superstition hath so quite and fearefully extinguisht all sense of common honesty and put out the light of natural equity and the common notions of right and wrong that they broch with bold faces the cursed poison of equiuocation the diuels old imposture in Oracles a very straight passage to damned Atheisme and the dissolution of all humaine society that to them the breach of the lawes of God of nature and nations is meritorious and worthie canonization if it serue any way to the aduancement of their execrable idolatrie to the repairing of their decaying Babylon and to reare their Italian Idoll the Priest of Rome yet a little higher aboue all that is called God In this respect then that the wicked dare enlarge their consciences to the vtmost bounds of any pleasure gaine or preferment they haue great aduantage for the ingrossing of all worldly happinesse and may easily purchase a Monopoly of earthly prosperity Out of this widenes of conscience proceed much mincing and excusing many interpretations fauourable constructions and distinctions of sinnes As for example that Vsurie is of two sorts biting and toothlesse when all kind of Vsurie is pestilent and most certainely damned in the booke of God That Symonie is either buying the gifts of the holy Ghost or buying Church-liuings as though this latter were not so soule and enormous when it is able in short time to bring a curse and confusion vpon the most glorious and best setled Church in the world That of lies some are pernicious some are officious and for a greater good whenas euen the learneder sohoolemen who are far enough from precisenes hold euery kind of lie to be a sin indispensable whenas Aâ—stinâ— that worthy father great disputer admits not a lie for the saluation of a mans soule which is farre more worth then the whole world Nay when a man is not to tell a lie for the glory of God as it appeareth Iob 13. then which there can be no greater good Of Oaths that some are greater and more bloody some are lesser ordinary and more tolerable as though custome and commonnesse made these latter excusable and vnpunishable when as the plague of God hangs continually ouer the head of what swearer soeuer ready euery houre to seaze vpon him and sinke him downe into the bottome of hell The flying booke of Gods curse and vengeance shall enter into the house of the swearer and shall not onely cut him off but shall consume the very timber thereof and the stones thereof Neither doth this plague rest within priuate walles but it wastes the glory and prosperitie of whole kingdomes Because of Oathes saith Ieremie the land mouâ—neth and the pleasant places of the wildernes are dried vp nay if it were possible that the breath of the swearer should reach vnto the heauens it would euen staine the glory of the starres and rot those faire and immortall bodies it is infected with such a canker and pestilencie and so immediatâ—ly strikes at the face of Almightie God Many other such leaud distinctions of sinnes there are framed and followed by the sensuall greedy and ambitious affections of prophane men that they may more
the faithfull Christian. The fifth reason whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsly perswade himselfe to bee truly happie and so by consequent that keeps him short of the state of grace may be this When by some good motion of Gods spirit stirred vp in him by the preaching of the word he begins to set and addresse himselfe to a sanctified vse and exercise of religion and to a faithfull and constant course of true holinesse indeed hee presentlie meets with a sore and strong opposition by his owne inward corruptions by tempâ—ations of Satan and vexation from the world which he perceiuing and being very sensible of such sudden disturbance from his former securitie perswades himselfe that the passage to grace is not so rough and boisterous and therefore retires and reposeth himselfe vpon his formall Christianitie as the best state he sees any possibility of attaining vnto But if hee will saue his soule he must acknowledge and feele by his owne experience the truth of that saying of Isai. 59.15 He that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a pray For what child of God is there truly conuerted who at the very first step out of the world and the vanities thereof met not with many crosses and discouragements He knowes and may remember full well whosoeuer he bee how his owne flesh fretted when it felt it selfe snaffled and guided by the Law of the spirit how by making conscience of sinne he laid himself more open to the aduantages wrongs and insultations of his enemies how the companions of his former leaudnesse and iniquitie railed and raged against him as against an Apostata from goodfellowship and high resolution And Satan that he may giue edge and vigour to all these vexations hee busilie bestirres himselfe and casts about to hinder our conuersion While a prisoner lies in a dungeon fast in fetters the Iaylor is quiet and secure but if hee once knocke off his bolts breake the prison and escape there is presently a tumultuous clamour in the house the Countrie is raised and he is followed with Hue and Cry Euen so while we lie quietly in the captiuitie of sinne vnder the chaines of eternall death he neither disquiets himselfe nor vs But if by the mercies of God we bee once enlarged and set foot into the libertie and light of grace why then all the powers of hell are presently in armes and vprore and with much malice and furie the instruments of darkenes are set on foot to regaine vs into his kingdome This point appeares in the fifth of the Canticles Our blessed Sauiour is there said to stand at the doore and knocke being full of the pretious dew and drops of diuine grace and waiting patiently in the cold and darknesse of the night but yet we see what ado and stirre there is with the Christian soule before she can get vp out of the bed of pleasures and vanitie the sweetnesse of sinne and sensualitie had so deepely possest and bewitched her that by her excuses and delaies she hazards so great saluation and happines tendered vnto her by her spoâ—se Yea and at length after she is resolued to renounce her pleasures and in some good measure hath conquered her inward corruptions so that shee opens the doore followes Christ besides other troubles and encumbrances she finds abroad the very watchmen that should haue told her the way and directed her after her spouse euen they set vpon her and smite her and wound her and take away her vaile Euery man then that will come vnder the banner of Christ and haue part in the conquest must together with the new man put on a Christian courage both to tame and represse the rebellions of his owne flesh and to withstand and repell assaults and persecutions from abroad The sixth reason whereby the formal hypocrite doth falsely perswade himselfe to bee in state of true happines may be an obseruation of the death and ends of other men whose liues he perswades himselfe come short of those perfections and degrees of goodnesse he findes in himselfe As if he take notice of a notorious sinner who vpon his deaths-bed by a perfunctorie shew of penitencie and some formall eiaculations for mercy and pardon makes the world beleeue he dies a Saint Or if he obserue the end of an honest ciuill man yet neuer acquainted with the power of grace to bee quiet peaceable and confident without impatiency feare or despaire he presently out of a comparatiue examination of his owne state which he finds not onely free from notorious sinnes but besides morall honestie graced with outward religiousnesse I say he presently conceiues his owne workes in respect of theirs to be works of supererogation his owne life certainely to be without all exception and so himselfe without all danger of damnation And this conceit is notably confirmed if there follow some glorious and flattering Panegyricke of funerall commendation For then he holds the assurance of his happinesse to be sealed vnto him by the mouth of the minister and so with resolution and obstinacie sticks fast in his present state and will no further Mistake me not in this last point beloued in Christ Iesus For first I do not go about to confine the boundles and vnlimited mercies of God nor absolutely to exclude repentance from the deaths bed I know that pretious truth registred in Ezechiel At what time soeuer a sinner c. like a Pearle in a ring and a Starre in his Orbe shines amongst many other gracious promises in the booke of God with speciall comfort vnspeakable and glorious vpon the darkened and drouping soule of euerie true penitent at what time soeuer But yet this I say in this point That any man that knowes and is acquainted rightly and truly with the narrownesse of the way to heauen the nature of Gods iustice the cunning sleights of Satan the difficultie of true repentance how fearefully mans heart is hardned by custome and continuance in sin he would not deferre his repentance to his old age or deaths-bed for ten thousand worlds I adde this That As a sudden death in respect of time or a death wherein appeares much impatiencie fiercenesse and vncomfortable behauiour by reason of the qualitie of the disease or some extraordinarie temptation for the time or that God will be so glorified by iustly hardning the wicked may bee the way to euerlasting happinesse so a lingring patient and lamblike death may be a passage to endlesse woe and miserie For that great iudgement is to passe vpon our soules not according to the strange effects symptoms of our sicknesse not according to the short moment and violent passions of our death but according to the actions of our health the former affections of our hearts and the generall course of our life Secondly I would by no meanes be too busie or vncharitable in my iudgement vpon those which haue alreadie stood or falâ—e to their owne master But as I esteeme that crueltie and
the worke wrought and not chieflie respected the inward affection of the worker had he required onely the ceremoniall action of sacrificing and not the spirituall conformitie of the heart to his will why he had not need to desire sacrifices of them nor expected supplie from their hands as appeareth in that sacred anti royall contestation of God with his people about the question of his worship Psal. 50. I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices sâ—ith God or thy burnt offerings that haue not beene continually before me I will take no Bullocke out of thine house or Goates out of thy folds For all the beasts of the forrest are mine and the beasts on a thousand â—ils I know all the sowlâ—s on the Mountaiâ—es and the wâ—ld bâ—asts of the fiâ—ld are mine If I be hungrie I will not tell theâ— for the world is mine and all that therein iâ— Will I â—ate the flesh of Bâ—ls or drinke the blood of Goatâ—s Nay if we consider God in his absolute soueraignty and essentiall glory euen that is true of the most sanctified works of Gods child which is in Iob. 35.7 If thou bâ—â— righteous whâ—t 〈…〉 or what receiueâ—h heâ— at thine hand and that of Dauid Psal. 16.2 My weâ—doing extendeth not vnto thâ— For what can that little sparke of holinesse in vs which doth first too proceed from him and is onely darkened in ouâ— corruptions adde vnto that infinite Gâ—ory and 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that no man can attainâ— vnto with which he hath incomprehensiblie liâ—n â—ncompassed froÌ„ alâ—terniâ—y Only iâ—pleâ—seth him of his infinit goodnesse and out of a gratious desire of our saluation to accept our sincerity though mixâ— with imperfections and to crown his owne graâ—â—â— in vs 〈◊〉 then shall appeare the bare outwardnes of hollowhearted Christians If the heart bee wanting what magnificence or glory of outward seruices shall be able to dazle his sight whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and sees cleaâ—ely our inmost thoughts Wherewith shall we come bâ—foâ—â— th◠〈◊〉 or what shall we offer vnto him Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rams or with ten thousand riuers of Oilâ— Shall we giue our first borne for our transgression euen the fruite of our bodie for the â—inne of our soule No though weâ— gaue all that wee had to the poore and our owne bodieâ— to bee burnt nay if it were possible that by our meanes we could vindicate the soules of all men now liuing from the iawes of eternall death yet all would profit vs nothing except our harts be first purged by faith pure from an euill conscience and possest of a sound and constant loue to God his word his honour his truth and seruants Let this then be the conclusion to this point Though a man were a moral Saint an Angell amongst the Phrisees absolute in all other perfections yet without the inward power of grace to giue them life he is but a spectacle of commisâ—ration to Angels to meÌ„ euen as that body is which adorned with sundry other exquisite beauties wanteth eye-sight the chiefest grace that nature hath in that kind to bestow Or as a cunning Organist skilful in the outward touch of his instrument yet without wind inspired cannot possibly strike the care or please the heart with any mâ—lodious noise so though his actions be flourished ouer with a faire tincture of outward religiousnesse and he exact in morall honesty yet without the breath and life of grace infused there can be no true spiritual harmony in his affections woâ—ds or conuersation thâ—t either will beget sound ioy and spirituall delight in the soule or be pleasing in the â—ares of almightie God You see then beloued in Christ Iesus that the performances of outward duties of religion euen the best sâ—â—h as are Prayers hearing the word of God recâ—iuing the Sacraments almes-deeds and the like though they bee good in themselues commanded of God necessarie to be done of euerie Christian yet if they be diuided from inward sanctification and sinceritie of heart are so farâ—e from putting vs into possession of true happines that they are odious and abominable in the sight of God I told you in the beginning if you remember that besides outward righteousnesse the formall hypocrite may beleeue for a time and therefore by the inward though more generall and infeâ—iour working of the Spirit may haue a temporarie faith begot in him and this faith may bring forth some fruits and some kinds of inward graces But that all this comes short of saluation appeares in the parable For there the hearer compared to the stonie ground which I call the formall hypocrite is one of the reprobate hearers vpon whom the word is not the power of God to saluation As for those fiue degrees added out of the sixth to the Hebrues of which I told you the formall hypocrite may be partaker it is manifest out of the same Chapter that they come short of the state of grace For a man but so furnished may not onely fall bâ—cke to a worse and more ordinarie state of a râ—probate but euen to the depth of all impietie and apostasie He may not onely haue his measure of inward illumination all his lighter ioy and comfort in Gods word quite extinguisht but become a wilfull and malicious scorner of true godlinesse He may not onely grieue and quench the spirit but hee may tread vnder foot the Sonne of God count the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing and despite the very Spirit of grace so that it may be impossible that hee should be renewed againe by repentance In the last place I told you that besides all these the formall hypoâ—rite might entertaine a perswasion of his being in the state of true happinesse and so with contentment and securitie walke in the path that leads to eternall death but how weak and false the reasons and motiues to this perswasion were I haue before largely deliuered It remaines therfore that I should now lay downe certaine markes and properties of difference betwixt the state of formall hypocrisie and sauing grace but I must referre a large prosecution and distinct treatise of them to some other place and time Yet at this time by the grace of God I shall deliuer so much that any man that will deale faithfully with his owne conscience and follow me with attention to the end may in some good measure be informed whether hee lie yet in the shadow of death or liue in the light of grace Some difference then first may arise out of the distinction of the degrees and workings of faith Which that you may better conceiue you must remember three sorts of faith Historicall Temporarie Sauing or Iustifying faith Historicall faith is not only a knowledge of the word of God but also an assent of the heart to the truth of it And this is of two sorts either Infused which is wrought in vs by the illightning spirit of
God and staying it selfe vpon his authoritie Or Acquired which is produced by the light of reason discourse and created testimony The latter is to bee found in the diuels for they beleeue and tremble And in the Papists for their faith is no better according to their grounds and principles My reason is this briefly for I will deliuer my selfe of this point in a word The Iesuites by their iugling haue cast themselues into a circle about the faith of the truth and diuinitie of Scriptures and that is this Ask any Papist in this land how he beleeues Scripture to be the word of God and diuinely inspired he will answere Because thâ— Church deliuereth it so to be And why beleeueth he the testimonie of the Church Because it it is infallibly guided by the spirit And how doth that appeare Because it is so contained in Scripture as in Iohn 16. The Spirit will leade you into all truth And how shall wee know this scripture of Iohn to bee the word of God and diuinely inspired Because the Church deliuereth it so to bee and so they must needs run round in this circulation Now I would propose to the Papists the choice of these three one of which they must of necessitie accept First whether they wil run round in this circle wax giddy and fall and sink into that pit where Poperie was first hatcht or they wil break the circle at the authoritie of the Scriptures and so by consequent they must fall to our side and the truth or they will breake it at the testimonie of the Church and so all their faith as I told you must needs be onely acquired because it depends on a finite and created testimonie and consequently comes farre short of saluation I doubt not but the Papists will acknowledge and approoue that difference betwixt infused and acquired faith consented vpon by the Schoolemen That infused faith relieth immediately vpon an increated authoritie but acquired vpon a finite and created testimonie I know the Iesuites a kind of men inspired with a transcendencie of Antichristian imposture labour busilie to passe plausibly and handsomly out of this circle but if their shifts be thorowly sisted they followed with force of argument it is certaine they will either be driuen into the circle againe or enforced to start out at the one of those breaches I told you of Becaâ—us one of them after hee had long tired himselfe in this circle and at last by the helpe of Gregorius de Val. and former Iesuites got out but with shamefull absurditie and inconuenience in a poore reuenge to relieue himselfe he threatens vs with another circle and so writes a Treatise de Circulo Caluinistico but very weakely and falsly as might be demonstrated euen out of the sounder Schoolemen in their question of the last resolution of faith But I intended no discourse of controuersie but of sanctification and therefore I proceed and take the formall hypocrite along further towards the state of grace For besides knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods word by an historicall faith hee may by the vertue of a temporarie faith adde three degrees moe That is He may moreouer professe it in outward seruices of religion He may inwardlie reioice in it He may bring forth some kind of fruit But these things are onely found in him so long as they do not mainely crâ—sse but are compatible with his worldly peace wealth libertie and other delightfull contentments Here therefore I must leaue him and acquaint you with those workings and degrees of sauing faith which qualified as I shall propose them are peculiar to Gods child and so distinguish and diuide the regenerate man from the state of formall hypocrisie They are these A feeling and speciall approbation of the word of life and promises of saluation a most feruent expetition and thirsting for the enioyment of them an effectuall apprehension a particular application a full perswasion a delight and ioy thence rising sound and vnconquerable That you may vnderstand these you must conceiue that the soule of Gods child comming fresh out of the pangs and terrors of his new-birth a mysterie to the formall hypocrite humbled vnder the mightie hand of God by a sight and sense of his sinnes lookes vpon the whole body of diuine truth as vpon a precious iewel wherin Christ his gratious promises shine vnto him especially as a stone of inestimable worth and valuation whereupon with a peculiar dearenes he sets such a liking that with it hee holds himselfe an heire of heauen without it a child of endlesse perdition Hence followes an expetition and desire of it enforced with groanes vnutterable and a gasping for it as the dry and thirstie ground for drops of raine Thirdly hee apprehends it with a fast and euerlasting hold Fourthly hee applies it closely and particularly to his owne soule Fifthly he is truely and fully perswaded by Gods good spirit out of a consideration of his vniuersall change that it is his owne for euer Lastâ—y he lies downe in peace that passeth all vnderstanding He is filled with ioy that no man can take from him He delights in the grace apprehended as in a treasure farre more deare vnto him then the glory of infinite worlds or life it selfe From the power and workings of this inward grace spring outward actions both in his generall calling of Christianity and his particular vocation which by the mercies of God are faithfull constant vniforme impartiall resolute vniuersall comfortable Whereas those which are produced by the more weake and inferiour degrees of temporarie faith incident to the formall hypocrite are weake wauering many times interrupted variable guided much by occasions the time forced by hope or feare swayed by secret respects to priuate ends and worldly contentments But these more inward markes of difference howsoeuer by a sweete and gratious experience they be felt and acknowledged of the child of God yet generally and to the vnregenerate they are hidden mysteries and vndiscernable to the brightest eye of the naturall man Therefore I will come to those markes of difference betwixt the state of formall hypocrisie and sauing grace which are more outward familiar and more generally and casilie discernable Of which one may be this The power of grace doth beget in a regenerate man a watchfulnesse care and conscience of smaller offences of secret sins of sinfull thoughts of appearances of euill of all occasions of sinne of prophane companie of giuing iust offence in indifferent actions and the like whereas the formall hypocrite taketh not such things as these much to heart but either makes no conscience of them at all holding it a point of precisenes to be too conscionable or else proportions it to serue his owne turne or to giue satisfaction to others And in forbearance of sinnes he hath an especiall eye onely at those that may notoriously disgrace him in the world entangle him in danger of law or vexe his conscience
with some extraordinarie terror Let those then examine themselues at this marke who howsoeuer shame keepe them from vncleane practises and grosser acts of filthines yet inwardly boyle in speculatiue wantonnesse and adulteries of the heart Those who howsoeuer their indirect meanes speed not for mounting themselues to high estate yet spend their best thoughts all their life long in proiecting and contriuing as though they were borne to aduance themselues and not to honour God in their â—allings Those who though they doe not enclose oppresse and grind the faces of the poore yet haue their hearts exercised in couetousnes Those who though they haue forsakeÌ„ some sins yet maintain in themselues one known sweet sinne Those who though lawes and feare of danger restraine from railing with open mouthes against our State yet harbour secret repinings murmurings vnthankfulnesse and discontentments Euen a contemptuous thought of a king or lawfull authority is a sinne of high nature and me thinkes for the miraculousnesse of the discouerie is paralleld in Ecclesiastes to the bloodinesse of actuall murther That which hath wings saith the Preacher shall declare the matter Lastly let those examine themselues at this marke who offer themselues to those sinfull occasions breeders of many strange and fearefull mischiefes I meane prophane and obscene Playes Pardon me beloued I cannot passe by those abominable spectacles without particular indignation For I did euer esteeme them since I had any vnderstanding in the waies of God the Grand empoysoners of grace ingenuousnes and all manly resolution Greater plagues and infections to your soules then the contagious pestilence to your bodies The inexpiable staine and dishonour to this famous City The noisome wormes that canker and blast the generous and noble buds of this land and doe by a slie and bewitching insinuation so empoyson all seeds of vertue and so weaken and emasculate all the operations of the soule with a prophane if not vnnaturall dissolutenes that whereas they are planted in these worthie houses of Law to be fitted and enabled for great and honourable actions for the publicke good and the continuance of the glory and happinesse of this kingdome they licentiously dissolue into wicked vanities and pleasures and all hope of their euer doing good either vnto God the Church their Countrie or owne soules melteth as the winter ice and floweth away as vnprofitable waters These infamous spectacles are condemned by all kind of sound learning both diuine and humane Distinctions deuised for their vpholding and defence may giue some shallow and weake contentment to partiall and sensuall affections possest with preiudice but how shall they be able to satisfie and secure a conscience sensible of all appearance of euill How can they preserue the inclinablenesse of our corrupt nature from infection at those Schooles of leaudnes and Sâ—nkes of all sins as to omit Diuines Councels Fathers Moralists because the point is not directly incident euen a Polititian calleth them Alas are not our wretched corruptions raging and fierie enough being left to themselues dispersed at their naturall liberty but they must be vnited at these accursed Theaters as in a hollow glasse to set on flame the whole body of our natural vitiousnesse at once and to enrage it further with lust fiercenesse and effeminatenes beyond the compasse of nature Doth any man thinke it possible that the power of sauing grace or the pure spirit of God can reside in his hart that willingly with ful consent seeds his inward concupiscence with such variety of sinfulll vanities and leaud occasions which the Lord himselfe hath pronounced to be an abomination vnto him How can any man that euer felt in his hart either true loue or feare of so dreadfull a Maiestie as the Lord of heauen and earth endure to be present especially with delight and contentment at Oathes Blasphemies Obscenities and the abusing sometimes of the most pretious things in the booke of God whereat wee should tremble to most base and scurrill iests Certainely euery child of God is of a right noble and heroicall spirit and therfore is most impatient in hearing any wrong indignitie or dishonour offered to the word name or glory of his Almightie Father A second marke of difference may be this The power of sauing grace doth subdue and sanctifie our affections with a conscionable and holy moderation so that they become seruiceable to the glory of God and for a more resolute cariage of good causes and zealous discharge of all Christian duties But the bridling of passions in the formall hypocrite is not so much of conscience as artificiall politique for aduantage and by the guidance of morall discretion so that if they be tempted by strong occasions and violent obiects they many times breake out to the dishonour of God the disgrace of a Christian profession and the discouery of their hypocrisie Let euery man then examine himselfe at this marke and with a single eye and vpright heart take a view of his affections whether his ioy be inward and spirituall that is in the assurance of Gods fauour in his word in his children in prayer and a continuall practise of godlinesse or outward and caâ—uall that is in the attainement of greatnesse and woâ—dly pleasures in the increase of his corne and wine and oile Whether he loue the peace of conscience farre more deâ—rely then the fauour of men or his owne life Whether hee bee more zealous for the honour and praise of God then his owne Whether he be more affraid of secret sinnes then open shame of offending God then outward afflictions Whether he be more angry in the cause of religion and concerning Gods glory or for his owne priuat wrongs And so thorow out the rest of his affections Let the fierce and desperate gallants consider this point which vpon euery light occasion and termes of disgrace are ready out of a graceles vngrounded opinion of declining cowardize to sheath their swords in the bodie of their brother And let them assure themselues that the meeke and mercifull spirit of God will neuer consist with such bloodie and vntamed affections his holy motions will not come into their secret neither will his sauing grace be ioyned with their assembly For in their wrath they will kill a man and in their selfe-will they will destroy the image of God Cursed bee their wrath for it is fierce and their rage for it is cruell Oh that they would but marke and foresee into what an ineuitable and endlesse maze of certaine misery and vengeance they enter when they enter into the field vpon either offer or acceptance of challenge If they be slaine they are accessaries to their owne vntimely murder They violentlie and wilfully pull themselues from the land of the liuing to the abhorred regions of death They cruelly and irrecouerably rent their owne poore soules from time of grace and repentance They extinguish all hope of posteritie and perhaps their house and family determines in
and pretious vnto him and lets all his thoughts with loose raines greatest ioyfulnesse and oftenest meditation run after it and sweetly refresh themselues with the glory and comfort of it If a man vpon the way should find some pretious orient pearle hardly could he keepe his eyes from gazing vpon it his excesse of ioy would easâ—ly command and confine the sight to so rare and hopefull an object vntill hee meet with some skilfull Lapidarie or come where hee might thorowly bee acquainted with the worth and fully enioy the wealth of it Euen so after a man by the illightened eye of his soule and the hand of sauing faith once seaze and lay sure hold vpon the pearle of great price the graces of Gods spirit and eternall life the heart is presently so filled with loue and admiration that for euer after it spends the most the dearest and the noblest thoughts vpon it and they once set on foot are so cheered and rauished with the heauenly beautie thereof that they follow with continuall increase of feruencie and longing vntill they come vnto the cleere vision and full possession of it at the right hand of God in the endlesse ioyes of the world aboue The thoughts then of a true Christian are of a farre more heauenly temper diuine nature and higher straine then the largest heart of the best vnregenerate man can or doth possiblie comprehend The formall hypocrit may haue his mind worthily busied in points of deepest learning in the mysteries of State affaires of kingdomes in the best and highest considerations which nature art moralitie or policy can afford nay he may sometimes entertaine into his thoughts with ioy the promises of grace the happinesse of the Saints the ioyes of heauen and the like though these haue neuer any root or long residence in him But that the word of grace should so emplant it selfe into the inner man that the thoughts should neuer be so well or welcome to the heart as when they are wading in the great mysterie of godlines and with an holy wisedome plotting for the inlargement of Christs glorious kingdome in himselfe and others That it should make all other discourses of the mind subordinate and contributarie to such heauenly meditations and to this end set bounds and limits to the millions of imaginations that daily arise and erect an holy regiment amongst them I say this is the speciall prerogatiue of a sanctified man For he alone because of his truth sincerity and vprightnesse in the inner parts makes conscience of idle vaine and wandring thoughts of which the formall hypocrite either takes no notice at all or not much to heart Hee is as much cast downe vext and grieued with their disorder and exorbitancie as with the errors and infirmities of his words and actions and therefore establisheth as it were a gratious gouernment amongst them to keepe out confusion idlenes and rebellion He confines them to a reuerent and feeling meditation vpon Gods word and workes to a care of conscionable managing the affaires of his calling onely sometimes but sparingly with many cautions exceptions and seasonablenes letting them out to honest recreations Whatsoeuer thought is wandring without this compasse or within it vnsincere is sinful so that if he take any stragling without these limits any enticers to vanities and impertinencies any obtruders and disturbers of so happie inward peace he presently apprehends them by the watchfull eye of his spirituall wisedome examines them by the law of God arraignes them in the consistorie of an illightened conscience and so cuts them off in time by the power of grace and sword of the spirit that is by opposing against them at the first rising in the heart by present repentance prayer and after-watchfulnesse he blessedly rids himselfe of the miseries and distraction of prophane and troublesome thoughts That this is no Idea I now propose vnto you howsoeuer it so be to euery vnregenerate man and so when hee heares it he conceiues of it for little knowes hee what adoe euery child of God hath with his thoughts I say that this is no Idea or idle abstraction appeares pregnantly and plentifully in Dauids practise who for all the strong enticements ordinarilie incident to the pleasures of a Court and naturall libertie of Princes although the cares and waight of a kingdome lay vpon him and that his Royall innocencie was still haunted and assailed with such indignities and vexations which might almost haue swayed the blessed and quiet thoughts of a glorious Angell to distraction and discontentment yet for all this the law of God did still principally take vp his heart and that day and night Gods word and workes his statutes and iudgements were meate and drinke vnto his mind and his meditation continually as is more then plaine in many places of the 119. Psalm Oh saith he in the 13. portion how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually So vnexpresseable here was his pang of holy loue vnto Gods law that hee prefixeth a particle of zeale and extraordinarie passion Oh saith hee And where the heart hath once truely and sixedly set it loue there all the thoughts feast themselues with dearest apprehensions and with greatest impatiencie of all other imployment This is the verie case then of all Gods seruants they meditate on the word of God most contentedly and continually because they loue it farre before and aboue all earthly things and so dearely doe they loue it because in it with speciall security are conueied vnto them all the rich treasures of mercy remission of sinnes spirituall comfort and eternall life and particularly sealed vnto them by 〈◊〉 Spirit of the same word Salomon confirmes this worthie 〈◊〉 of his Father by his testimony Prou. 12.5 The thoughts of the iust are right iudgement or iustice for so the word signifies in the Originall but the suttle deuices of the wicked are deceit The thoughts of all vnregenerate men are commonly either rooting in the earth or drowned in pleasures or running after preferment or ranging vp and downe idly and prophanely or fruitleslie melancholike or if sometimes they glance or settle themselues vpon good things they are still as a menstruous clout and abomination to the Lord because their consciences are not renewed their hearts purged their persons sanctified and accepted But the thoughts of euery child of God are ordinarily working for the maintenance and furthering of Gods glory and good causes for procuring true good to their brethren especially in spirituall things for increasing grace in themselues and their store of comfort against the day of triall And if so be which sometimes befals the best they be crost by sinful motions in themselues or suggestions of Satan yet by their surprizing and suppressing them at the very first rising and assault and by present repentance they are vndoubtedly euer pardoned vnto them in Christ Iesus Giue me leaue I pray you to illustrate this varietie and difference of thoughts which I haue
if such an one as these should bee chosen by my default and faintheartednesse I should in some sort and measure be iustly guiltie and answerable before that high and euerlasting Iudge of the many miseries and mischiefes which ordinarily ensue vpon so vnhappie a choice Hereupon after a mature and impartiall suruay of all circumstances considerable in the partie the statute and whole businesse he singles out him with sinceritie and singlenesse of heart whom in conscience he thinks most sufficient and there hee stickes with a truely Christian and vnshaken resolution pitcht by the verie power and strength of heauen and come what come will tempests or faire weather preferment or pouertie threatnings or flatterie policie or persuasion priuate importunities or frownings of Greatnesse he is at a point infinitely rather to keepe a good conscience and saue his soule then to enioy the present and gaine the whole world For hee well knowes that the day is at hand euen that great and fearefull Day when the consciousnesse of one gratious action performed with vprightnesse of heart will breed more comfort then the glory riches and soueraignty of the whole earth To conclude this point As vnregenerate and sanctified thoughts differ much in their workings euen about the same Obiects so there are some which are Gods childs peculiar with which the state of vnregeneration is vtterly vnacquainted They are such as these First thoughts full of scare and astonishment all hell and horrour which rise out of the heart when it is first stricken with sense of Gods wrath at the sight of his sinnes These are scorched in verie manie euen with the flames of hell in their conuersion They burne sometimes the verie marrow out of their bones and turne the best moysture in them into the drought of Summer No print or skarre of these wofull and wounded thoughts appeare in the heart of the formall hypocrite This hell vpon earth is onely passed thorow by the heires of heauen while the children of hell haue commonlie their heauen vpon earth 2 Secondly thoughts composed al of pure comfort ioy heauen immortalitie the sweet and louely issues of the spirit of adoption These flow onely from the fountaine of grace and spring vp in that soule alone which hauing newly passed the strange agonies and sore pangs of the new-birth is presently bathed in the blood of Christ lulled in the bosome of Gods dearest mercies and secured with the seale and secret impression of his eternall loue and sacred spirit not only from the rage of hell but also of an euerlasting and roiall inheritance aboue Oâ— the heart of the vnregenerate man is farre too narrow base and earthy to comprehend the vnmixed pleasureâ— the glorious Sunshine of those blessed and ioyfull thoughts which immediatelie follow vpon the stormes of feares and terrour ordinarily incident to a sound conuersion 3 Thirdly thoughts of spirituall rauishment and vnutterable rapture slashes of eternall light raised sometimes in the hearts of the Saints and occasionally inspired by the Spirit of all endlesse comfort which with vnconceiueable amazement and admiration feed vpon and fill themselues with the ioies of the second life in such an vncouth extasie and excesse as is farre aboue and without the compasse and concâ—it of all worldly comforts the tongue of Angels or heart of man In this point I appeale to the conscience of the true Christian for I know full well that all my Discourse is a parable and paradoxe to the prophane whether hee hath not sometimes as it were a sea of comfort rained vpon his heart in a sweet shower from heauen and such a sensible taste of the euerlasting pleasures by the glorious presence of inward ioy and peace as if he had the one foot in heauen alreadie and with the one hand had laid hold vpon the crown of life especially after a zealous heate feeling feruencie in praier after an entire gracious and profitable sanctifictation of the Sabbath at the time of some great and extraordinarie humiliation entertaind and exercised with fruit and sinceritie when he hath freshly with deepest groanes and sighes and new struglings of spirit renewed his repentance vpon occasion of relapse into some old or fall into some new sin when the empoisoned arrowes of cruell and fierie tongues pointed with malice policy and prophanenesse come thickest vpon him and yet retyring into his owne innocent heart he finds no cause of such mercilesse vexation but defence of Gods truth and profession of holinesse Nay sometimes vpon on the deaths-bed to a soule conscious of an vpright and vnspotted life the ioies of heauen present themselues before the time so longing a sympathy is there betwixt the life of grace and endles glory Such like ioyfull springings and heauenly eleuations of hart as these which I haue now mentioned are the true Christians peculiar no stranger can meddle with them no heart can conceiue them but that which is the Temple of Gods pure and blessed Spirit Thus farre of the difference of their thoughts in respect of their nature and manner of working Now in a second place Gods child is notably differenced from the formall hypocrite by the seasonablenesse of his thoughts and their holy seruing the time In a body of best and exactest constitution the senses are quicke and nimble and sharpliest discerne with greatest life and vigour apprehend their obiects and are most sensibly affected or displeased with their conuenience or antipathy Euen so in a hart of a true spiritual temper seasoned and softned with the dew of grace the thoughts are actiue readie and addrest with zeale contentment to encline and apply themselues to the condition of the times and varietie of occasions offered for some holy vse to the bettering of the soule and the enlarging of Gods glory In the time of fasts sackcloth if Gods iudgements be threatned out of the Pulpit or executed from heauen when the Church weares her mourning weed sincerity droupes and the godly hang down their heades in such blacke and dismall daies they are impatient of all temporall comfort they willingly put on sadnesse to entertaine penitencie humiliation and sorrow but they are clothed with ioy and lightsomnesse when mercie and saluation are wisely and seasonably proclaimed out of the booke of life when religion spreads and prospers and diuine truth hath free passage when whole States haue escaped the bloodie Papists Gunpowder and the roiall breasts of Kings their empoisoned kniues and in such like ioyful and happy times Thus the thoughts and inmost affections of Gods child haue their changes their seueral seasons and successions as it pleaseth the Lord to offer or execute mercie or iudgement out of his word or in the world abroad But the thoughts of the formall hypocrite though they suffer indeed many alterations and distractions about earthly obiects they ebbe and flow with discontent or comfort as his outward state is fauoured or frowned vpon by the world yet spirituall