God is honoured and in my heart I doe the same that you doe with the like delectatioÌ„ feruency of spirit Now he that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet receiueth a Prophets reward that is he that consenteth to the deede of a Prophet and maintaineth it the same hath the same spirite and earnest of euerlasting life which the Prophet hath and is elect as thâ— Prophet is Nowe if wee compare worke to work there is a difference betwixt washinâ— of dishes and preaching the word of God but as touching to please God none at all For neither that nor this pleaseth God buâ— as farre foorth as God hath chosen a man and hath put his spirite in him and purified his heart by faith trust in Christ. As the Scriptures call him carnall which is not renued by the spirit borne again in Christs flesh al his works like euen the verie motions of his heart and mind as his learning doctrine and contemplation of hie things his preaching teaching and studie in the Scripture building of Churches founding of Colledges giuing of almes and whatsoeuer he doth though they seeme spirituall after the law of God neuer so much So contrariwise he is spirituall which is renued in Christ and all his workes which spring from faith seeme they neuer so grosse as the washing of the disciples feete done by our Sauiour Christ and Peters fishing after the resurrection yea deedes of matrimonie are pure spirituall if they proceede of faith and whatsoeuer is done within the laws of God though it be wrought by the bodie as the verie wiping of shooes and such like howsoeuer grosse they appeare outwardlie yet are sanctified Timoth. What be the speciall thinges in which you lead your conuersation Euseb. One thing is the reading of the Scripture Timoth. It is dangerous to read the scriptures you that haue no learning may easilie fall into errors and heresies Euseb. As he which knoweth his letters perfectlie and can spell cannot but read if he be diligent and as hee which hath cleare eies without impediment or let and walketh thereto in the light open daie cannot but see if he attend and take hede euen so I hauing the profession of my Baptisme onelie written in my heart and feeling it sealed vp in my conscience by the holie Ghost cannot but vnderstaÌ„d the Scripture because I exercise my selfe therein compare one place with another and marke the manner of speech and aske here and there the meaning of a sentence of them that be better exercised then I. for I feele in my hart and haue a sensible experience of that inwardlie which the spirite of God hath deliuered in the Scriptures So that I find mine own feeling as a good coÌ„mentarie vnto me Timoth. We are all baptized belike theâ— we shall all vnderstand the Scriptures Euseb. But alas verie few there be that are taught feele their ingrafting into Christ their iustification their inwarde dying vnto sin liuing vnto righteousnes which is the meaning of their Baptisme And therefore we remaine all blinde generallie as well the great Rabbins which brag of their learning as the poore vnlearned laie man And the Scripture is become so darke vnto theÌ„ that they grope for the dore can find no waie in it is become a maze vnto theÌ„ in which they waÌ„der as in a mist or as we saie led by Robin goodfellow And their darkenes can not comprehend the light of the Scriptures but they read them as meÌ„ do tales of Robin hood as riddles or as olde priests read their Ladies mattins which they vnderstand not And vntil a maÌ„ be taught his baptisme that his heart feele the sweetnes of it the Scriptures are shut vp froÌ„ him so dark that he could not vnderstaÌ„d it though Peter Paul or Christ himself did expound it vnto him no more then a man starke blinde can see though thou set a candle before him or shew him the Sun or point with thy finger vnto that thou wouldest haue him looke vpon As for heresie there is no danger if a man come to the Scripture with a meeke spirit seeking there to fashion himselfe like vnto Christ according to the profession and vowe of his Baptisme but contrariwise hee shall there finde the mightie power of GOD to alter and chaunge him in the inner man by litle and litle til in processe he be full shapen after the image of our Sauiour in knowledge and loue of all truth power to worke thereafter Heresies spring not of Scripture no more then darkenes of the Sunne but are darke cloudes which spring out of the blind hearts of hypocrites giuen to pride and singularitie and doe couer the face of the Scripture and blind their eies that they cannot beholde the bright beames of the Scripture Timoth. By this I also can gather that the Papists which cannot reade the Scriptures except they fall into errours haue not the spirite of Christ working in them and teaching them but the lying spirite of Antichrist the Diuel and that if God woulde giue them anie true feeling and open their eies they would quite change their minds But what other exercises haue you Euseb. Praier and thankesgiuing to God For God hath promised verie bountifullie vnto them which praie in truth and it is one of the greatest comforts I haue at all times Again God which commandeth me not to steale commandeth me also to pray and his will is that one commandement should be as well kept as an other and therfore I am perswaded that condemnation will befall me as well for the one as for the other And that praier ought to be continuallie euen in euerie thing a man doth me thinketh it most agreeable to Gods will For if I shoulde come into my neighbours house and take his goods and vse them not borrowing them or asking anie leaue they would laie handes on mee and make mee a thiefe The world and all the thinges in the world are the Lords not mine so then if I shall dailie vse them neuer seeking to the Lorde by praier for the vse of them before God I am an vsurper nay a ranke thief and therfore I desire of God heartily that I may vse all his good creatures with feare and reuerence and that I may sanctifie his name in theÌ„ which Paule sheweth me to be done by the worde of God and praier the worde showing me the lawful vse of his creatures praier obtaining at Gods hands that I may vse them aright If this practise were vsed of men in their professions and callings I am perswaded there would be a thousand vices â—ut off which are in euerie maÌ„ most abounâ—ant and are committed without shame Timoth. I thinke the rest of your Christiâ—n exercises bee the practising of the commandements of the lawe Euseb. Yea they are indeed Timoth. Me thinkes it is an hard point of the law for a man to loue his enemie Euseb. It is
meat was within their teeth God in his anger stroke them with a sore plague And which is more strange then this God hath performed that which he hath promised to the vnbeleeuers though they refused to aske it at his handes of this thing wee haue a worthie example in King Achas who vtterly refused to haue a signe of his deliuerance and the confusion of his eneâ—ies when God offered it to him and yet â—e Lord deliuered him XVIII The reprobate may yet goe further in the â—rofession of religion and may seeme for a â—ime to bee planted in the Church for hee doth beleeue the promises of God made in Christ Iesus yet so that hee cannot applie them to himselfe In this thing the elect and the reprobate differ The reprobate generally in a confused maner beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of some men and he neither can nor desireth to come to the particular applying of Christ. The Elect beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of him particularly The reprobates faith may perish in this life but the faith of the elect cannot The reprobate may be perswaded of the mercie and goodnes of God towardes him for the present time in the which hee â—eeleth it the elect is not onely perswaded of the mercies he presently inioyeth but also he is perswaded of his eternall election before the foundation of the world of his euerlasting life which yet he doth not inioy Yea if God would confound him and he sawe nothing but present death and hell fire yet such is his nature that still he would beleeue for faith and hope are noâ— grounded vppon sence and feeling but are the euidence of those thinges which were neuer yet seene or felt The life of the faithfull is hid in Christ as the sappe in the roote of the tree their life is not in sence and feeling but in hoping and beleeuing which often times or contrary to mans sence and feeling is in Dauid who saith Create a newe heart in me Psal. 51. XIX After that hee hath receiued a generall a temporal faith in Gods heauenly word and his most mercifull promises of euerlasting life contained therein by the power of the spirite of God he commeth to haue a tast in his heart of the sweetnes of Gods mercies and a reioycing in consideration of the election adoption iustification and sanctification of Gods children But what is this tast I expresse it thus after the meaning of Gods word Suppose a banket prepared in which are many sweete and pleasaunt and dainty meates At this banquet they which are the bidden guests they must be set downe they see the meates they tast them they chawe them in their mouthes they digest them they are nourished fed and strengthned by them they which are not bidden to this â—east may see the meates handle them and â—ast of them to feele how good they are but â—hey must not eate and feede of them The first resemble the elect which truely eate digest and are nourished by Christ vnto euerâ—asting life because they haue great aboundance of the vitall heate of Gods holy spirit in them and doe feele sensibly his grace and vertue in them to strengthen them and guide them The second sort truly resemble the reprobates which neuer in truth enioy Christ or any of his benefites appertaining to saluation but onely see them and haue in their heartes a vanishing but no certaine or sound feeling of them so that they may be changed and strengthened and guided thereby To vse another similitude The reprobates haue no more feeling and enioying of Christ and his benefites than those men haue of the Sunne which see onely a glimmering of his light at the dawning of the day before it riseth Contrarywise the elect they haue the day-star euen the sonne of righteousnes Iesus Christ rising in their hearts the day spring from an high doth visite them the glorie of God doth rise vpon them they haue their eies annointed with the ointment of the spirite which is the true eie salue and doâ— plainely behold this sonne of righteousnes they inioy his presence they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken anâ— reuiue them XX From this sence and taste of Gods grace proceede manie fruites as first generallie he may do outwardly all things which true Christians doe and he may leade such a life here in this world that although he cannot attaine to saluation yet his paynes in hell shall bee lesse which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ saith it shall bee easier for Tyrus Sydon for Sodome and Gomorrah than for Capernaum and other Cities vnto which hee came in the day of iudgement XXI Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God but this loue can bee no sincere loue for it is only because God bestoweth benefites and prosperitie vpon him As appeareth in Saule Who loued God for his aduauncement to the kingdome and here is a difference betweene the elect and reprobate the elect loue GOD as children their fathers but reprobates as hirelings their maisters whome they affect not so much or themselues as for their wages XXII Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing â—n doing those things which appertayne to â—he seruice of God as preaching praier Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladlie and the seconde kinde of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy XXIII A reprobate often desireth them whom he thinketh to be the children of God to pray for him As Pharao desired Aaron Moses to pray to God for him So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which hee had spoken against him should come to passe But yet they cannot pray them selues because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII He may shew liking to Gods Ministers he may reuerence them and feare to displease them Thus did Simon Magus who at Phillips preaching beleeued wondered at his miracles and kept companie with him And Herod is saide to feare Iohn knowing that he was a iust man holie also he gaue reuerence to him Antonius the Emperour called Pius though hee was nâ— Christian yet in a general Parliament helâ— at Ephesus he made an act in the behalfe of ChristiaÌ„s that if anie maÌ„ should trouble oâ— accuse a ChristiaÌ„ for being a Christian the party accused shuld go free though he were found to bee a Christian and the accuseâ— should be punished And Plinius Secundus gouernour of Spaine vnder Traianus the Emperour when he sawe an innumerable company of Christians to be executed being moued with compassion he wrote in their behalfe being no Christian vnto Traianus to spare them that coulde be charged with no crime and his letter is yet extant XXV Hee may bee zealous in the religion which he professeth and fall from that profession as the Galathians did who after that they had receiued Paule as an Angell and woulde haue
separation must bee made before the ende of this life For this is the order which God taketh hee will haue all them to be in his kingdome in this life that shall bee in the kingdome of heauen after this life And the time of their calling is termed in scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirite indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the elect For the better knowing of it there is to be considered First what faith is Secondly howe God doth worke it in the hearts of the Elect Thirdly what degrees there bee of faith Fourthly what are the fruits and benefites of faith IIII Faith is a wonderfull grace of God by which the Elect doe apprehende and apply Christ and all his benefites vnto themselues particularly Here first it is to bee considered that the verie nature of faith standeth in a certaine power of apprehending applying Christ. This is declared by Paule when hee saith ye are buried with him through Baptisme by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God who raised him from the deade Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe his death and buriall and so all other benefites to the beleeuer Againe to beleeue in Christ and to receiue or to laie holde on Christ are put one for an other by S. Iohn which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ. euen as we see when a man hath any thing giuen him hee reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himself and so makes it his owne Moreouer faith is called the putting on of Christ Which cannot bee vnlesse Christs righteousnes bee specially applyed to the heart as the garment to the backe when it is put on Lastly this may appeare in that faith is called the eating and drinking of Christ for there is no eating of meate that nourisheth but first it must bee tasted and chawed in the mouth then it must be conueyed into the stomack and there digested Lastly it is to be applied to the partes of th◠body that are to bee nourished And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that Christ ma◠dwell in their hearts by faith which plainly importeth this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further that faith is a wonderfull grace of God which may appear First in that Paule calleth it the faith of Gods power because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith Secondly experience sheweth it to bee a wonderfull gift of God when a man neither seeth nor feeleth his sinnes then to say he beleeueth in Gods mercie it is an easie matter but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes and the anger of God for them then to applie Gods free mercie to his owne soule it is a most hard matter for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man to blaspheme God and to dispaire of mercie Iudas who no doubt often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the security of his hart when Gods hand was vpon him and the Lorde made him see the vilenes of his treachery hee coulde not comfort himselfe in Christ if one woulde haue giuen him ten thousand worlds but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged him selfe desperately which sheweth what a wonderfull harde thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this as it may appeare in Dauid In the daie of my trouble saith he I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish and hee addeth the worde Selah a note of some wonderfull thing Againe he being almost in the gulfes of hell euen then cried to the Lord for help Iob saith If God should destroy him yet he would for all that beleeue in him still Vndoubtedly strang is the bād of faith knitting Christ and his members together that the anguish of spirite cannot and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by anie corporall touching of him but spirituallie by assurance which is when the Elect are perswaded in their harts by the holie ghost of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes and of Gods infinite mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of Paul Nowe we haue receiued not the spirit of the word but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God The things which the spirit of GOD maketh knowen to the faithfull particularlie are their iustification adoption sanctification eternall life And thus when anie are perswaded of these things concerning themselues they doe in their heartes distinctlie applie and appropriate Christ and his benefites to them selues VI. The manner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this First he prepareth the heart that it maie be capable of faith Secondlie he causeth faith by little and little to spring and to breed in the heart The preparation of the heart is by humbling and softening of it and to the doing of this there are foure things requisite The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God both of the lawe and of the Gospell without the which there can bee no faith according to that saying of Esaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie And that of Iohn This is eternall life that they knowe thee to bee the onely verie God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. The onelie ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by is the word preached which must bee heard remembred practised and continuallie hid in the heart The least measure of knowledge without which a man cannot haue faith is the knowledge of Elements or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religion A fundamentall doctrine is that which being once denied all religion and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrowen This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it which is an assent of the heart to the knowne truth of Gods word This faith when it is growen vp to some great measure it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of vnderstanding and it is to be seene in the Martyrs who maintained Gods truth against the persecutions of the false Church vnto death VII Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightened to know the word of God yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates for it is speciallie said of thē that God is their schole-master that he softeneth their stonie heartes maketh
Churches of Macedonia liberallie not onelie according to their power but also straining themselues beyonde their power Yea this reliefe must goe further euen to the bestowing of a mans life if neede so require As saint Iohn saith Hereby wee haue perceaued Loue that hee laide downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to laie downe our liues for the bretheren L The fourth worke is true praier and saint Luke setteth out the faithfull and the children of God by this description That they call on the name of the Lorde As on the contrarie it is saide of the wicked That they call not vpon GOD. The true Christian calleth on the Lorde in truth For the spirite of adoption which is the spirite of Praier is his Schoolemaister to teach him to doe it In Praier hee is thus disposed First before hee praieth hee is stricken with some feare and reuerence in regarde of GODS Maiestie for hee considereth that praier is a familiar talking with God Secondlie hee is inwardlie touched with a liuelie feeling of his owne wants but especially hee is vexed and grieued at his owne sinne and rebellion and this sense of his miserie is as a spurre to quicken his benummed heart Thirdly hee humbleth himselfe before his God and laieth open his heart before the Lorde shewing a feruent and longing desire to obtaine those thinges of which he findeth an extreame want in himselfe as the Prophet Dauid did whose desire was like the yawning of the drie ground and this proceedeth from the spirite of God which stirreth vp groaninges in the heart which a man oftentimes for his life cannot expresse Fourthlie when hee maketh his request hee doubteth not but by faith hee beleeueth that God will graunt his requestes which hee maketh according to his worde The ground of this perswasion is double First Christ Iesus by whose merites as hee hath obtained remission of sinnes so he looketh to obtaine all things else The other ground is the comfortable promises of God which he hath made that he will heare them who truely call vpon him Fifthlie hee praieth not for a brunt or two but hee continueth in praier And although God seeme not to heare him at the first yet hee patiently waiteth on the Lord and still calleth vpon him LI The first worke is to walke in some lawfull calling with painefulnesse and vprightnesse so that in performing all the dueties of it a man may keepe a good conscience before God and men Thus Dauid determined to walke in the gouernement of his house and kingdome I will doe wiselie saith hee in the perfect waie till thou commest to mee I will walke in the vprightnesse of mine heart in the middest of mine house I will sette no wicked thing before mine eies I hate the worke of them that fall awaie it shall not cleaue vnto me This sinceritie of Dauids behauiour in his calling made him bold to offer himselfe to be tried not onely by men but much more by the Lord God himselfe and to bee punished accordingly Iudge mee O Lorde saith hee for I haue walked in mine innocencie prooue mee O Lorde and trie mee examine my reines and mine heart So vpright and cleare was hee in all his doings LII Thus much of faith and the benefites that come by faith Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifolde temptations which are in this life inseparable companions of grace The reason is because the diuell hateth Christ with a deadly hatred and sheweth this hatred in a continuall persecution of his members as saint Iohn saith the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went and made warre with the remnant of hir seed which kept the commandementes of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now therefore as soone as Christ Iesus beginneth to shewe anie token of his loue to anie man the Deuill contrariwise sheweth foorth his enmitie and stirres vp his fellow champions the flesh and the worlde to war against him for his confusion And furthermore the Lord in great wisedome permits temptations to the last ende of a Christian mans life to trie his faith to purge him of sinne to humble him and to make him depende of his maiestie to quicken and reuiue the graces of his spirit which otherwise would be dead and decay LIII The temptations of a Christian are specially sixe The first is when inwardly in his hart he is drawen away and entised by his owne concupiscence vnto anie sinne The Christians exercise in temptation is fight and battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit And this fighting standeth in foure things First the flesh stirres vp euill thoughtes and desires as a burning furnace continually â—endeth vp smoke and sparkes of fire and it â—ggeth a man forward to euill wordes and deeeds according to that of Saint Marke For from within euen from the hart of man proceed euill thoughts adulteries fornications murders theftes couetousnes wickednes deceite vncleannesse a wicked eye backbiting pride folishnes 2 The flesh hindreth and choketh the good motions desires of the hart as Paul saith I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members Again the same flesh mingleth euerie good motioÌ„ and desire with some corruptions so that the godlie mislike the best thing they doe Esay saith of his owne the peoples righteousnes that it is but as a menstruous cloute The prayers of the saintes must be performed with swete odours before they can ascend vp sweete sauorie into the nostrilles of God And Paul said of himself he did that which he disliked not that he was ouertaken with grosse sins but because when hee was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly and soundly according to his wil and desire euen as a man who hath a iorney to go his mind is to dispatch it in all hast yet when he is in his trauel he goes but slowly by reason of a lamenesse in his ioints 3 The spirit on the contrarie kindles in the hart good motions desires puts a man forward to good words and deeds as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season 4 The spirit rebuks a man for his euil intents desires and represseth the face of them and as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shal heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke yee in it when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the world of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did
any euill his hart smote him 2. Sam. 24. 10. Out of this doctrine issueth a notable difference betwixt the wicked the godly In the godly when they are tempred to sin there is a fight between the hart the hart that is betwene the hart it self In the wicked also there is a fight when they are tempted to sinne but this fight is onely betweene the heart and the conscience The wicked man whatsoeuer hee is hath some knowledge of good and euill and therefore when hee is in doing anie euill his conscience accuseth checketh and controuleth him he feeles it stirring in him as if it were some liuing thing that crauled in his body and gnawed vpon his hart and therevpon he is verie often greeued for his sinnes yet for all that hee liketh his sinnes verie well and loueth them and coulde finde in his hart to continue in them for euer so that indeede when hee sinneth hee hath in his hart a striuing and a conflict but that is onlie betweene himselfe and his conscience But the godlie haue an other kinde of battell and conflict for not onelie their consciences pricke them and reproue them for sinne but also their hartes are so renewed that they rise in hatred and detestation of sinne and when they are tempted to euill by their flesh and Sathan they feele a luste and desire to doe that which is good LIIII The second temptation is a quietnesse in the hart of a Christian because hee cannot according to his desire haue fellowshippe with Christ Iesus hee is exercised in this temptation on this manner 1 Christ let him see his excellencie how he is affected towards him 2 Then the Christian considering this desireth Christ and his righteousnes 3 He delighteth himselfe in Christ and hath some inioying of his benefits 4 Then he comes into the assemblie of the Church as into Gods wine-celler that in the word and sacraments he may feele a greater measure of the loue of Christ. 5 But he falles loue sicke that is hee becomes troubled in spirit because he cannot eioy the presence of Christ in the saide manner as he would 6 In this his spirituall sicknes hee first feeles the power of Christ supporting him that the spirite bee not quenched and hee heares Christ as it were whispering in his heart as a man speakes to his friende when hee is comming towardes him a farre off 7 After this Christ comes neerer but the Christian can no otherwise enioy him then a man enioyes the companie of his friend who is on the other side of a wall looking at him through the grate or lattesse 8 Then his eyes are opened to see the causes why Christ so withdrawes himselfe to be his owne securitie and negligence in seeking to Christ his slacknes in spirituall exercises as in prayer and thankes-giuing the deceiptfulnesse and malice of false teachers 9 Then he comes to feele more liuelie his fellowship with Christ. 10 Lastlie he prayeth that Christ would continue with him to the end LV The third temptation is trouble of mind because there is no feeling of Christ at all who seemeth to be departed for a time The exercise of a christiā in this tentatiō is this 1 The poore soule lying as a mā desolate in the night without comfort seekes for Christ by priuate prayer meditation but it will not preuaile 2 He vseth the helpe counsel praier of godlie brethren yet Christ cannot bee found 3 Then hee seekes to godly ministers to receiue some comfort by them by their meanes he can feele none 4 After that all meanes haue bene thus vsed and none will preuaile then by Gods great mercie when he hath least hope hee finds Christ feeles him come againe 5 Presently his faith reuiueth and layeth faster hold on Christ. 6 And he hath an earnest fellowshipp◠with Christ in his hart as before 7 Then comes againe the ioye of the holie ghost the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe falles vpon him 8 Then his hart ariseth vp into heauen by holie affections and prayers which doe as pillers of smoke mount vpward sweet as myrrhe incense 9 Also hee is rauished there with the meditatiō of the glorious estate of the kingdome of heauen 10 He labours to bring others to consisider the glorie of Christ his kingdome 11 After all this Christ reueiles to his seruāt what his blessed estate is both in this life in the life to come more cleerely thē euer before makes him see those graces which he hath bestowed on him 12 Then the Christian prayeth that Christ would breath on him by his holy spirite that hee may bring forth the fruites of those graces which are in him 13 Lastlie Christ graunteth him this his request LVI The fourth temptation is securitie of hart rising of ouermuch delight in the pleasures of the world The exercise of a Christian in this temptation is this 1 He slumbers and is halfe a sleepe in the pleasures of this world 2 Christ by his word and spirit labours to withdrawe him from his pleasures and to make him more heartilie receiue his beloued 3 But he delayeth to doe it beeing loth to leaue his ease and sweet delights 4 Then Christ awakes him and stirres vp his heart by making him to see the vanitie of his pleasures 5 He then beginnes to be more earnestlie affected towards Christ. 6 With sorrowe hee settes his heart to haue fellowship with Christ after his olde manner and this he expresseth by bringing foorth sweete fruites of righteousnes 7 Then hee feeleth that Christ hath withdrawen his spirit 8 He almost dispaires for this 9 Yet by priuate praier seeks for Christ. 10 When that will not helpe he resorts to the ministers of the word at whose hands hee finds no comfort but discomfort 11 Not recouering his first estate through impatience of the loue of Christ hee makes his miserie knowen to strangers to see if they can comforte him and hee somewhat comforts himselfe in describing Christes excellencie to them 12 They then are rauished with him to seeke Christ and require then to knowe where to finde him 13 Answere is made in the assemblies of the Church 14 After this cōmunication the Christians faith and feeling reuiueth Christ returning to him againe 15 Thē Christ assureth him in his hart of his loue and liking towards him 16 Giuing further assurance to him that he shall grow vp and be made fruitfull in euerie good grace 17 m After this the Christian comes in such a high measure to loue Christ that nothing shal be able to seuer him from Christ. LVII The first temptation is a fall into some great sin as Noah into drunkennes Dauid into adulterie and murder Peter into the deniall of Christ. The exercise of a
laid vp for vs in Christs blood and to witnesse and testifie it vnto them and to be the seale therof For the sacrament dooth much more liuely print the faith and make it sincke downe into the hart then do bare words onely Now when the words of the testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread this is my body that was broken for you this is my blood that was shed for you they confirme the faith but much more when the sacrament is seene with the eies and the bread broken the wine powred out and looked on and yet more when I taste it and smell it As you see when a man maketh a promise vnto another with light words betweene theÌ„selues so they departed he to whom the promis is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestlye or mocked doubteth whether he will remeÌ„ber his promise to abide by it or no. But when any maÌ„ speaketh with aduisement the words are more credible if he swear it coÌ„firmeth the thing more and yet the more if hee strike hands if hee giue earnest if hee call recorde if he giue hand-writing seale it so is the more more beleeued for the heart gathereth â—o he spake with aduisement deliberation good sadnes he clapped hands called recorde and put to his hande and seale the man cannot bee so faint without the feare of God as to denie al this shame shal make him abide his promise though hee were such a man as I could not compel him if he woulde denie it And thus we dispute God sent his sonne in our nature and made him feele our infirmities that moue vs to sinne and named his name Iesus that is a Sauior because he should saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes and after his death he sent his Apostles to preach these glad-tydings to thrust them in at the eares of vs and set vp a sacrament of them to testifie them to seale them and to thrust them in not at the eares onely by rehearsing the promises of the testament ouer it neither at our eies onely in beholding it but beat them in through our feeling tasting smelling also and to bee repeated dailie to be ministred to vs. He wold not think we make half so much a do with vs if he loued vs not wold not haue his Sacrament to bee a witnes and testimonie between him vs to confirm the faith of his promisses that wee should not doubt in them when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherewith he hath bound himselfe this to keepe the promisses couenants better in mind and to make them the more deepely to sinke into our hearts and be more earnestlie regarded Timoth. Considering that this which you saie is too plaine great shame it is that there is such neglect of the Sacrament as there is and that it is so seldome vsed but surelie want of faith and the security which ouerspreadeth this our Countrie is the cause of it the Lord if it be his will remoue the same Now let me heare a litle how you lead your life and haue your conuersation among men Euseb. I haue my conuersation among men as sincere as I can in righteousnes and holines which is after Gods commaundements our Sauiour saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Timoth. It is but a dim light which wee can carrie before men and small are our good works and to be esteemed of no value If we were preachers or rich men or noble men then we might saue soules giue good couÌ„sel help manie by our almes but you I are poore men of base birth of low degree how can we then do anie good works Euseb. As touching good works by that measure of knowledge that God hath giuen me I thinke that all works are good which are done according to the obedience of Gods law in faith with thankesgiuing to God with a mind desirous of his glorie alone I think that I or any maÌ„ els in doing theÌ„ please God whatsoeuer I do within the law of god as when I make water And trust me if either winde or water were stopped I should feel what a pretious thing it were to do either of both what thaÌ„ks ought to be giuen God therfore Moreouer I put no difference betweene workes but whatsoeuer commeth into my hands that I do as time place occasioÌ„ giueth according to my degree For as touching to please God there is no work better then other God looketh not first on my works as the world doth or as though he had neede of them but God looketh first on my hart what faith I haue to his word how I beleeue him trust him and how I loue him for his mercie that he hath shewed mee hee looketh with what heart I work not what I work how I accept the degree hee hath put me in not of what degree I am Let vs take an example You are a Minister and preach the worde I am a kitchen boy wash my maisters dishes Of the ministerie hark what the Apostle saith if I preach I haue nought to reioice in for necessitie is put vpon mee if I preach not the gospel as who should saie God hath made me so woe is to me if I preach not If I do it willinglie saith he then I haue my reward that is then am I sure that Gods spirite is in me that I am elect to eternall life If I do it against my wil the office is committed to me that is if I do it not of loue to God but to get a liuing therby for a worldlie purpose had rather otherwise liue then do I that office which God hath put vpon mee but do not please God So then if you preached not or in preaching had not your hart aright you minister the office they that haue the spirit of God heare his word yea though it were spokeÌ„ by an Asse the woe belongeth to you but if you preach wilâ—ingly with a true hart coÌ„science to God then shal you feel the earnest of eternal life and the working of the spirit of God in you And your preaching is a good work in you Now I that minister in the kitchin and am but a kitchin boy receiue all thinges at the hand of God knowe that God hath put me in such an office submit my selfe to his wil and serue my Maister not as a man but as Christ himselfe with a pure heart according as Paul teacheth me putting my trust in God and of him seeke my reward Moreouer there is not a good deede done but mine heart reioiseth therein yea when I heare that the word of God is preached by you and see the people turne vnto God I consent to this deede my heart breaketh out in me yea it springeth and leapeth in my breast that
A Treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first how he may in time come out of it if in the second how he maie discerne it and perseuere in the same to the end The points that are handled are set downe in the page following Giue all dilligence to make your calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. ver 10. Printed at London by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin and I. Porter The Contents of the Booke 1 How farre a reprobate may go in Christian Religion 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life which also sheweth how farre the Electe being called go beyond all Reprobates in Christianitie 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose gathered out of the sauorie writings of Maister Tindall and Bradford 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the Church of Rome 5 The conflicts betweene Sathan and a Christian. 6 How the word of God is to bee applyed aright vnto the conscience 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians To the right Worshipfull and my Christian friend Maister Valentine Knightlie Esquire one of her Maiesties Iustices of Peace in Northampton-shire SIR I pray you consider with mee an especial point of Gods word carefullie to be waied it is this Manie professors of Christ in the day of grace perswade them selues that they are in the estate of grace and so the true Church esteemeth of thē too yet when the day of grace is past they contrariwise shall find themselues to bee in the estate of damnation remedilesse A dolefull case yet a most resolute trueth and the reason is playne Men that liue in the Church are greatly annoyed with a fearefull securitie and deadnes of hart by which it comes to passe that they thinke it inough to make a common protestatiō of the faith not once in al their life times examining themselues whether they be in the estate of grace before the eternall God or not And indeed it is a grace peculiar to the man Electe to trie himselfe whether he be in the estate of grace or not The further opening of the trueth of this point as also the danger of it I haue enterprised in this treatise which I am willing to bestowe on you both for the profession of the faith which you make as also for that Christian friendship you haue shewed to me Accept of it I pray you vse it for your edification Thus I commend you to God and to the word of his grace that is able to build you vp further and giue you an inheritance among them which are sanctified From Cambridge this 24. of Nouember 1589. Your Worships to command William Perkins To the Christian Reader GOod Reader it is a thing to be considered that a man may seeme both vnto himself and to the Church of God to bee a true professour of the Gospel and yet indeede be none All professours that are of this sort are excellently described Luke 8. vers 13. in these words And they which are vpon the stonie ground are they which when they shall heare receiue the word with ioy but hauing no roote beleeue for a time and in the time of temptation goe awaie where are to bee noted three thinges First their faith in that they are saide to beleeue for a season Secondly the fruits of that faith in that they are said to receiue the word preached with ioy Thirdly their vnsoundnes in that they are compared to stony ground and in the time of temptation goe away Concerning their faith whereas the spirit of God saith that they doe beleeue these thinges are to bee considered first that they haue the knowledge of the word of God secondly that they both can and doe giue assent vnto the worde of God that it is most true Thirdly in more speciall manner they giue assent vnto the couenant of grace made in Christ that it is most certaine and sure and they are perswaded in a generall and confused manner that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church I his is all their faith which indeede proceedeth from the holie Ghost but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound professours For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises yet herein they deceiue themselues that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their owne soules An example of this faith wee haue Iohn 2. vers 24. where it is said that when our Sauior Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter manie beleeued in his name yet he would not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them al and what was in them To come to the second thing those professours which are indewed with thus much grace as to beleeue in Christ in a confused manner goe yet further for this their faith though it be not sufficient to saluation yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth for as a tree or a braunch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting but either is couered with a few moules or els lieth in the water at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes and some fruite too and that for one or two or mo yeares so one that is an hearer of the worde may receiue the word and the word as seed by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season and may bring forth some fruits in his life peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies yet indeede neither sound nor lasting nor substantiall What these fruits are it may be gathered forth of these words where it is saide that they receiue the word with ioy when they heare it for here may be gathered First that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word secondly that they are as forwarde as any and as ioyfull in frequenting Sermons thirdly that they reuerence the Ministers whom they so ioyfully heare lastly they condemne them of impietie which will not bee hearers or bee negligent hearers of the word Now of these and such like fruites this may bee added though they are not sound yet they are voide of hypocrisie For the mindes of those professours are in part inlightened and their hearts are indued with such a faith as may bring forth these fruites for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not that faith which they haue not but rather shewe that which they haue Adde hereunto that a man being in this estate may deceiue himselfe and the most godly in the worlde which haue the greatest giftes of discerning how they and their bretheren stand before the Lorde like as the fig tree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as hee was man for when in his hunger hee came vnto it to haue had some fruit he found
none If this be so it may be then required how these vnsounde professours differ from true professours I answere in this they differ that they haue not sounde hearts to cleaue vnto Christ Iesus for euer Which appeareth in that they are compared to stonie grounde Now stony groundes mingled with some earth are commonly hot and therefore haue as it were some alacrity and hastines in them and the corne as soone as it is cast into this ground it sprouteth out very speedily but yet the stones wil not suffer the corne to be rooted deepely beneath and therefore when Summer commeth the blade of the corne withereth with roots and all So it is with these professours they haue in their hearts some good motions by the holy Ghost to that which is good they haue a kinde of zeale to Gods worde they haue a liking to good things and they are as forwarde as any other for a time and they doe beleeue But these good motions and graces are not lasting but like the flame and flashing of strawe and stubble neither are they sufficiēt to saluatiō With the true professours it is farre otherwise for they haue vpright and honest hearts before the Lord. Luke 8. vers 15. And they haue faith which worketh by loue Galath 5. vers 6. And that Christian man which loueth God whatsoeuer shall befall yea though it were a thousand deaths yet his heart can neuer bee seuered from the Lord and from his Sauiour Christ as the spowse speaketh vnto Christ of hir owne loue Cant. 8. vers 6. Set me as a seale on thy heart and as a signet vppon thy arme for loue is as strong as death Iealousie is as cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the floudes drowne it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would greatlie contemne it Wherefore good Reader seeing there is such a similitude and affinitie betweene the temporary professour of the Gospell and the true professour of the same it is the duetie of euery Christian to try and examine himselfe whether hee be in the faith or not 2. Cor. 13. vers 5. And whereas it is an harde thing for a man to search out his owne heart we are to pray vnto God that he would giue vs his spirit to discerne betweene that which is good and euill in vs. Nowe when a man hath found out the estate of his heart by searching it he is further to obserue and keepe it with all diligence Prouerb 4. vers 23. that when the houre of death or the day of triall shall come he may stand sure and not be deceiued of his hope And for this purpose I haue described the most of these small treatises which follow to minister vnto thee some helpe in this examining and obseruing of thine owne heart Reade them and accept of them and by the blessing of God they shall not bee vnprofitable vnto thee 1589. CERTAINE PROPOSITIONS DECLARING HOW farre a man may go in the the profession of the Gospel and yet be a wicked man and a reprobate I A Reprobate hath in his mind a certain knowledg of God of common equitie among men of the difference of good from bad and this is partly from nature partly from the contemplation of Gods creatures in which the wisedom the power the loue the mercie the maiestie of God is perceiued II This knowledge is only generall and imperfect much like the ruines of a Princes pallace it is not sufficient to direct him in doing of a good worke For example the reprobate knoweth that there is a God and that this God must be worshipped come to particulars who God is what a one hee is howe hee must bee worshipped Here his knowledge faileth him and he is altogether vncertaine what to doe to please God III By reason of this knowledge the reprobate doth giue consent and in his heart subscribeth to the equitie of Gods lawe as may appeare by the saying of Medea Video meliora probóque deteriora sequor That is I knowe what is best to be done and like it yet I doe the worst This approbation in the reprobate commeth from constraint and is ioyned with a disliking of the lawe in the elect being called the approbation of the lawe it proceedeth from a willing ready mind and is ioyned with loue and liking IIII And by reason of this light of nature a meere natural man and a reprobate may be subiect to some temptations for example he may be tempted of the Deuill and of his owne corrupt flesh to beleeue that there is no God at all As Ouid saith of himselfe Eleg 3. 8. Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos I am often tempted to thinke there is no God V The reprobate for all this knowledge in his heart may be an Atheist as Dauid saith the foole hath saide in his heart there is no God And a man may nowe a daies finde houses and townes full of such fooles Nay this glimering light of nature except it be preserued with good bringing vp with diligent instruction and with good company it will be so darkened that a man shall knowe very little and leade a life like a very beast as experience telleth and Dauid knew very well who saith Man is in honor and vnderstandeth not he is like to beasts that perish VI Wherfore this knowledge which the reprobate receiueth from nature from the creatures albeit it is not sufficient to make him doe that which shall please God yet before Gods iudgement seat it cutteth off all excuse which he might alleage why he should not be condemned VII Beside this naturall knowledge the reprobate may be made partaker of the preaching of the word and be illuminated by the holy Ghost and so may come to the knowledge of the reuealed will of God in his word VIII Thus when they heare the preaching of the word God profereth saluation to them and calleth them yet this calling is not so effectuall in them as it is in the elect children of God For the reprobate when he is called he liketh himselfe in his owne blindnes and therefore neither will hee and if he would yet could he not answer and be obedient to the calling of God The elect being called with speede he answereth and commeth to the Lord and his hart being ready giueth a strong and a loud eccho to the voice of the Lorde This eccho wee see in Dauids heart when saith he thou saidest seeke ye my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I wil seeke thy face And God himself speaketh the same of his children Zacha. 13. 9. They shall call on my name and I will heare them I will say it is my people nowe marke the eccho and they shall say the Lord is my God IX After that he hath an vnderstanding of Gods word he may
operation of Satan they fall to open infidelitie and contempt of Gods word and so runne headlong to their own damnation and perish finally Iulian the Apostata was first a man learned and eloquent and professed the Religion of Christ but afterward he fell and wrote a booke against the religion of Christ answered by Cyrill and on a time in a battell against the Persians was thrust into â—he bowels with a dart no man then knewe â—ow which dart he pulled out with his own â—and and presently bloud followed which â—s it gushed out he tooke it in his hand and â—loong it into the aire saying Vicisti Galilaee â—icisti O thou Galilean meaning Christ thou art the conquerour thou art the conquerour thus he ended his daies in blaspheming Christ whom he had professed The reason of this Apostasie is euident Seede that is not deepely rooted in the earth at the beginning of the yeare springeth vp it is green and bringeth forth leaues and flowers and it may bee some kinde of fruit too when the heate of sommer commeth it parcheth the earth and the corne wanting deepe rooting and therefore wanting moisture withereth away Gods word is like seede which that it may bring forth fruit vnto euerlasting life it must bee first receiued of the ground secondly it must be rooted the receiuing of it is when it pearceth to the heart and the affections take holde of it This rooting is of two sorts the first is when the word rooteth but not with the residue of the affections The second is a deepe and a liuely kind of rooting of the word when the word is receiued into the minde and into the heart The first kind of rooting of the word befalleth to a reprobate who vnderstandeth and reioyceth in the promises of saluation yet hee doth not put any confidence in them he cannot rest in them hee doth not reioice that his name is written in the booke of life hee doth not worke out his saluation with feare trembling In a worde his heart is in part softened to reioice at the preaching of the worde of God yet his heart is not opened as Lydias was nor inlarged as Dauid saith to imbrace the trueth but the elect hee receiueth the word not only into his mind least it should be onely an imagination but also it is deeply rooted in his heart For 1 In full confidence hee resteth himselfe on Gods promise Rom. 8. 38. Hebr. 10. 22. 2 Hee hopeth and longeth to see the accomplishment of it 1. Thess. 1. 10. 3 He hartily loueth God for making such a promise to him in Christ. 1. Ioh. 4. 10. 4 He reioiceth in it and therefore doth meditate on it continually Luke 10. 20. Rom. 5. 2. 5 Hee hateth all doctrines which are against it 6 He is grieued when he doth any thing that may hinder the accomplishment of it Math. 26. 75. 7 He vseth the meanes to come to saluaâ—ion but with feare trembling Phil. 2. 12. 8 He burneth with zeale of the spirit c. And so the rest of the affections are exercised about the promises of God in Christ by this meanes is the deepe rooting of the word in the heart Thus it commeth to passe that the reprobate falleth away from faith in the day of triall and temptation but the elect can not be changed By this which hath beene saide the professors of Christian religion are admonished of two things First that they vse most painefull diligence in working their saluation in attaining to faith in dying to sinne in liuing to newnes of life and that their harts be neuer at rest till such time as they go beyonde all reprobates in the profession of Christ Iesus Seest thou howe farre a reprobate may goe presse on the straite gate with maine and might with all violence lay hold on the kingdome of heauen Shall Herode feare and reuerence Iohn Baptist and heare him gladly and wilt thou neglect the Ministers and the preaching of the worde shall Pharao confesse his sinne nay shall Sathan beleeue and tremble and wilt not thou bewaile and lament thy sinnes and thy wicked conuersation it behoueth thee to feare and take heede least wicked men and the diuel himselfe rise in iudgement and condemne thy life For if thou shalt come short of the dueties of a reprobate and doe not goe beyonde him in the profession of the Gospell sure it is thou must looke for the reward of a reprobate The second thing is that the professor of the Gospell diligently try and examine himselfe whether hee is in the state of damnation or in the state of grace whether he yet beare the yoke of Sathan or is the adopted child of God Thou wilt say this neede not thou professest the Gospell and art taken for a Christian Yet marke and consider that this often befalleth reprobates to be esteemed Christians and they are often so like them that none but Christ can discerne the sheep from the Goates true Christians from apparent Christians Wherefore it behoueth all men that shewe themselues to bee Christians to lay aside all pride and all selfeloue and with singlenes of heart to put themselues into the ballance of Gods word and to make iust triall whether in them repentance faith mortification sanctification c. giue weight answerable to their outward profession which if they doe let them praise God if not let them with al speed vse the meanes that they may be borne a new to the Lord and may be inwardly guided by his holy spirite to giue obedience to his will least in the day of Gods triall they start aside from him like a broken bowe and fall againe to their first vncleanes To conclude let the most zealous Papist that is trie him and his whole estate with a single heart as in the presence of Gods maiestie and he shal find that for all his profession hee dooth come short of a reprobate or at the least not goe beyond him in these points before named God open their eies that they may see it Amen The estate of a Christian man in this life which also sheweth how far the Elect may goe beyond the Reprobate in Christi-anity that by many degrees I THe Elect are they whome God of the good pleasure of his will hath decreed in himselfe to choose to eternall life for the praise of the glorie of his grace For this cause the Elect onely are said to haue their names written in the booke of life II Whom God electeth them hee calleth in the time appointed for the same purpose This calling of the Elect is nothing else but a singling and a seuering of them out of this vile worlde and the customes thereof to be Citizens of the kingdome of heauen to bee of Gods housholde to bee liuing stones in the spirituall Temple which is the Church of God the companie of predestinate to eternall life And this
them pliable that hee draweth them that he openeth their senses heartes eares vnderstandinges that the holie Ghost is their anoyntment and their eye-salue to cleare the eies of their minde to conteine the misteries of Gods word And the difference of illumination in them is threefolde 1. First the knowledge which the reprobate hath concerning the kingdom of heauen is onelie a generall confused knowledge but the knowledge of the elect is pure certaine sure distinct and particular for it is ioined with a feeling and inwarde experience of the thing knowne though indeede the minde of man is able to conceiue more than anie Christian heart can feele and this is to bee seene in Paul who vseth not onelie to deliuer the pointes of Gods word in generall manner but also setteth them downe speciallie in his owne experience So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the blind man who sawe men walking like vnto trees that is in motion like men but informe like trees and the elect are like the same blind man who afterward sawe men a far off cleerely 2. Secondlie the knowledge of the wicked puffeth them vp but the knowledge of the godlie humbleth them 3. Lastlie the Elect besides the knowledge of Gods word haue a free franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations which no reprobate can haue for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes or familistes and manie other which brag of the spirit VIII The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time saying know thine iniquitie for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God c. The chiefe cause of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holie spirit who detecteth the thoughts of manie harts and iudgeth the world of sinne The manner of seeing our sinnes must be to knowe them particularlie for the vilest wretch in the world can generallie and confusedlie saie he is a sinner but that the sight of sin may be effectuall to saluation it must bee more speciall and distinct euen in particular sins so that a man may saie with Dauid my sins haue taken such holde of me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of mine heade therefore my heart hath failed me Againe a man must not barely see his particular sins but hee must also see the circumstances of them as namely the feareful curses and iudgements of God which accompanie euerie sinne for the consciences of many tell them of their sinnes in particular yet they cannot bee humbled for them and leaue them because they haue not seene that vgly taile of the curse of God that euerie sinne draweth after it IX The meanes to attaine to the sight of sin is by a diligent examination of a mans owne self This was the practise of the children of Israell in affliction Let vs trie saie they and search our waies and turne again to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Saules Courtiers Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart on your bed and bee still This examination must bee made by the commandements of the lawe but specially by the tenth which ransacketh the heart to the verie quicke and was the meanes of Paules conuersion For he beeing a proude Pharisee this commaundement shewed him some sinnes which otherwise hee had not knowen and it killed him that is it humbled him If so be it that after examination a man cannot finde out his sinnes as no man shall finde out all his sinnes for the heart of man is a vast gulf of sinne without either bottome or banke and hath infinite hidden corruptions in it then hee must in a godly iealousie suspect himselfe of his vnknowen sinnes As Dauid did saying Who can vnderstande his faultes cleanse mee from my secrete faults And as Paule did I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer saw in themselues for that which is highlie esteemed amongst men is abhomination in the sight of God and the verie Angels are not clean in his sight X The third is a sorrow for sinne which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of God and of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne This was in the Iewes after Peters first sermon and in Habacucke at the hearing of Gods iudgments When I heard saith he my bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voice rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the daie of trouble This sorrow is called the spirite of bondage to feare because whē the spirit hath made a mā see his sins he seeth further the curse of the law so he finds himselfe to be in bondage vnder Satan hel death damnatiō at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate This sorrowe if it continue and increase to some great measure hath certain Symptomes in the bodie as burning heat rowling of the intrals a pining and fainting of the solide partes XI In the feeling of this sorrow three things are to be obserued The first all men must look that it be seriously soundly wrought in their hearts for looke as men vse to break hard stones into many small pieces and into dust so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruse the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing And that this may so be sorrow is not to be felt for a brunt but very often before the ende of a mans life The Godly man from his youth suffereth the terrors of God Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victory of him but yet hee is faine to goe halting to his graue and trale one of his loines after him continually The paschal Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbes to signifie that they which will bee free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ must feele continually the smart of their owne sinnes The second all men must take heede least when they are touched for their sinnes they besnare their own consciences for if the sorrow be somewhat ouer sharpe they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell and to feele the pangues of death And when a man is in this perplexitie he shall finde it a most hard matter to be freed from it without the maruelous power and strength of Christ Iesus who onely is able to helpe him and comfort him yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule shall neuer escape it
into euerlasting life XV For the better vnderstanding of this that God worketh sowing faith in the hart of man after this manner it must bee obserued that a sinner is compared to a sicke man oft in the scriptures And therefore that the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sinne A man that hath a disease or sore in his bodie before hee can bee cured of it hee must see it feele paine of it and be in a feare lest it bring him into danger of death after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of Phisick and he longeth till he be with the Phisitian when he is once come to him he desireth him of all loues to helpe him to shew the best skill he can he will not spare for any cost then he yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes perswading himselfe that by Gods blessing he both can and will helpe him after this he comes to his former health againe On the same manner euerie man is wounded with the deadly wound of sinne at the very heart and he that woulde bee saued and escape damnation must see his sinne bee sorrowfull for it and vtterlie dispaire of his owne strength to attaine saluation thereby furthermore he must see himselfe to stande in neede of Christ the good Phisition of his soule and long after him and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and grones for mercie after this Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart bloud which beeing applied he shall finde himselfe reuiued and shall come to the assurance of the forgiuenes of all his sinnes So it was in Dauid when he repented of his adulterie and murther First God made him see his sinnes for he saith I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are euer before me Secondly he felt Gods anger for his sinnes make me saith he to heare ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice Thirdly hee vtterly dispaired of his owne strength in that he said stablish me with thy free spirit signifying therby vnlesse the Lord woulde staie him with his glorious power he should run headlōg to his own cōfusiō Fourthly he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour one mercie will not content him hee praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies to bee bestowed on him to doe away his iniquities Fiftly his desire and his praier for the forgiuenes of his sin are set down in the whole Psalme And in his praier hee gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towardes himselfe in that he saith the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise XVI There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith according as there be diuers degrees of Christians some are yet in the wombe and haue their mother the church traueling of them some are new borne babes feeding on the milk of the word some are perfect men in Christ come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. XVII The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue is compared to the graine of mustard seede the least of all seedes and to flaxe that hath fire in it but so weake that it can neither giue heate nor light but onely maketh a smoake and is called by the name of a litle faith and it may be thus described when a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and yet hee is perswaded they are pardonable desiring that they might be pardoned And therfore praieth to God that he woulde pardon them and giue him strength to leaue them XVIII A litle faith may more plainly be known by considering these foure points first that it is onely in his heart who is humbled for sinne for the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirite to receiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Secondly it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion and calling to Christ after which hee is to growe from faith to faith Thirdly this faith though it be in the hart yet it is not so much felt in the heart this was in Dauid at some times my God my God why hast thou forsaken me saith he The first wordes my God my God are speeches of faith yet the latter why hast thou forsaken me shewe that then he had no feeling of Gods mercie A little faith then is in the heart of a man as in the spring time the fruit is in the bud which yet appeareth not but only hath his nature and substance in the bud Lastly the beginnings and seeds of this faith are three The first is a persuasion that a mans own sins are pardonable this perswasion though it bee not faith yet it is a good preparation to faith For the wicked cut themselues of quite from Gods mercie in that with Cain they say their sinnes are greater then that they can be forgiuen The second is a desire of the fauor mercy of God in Christ of the meanes to attaine to that fauour This desire is a speciall grace of God and it hath the promise of blessednes and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue who though they desire life eternal as Balam did yet they cannot desire the meanes as faith repentance mortification c. The third is praier for nothing in this world but onely for the forgiuenes of their sins with great sighes and grones from the bottome of the heart which they are not able to expresse as they feele them Nowe this hearty praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh but onely from the spirite who stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing desiring sighing after remission of sinne and all other graces of God which hee bestoweth vpon his children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needs be faith for Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faith full by faith Therfore as Rebecca whē she felt the Twins striue in hir wombe though it pained hir yet shee knewe both that she had conceaued and that the children were quicke in hir so they who haue these motions holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of God dwelleth in them cōsequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the sauior of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascention of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at his death they
disobedience of the law in sinne the third is the root and fountaine of sinne originall corruption These are three deadly woundes and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him a sinner may find three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils First the suffringes of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sinnes Secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ these are three soueraigne medicins to heale all wounded consciences and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth faith and first laieth hold of the sufferinges of Christ and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and from eternall damnation and thus the first deadly wounde is cured Againe faith laieth hold of the perfect obedience of Christ in fulfilling the lawe thus the second wound is cured Thirdly faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner then his nature is accepted of God as perfectly sanctified and so his third deadly wound is cured Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him XXV From true iustification proceede manie other benefits and they are either outward or inward Outwarde benefites are three The first is Reconciliation by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God because his sinne is done awaie and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The second is that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sin but only fatherly and louing chastisements For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore if a Christian bee afflicted it is no punishment for then God shoulde punish one fault twise once in Christ and the seconde time vpon the Christian which thing doth not agree with his iustice it remaineth therefore that afflictions are only corrections in the faithfull The third benefite is that the man iustified doth deserue and merite at Gods hands the kingdome of heauen For being made perfectly righteous in Christ he must needs merite eternall life in and by Christ. And therefore Paul called it the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. XXVI Inward benefites proceeding from iustification are those which are inwardlie felt in the hart and serue for the better assurance of iustification and they are principallie fiue The first is Peace and quietnes of conscience As al men naturallie in Adam are corrupt so all men naturallie haue corrupt and defiled consciences accusing them arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes in such wise that euerie suspition of death and feare of imminent danger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end knowing not what to doe but by faith in Christ the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sins and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased and hee hath an inwarde peace in all extremities which cannot be taken from him XXVII The slumbring dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified manie through ignorance take the one for the other But they maie be seuered and discerned thus First let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burden of his sinne before hee came to that quietnes for then he may be in good hope that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace because God hath promised That he will dwell with the humble and contrite to reuiue and quicken them But if hee haue alwayes had that peace from the beginning of his dayes he maie easilie deceiue himselfe by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience for true peace of coÌ„science Secondly let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth For if it come from anie thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne it is no true peace as manie flattering themselues in sinne and dreaming of a pardon are therevpon quieted and the Deuill is readie enough to put this into their mindes but this can bee no true peace Thirdlie let him examine himselfe if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience which if hee haue he hath also reciued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience For if God bestowe vpon anie man a gift concerning his saluation he giueth him also a care to keepe it XXVIII The seconde inwarde benefite is An entrance into Gods fauour and a perseuerance in it which is indeede a wonderfull benefite When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince then hee is bolde to come vnto his Prince and hee maie haue free accesse vnto his presence and he may sue to his Prince for anie benefite or preferment whereof he standeth in neede and may obteine it before anie other so they which are in Gods fauour by reason that they are freely pardoned and iustified in Christ do boldlie approach into Gods presence and they are readie to aske and sure to obteine anie benefite that is for their good The third is a spirituall ioy in their harts euen then when they are afflicted because they looke certainely to obtaine the kingdome of heauen The fourth is that the loue of GOD is â—hed in the hartes of the faithfull by the holie Ghost that is that the holie Ghost doth make the faithfull verie euidentlie to feele â—he loue of God towards them and doth as it were fill their harts with it XXIX The second maine benefite is Adoption whereby they which are iustified are also accepted of God as his owne children FroÌ„ Adoption proceed many other benefits First the elect child of God hereby is made a brother to Christ. Secondly he is a King and the kingdom of heauen is his inheritaÌ„ce Thirdly he is Lord ouer all creatures saue Angels Fourthly the holie Angels minister vnto him for his good they garde him and watch about him Fiftlie all things yea greeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to his good though in his owne nature it bee neuer so hurtfull threfore death which is most terrible vnto him is no entrance into hell but a narow gate to let him into euerlasting life Lastly being thus adopted he may look for comfort at Gods hand answerable to the measure of his afflictioÌ„ as God hath promised XXX The inward assurance of Adoption is by two witnesses The first is our spirit that is an heart and conscience sanctified by the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ. Now because it commeth to passe that the testimonie of our spirit is feeble and weake God of his goodnes hath giuen his owne spirite to bee a fellow witnes with our spirit for the
elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
vnderstanding then all his teachers because Gods testimonies were his meditations that hee vnderstoode more then the auncient because he kept Gods precepts The properties of the mind enlightened are speciallie two The first is that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes ignorance vanitie as appeareth in Dauid who being a prophet of God yet prayed open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law And hence it is that the godly so much bewailes the blindnes of the minds Cōtrariwise the wicked man in the middest of his blindnesse thinkes himselfe to see The second is that it runneth and is occupied in a continual meditation of Gods word So Dauid saith the righteous mās delight is in the law of the Lord in his law doth he meditate day and night XXXV The memorie also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will whereas naturallie it best remembreth lewdnes wickednes vanitie This holie memorie was in Dauid I haue hid thy promises in mine hart that I might not sinne against thee And Marie Kept all the sayings of Christ pondered thē in hir hart And to the exercise of this memorie Salomon hath a good lesson My son hearken vnto my words incline thine eares vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the midst of thine hart XXXVI Furthermore the will of a Christian is renewed purified by Christ which appeareth in that it is so far foorth freed from sin that it can wil choose that which is good and acceptable to God refuse that which is euill according to that of Paul It is God which worketh in you the will the deede euen of his good pleasure Now if a man be considered naturally he can neither will nor performe that which is good but onely that which is euill for he is sold vnder sinne as the Oxe or the Asse committeth iniquitie as the fish draweth in water yea he is in bondage vnder sathan who inspireth his minde with vile motions boweth his will affections and the members of his bodie to his cursed will so that for his life he is not able to do anie thing but sinne rebell against God And it must be remembred that although the christian mans will be freed from the bondage of sinne in this life yet it shall not be free frō the power of sin vntil the life to come for Paul that worthie saint saith of himselfe being regenerat that he was carnall and sold vnder sin XXXVII Sanctified affections are knowen by this that they are moued and inclined to that which is good to imbrace it are not cōmonlie affected and stirred with that which is euill vnlesse it be to eschew it Examples hereof are these which follow To reioyce with thē that reioice And to weepe with thē that weepe To reioice because a mans name is writtē in heauen To desire Gods presence fauour as the drie land desireth water To feare and tremble at Gods word To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped To be vexed in soule from daie to daie in seeing hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements In feruencie of spirite to serue the Lord. To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men To be angrie and sinne not To sorrow for the displeasing of God To loue the brethren in Christ. To admire at the word of God To loue Gods commandments aboue gold To admire at the graces of God in others In feare to serue God and to reioice in trembling To walke in the feare of God and to be filled with the ioie of the holie ghost To bee heauie through manifold temptations To reioice in being partaker of the sufferings of Christ. To waite on the Lord to reioice in him to trust in his holie name To waite for the full redemption To sigh desiring to enioie eternall life To loue the habitation of gods house the place where his honor dwelleth To esteeme al things as losse dong in respect of Christ. XXXVIII But among al these sanctified affections there are foure speciallie to be marked The first is a zeale for Gods glorie by which a Christian is thus affected that rather then God shall loose his glorie he is content to haue his own soule damned As it was with Moses who feared least God should loose his glorie if he did vtterlie destroy the Israelits for their Idolatrie whom he had chosen to be his people therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord. Therefore nowe if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written And Paul could haue wished with all his hart to bee cut off from all fellowship with Christ and to bee giuen vp to eternal destructiō for his countrie men the Iewes for Gods glory speciallie Some may say this affection is not cōmon to all but particular to such as are led with such an affection as these holie men were led which haue their harts so pearced kindled with diuine loue and so rauished with the same out of themselues that they forget al other things yea themselues hauing nothing before their eyes but God and his glorie To this I answere that this affectiō is cōmon to al though the measure of it be diuers in some more in some lesse which appeareth in that our sauiour Christ teacheth euery one in his praier which hee made before he craue any other thing either concerning God or himselfe to pray that Gods name may be sanctified For by this all Christians are taught that they are to ouerpasse all considerations of themselues their owne pleasure and profit their saluation or damnation and with an heartie affection to seeke after the glorie of God in all their doinges that as Gods glorie is most deare vnto himselfe so it may appeare also that it is most deare vnto them If any think it strange that Moses Paule or any other shoulde bee content to fall into miserie to loose their liues and to be cast into eternall perdition in hell fire with reprobate and damned spirites rather then Gods honor shoulde bee turned into dishonor and blasphemie let them consider that wonderful is the power of true loue which makes all things easie which is as strong as the graue that ouercomes all and was neuer yet ouercome which is as a flaming fire that a whole sea of waters cannot quench And the loue which these men had to God did so rauish them that they felt no feare of hell fire XXXIX The second affection is the feare
his flesh hee is haled and pulled on to doe wickednesse Paule saith of himselfe that hee was solde vnder sinne that is hee was like a slaue who desireth to escape out of his Maisters handes and yet is faine in great miserie to serue him Thirdly after hee hath sinned hee is sore displeased with himselfe for it and truelie repenteth As Peter before the denying of his Maister had no purpose to doe it but rather to die in his cause In the act hee had a striuing with himselfe as appeareth by this that first hee answered faintly I knowe not what thou saist and yet after when the assault of Sathan more preuailed he fell to swearing cursing and banning After his fall he repented himselfe and wept bitterly for it All was contrarie in Iudas who went to betraâ—e his maister with full intent and purpose for the diuell long tempting him vnto it entred into him that is made him yeelde and resolue himselfe to doe it Afterward when Christ was betraied and condemned Iudas was not sorrowfull for his sinne with a godly sorrow but in dispaire of mercie hanged himselfe XLVI Fruites worthy of amendment of life are such fruites as the trees of righteousnes beare namely good workes for the doing of a good worke there be three things requisite First it must proceede from iustifying faith For the worke cannot please God except the person please him and the person cannot please him without this faith Secondly it is to bee done in obedience vnto Gods reuealed word to obeie is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fatte of Rams Thirdly it is to be referred to Gods glorie Whether ye eate or drinke saith Paule or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God The speciall workes of Christians which they and none but they truly performe are these fiue which follow XLVII The first is the good hearing of the worde my sheepe saith Christ heare my voice and followe me And againe he which is of God heareth his voice And this was one note of the faithfull in the primatiue Church to assemble to heare the worde This good hearing of the worde is the sauing hearing that bringeth life eternall In this action Christians are vsually thus disposed Before they come to heare the worde of God they make themselues readie to heare it as the men of Berea did who receaued the worde with all readines This preparation standeth in two points First they disburden themselues of all impedimentes that like vnto runners in a race they may be swift to heare these impedimentes are sinne and troubled affections and they come with humble heartes as fooles that they may become wise Secondly they quicken vp themselues and come vnto the assemblies hungring and thirsting after the worde of God as men doe after meate and drinke When they are in hearing Gods worde their minds are fixed and attentiue onely to that which is spoken as Lydias was Thirdly they truly beleue the word of God carefully applie it to their owne souls Fourthly they feel the liuely power of it in theÌ„selues It is as salt in them to drawe out their inward corruption it is to them the sworde of the spirite and as a sacrifising knife in the hande of Gods Minister by which their flesh is killed and they are offered vp in a liuing sacrifice to God it is spirite and life to quicken and reuiue their soules that are dead in sin And the reason of this is plaine The word of God preached is as a cuppe of wine the true Christian is the Lords guest but he hath sauce of his owne He bringeth his suger with him namely his true faith which he tempereth and mingleth with Gods worde and so it becommeth vnto him as a cuppe of sweete wine and as water of life Nowe the hypocrite because hee bringeth no faith with him drinketh of the same but thinketh the wine to bee sowre and tarte and voyde of relishe and in truth it is vnto him as a cuppe of ranke poyson Againe they heare the worde of God as in Gods presence and therefore their hearts are full of feare and trembling And they receiue the worde not as from man but as from Christ Iesus the onely Doctor of the Church And they regarde not so much the Embassadour or his abilitie as the Embassage of reconciliation sent from the king of Heauen After they haue hearde the worde they are bettered in knowledge and in affection and they remember it and meditate vpon it continuallie that they may frame all their doinges by it Worldlie men vse to buie bookes of statutes and to haue them in their houses to reade on that they may knowe howe to auoide daunger of lawe And so the faithfull doe alwaies sette before them Gods worde and in all their dooinges it is their Counseller lest they shoulde come into daunger of Gods displeasure XLVIII The second worke is the receauing of the Sacraments of Baptisme once onely when a man is admitted into the Church and of the Lords Supper often The first sealeth vp to the heart of a Christian that he is vnited vnto Christ and hath true fellowshippe with him in being fullie iustified before God and inwardly sanctified The second serueth to seale vp in the heart of a Christian the continuall growing and increasing of the same graces This thing euerie true beleeuer shall haue often experience of either in or after the receauing of the Sacrament and yet it shall not bee so alwaies for sometimes the Church being brought into Christes wine-celler shall fall into a sounde and not feele any refreshing there Yet the beleeuer is not to bee dismaied if he feele not alwaies comfort presentlie after the Sacrament A sicke man feeles no comfort or nourishment when hee eateth meate and yet it preserueth his life So the weake Christian though hee feele himselfe not nourishe at the Sacrament by Christes bodie and bloud yet hee shall see in time that his soule shall be preserued thereby vnto euerlasting life Furthermore when a Christian feeleth no comforte by the Sacrament let him then humble himselfe before the Lorde more heartily then euer before confessing his sinnes and praying for increase of grace and then hee shall feele the fruite of the Sacrament XLIX The third worke is a relieuing of the poore bretheren in Christ proceeding of a brotherly kindenesse towardes them This is a speciall woorke not to bee done to all men alike as saint Paule saith Doe good to all men but especiallie to them of the housholde of faith Directions for this matter are the faithfull of Hierusalem who were all in one place and had all thinges common namely in vse And they solde their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euerie one had neede Also the bretheren at Corinth in their extreame pouertie relieued the
the strong man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly hee which is no Christian is in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the olde world he may bee consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodome and Gomorrha hee may bee swallowed vp of the earth with Core Dathan and Abyram hee may hang himself with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the grounde and bee eaten vp of dogs with Iesabell he may die in the hardnes of heart with Pharao he may dispaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herode hee may bee smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods worde with Foelix hee may voide his guts at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may bee left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iulian and hee may suffer manie more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tende to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloude against the heat and tempest of Gods iudgementes when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in danger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene ten thousand folde better for them if they had neuer beene borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie al the company they haue is with the Diuell and his Angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horrour and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer deade Furthermore the length of this torment must bee considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the panges of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it bee neuer so litle touched with any of Gods anger a mā shall feele himselfe to haue euen the panges of hell in his heart Nowe therefore all they that woulde escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and walke according to the spirite in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the daie of iudgement must rise from sin before he die vnto newnes of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euerie man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentaunce and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a Christian then can neuer bee saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Hierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy daie those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eies And further signifieth the destruction of Hierusalem because she knew not the time of hir visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but manie shall seek to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shall not be able It is a maruailous thing that they which seek to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Nowe therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee foorth of this worlde the next yeare the next weeke the next howre Yea he may strike thee with sodaine death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest foorth of this world beeing no Christian thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delaie not one minute of an hower longer but with all speede repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruites worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shal be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to differre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and hee which is growen in the custome of any sin and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of saint Iames sinne being perfected bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true Christian and the glorious estate of this life woulde mooue any man to be a Christian. First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all pains sickenesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sin as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of saint Iohn And God will wipe away all teares from their eies there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be anie more paine for the first things are passed Secōdly the faithful shall be in the presence of Gods Maiesty in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they
euen of religion whereof I see you are an olde professor And first of all let me be bold to aske this question of you how it pleased God to make you a true Christian and a member of Christ Iesus whom I see you serue continually with a feruent zeale Eusebius For that olde acquaintance that was betweene vs and for that you are desirous to liue a godly life in Christ Iesus I will not conceale the good worke of my God in me therefore I pray you marke a little what I shall say and I will declare vnto you the truth euen foorth of the feeling of mine owne conscience The fall of Adam did make mee the heire of vengeance and wrath of God and heire of eternall damnation and did bring mee into captiuitie and bondage vnder the Diuell And the Diuell was my Lorde and my ruler my heade my gouernor and my prince yea and my god And my will was locked knit faster vnto the will of the Diuell then coulde an hundred thousand chaines binde a man vnto a post Vnto the Diuels will did I consent with all my heart with all my minde with all my might power strength will and life so that the lawe and will of the Diuell was written as well in my heart as in my members and I ran headlong after the Diuel with full soule and the whole swing of all the power I had as a stone cast vp into the aire commeth downe naturally of it self with al the violent swing of his own weight O with what deadly venemous heart did I hate mine enimies with howe great malice of minde inwardlie did I sley and murther With what violence and rage yea with what seruent lust committed I adulterie fornication and such like vncleannes With what pleasure and delectation like a glutton serued I my bellie With what diligence deceiued I Howe busilie sought I the things of the world whatsoeuer I did worke imagine or speak was abhominable in the sight of God for I could referre nothing vnto the honour of GOD neither was his lawe or will written in my members or in my hart neither was there anie more power in me to followe the will of GOD then in a stone to ascend vpward of it selfe And besides that I was a sleepe in so deepe blindnesse that I could neither see nor feele in what miserie thraldome and wretchednes I was till Moses came and awaked mee and published the lawe When I heard the lawe truelie preached how that I ought to loue and honour God with all my strength and might from the lowe bottome of the heart because hee did create mee lord ouer it and my neighbour yea mine enemies as my selfe inwardlie from the ground of my heart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne Image and they are his sonnes as well as I and Christ hath bought them with his bloud and made them heires of euerlasting life as well as I and howe I ought to doe whatsoeuer God biddeth and to abstaine from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and meekenesse with a feruent and burning lust from the entire of the heart Then beganne my conscience to rage against the lawe and against God No sea bee it neuer so great a tempest was so vnquiet for it was not possible for mee a naturall man to consent to the lawe that it should be good or that God should be righteous which made the lawe in as much as it was contrarie vnto my nature and damned mee and all that I could doe and neuer shewed mee where to fetch helpe nor preached any mercy but onelie set mee at variance with God and prouoked and stirred mee to raile on God and to blaspheme him as a cruell tyrant And indeed it was not possible to doe otherwise to thinke that God made me of so poisoned a nature and gaue me an impossible lawe to performe I beeing not borne againe by the spirite and my wit reason and will beeing so fast glewed yea nailed and cheined vnto the wil of the Diuell This was the captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered mee redeemed and loosed me His bloud his death his patience in suffering rebukes and wronges and the full wrath of God his prayers and fastings his meekenes fulfilling the vttermost points of the lawe appeased the wrath of God brought the fauour of God to mee againe obtained that God should loue mee first be my father and that a mercifull father that would consider my infirmitie weaknesse and would giue mee his spirit againe which hee had taken awaie in Adam to rule gouerne and strengthen mee and to breake the bandes of Sathan wherein I was so straight bound When Christ was on this wise preached and the promises rehearsed which are cōtained in the booke of God which preaching is called the gospell or glad-tidings and I had deepelie considered the same then my heart began to waxe soft melt at the bounteous mercie of God and kindnesse shewed of Christ. For when the gospell was preached the spirite of God me thought entred into my heart and opened my in warde eyes and wrought a liuely faith in me and made my woful conscience feele and taste how sweet a thing the bitter death of Christ is how merciful louing God is through Christs purchasing and merits and made mee beginne to loue againe and to consent to the lawe of God how that it is good and ought so to bee and that GOD is righteous that made it lastlie it wrought in me a desire to bee whole and to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse and more strength to fulfil the law more perfectlie and in all that I doe or leaue vndone to seeke Gods honour and his will with meeknesse euermore condemning the imperfectnes of my deeds by the law Now then this good work of God to my saluation standeth in two pointes the working of the law and the working of the gospell the preaching of the lawe was a key that bound and damned my conscience the preaching of the gospell was an other key that loosed me againe These two salues I meane the lawe the gospell vsed God his preacher to heale and cure mee a wretched sinner withall The lawe did driue out my disease and made it appeare and was a sharpe salue and fretting corasiue killed the dead flesh and losed and drewe the sore out by the roote and all corruption It pulled from me all trust and confidence I had in my selfe and in mine owne workes merits deseruings and ceremonies and robbed me of all my righteousnes made me poore It killed me in sending me downe to hell and bringing mee almost to vtter desperation prepared the way of the Lord as it is written of Iohn Baptist. For it was not possible that Christ should come vnto mee as long as I trusted in my selfe or in any worldly thing or had anie righteousnes of mine owne or riches of holie workes
Then afterwarde came the Gospell a more gentle plaister which â—oupled and swaged my wounds of my conscience and brought me health It brought the spirit of God which loosed the bandes of Sathan and coupled me to God his wil through a strong faith ferueÌ„t loue Which bands were to strong for the Diuell the world or anie creature to loose And I a poore wretched sinner felt so great mercie that in my selfe I was most sure that God would not forsake mee or euer withdrawe his mercie and loue from mee And I boldlie cryed out with Paul saying Who shall separate me from the loue of GOD c. Finallie as before when I was bound to the Diuell and his wil I wrought all manner of wickednes for I coulde doe no otherwise it was my nature euen so nowe since I am coupled to God by Christes bloud I do good freelie because of the spirit and this my nature And thus I trust I haue satified your first demaund Timoth. Yea but mee thinkes you doe too much condemne your self in respect of sinne For I can remember that from your child-hood your were of a good and gentle nature and your behauior was alwaies honest and ciuill and you could neuer abide the companie of them which were roisters and ruffians and swearers and blasphemers and contemners of Gods word and drunkards which nowe are tearmed good fellowes And your dealing with all men hath beene euer commended for good faithfull and iust What meane you then to make your self so abhominable and accursed and to say you were so wholie addicted vnto wickednesse and your will so fearefully and miserablie in captiuitie vnto the will of the Diuell Euseb. Brother Timoth. I know what I say God giue mee grace to speake it with more liuelie feeling of my weaknes with a more bitter detestation of my sinne By nature through the fall of Adam am I the childe of wrath heire of the vengeance of God by birth yea and so from my first conception And I had my fellowshippe with the damned diuels vnder the power of darknes and rule of Sathan while I was yet in my mothers womb and although I showed not the fruites of sinne as soone as I was born nor loÌ„g after yet was I full of the naturall poyson froÌ„ whence all wicked deeds do spring caÌ„not but sin outwardly as soone as I am able to work be I neuer so yong if occasion be giuen for my nature is to sinne as is the nature of a serpent to sting and as a Serpent yet young or yet vnbrought foorth is full of poyson and cannot afterwarde when time and occasion is giuen but bring forth the fruites thereof And as an Adder a Toad or a Snake is hated of man not for the euill it hath done but for the poyson that is in it and hurt which it cannot but doe so am I hated of God for that naturall poyson which is concieued and borne with mee before I doe anie outwarde euill And as the euill which a venemous worme doth maketh it not a serpent but because it is a venemous worme therefore doth it euill and poysoneth euen so doe not our euill deedes make vs euill first but because wee are of nature euill therefore doe we euill and thinke euill to eternall damnation by the lawe and are contrarie to the will of God in our will and in all things consent vnto the will of the fiend Timoth. As yet I neuer had such a feeling of my sinne as you haue had and although I woulde bee loth to commit anie sinne yet the lawe was neuer so terrible vnto me condemning me pronouncing the sentence of death against mee and stinging my conscience with feare of euerlasting paine as I perceiue it hath beene vnto you therefore I feare oftentimes least my profession of religion should be onelie in truth meere hypocrisie I praie you let me heare your minde Euseb. A true saying it is that the right waie to goe vnto heauen is to sayle by hell and there is no man lyuing that feeleth the power and vertue of the bloude of Christ which first hath not felt the strange paynes of hell But yet in these paines there is a difference and it is the will of God that his children in their conuersion shall some of them feele more and some lesse Ezechias on his death bedde complaineth that the Lorde breaketh his bones like a Lion that he could not speake by reason of paine but chattered in his throte like a Crane and mourned like a Doue Iob saith that God is his enemie and hath set him vp as a marke to shoote at and that the arrowes of the almightie are vpon him and that the poison of them hath dronke vp his spirite Dauid bewaileth his estate in manie Psalmes but especiallie in the 130. Psalme where he beginneth on this manner Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lorde which is as though hee shoulde saie O my poore soule fall not flatte downe vexe not thy selfe out of measure the burden of thy sinnes presse thee sore indeede but bee not for all that quite ouerwhelmed thou art thrust downe so lowe into the depth of deepes that thou had neede crie aloude to bee hearde of him which dwelleth in the highest heightes and the euerburning hell fire is not farre from that lake whither thine iniquities haue pluÌ„ged thee â—o that thou maiest perceiue as it were the Eccho of their cries and desperate howâ—nges which bee there cast out of all hope of euer comming forth But the Lord which bringeth foorth euen to the borders of hell his best beloued when they forget them selues knoweth also how well to bring them backe againe Goe no further then downwarde but liâ—t vp thy heart together with thine eie and seeke vnto the Lord to reach vnto thee his mercifull and helping hand Againe in the scriptures wee finde examples of men conuerted vnto the Lord without anie vehement sorrowe of their sinnes What anguish of coÌ„science had the theefe vppon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death How was Lidia dismayed and cast downe in respect of hir wickednesse like as Dauid was or Iob whose heart God onelie is saide to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas who also euen presentlie after was readie to entertaine them and to make them a feast in hir house which she could not haue done if shee had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias or Dauid The same may be spoken of the Iailer and of them which hearde Peters Sermon at Ierusalem who for all that they had murdred our Sauior Christ yet in their conuersioÌ„ their harts were onely for the time pricked So then God in preparing vs which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stincking doung-hils of sinne nay verie vncleannesse pollution it selfe I saie in preparing vs to be the teÌ„ples of his holy spirit
my conscience and went nie to perswade mee that my father would thrust me awaie and hang me if hee catched me so that I was like a great while to runne away rather then to returne to my father againe Feare and dread of rebuke and of losse of my fathers loue and of punishment wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnesse and as it were gaue my faith a fall But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past and my minde was more quiet And the goodnes of my father and his olde kindnes came vnto my remembrance either by mine owne courage or by the comfort of another And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroie me and hee hoped that I woulde doe no more so And vpon that I got me home againe dismaied but not altogether faithlesse the olde kindnes would not let me dispaire how beit all the worlde coulde not set mine heart at rest vntill the paine had beene past and vntill I had heard the voice of my father that all is forgotten Timoth. Seeing that you haue thus plainelie and truelie shewed the weaknes of yours and consequentlie of all mens faith shewe mee I praie you howe by the weakenes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted and assured of his saluation Euseb. God doth not so much regarde the quantitie of his graces as the truth of them hee approoueth a litle faith if it bee a true faith yea if faith in vs were no more but a graine of mustard seede which is the least of al other seedes it should be effectual and God would haue respect vnto it The poore diseased beggar with a lame hande hauing the palsie also is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a king and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficieÌ„tly able to reach out it selfe and to apprehende the infinite mercies of our heauenlie king offered vnto vs in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn is compared vnto the eie of the Israelite which although it were of dimme sight or looked a squint yet if it could neuer so little beholde the brasen Serpent it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fiery serpeÌ„ts to saue life Timoth. Seing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully shew me I pray you whether a man may be wicked haue faith whether faith entring expelleth wickednes For I haue heard some saie that a maÌ„ might beleeue the word of God and yet be neuer the better in his life or holier theÌ„ before he was Euseb. Many there are which when they heare or read of faith at once they consent thereunto haue a certain imagination opinioÌ„ of faith as wheÌ„ a man telleth a storie or a thing done in a straÌ„ge land that perteineth not to theÌ„ at al which yet they beleeue tel as a true thing this imagination oâ— opinion they call faith Therfore as soone as they haue this imagination or opinion in their heartes they saie verilie this doctrine seemeth true I beleeue it euen so theÌ„ they thinke that the right faith is there but afterward when they feele in themselues no maner of working of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the horrible captiuity vnder Satan neither can perceiue any alteration in theÌ„selues that any good works follow but find they are altogether as before abide in their old state theÌ„ think they y t faith is not sufficient but that works must be ioined with faith to iustificatioÌ„ but true faith is only the gift of God is mightie in operation euer working being full of vertue it renueth man begetteth him a fresh altreth him changeth him turneth him altogether into a new creature conuersatioÌ„ so that a maÌ„ shal feel his hart clean changed far otherwise disposed then before hath power to loue y t which before he could not but hate delighteth in that which before he abhorred hateth y t which before he could not but loue And it setteth the soul at liberty maketh hir free to follow the wil of god is to the soul as health to y e body after y t a maÌ„ is pined with loÌ„g sickâ—es the legs cannot bear him he cannot lift vp his hands to help him his tast is corrupt sugar is better in his mouth his stomacke longeth after slubbersauce and swash at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge when health commeth shee changeth and altereth him cleane giueth him strength in all his members lust and will to doe of his owne accorde that which before he could not doe neither coulde suffer that anie man should exhort him to doe hath now lust in wholsome things and his members are free and at libertie and haue power to doe all things of his owne accord which belong to a sounde and whole man to doe And faith worketh in the same manner as a tree bringes foorth fruite of his owne accorde and as a man neede not bidde a tree bring foorth fruite so is there no lawe put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith neither is it needefull For the lawe is written and grauen in his heart his pleasure is dailie therein and as without commaundement euen of his owne nature he eateth drinketh seeth heareth talketh goeth euen so of his owne nature without anie compulsion of the lawe bringeth foorth good workes and as an whole man when hee is a thirst tarrieth but for drinke and when he hungreth abideth but for meate and then drinketh and eateth naturallie Euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst and an hungred after the will of God and tarrieth but for an occasion and whensoeuer an occasion is giuen hee worketh naturallie the will of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloude that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods will He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and workes and neither worketh what hee bableth nor whereunto his words pretend For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes after his owne blinde reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euerie member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paule Rom. 7. That good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that doe I. So it is not I that doe it saith hee but sinne that dwelleth in mee So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I being one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and
skinne and the entralles I burned on my backeside the fleshe wee dressed by quarters and did eate it with thanksgiuing as my manner is but surely verie coldlie and mee thought my prayer was abhominable in Gods sight After I had thus done we fared wel for the space of two daies but I felt my heart hardned and my lips were almost locked vp that I could not as I was wont praise the Lord. The third night after I went with a quiet conscience mee thought to my bedde and then I slept soundlie till three of the clocke in the morning but I dreamed that one came to carrie me to pryson vpon that on a sudden I awaked and beeing afraide looked about mee and fell to consider why I should be afraide and I remembred that I had sinned against God by robbing my neighbor ô then my feare increased and I thought that hell gaped to deuoure me and the law looked vpon me with such a terrible countenaunce and so thundred in myne eares that I durst not abide in my bed but vp to goe Then the Diuell assailed me on euerie side to perswade that God had cast mee awaie saying they that be Gods haue power to keepe his law thou hast not but breakest them Therefore thou art a cast-awaie and a damned creature hell gapeth and setteth opē his mouth to deuour thee And I thought with my selfe that I had beene alwaies a ranke hypocrite for as the cloudes of the ayre doe couer the sunne so that sometimes a man cannot tell by anie sense that there is anie Sun the clouds windes hiding it from our sight euen so my cecitie and blindnesse and corrupt affections and the rage of my conscience did so ouershadow the sight of Gods seed in me and so ouerwhelme his spirite as though I ha◠beene a plaine reprobate And thus i◠came to passe that Dauid making his praier to GOD according to his owne sens◠and feeling but not according to the truth desired of God to giue him againe his spirite Which thing GOD neuer doth indeede although hee made mee to thinke so for a time for alwaies hee holdeth his hande vnder his children in their falles that they lie not still as other doe which are not regenerate I being thus turmoiled and stong with the conscience of sinne and the cockatrice of my poisoned nature hauing behelde hirselfe in the glasse of the righteous law of God there was no other salue or remedie but to runne to the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus which shedde his blood hanging vppon the crosse and to his euerlasting testament and mercifull promise that it was shed for mee for the remission of my sinnes therefore I got me speedilie into a close corner in my house and there vpon my face groueling I confessed my sinne and prayed after this manner in effect Father what an horrible monster am I What taytor what rascall and villaine thy mercie is woonderfull that hell hath not deuoured me hauing deserued a thousand damnations I haue sinned I haue sinned against thy godly holy righteous law and against my brother by robbing him whome I ought to loue for thy sake as dearlie as my selfe forgiue mee father for thy son Christ his sake according to thy most mercifull promisses and testament forget not good Lorde thy olde mercies shewed vppon me let them not at this time in me be quite remooued On this manner praiing I continued fiue howers and GOD which is neere to all them that call vppon him heard me eased my paine and assured mee of the remission of my sin After presently for the more easing of my conscience I went to my neighbour betweene him and me vpon my knees confessed my fault with teares desiring him to forgiue me I woulde as Gods lawe requireth restore that which I stole foure folde he I thanke him was contented and toke pittie on me and euer since hath beene by Gods mercie my good friend So by little and little God restored mee to my first estate but mee thinkes I haue not that feeling which I had before and haue bene worse euer since God of his mercie amende me and increase his graces in me Timoth. Praised be God that we fel into this communicatiō for I had thought that no mā had ben in such a case but I for I frō my hart detest that babbling which in time past I haue vsed and I haue vowed with my selfe to vse it no more and God hath giuen mee strength and will to paie my vowes to keepe them halfe a yere or tweluemonth together and then falling into a companie of the honester sort of good fellows I take otherwhiles a cuppe of Nimis for which afterwards I am so touched in my conscience and so grieued inwardlie that often I haue no delight in my meate and then I vse praier and reading and meditating of the scriptures and do receiue much comfort But I praie you what thinke you will not God condemne his children if they sinne Euseb. No for the ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election and a thousande sinnes nay all the sinnes in the worlde nay all the Deuilles in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election And it maie bee that sins doe harden our hartes weaken our faith make sadde the spirite of God in vs but take awaie faith or altogether quench the spirit they cānot God cōdemneth no man for his sinnes if he bee adopted in Christ. For then Ioseph Abrahā Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene should bee condemned God is like a father a father if his childe be sicke and therefore be froward and refuse and cast away his meate hauing eaten it spew it vp againe and in his fit be impacient and raue and speake euill of his father yet I say the father wil not cast him forth of his dores but pittieth him and prouideth such things as may restore him to health and when hee is whole remembreth not his disordered behauior in his sicknes Timoth. What means do you finde most effectuall to strengthē your faith to increase Gods graces in you and to raise you vp againe when you are fallen Euseb. Surely I haue very great comfort by the sacrament of the Lords Supper for whereas I am spirituallye diseased and am prone and readye to fall and am most cruelly oftentimes inuaded of the feend the flesh and the law when I haue sinned and am put to flight and made to runne awaye from God my father therefore hath God of all mercie and of his infinite pitty bottomlesse compassion set vppe his sacrament as a signe vpon a hie hill whence it may be seene on euery side far and neare to call againe them that be runne awaye And with this sacrament he as it were clocketh to them as a hen dooth for hir chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy and hath commanded his sacrament to be had in continuall vse to put vs in minde of his cōtinuall mercy
indeede yet in the faithfull it wil be so for they haue in their harts a perswasion that wheras they are daÌ„ned in theÌ„selues yet in Christ the mercie of God is most plentiful to their saluation and all this God confirmeth and sealeth vnto them by his holie spirite and therefore they cannot but loue God again and that with a feruent loue euen aboue al things in the world and so they loue all Gods creatures and euen their enemies because they beare the image of God whom they loue like as if I haue a friend and loue him I loue all of his name all his kinred and all that appertaine vnto him And by the waie here is a good waie to know whether we haue faith or not Though faith onelie iustifie and make the marriage betweene our Soule and Christ and is properlie the marriage garment yea and the signe Tau that defendeth vs from the smiting and power of euill Angels anâ— is also the rocke on which Christs Churcâ— is built and standeth against all weather oâ— winde and tempest yet is faith neuer seuâ— red from hope and charitie then if a man will be sure that his faith is perfect let him examine himselfe whether he loue the law and in like manner if he will know whether hee loue the lawe that is loue God and his neighbour then let him examine himselfe whether he beleeue in Christ onelie for the remission of sin and obtaining the promises made in the scripture And euen so let him compare his hope of the life to come with faith and loue to the hatred of sin in his life which hatred the loue of the law ingendreth in him And if they accompanie not one another all three together then let him be sure all is but hypocrisie Timoth. Yet by your leaue faith cannot make a man iust before God without hope and charitie then they also with faith haue some stroke in iustification Euseb. I answere though they be inseparable yet I praise God I doe conceiue howe these three haue three separable sundrie offices Faith onlie is an vndoubted sure â—oue in Christ in the father through him â—ertifieth the conscience that the sin is forgiueÌ„ the daÌ„nation of the law taken awaie And with such perswasions mollifieth the â—art maketh it loue God again his law And as oft as we sin faith only keepeth that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterlie quench not hope faile onlie maketh the peace again for a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ alone and not in his own workes nor ought else for the remission of sins The office of loue is to powre out againe the same goodnes that it hath receiued of God vpon hir neighbor to be to him as it feeleth Christ to be to it self The office of loue is onelie to haue compassion and to beare with hir neighbour the burden of his infirmities 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sins that is to saie coÌ„sidereth the infirmities interpreteth al to the best taketh for no sin at al a thousand thinges of which the least were inough if a man loued not to goe to lawe for to trouble disquiet an whole Towne and sometime a whole Realme too The office of hope is to comfort in aduersitie and to make patient that we faint not nor fall downe vnder the Crosse or cast it of our backes Thus these three inseparable haue separable offices effects as heat drynes being inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations for drynes onelie expelleth the moistnes of all that is consumed by fire and heaâ— onelie destroieth the coldnes And it is not all one to saie the drynes onelie and the drynes that is alone neither is it all one to saie faith onelie and faith that is alone Timoth. You are to be commended you are so perfect in these high points of religion but I know you speake of experience for in you faith hope towardes God charity towards your neighbor are inseparable Euseb. I require no commendations shame and confusion befall mee eternallie that all glorie may be vnto God Timoth. But let vs talke on further of our dueties which we must performe if we will liue Christian like among men And I praie you tell mee what doe you meane that you giue so much vnto the poore considering you are so poore your self I speake my conscience if you had abilitie you woulde doe more theÌ„ an hundred of those rich men do Euseb. God knowes my heart it is a hell vnto me to see my brother for whom Christ shed his bloud to want if I haue anie thing in the world to giue him Among Christian men loue maketh all things common euerie man is others debter and euerie man is bound to minister to his neighbour and to supplie his neighbours lacke of that wherewith God hath indued him Christ is Lord ouer all euerie Christian is heire annexed with Christ therefore Lord ouer all and euerie one is Lord of whatsoeuer another hath if then my brother or neighbour need I haue to helpe him and if I shew not mercie but withdrawe my hands from him then rob I him of his owne am a thief A ChristiaÌ„ maÌ„ hath Christs spirit now Christ is merciful if I shall not be mercifull I haue not Christs spirit if I haue not Christs spirit theÌ„ am I none of his And though I shew mercie vnto my brother yet if I doe it not with such burning loue as Christ did vnto me I must knowledge my sinne and desire mercie in Christ. Timoth. If a man must be franke and free then a man must giue of his owne stocke to the poore and diminish his own substance Euseb. Yea indeed we are made stewards of those goods which God hath giuen vs shal a steward take all vnto himself without reproof I am sure that they which were couetous at Peters first Sermon after Christs ascention diminished their substance when they sold them gaue them to the poore I am sure that the Churches which were in Macedonia which sent reliefe vnto their Churches euen aboue their abilitie they beeing in extreame pouertie did dimisse their possessions and God graunt our conuersations may be like theirs And that wee should be like theÌ„ their examples of great compassion are recorded in the Scriptures Tim. Many of vs haue our selues wife children father mother kinsfolke to relieue so y t it wil be hard to deale after this manner Euseb. Had not these men I named so yea I warraÌ„t you had they And the waÌ„t of loue which you deeme of the Gospell of Christ knoweth not y t a maÌ„ should begin at himself theÌ„ desceÌ„d I wot not by what steps Loue seeketh not hir own profit but maketh a ma to forget himself turn this profit to another maÌ„ as Christ sought not himself or his own profit but ours This terme
cut off from thee Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes and I cannot bee so infinite in sinning as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning Sathan Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie why the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me or dismaie me Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the Crosse euen for me that I might be deliuered from condemnation which was due vnto mee Sathan If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee perswade thy selfe hee would neuer laie so manie afflictions and crosses on thee as he doth What is this want of good name this weaknes and sicknesse of the bodie these terrours of thy minde this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy hart what are all these I saie and manie other euils but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of Hell Christian. Nay rather my afflictions are â—liuelie testimonies of my saluation For god as a louing Father partlie by them as with â—courges chastneth my disobedience and bringeth me into order partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ and so by little and little layeth open to mee mine owne sinnes that I may dislike my selfe and hate them and maketh mee to renounce the â—orâ—de thy eldest sonne and stirreth me vp to call vpon him to praie earnestly with â—grones and sighes which I am not able to expresse with anie wordes as I feele them Sathan Thy afflictions are heauie and â—omfortlesse therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour Christian. Indeed their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule but I haue had ioy in the middest of my afflictions strength sufficient to beare them and after them haue ben many waies bettered which befalleth to none of the wicked and for that cause it is a great perswasion to mee that â— shal not be damned with the wicked world but in spite of all thy power passe froÌ„ death to euerlasting life Sathan After these thy manifold afflictions thou must suffer death which is moâ—â— terrible and a verie entrance to Hell Christian. Death hath lost his sting bâ— Christes death and vnto me it shall be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life Sathan Admit thou shalt bee deliuereâ— from hell by Christ what will this auailâ— thee coÌ„sidering that thou shalt neuer comâ— to the kingdome of heauen for Christeâ— death only deliuereth thee from death eternal it can not aduance thee to euerlastinâ— life Christian. I am nowe at this time a member of Christs kingdome and after this lifâ— shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome Sathan Thou neuer didst fulfill the lawâ— therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Christian Christ hath perfectlie fulfilled euerie part of the lawe for mee and by this his obedience imputed vnto mee I my selfe do keepe the lawe Sathan Be it so for all this thou art farre inough from the kingdome of heauen into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter thou although that Christ hath suffered death and fulfilled the lawe for thee yet thou art in part vncleane thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holie ghost and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me euen as Iacob put on Esaus garments to get his Fathers blessing so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ as a long white robe couering my sinnes making me appeare perfectlie righteous euen before Gods iudgement seat Sathan Indeed God hath made promise vnto mankinde in all these mercies and benefits in Christ but the condition of this promise is faith which thou wantest and therfore canst not make anie accompt that Christes sufferings Christes fulfilling of the lawe Christes perfect holinesse can doe thee anie good Christian. I haue true sauing faith The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan THou sayest that thou hast true faith but I shall sift thee and disproue thee Christian. The gates of Hell shall neuer preuayle against my faith doe what thou canst Sathan Tell me then doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued Christian. No. Sathan What shall some be saued and some condemned Christiam So saith the worde of God Sathan Thou then are peswaded that God is true euen in his mercifull promises and that he will saue some men as Peter and Paul Dauid c. and this is the onely be leefe by which thou wilt be saued Christian. Naie this I beleeue and more too that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued and this is the beleefe that saueth me Sathan It may bee thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee but that God will saue thee that is that he hath determined to aduance this thy body and this thy soule into his kingdome that he is most willing to performe it in his good time heerein thou wauerest and doubtest Christian. Nay Sathan I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded that I shall be saued and that Christ is specially my redeemer and O Lord for Christes sake helpe thou my doubting and vnbeliefe Sathan This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie and a strong imagination of thine owne head it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest Sathan It is no imagination but trueth which I speake For me thinks I am as certaine of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures as Dauids and Pauls are to be an elect vessell of God and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ assuring me inwardly of my adoption and making me with boldnesse and confidence in Christ to pray vnto God the father Sathan Still thou dreamest imaginest thou louest and likest thy self and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe Christian. Yea but God of his goodnesse hath brought foorth such tokens of faith in me that I cannot be deceiued 1. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes in which sometime I haue delighted and bathed my self Rom. 7. 15. 24. 2. I purpose neuer to commit them againe if God giue me strength as I trust he will 3. I haue a verie great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth 4. Those that bee the children of God If I doe but heare of them I loue them with my hart and wish vnto them as to my selfe 1. Iohn 3. 14. 5. My heart leapeth for gladnesse when I heare of the preaching of the word 6. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus that an end may be made of sinning and of displeasing God Apoc. 22. 20. 7. I feele in my heart the fruites of the spirit ioy loue peace gentlenes meekenes patience temperance the workes of the flesh I abhorre them fornication adulterie vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatrie strife enuie anger drunkennesse bibbing
and quaffing and all such like Galathians 5. 19. 20. 22. All these they cannot proceede from thee Sathan or from my fleshe but onelie from faith which is wrought in me by gods holie spirite Sathan If this were so God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this worlde I am sure of it because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies than it hath beene in times past I haue sinned heretofore with ful purpose and consent of will but now doubtles I doo not Before I commit anie sinne I do not go to the practising of it with deliberation as the carnall man doth who taketh care to fulfill the lustes of the flesh but if I doo it it is flat beside my minde and purpose In the doing of anie sinne I woulde not doe it my heart is against it and I hate it and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it afterwardc when it is committed I am grieued and displeased at my selfe and doe earnestlie with teares aske at Gods hands forgiuenesse of the same sinne Sathan Indeede this is verye true in the children of God but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne louest it with thy whole heart otherwise thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance and commit euen one and the same sinne so often as thou doest Thou hypocrite this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee Christian. Nay it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God and from the repentance which they professed and God in thus calling him putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people and for particular men both for their ignorances and their voluntarie sinnes which signifieth that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his children yea if they sinne daily Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife Ioseph swore twise by the life of Pharao Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie often because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba Vriahs wife also kept sixe wiues and ten concubines Gods will is that meÌ„ forgiue till seuentie seuen times and therefore he will shew much more mercie And for my part so oft as I shall fall into the same sin so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the father for me who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me I will abstaine from externall iniquitie and I wil not make my members seruants vnto sinne and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne mee for Christes perfection is reputed to be mine by faith which I haue in his bloud God is not displeased if my bodie be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknesse of the soule A naturall father will â—ot slay the bodie of his childe when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weakenesse of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenâ—y word the food of my soule Nay which â—s a strange thing I know it by experience â—hat God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisition of ranke â—oison is able to make a soueraigne medicine to preserue life Sathan Well be it that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christian. I know I am a meÌ„ber of Christs misticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenlie power and vertue of my head Christ Iesus and for this cause I cannot perish but shall continue for euer and raigne in Heauen after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan THy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is full of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art whollie vnfit for anie good work wherfore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith bee no more than a litle graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for mee God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith foâ— in time past when according to thine own opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I wil put my trust in god for euer his former mercies shewed mee heretofore strengtheÌ„ me now in this my weaknes 1. He created me when I was nothing 2. He created me a man when he might haue made me an vglie Toade 3. He made me of comelie bodie and of good discretioÌ„ wheras he might haue made me vglie deformed franticke mad 4. I was borne in the daies of knowledg when I might haue beene borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5. I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turks or Iewes or some other sauage people for my parents 6. I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7. Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnesse some sorrowe for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that heâ— would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his worâ— from mee but I haue heard the plentifuâ— preaching of it I vnderstand it and hauâ— receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powâ—â— his full wrath on me which he dooth noâ— but mercifully maketh me to feele miâ—… owne wants that I might be humbled aâ—… giue all glorie vnto him for his blessingâ— Wherefore there is no cause why I shouâ—â— bee disquieted but I will trust still in tâ—â— Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the hâ—… lie Ghoste in thee nor anie true tokens 〈…〉 faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the râ—bellion of thy heart and of thy lewde aâ—â— wretched conuersation therefore thâ— canst not put anie confidence in Christâ— death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hopâ— and although according to mine owâ— sense and feeling I want faith yet I will bâ— leeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be sauâ— by him Sathan Though the children of GOD haue beene in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue bin in
this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Heerein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirite for the Prophet Dauid â—aith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paule was so led capâ—iue of sinne that he was not able to do the good he would but did the euill which hee â—ated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that â—ee might bee disburdened of his corrupt â—â—esh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest â—â—ou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou â—eare the face of a Christian and by thy â—ypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew â—â—y selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christe hath anquished and ouercome thee for my â—ause that I might also triumph ouer thee â— am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had â—eeretofore some testimonie of my faith at his time I am lesse mooued though faith â—â—eme to be absent like as a man may seeme 〈◊〉 bee dead both in his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Phisition and yet maie haue life in him so faith maie bee though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sin God hath now quite forsaken thee hee hath left thee vnto me to be ruled hee hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he will not haue thee to trust in him anie longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward and a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lorde forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Satan And you my bretheren which know my estate praie for me that God woulde turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the ptaier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Howe a man should applie aright the word of God to his owne soule I EVerie Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flat contrarie the one to the other the flesh and the spirite and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeuour must bee to tame and subdue the flesh to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods worde First the Lawe because it is the ministerie of death it fitlie serueth for the taming and maistering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oile to powre into our wounds and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules it fitlie serueth for the strengthening of the Spirite III Well then art thou secure Art thou prone to euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke nowe onelie vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy self examine thy thoughts thy words thy deedes by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the Spirit of feare that the law maie in some measure huÌ„ble terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardeneth his heart IIII In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a Catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou think no sinne to be a small sin no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partlie in the Scriptures partlie by dailie experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euerie iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sin neuer but once in al thy life and that neuer so litle Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sin God is present and his holie Angels that he is an eie witnes that he taketh a note of thy sin registreth it in a booke Thinke dailie of thy ende and know that God maie strike thee with sodain death euerie moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodain comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it moue thee continually to watch and praie If these will not moue thee think on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sins but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the lawe euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sin haue recourse â—o the promises of mercie contained in the â—ld and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sin And doth the law make theâ— feele it With all speede runne to the braseâ— Serpent Christ Iesus look on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospell diligentlie consideâ— these benefites which thou enioiest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hell by Christ thou art deliuereâ— from it Through Adam thou hast transgreâ—sed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before Goâ— a vile a lothsome sinner through Chriâ—â— thou doest appeare glorious in his eies Bâ— Adam euerie litle crosse is the punishmenâ— of thy sin and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest loose all thinges in Christ aâ— things are restored to thee again By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickneâ— and made aliue againe By Adam thou art slaue of the Diuel and the childe of wratâ— but by Christ thou art the child of God 〈…〉 Adam thou art worse than a Toade moâ—… detestable before God but by Christ thoâ— art aboue the Angels For thou art ioined vnto him and made bone of his bone misticallie Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirite of God dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee it is an entrance to hel by Christ though death remain yet it is onelie a passage vnto life Lastlie in Adam thou art poore and blinde and miserable In Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art the King of heauen and earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure be partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when he must needs tast
of the fruit which God had forbiddeÌ„ him he hath made vs all to rue it euen till this daie but here thou seest the fruits that grow not in the earthlie Paradise but on the tree of life which is within the heauenlie Hierusalem Fear no danger be bold in Christ to eate of the fruit as God hath commanded thee it wil quicken thee reuiue thee being dead thou caÌ„st not do SathaÌ„ a worse displeasure thaÌ„ to feed on the godly fruit of this tree to smell on the sweete leaues which it beareth coÌ„tinuallie that giue such a refreshing sauour VII Most men now a daies are secure cold in the professioÌ„ of the Gospel though they haue the plentiful preaching of it And the reason is because they feel not in theÌ„selues the vertue and mightie operation of Gods word to renue them they cannot feel it because they do not applie the word aright vnto their own soules Plaisters except they be applied in order time be laied vpon the wound though they be neuer so good yet they caÌ„not heal so it is with the word of God the parts of it which except they be vsed in order time conuenient wil not humble and reuiue vs as their vertue is VIII The common Christian euerie where is faulty in this thing Whereas hee loueth himselfe wisheth al good that maie be to himselfe hee doth vsuallie applie vnto his owne soule the Gospell alone neuer regarding the law or searching out his sins by it Tell him what ye will his song is this God is merciful God is merciful By this meanes it coÌ„meth to passe that he leadeth a secure life maketh no conscience of couetousnes of vsurie of deceit in his trade of lying of swearing of fornication wantonnes intâ—mperaÌ„cie in bibbing quaffing c. But he plaieth the vnskilful ChirurgioÌ„ he vseth healing plaisters before his poisoned and cankred nature haue felt the power paine of a Corasiue And it will neuer be wel with him vntill he take a new course IX On the contrarie part many good Christians leaue to apply the comfort of the gospel to themselues and onlie haue regard to their owne sinnes and Gods infinite vengeance And euen when Sathan accuseth them they will not sticke to giue eare to Sathan and also accuse themselues and so they are brought into feareful terrors and often draw neere to desperation X There is a third sort called sectaries who addict themselues to the opinion of some man These commonlie neuer applie the law or the Gospell to themselues but their whole meditation is chieflie in the opinioÌ„s of him whom they follow As they that follow Luther few of them follow his ChristiaÌ„ life they regard not that but about consubstantiation and vbiquity about Images and such like trumperie they infinitelie trouble themselues and all Europe too And in England there is a scismaticall and vndiscreet companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regarde they maintaine vile sins in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the worde and this is great contempt of Gods benefites vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had need to be catechized the poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue al things seeke the kingdome of God then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seek the righteousnes therof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatninges of the law and the comforts of the Gospell to their owne consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake Consolations for the troubled consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod syr I knowe the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I praie you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lorde he knoweth it after the manner of the worlde in all the lustes of my filthie flesh and then I was neuer troubled but it hath pleased God of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his own sonne that good shepheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vppon his owne necke and since that time it is a woÌ„der to see how my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boiles in me Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Sathan is to bee possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darknes and to be a slaue vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are in peace Contrariwise he that hath receiued anie sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the Diuell and all his Angels in their full strength to stand vp against him and to fight with an endlesse hatred for his finall confusion Christian. But this my trouble of minde hath made mee oftentimes feare lest God would reiect me and vtterlie depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could God wipe awaie your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You woulde bee free from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you wil go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hell If you will sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must be with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the flaile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can bee Gods bread You are one of Christes lambes looke therefore â—o be fleeced and to haue the bloudie knife â—t your throte all the daie long If you were â— marke sheepe bought to bee solde you â—hould be stalled and kept in a fatte pasture â—ut you are for gods own occupying thereâ—ore you must pasture on the bare coÌ„mon â—biding stormes tempestes Sathans snatâ—hes the worldes woundes contempt of â—onscience and frettes of the flesh But in â—his your miserie I will bee a Simon vnto you â—o helpe you to carrie your crosse so bee it â—ou will reueale your minde vnto mee Christian. I will do it willingly my tempâ—ations are either against my faith in Christ â—r against repentance for
And this appeareth in Iobs example when he saith Lo though hee sleie me yet will I trust in him I will reprooue my waies in his sight he shal be my saluation also for the hypocrite shal not come before him hee declareth his faith yet when he saith presentlie afterwarde Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enimie hee declareth the want of that feeling which you speake off Christian. Yet euerie true beleeuer feeles the assurance of faith otherwise Paul would not haue said Proue your selues whether you are in the faith or not Minister Indeed sometimes he doth but at some other times he doth not as namely at that same time when God first calleth him and in the time of temptation Christian. What a case am I in then I neuer felt this assurance onelie this I feele that I am a most rebellious wretch abounding euen with a whole sea of iniquities me thinkes I am more vglie in the sight of God then anie toade can be in my sight O then what shall I doo Let mee heare some worde of comfort from thy mouth thou man of God Minister Tell me one thing plainly you say you feele no assurance of Gods mercie Christian. No in deede Minister But do you desire with all your hart to feele it Christian. I doo indeed Minister Then doubt not you shal feele it Christian. O blessed be the Lord if this be true Minister Why it is most true For the man that would haue anie grace of God tending to saluation if hee do truelie desire it hee shall haue it for so Christ hath promised I will giue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely Whereby I gather that if any wante the water of life hauing an appetite after it he shall haue inough of it And therefore feare you not onely vse the meanes which God hath appointed to attaine faith by as earnest prayer reuerent hearing of Gods worde and receiuing of the Sacraments and then you shall see this thing verifyed in your selfe Christian. All this which you saie I finde in my selfe by the mercie of God my harte longeth after that grace of God which I want I know I doe hunger after the kingdome of heauen the righteousnes thereof and further though I want the feeling of Gods mercie yet I can pray for it from the verie roote of my heart Minister Bee carefull to giue honour to god for that you haue receiued already For these thing are the motions of the spirite of God dwelling in you And I am perswaded of this same thing that God which hath begon this good worke in you will perfect the same vnto the day of Iesus Christ. Christian. The third thing that troubles me is this I haue long prayed for manie graces of God and yet I haue not receiued them whereby it comes oft to my minde that God loues me not that I am none of his child therefore that I haue no faith Minister You are in no other case then Dauid himselfe who made the same complaint I am wearie of crying my throate is driâ— mine eies faile whiles I waite for my God Christian. But Dauid neuer praied so manie yeares without receiuing an answere as I haue done Minister Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord before he granted his request then euer you did It s like hee praied for a child in his yonger yeres yet his praier was not heard before he was old And further you must note that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants and yet they bee altogether ignorant of it For the manner that God vseth in graunting their requests is not alwaies knowen as maie appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ. Who in the daies of his flesh did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared And yet wee knowe hee was not freed from that cursed death but must needes suffer it How then was he heard On this manner hee was strengthened to beare the death he had an Angell to comfort him hee was afterward freed from the sorrowes of death And so it is with the rest of Christes bodie as it was with the head Some being in want pray for temporall blessings God keepes them in this want and yet hee heares their praiers in giuing them patience and strength to abide that want Some being in wealth and aboundance praie for the continuing of it if it be the will of God The Lorde dinges them into a perpetuall miserie and yet hee heares their praiers by giuing theÌ„ blessednesse in the life to come You praie for the encrease of faith and repentance and such like graces you feele no increase after long praier yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier in that by delaying to performe your request he hath stirred vp in you the spirite of praier hee hath humbled you and made you feele your owne wants the better to depend on his mercie for the beginning and encreasing of euerie spirituall grace Christian. The fourth thing that troubles me is that I cannot feele faith purifie my heart and to worke by loue in bringing foorth liuelie fruits Minister If this bee so continuallie that faith bring forth fruit it is verie dangerous and argueth a plaine want of faith yet for a certaine time it maie be so Faith hath not onelie a spring time and a sommer season but also a winter when it beareth no fruit And there is manie a true Christian like the brused reede that is ouerturned with euerie blast of wind and like the flaxe that hath fire in it which by reason of weakenes giue neither heate nor light but onelie a smoke Christian Thus much shall suffice for my first temptation wherein I take my selfe satisfied nowe if you please I will bee glad to rehearse the second Minister I am content let vs heare it Christian. I am afraide least I haue not truelie repented and therefore that all my profession is onelie in hypocrisie Minister What mooueth you to thinke so Christian. Two causes especiallie the first is they which repent leaue off to sinne But I am miserable sinner I am laden with great burdens of sinne I doo continuallie displease God by my euill thoughts words and deeds Minister You need not feare For where sinne aboundeth that is the knowledge and feeling of sinne there grace aboundeth much more Christian. I finde not this in my selfe Minister But yet you finde thus much in your selfe those corruptions which you feele and those sinnes that you commit you hate theÌ„ you are displeased with your selfe for them and you endeuour your selfe to leaue them Christian. Yea that I doo with all my heart Minister Then howe miserable so euer you feele your selfe by reason of the masâ—e of your sinne yet you are not subiecte to
condemnation but shall most certainely escape the same Take this for a most certaine truth that the man that hates dislikes his sins both before and after hee hath done them shall neuer be damned for them Christian. I am euen hart sicke of my manifolde sinnes and infirmities these good words which you speak are as flagons of wine to refresh my wearie laden and weltting soule I haue begunne to flee sinne and to detest it long agoe I haue beene oft dipleased with mine infirmities and corruptions when I offende God my heart is greeued I desire to leaue sinne I flee the occasions of sinne I woulde faine fashion my life to Gods word and I praie vnto God that he woulde giue mee grace so to doo and yet which is the griefe by the strength of the flesh by the sleights and power of Sathan I am often ouertaken and fall maruellouslie both by speach and by deed Minister Haue courage my good brother for whereas you haue an affection to doo the thinges that are acceptable vnto God it argueth plainely that you are a meÌ„ber of Christ according to that of Paul They which are of the spirite fauour the things of the spirite Well then if Sathan euer obiect anie of your sinnes to your make aunswere thus that you haue forsaken the first husbande the fleshe and haue espoused your selfe to Christ Iesus who as your head and husbande hath taken vpon him to answere your debts and therefore if he vrge you for them referre him ouer vnto Christ. For there is no sute in lawe against the wife the husbande liuing yea I adde further if you bee ouer caried with Sathans temptations and so fall into anie sinne you shall not answere for it but Sathan it shall surely be rekoned on his score at the daie of iudgmeÌ„t for he was the author of it if you fal by the frailtie of your flesh it shal perish therefore but you shal stil haue Christ you aduocate Christian. Indeede as you saie I haue in me an affection to please God but when I come to performe my obedience there I faile Minister Therefore marke this further As long as the children of God are in this life God regardeth more the affection to obeie then the obedience it selfe And they shall bee vnto mee saith the Lorde of hostes in that daie that I shall doe this for a flocke and I wil spare them as a man spares his owne sonne that serueth him The Father when he shall set his childe to doe anie busines though he doe it neuer so vntowardlie yet if he shew his good will to doe the best hee can his father will bee pleased and so it is with the Lorde towarde his children you looke to haue some perfection in your selfe but in this life you shall receiue no more but the first fruits of the spirite which are but as a handfull of corne in respect of the whole corne fielde and as for the accomplishment of your redemption you must wait for it til after this life you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth but here in this world you must bee content if you maie with Marie Magdalen kisse his feete For the perfection of a Christian mans life standes in the feeling and confessing of his imperfections And as Ambrose saith obedience due to God stands more in the affection then in the worke Christian. But why will God haue those whom he hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities Minister The causes are diuers First hereby hee teacheth his seruaunts to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ that they maie more carefullie seeke after it Secondlie he subdueth the pride of mens hearts humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued with the like measure of infirmities Thirdlie by this meanes the godlie are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne and are dailie occupied in purifieng themselues Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter there is another cause that makes me feare lest I haue no true repentance Minister What is that Christian I often times finde my selfe like a verie timberlog void of all grace goodnes frowarde and rebellious to anie good worke so that I feare lest Christ haue quite forsaken me Minister As it is in the strait seas the water ebbes and flowes so is it in the godlie in them as long as they liue in this world according to their own feeling there is an accesse and recesse of the spirit Otherwhiles they bee troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart as Dauid was who praied to the Lorde to quicken him according to his louing kindnes that he maie keepe the testimonies of his mouth and in another place he saith that Gods promises quickened him Which coulde not be vnlesse he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart Againe sometimes the spirite of God quite withdraweth it self to their feeling as it was in Dauid In the daiâ— of my trouble saith hee I sought the Lorde and my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish Againe will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. The Church in â—hâ— Canticles complaineth of this In my beddâ—â— sought him by night whom my soule loued I sought him but I found him not And againe my welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the dore and 〈◊〉 heart was affectioned towardes him I rose 〈…〉 pen to my welbeloued and my hands did 〈…〉 myrrhe my fingers powre myrrhe vppon â—…dles of the bar I opened to my welbeloued 〈◊〉 my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when hee did speake I sought him but I coulde not finde him I called but he answered me not Contrariwise God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantlie in the hearts of the faithfull and Christ lieth betweene tho breasts of his Church as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell Christian. But how can he be a Christian that feels no grace nor goodnes in himselfe Minister The child which as yet can vse no reason is for all that a reasonable creature and the man in a soune feeles no power of life and yet he is not dead The Christian man hath manie quaumes come ouer his heart and he falles into manie a soune that none almost would loke for anie more of the life of Christ in him yet for al that he may be a true Christian. This was the estate of Peter when he denied our sauiour Christ with cursing and banning his faith onelie fainted for a time it failed not Christian. I haue nowe opened vnto you the chiefe things that trouble me and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordinglie Minister I haue