Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercie vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them And then by such conference as you may haue from hence wherein if I may stand you in any steede rather for the good opinion you haue of me then for any great matter I am able to performe I shalbe ready to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall inable mee and so farre foorth as I shall bee at any time instructed in your perticular estate In some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers I perceiue that you ar afflicted with the blindenes of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot be mooued either with the promises of Gods mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with the loue and delight of the thinges which bee good nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of dispaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswatioÌ„ is somewhat false partly for want of a sounde iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somwhat through your owne default First therefore know you for certainty that this is no other tentation than such as diuers of Gods children haue been humbled with afterward haue had a good issue out of it if it please God to moue ye to credit me my selfe haue known others as deeply this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore God is faithfull who wil not suffer you to be teÌ„pted aboue that you shalbe able to bear And farther yet to confirme you the holy scriptures do shew that this way god heretofore hath humbled his own people in whose person the prophet Esaye lamentably complaineth Esa. 3. 15. O Lorde looke downe from heauen behold from thy dwelling place of thy holines and of thy glorie VVhere is thy zeale thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions They are restrained from me And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies and hardened our hearts from thy feare And in the next chapt VVe haue been alas an vnclean thing all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes and we all doo fade as a lease and our iniquities as the winde doth take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himself to take hold on thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs consumed vs because of our iniquities And before 59 chap. 5. We grope for the wal like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we rore like beares and mourne lyke doues So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of hys soule Like a crane or a swallowe so did I chatter I did mourn as a doue and when Dauid crieth Create in me O God a cleane hart renue in me a right spirit Restore to me the ioy of my saluatioÌ„ establish me with thy fre spirit doth he not couÌ„t his hart vnclean his spirit croked the ioy of his saluatioÌ„ lost himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage so that waÌ„ting the spirit of libertie or adoption he could nether cry Abba Father nor haue anye power against sin Thus you see how Gods children maie be blinded in minde hardned in heart for a time so that they feel the grace of the holy spirit to be in theÌ„ nere perished and dead Farther to releeue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case which may much distres you know that there bee two kindes of hardnes of heart the one not felt the other felt and of the former ther be two sorts the first which is most fearefull when any do purposely and wilfully resist the motions of Gods spirit means of their saluation of which the Prophet Zachary speaketh 7. 11. They refused to harkeÌ„ pulled away their sholder stopped their eares that they shuld not heare yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should hear the law the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministery of the former Prophets The outragious sin of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in their owne fearful termes 28. 15. VVe haue made a couenant with death and with hell we are at agreement though a scourge run ouer passe thorough it shall not come at vs for we haue made falshood our refuge vnder vanitie are we hidden This was a fearfull estate indeede yet for all that no man can saye but some of those might bee and were afterward conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of hart which is not felt nor perceyued or is perceiued yet not felt albeit it is lesse fearfull yet it is daungerous enough is in such as although they wilfully resist not Gods spirite in good means yet securely willingly they lye in sin without anie remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet came to reproue him rouse him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwise thâ—n in temptation Sathan maye sometimes mooue ye therevnto the other kind of hardnesse of heart which is perceiued felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be releeued although they finde smal or no ease at all in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of Gods people complaineth Esa. 63. Such was Dauids state after NathaÌ„ reproued him gods spirit begaÌ„ to work with him that he crieth out as ye heard before of the losse of Gods graces when he saith that God will accept of no sacrifices nor petitions without a contrite hart broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the prophet had reproued him he wÌ„ated both This is your case therfore you are in the state of saluation for Dauid was in this case euen after hee had confessed his sin as my trust is you doo was certainly perswaded of the pardonablenesse of it throgh gods mercie althogh he was farre off from the feeling it or applying to his wofull conscience his state was good and very wel to be hoped of and you must knowe and be perswaded that those things which are written of Gods saints namely of Dauid and Peter such others are examples for vs if we will stay our selues vpoÌ„ the word of God in the mysterie of his seruants and wait vppon the Lords good time til he come neerer vnto vs by his spirite nerer I say for he is come alreadie vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be greued and humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart to beleeue certainly the trueth of God is promised in generall to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of the Gospel
diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleepe no man abridgeth his diet no man prepareth Phisicke for it no man knoweth when to be ful and when to be emptie how to want and how to abound Others carried away with the loue of riches and verie nigh to fall into pouertie will not sticke to rise early to take sleep lately to fare hardly to teare taw their flesh in labour by lande and by water in faire soule weather by rockes and by sands from far from nere and yet to fall into spirituall decaies to auoyd the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines as though saluation and peace of mind were not a thing worthy the labouring for Some ambitiously hunting after honor not easilye digesting reproaches behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepely but are actiue in euerie attempt by loue and by counsell by prudence and prowesse by wit and by practise by labour and learning by cunning and diligence to become famous and to shun a ciuill reproach yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angells to fall before the heauens and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of conscience we make none accompt as they who neyther vse anye meanes to obteyne the one nor auoyde those Occasions which maye bring the other Others verie vnwilling to come within the reache and daunger of the Lawe that they may by reading get experience howe to escape imprisonment of bodye or confiscation of goods wyll be painfull in penall statutes skilful in euery branch of the ciuill law and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons murthers fellonies and such like offences of life and death yet where the Lord God threateneth the seazure both of soule bodie the attaching of our soules the confiscating of our consciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation for the breache of his Commaundements few men sercheth his eternall Lawe few men careth for the Gospell neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorsement from the Lord neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs. And to reache our Complaint one Degree farther The more we seek outward pleasures to auoyde the inward trouble of minde the more we hast and runne into it and wee speedely plunge our selues in a wounded spirite or wee be a ware Who posteth more to becom rich than the merchant man who hopeth lesse to become pore than hee that aduentureth great treasures who hazardeth his goods who putteth in ieoperdie of his life and yet suddenly he either rusheth vpon the rocke of hardnesse of heart or else is swallowed vp of the gulphe of a despairing mind from which happely he cannot be deliuered with a ship full of golde Woful proofe hath confirmed how some men whollie set on plesures such as could not away to be sad and hedged vp alwaies of godly sorrowe haue had their tables made snares and euen theyr excesse of pleasures hath brought excesse of sorrowes and whilest they laboured to put the euill daye farre from them they haue vsed follyes that haue beene the most bitter and speedie hang-men of their fearfull trembling consciences There be some of another sort who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde haue had their harts set on nothing but howe they might get some great fame and renowme therfore haue slipt into such vaineglorious attempts and foule flatteries as they haue not onely lost the peace of their Consciences but also fallen most deeply into reprochfull shame which they sought to shun Now therefore as the peace of conscience and ioy of minde is such a treasure as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the tung expressed but passeth al vnderstanding as they only knowe what the peace of minde meaneth that feele it so they alone can in trueth speake of a troubled minde that haue tasted of it by experience But let vs shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vs from this wound of the spirit It is the vse of Phisicke as to cure vs of diseases when wee are faln into them so to preserue vs from sicknes before it hath takē hold of vs it is the power of the Word as to asswage the trouble of Conscience when it doth once presse vs so to preuent it before it hath ouertaken vs. It is a chiefe point of worldly wisedome not to tarie for the vse of phisicke vntil we be deadly sick but to bee acquainted wyth Gods mercifull preseruation to defend vs from it likewise it is a chiefe pollicie of a godly Christian not only to seek comfort when the agonie is vpon him but also to vse all good helpes to meet with it before it comes And if we condemn them of folly who will not as well labor to keep themselues out of debt as to pay the debt when they owe it so it is a madnes not to bee circumspect to auoyd all occasions which maye bring trouble of mind vpon them as wee would bee prouident to enter euerie good waye which maye drawe vs out of this trouble when wee haue once entred into it These remedies preseruatiue are first the searching of our sinnes the examining of our faith The examining of our sins is either the due acknowledging of our sinnes or the true sense and feeling of our sinnes The acknowledging of our sinnes is eyther of those that bee past whether wee haue vnfeinedlye repented vs of them or of those which bee present whether wee be truely greued for them Thirdly of those secret corruptions which in the course of our life are likely to come whether wee are reuerently afraide of them and resolue to suppresse them with all our indeuour Concerning sinnes past we must call to minde the sinnes done of old in our youth in our middle age in our olde age iudging our selues we maye not bee iudged of the Lorde that accusing of our selues sathā haue no occasiō to accuse throwing down our selues before the Lord he may lift vs vp For manie going quietly away and sleeping in carnall securitie notwithstanding the sins of their youth neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long ago sodainly haue falne into such horrour of minde that the violent remembrance of all their sins surcharging them they haue been ouerwhelmed This Examination then dooth rightlye proceede when it doth reach to the errors of this life to the sins of our youth because many men euen from their childhood by a ciuill righteous life hauing escaped grose sins wherewith the world could neuer charge them haue not withstanding caried the burthen of more secret sins done in their youth Dauid Psal. 25. 7. prayeth the Lord not to remember the sinnes of his youth Iob 23. 6. the man of God confessing that the Lord writeth bitter things against him saith he made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth What shall
Knowe also God can cause wolues lions leopards to dwell louingly with lambes calues and kids and that that is vnpossible to men is possible with god euen to cause a cable to go throgh a needles eie that is to change the hard hart of the vnbeleuing couetous man much more yours yea knowe that all things are possible to him which beleeueth Cry then I beleeue O Lord help my vnbeliefe I dare promise ye in the name of Iesus Christ that you shall haue your heartes desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must end commending you to God and the word of his grace which is able to builde you vp giue you the right of inheritaunce among them that are sanctified The verie God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soul and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is hee which hath called you which will do it Amen I pray you pray for me I trust as I haue so I shal pray for you and much more Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in anie need R. G. AN OTHER COMfortable Letter by Master R. G. BRother beloued in the Lorde and Sauior IESVS CHRIST seing you haue had hertofore not onely knowledge but also experience of Gods gratious and mercifull goodnes in Iesus Christ your owne vnbeliefe and Satans subtlenes I coulde meruaile why you should giue such place and not keepe your grounde no surer if I were not much acquainted with such occurrences I know not therfore whether with wordes of rebuke or comfort I shoulde seeke to releeue you Because I cannot come vnto you my counsell and desire is that you woulde come vp to London the next Tearme at the farthest that so I might aske of God to frame my speeche according to your good In the meane season I bessech you call vnto mind that which you cannot be ignorant of that in the lawe sacrifices were offered for Gods people not onely at their first entrance into couenant with the Lorde but also afterwards many times and that not onely by ignorance but also by error that is forgetfulnes frailenes retchlesnes carelesnes c. It is manifest that the sinne of errour is there opposed against the sinne committed with an hie hande that is to blaspheme with contempt of GOD and making his Law of none effecte but to bee in vaine Which sinne I am sure you are most farre off from I would you were as farre off from vnbeliefe and distrust that Gods children may fall into diuers foule faultes as it may appear by many proofs First in the Lawe when the Lord speaketh in his Maiestie and proclaimeth his glorie yet in howe many wordes commendeth he his mercie and for howe many seuerall sorts of sinnes in Exodus the twenty foure Chapter sixe and seauen verses Doth not Esay the holy Prophet call the people of his daies the people of Gomorrha and and their Princes the Princes of Sodome Doth not he accuse them as grieuous transgressors both of the first and seconde Table Esay the first Chapter ten and eleuen verses c. And yet dooth afterwardes promise them in the eighteenth verse that though their sinnes were as crimson they shalbe as white as snow though they were redde like scarlet they shall be as wool Dooth hee not charge them that they were sunke deepe in rebellion and yet exhorteth them to returne vnto the Lord Esay the thirty one Chapter and sixth verse Yea doth he not charge them not onely with rebellion but aâ—so with vexing the holy spirit of of God Esay sixty three and tenth verse And reade what is written Esay nine eleuen Pray as there you may learn Esay tenth Cha. fiue sixe c. What dooth not the holy Prophet Ieremy in the thirty one Chapter and the eighteenth nineteenth and twenty verses shew that Ephraim was an vntamed Calfe c. yet so soone as hee mourned and was ashamed of himself doth not the Lord shew that his bowels of mercie were troubled for his estate Doth not the Lord offer mercy vnto the prophane and forgetfull transgressours of his holy couenant Psalme fiftith from the fifth verse to the two and twentith Is not this part of the couenant made with all the sonnes of Dauid in Iesus Christ that if they not onely omit many good thingeâ— also committe rebellions and iniquities that though hee may visit them yet it shall be with the rodde of his children and that his mercie hee will not take from them nor breake of his couenant made with them in Iesus Christ. Therefore remember that the holy promises threatnings and examples are written that we should not sinne but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconcilliation of our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Doth not the blessed Apostle Paule charge the Corinthians whoÌ„ he affirmeth in the first Chapter to bee rich in Christ and destitute of no spirituall gift to be more carnall than spirituall yet babes in Christ yea to bee falne into idolatry coÌ„mitting of euill thinges fornication tempting not onely of God but of Christ yea murmuring against them yet doth hee not herein comfort them that no temptation hath taken hold on them but such as appertaineth to man and that God will bee mercifull vnto Dauid prayeth against presumptuous sinnes that they should not raigne ouer him Psalme ninetenth Chapter thirteenth verse Signifiyng though he sinned presumptuously yet if hee did not perseuer in presumption obstinately without desire to repent that such sinne or sinnes were pardonable Nowe the Lordes couenant towards his in Iesus Christ is not to deale after their sinnes not to rewarde them after their iniquities much lesse will hee not regard in wrathfull displeasure their infirmities But if he should so marke what is saide or done amisse who were able to abide it But with him is mercie in Iesus Christ that hee may be feared therefore lift vp your handes which hange downe strengthen your weakknees and say vnto your soule why art thou so cast downe and so vnquiet within mee I will yet trust in Iesus Christ and wait vpon the mercifull graces of God purchased by his mercies Consider that true humillitie ariseth of faith in Iesus Christ and that is true faith that ingendreth humillitie as wee may not diminish our sinnes so may wee not too much aggrauate them nor diminish Christs merits haue euermore in your minde the examples of the prodigall son who saith not I am not thy sonne but I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne he saith not let me bee thy bondslaue nay hee saith not let me be thy hyred seruant but as one of thy hyred seruants his father came and met him fell on his neck c. So shall it come to you good brother I neede make no more aplication the holy annointing which you haue receiued will bring the olde mercies of God vpon others and vppon your selfe vnto remembrance and lead you into all truth which shall bee requisite for your saluation Put your trust in the Lord you shall prosper The Lord Iesus came not to breake the brused reede nor to quench the smoaking flaxe his grace shall bee euer more sufficient for you and his vertue shall vnto the end manifest it selfe in your weakenes Nowe therefore I beseeche him to preserue your body soule spirite vnto his most glorious appearing Faithfull is he that hath called you and promised you who will performe it Amen Yours in Iesus Christ as he hath beene Richard Greeneham Sweet and sure signes of Election to them specially that are brought low A cleering of iudgement by conceauing of the truth and true meaning of the Scripture making for vs or against vs. A rebuking of sinne in wardlie a pouertie of spirit fioÌ„ thence and a mourning therefore A being cast downe in our own conceipt and a meeknesse to beare our owne punishment thereby wrought An hungring after the righteousnes which is in Christ and a praising and esteeming it aboue all earthly things A musing vpon and a desire to thinke and speake onely of heauenly things A conflict of the flesh spirit and therin by praier practise the force of the spirite euer breathing out A sowing into the spirit by vse of the meanes as by the word praier c. A purpose vnfayned vppon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe wholly to the glorie of God and health of his brethren A resignation of our selues into Gods hands An expecting of the daily increase of the hope of our souls health and our bodies resurrection The forgiuing of our enemies An acknowledging of our offences with our whole heart whiles we are sicke and a verie dooing of it indeed when we be recouered A delight in Gods Saints A desire that after death the Church of God may flourish and haue all peace A spirit without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwaies to doo well how soeuer our infirmities put vs by it FINIS
A MOST SWEETE AND assured Comfort for all those that are afflicted in Consciscience or troubled in minde Written by that godly zealous Preacher M. Richard Greenham With two comfortable letters to his especiall frends that way greeued Psalm 34. 18. The Lord is nere vnto them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in Spirit LONDON Printed by Iohn Danter for William Iones 1595. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir DRVE DRVRIE Knight W. I. wisneth continuall peace of conscience RIGHT Worshipfull your zeale to Religion and loue of Learning haue made mee bold to present you with this fatherles Orphane which I hope the rather you will patronage becaus it is the fruite of a godly Parent once with your Worship familiar who liuing taught the Word sincerely and being dead hath lest some monument of his workes necessary to instruct and edifie This first is offred to the worlds view containing all excellent comfort for an afflicted Conscience If you voutchsafe to accept it I haue my desire that boldly made choyce of you for your especiall desert The God of mercie and Father of our Lorde Iesus lengthen your dayes and make your end blessed Your Worships in all dutie VV. I. TO THE READER MAny are the calamities that sinne imposeth vpon the wicked but aboue all other plagues the wound of Conscience is most heauie Touching which the holie Scripture affoords diuers examples both of the wicked that haue mourned without hope and the righteous that haue sorrovved sought comfort The svvetest of sinnes plesure is not vvithout a sharp sting that piercing the Conscience beginneth hell in the harts of the vngodlie and prepareth Gods Children to seeke heauen by vnfained repentance I can not here number all of either sort the Scripture mentioneth I vvil onely touch some that it may appeare how sorrovv and vexation of minde are sinnes hourelie companions Pharaohs contempt of God brought him to hardnesse of hart hardnes of hart to headlong destruction Balaam sinned thorough greedie couetousnes and perished among the vncircumcised the sonnes of Heli sinned fell before their enemies Saul sinned and ended his life on his ovvne svvord Antiochus and Herod blasphemed and vvere smitten deseruedly Iudas betrated and died despairingly All these vvith manie other vvanting comfort for their wouÌ„ded consciences perished lamentablie vvher on the other side Iob Dauid Hezekiali Peter Zachâ—us c. confessed their faults sought mercie vvere comforted Their conscienences bring 〈◊〉 assured they wer strong confident and vnremoueable as appâ—â—â— in Iob vvho so confidentlie beleeued that for all his miserie he crieth Thogh the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him Dauid also though his soul were powred out as water yet hee commanded it to praise the lord The sicke saith our Sauior neede the Phisition no mortall maÌ„ but hath been soule sicke and therfore all men need comfort It is necessarie that he which ministreth to the diseased shuld know the cause of the sicknes that being remoued the medicine may more effectually worke they that minister the woord ought to haue a feeling of their brethrens infirmities that they may bee able to comfort the cast downe conscience stirre the secure soul and weaken the proud thought That the Author of this treatise was such a one appeareth were there no other proofe by it containing such heauenly consolation meeting so with al temptations that for euill there can be no euasion Mercies with iudgments are heere so mixed that neither may he that standeth boast nor he that is falne be wholly discouraged While he liued in this Citie he was an excellent Teacher after his death he hath left among other heauenly labors this comfortable doctrine that preacheth peace to the troubled comfort to the comfortles fauour to the afflicted health to the diseased hope to the humbled grace to the grieued Conscience Which that it maie effect I haue publisht for thy practise Thine W. I. In the title of the Letter against hardnes of hart Robert is set for Richard by the Printers error A MOST sweet Comfort for an afflicted Conscience It is thus written Prouerbs 18. 14. The Spirit of a man susteineth his infirmitie But a vvounded Spirite vvho can beare THis Scripture is not onely worthy to be grauen in steel with the pen of an Adamant and in letters of gold but also to be written and registred by the singer of God his spirit in the table of our harts Which sentence briefely speaketh thus much vnto vs that what trouble befalleth a man his minde vnappalled hee will indifferently beare it out but if the spirit of a man be once troubled and dismayed hee cannot tell how to be deliuered And no maruell for if the mind of man be the fountaine of comforts which ministreth comfort vnto him in all other troubles and if it become comfortles what shall comfort it If it be void of helpe where shall it bee helped If the eye which is the light of the body be darknes how great is that darkenes If the salt which sauoureth all things be vnsauourie for what is it good If the minde which susteineth all troubles bee troubled howe intollerable is that trouble To shew this the better we will first declare how great a punishment of GOD this wound of Conscience is Secondly wee will teach howe this trouble of minde may be preuented and auoyded Lastly we will set down how Gods children faling in some measure into this affliction of spirit may bee recouered out of it For the first the grieuousnes of this malladie is seene either by some due consideration of the persons that haue felt it or by some wife comparison made betweene this griefe of minde and other outwarde griefes incident vnto a man The persons in whom we may consider this wounded spirit are either meerely naturall men or such as bee renued by the spirit of GOD The men meerely naturall are either the Heathen such as neuer knew God in Christ or carnall professors such as haue not professed Christianitie aright If wee looke among the Heathen how many of them haue willingly gone vnder pouertie and haue been content to vnburden themselues of al worldly treasures Howe haue some of them their mindes beeing vnappalled suffred imprisonment exile extreame tortures of bodies rather than they woulde betray Countries Howe many of them hauing deuoured many iniuries and borne outwarde troubles with some ease and with no resistance whilst their mindes were at liberty And yet looke not into the meanest but the best and most excellent men among them euen their wisest Philosophers sweete Orators and exquisite Poets who in bearing and forbearing thought the chiefest point of vertue to consist and yee shall see when some great distresse of minde did wound them some woulde make an ende of it by preparing a Cup of deadly poyson some woulde violently and voluntarily run on the enemies pikes some woulde throwe downe themselues from hye Mountaines some would not sticke to
of thys life haue griefe comming vppon them to remember howe they haue spent Gods graces banished his good giftes and misspent their time or else if they haue not this grief they fall into voluptuousnes and drawe such a skin vpon their harts as will cause the strongest denouncement of Gods iudgements to rebound bee they driueÌ„ on neuer so hard And sure it is the sinne of this world that men beeing controuled in their consciences whilest they are a praying feele a secrete charge said vppon them to beware of guile in buying and selling either haue theyr checkes and so grow to be prophane or els afterward they are wonderfully wounded that they haue beene so worldlye so greatly pursuing earthly and vaine things so coldlye purchasing heauenlye and permanent things Thus euen our priuy thoughts not profited are breeders of farther trouble Now the remedie against this is willingly and wittingly not to cherish anie sinne to with that the Ministers should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes to bee glad priuately to be admonished to profite by our Enemyes when they doo reproach vs and rather desire in such a case to be humbled than suffer our selues to be flattered This trying of our selues must yet stretch it self farther not onely to the committing of euill but also to the omitting of good As when after some good working of the spirite and feeling thereof we begin a fight and conflict with our consciences thogh I must pray I must haue time also to prouide for my familie if I go to heare the word of God surely I shall bee in danger to loose this profite if I thus attend vpon the exercises of religion I shall be cut short in the vse of my plesures Wherefore it shall be good to search our heartes both in the careles not vsing of the meanes but also in the negligent watching ouer the frutes of the meanes saying to our selues in this manner I haue heard a Sermon but alas without anie feeling or working vpon my affections I haue bin praying but with no power of the spirit I haue receceyued the Sacrament but without those ioyes glorious vnspeakeable which I was woont to taste of it I sawe the Discipline of the Church executed but without anie feare of sinne at all in my selfe or compassion of the member censured And heere I dare from my owne obseruation assuredly affirm that outwarde sins haue not beene at some times so grieuous to Gods Children as that they haue some tymes vsed very good meanes with little reuerence lesse frute And no maruell we shal see many men at some times not so much grieued for the sicknesse it selfe as for that they haue willingly neglected the meanes which might haue preserued their health or abused the Phisicke that might haue restored their health to them againe in like manner I saye it fareth with them who eyther vnreuerentlye haue refused the meanes which shoulde keepe theyr soules from surfetting or else vnthankfullye haue abused those helpes which might haue recouered them again From hence it commeth that some are much grieued for not vsing their good giftes to the benefit of Gods Church as others are troubled for abusing their good gifts to the hurt of Gods Church as we shall see a rich man somtimes humbled for not giuing money to the poore which hee might haue done as also for heaping vp riches falsly that hee ought not to haue done And thus manie hauing receaued good giftes and graces from the Lord are seasoned and sanctified by afflictions wherby they are taught to put their gifts in vre and to offer their seruice to Christ and others are feare â—o hide their gifts which cannot bee without some decay of Gods glory without offence to the weake without the losse of manie soules which otherwise might bee wonne to the Gospell and without strengthening the hand of the Aduersarie to slander our darke and dumbe profession All which things will in the end bring terror gf mind because if the Lord cannot work vpon vs by taking away goods credit wife children or such like to bring vs to Repentance he will surely whippe our naked consciences hee will enter euen into our very entrayles and pierce our secrete bowells As wee must examine our selues thus for sinne past and present so must wee vse this practise in sinnes that are to come and this is verie needfull for were it so that our life and conuersation were such as neither before nor after our calling any man could iustlye accuse vs Yet the hidden corruption of our nature may threaten some haynous downefall in time to come Which hath made men of verie good report and conuersation hang downe their heads and feare their secret hypocrisie as that which may breake foorth to the shame of all their former life in time to come But because we forgate to speak of them that in the examining of their liues past are much grieued for the want of sinceritie and priuie vainglorie in themselues let vs beware we go to the searching of our hearts in sinne To come to speake somewhat of those men troubled for this priuie pride they are touched or not touched If the veyle of sinne was great in them that it hid Christ froÌ„ them it is the good will of god that by this sight of their most secret sinnes they shuld come to see the righteousnes that is in Christ Iesus and so they shall be kept the better from being Iusticiarie Pharisies for when beeing a long time well brought vp leading a ciuill life the Diuell would perswade vs of some inherent righteousnes in vs It is the wisedome of God to touch vs with the conscience of most hidden corruptions as allso to make knowen vnto vs that euen from our birth there was a secret feede of sinne in vs which without the Lord watching ouer vs woulde surely haue broken forth to his dishonor As for them which haue had some woorking in them and yet are often plunged in sore distresses this trouble commeth to them for two especiall causes either for some hypocrisie which they did more in showe than in truth wherefore the Lorde bringeth them backe agayne to see their corrupt proceedings that they may knowe that al their religion is but hipocrisie and all their righteousnes to bee but vnrighteousnes or for the abusing of their knowledge in that they made it but a mask to iuggle in and that they made theyr affections to fight with their owne iudgments Wee must remedie this by not thinking of our selues aboue that that is meete and by labouring to embrace the truth And here let vs note that many of gods Children accuse themselues of hypocrisie when indeede they offend not in it And yet this accusation ariseth from some fault for though they haue done things in truth yet becaus they stroue not to see their secrete corruptions in some other matters they susteine this troubled minde So that there is nothing harder than to sift
great housholder if he complaine of vncleannesse whether he be not a yong-man vnmaried if he be humbled with couetousnesse whether he be not old because diuers countries callings ages conditions and estates of men haue their diuers and peculiar sinnes which wee must rightly discerne Howbeit of what sex soeuer they are mā or woman of what complexion soeuer they are of what knowledge to discerne sin in what degree of committing sinne of what age authority wealth estate or condition so euer they are it is good to marke that there bee many who are more troubled for vexation and disquietnes of the mind being distempered than for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sin committed who are wounded more with the feare of shame with the feare of beeing madd or with the feare of running out of their wittes than with the conscience of sinne Which thing if we finde in them it is our parts to trauell with thē that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame and more Conscience of the inward sins Neither must wee here forget to distinguish between our speech vsed to the humbled in the time of theyr extreame agonie and those words wee vse the fit beeing past because the first requyreth more comfort the latter more admonishment for thē wee maye wisely admonish them to beware of sin which procured their woe In thys threatening time it is also expedient to exhort them that vntill they shuld find greater power in regeneration they would ty themselues to some holy orders godly vowes whereby they may either be furthred in mortifying some speciall sinne which for that they could finde no power against it did most grieue thē or strengthened in some speciall grace the want whereof did also wound them But before we launch deeper into this sea of perticular tentations and begyn to sounde the daungerous passages of natural corruptions and originall sinne the troublesome froath whereof doth almost ouerwhelme manie poore pilgrimes it shall be good to giue this caution that both in this and in the former troubles men would bee still againe admonished patiently to bear with a wounded spirit howbeit it fall out so that they be somwhat pettish seeing the holye Ghost speaketh so fauorably of them saying A wounded Spirit who can bear And surely our practise in other things by the lawe of equitie maye vrge thys at our hands For if men by the light of reason can see it to bee a duetie conuenient not furiously to control but meekely to suffer and wisely to put vp the vnaduised speeches of a man distempered in braine by reason of some burning ague or such like violent and vehement sickenes we may easily gather by the same rule of reason not so seuerely to censure the impatient speeches of him who by reason of some parching Feuer of the spirite is disquieted in all partes of his minde and hath all the veynes of his heart as it were in a spirituall agony vexed Wherefore both vnsauorie for want of Godly wisedome and vncharitable for want of Christian loue are their murmuring obtrectations which say What Is this the Godly man Is this hee that is so troubled for his sinnes Why see how pettish he is nothing can please him no body can satisfie him Consider O man if thou canst beare with a fraile body that thou must much more beare with a fraile minde Consider that this his pettishnes dooth more wound him at the heart than any iniury thou couldst presse him with And therefore seeing he afflicteth his owne soule for it thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction and to exasperate his most grieuous smart Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vs of the poore and needy that to rub a fresh wound and to streine a bleeding sore is nothing els but with Iobs friendes to bring a newe torment where ther is no need of it If the wise father doth rather pitie than rebuke his childe when by reason of sicknes the appetite is not easely pleased so if we purpose to doo anie good with an afflicted minde wee must not bee austere in reprehending euerie infirmitie but pitifull in considering of each tender frailtie Neither doo I speake this to nourish pettishnesse but would haue them to labour for patience and to seeke for peace which though they finde not at the first yet by praier they must wayt on the Lord and say Lord because there is mercie that thou maist bee feared I will wait vppon thee as the eye of the seruant wayteth vppon the hand of his Master I will condemne my selfe of follie and saie Oh my soule vvhie art thou so heauie Whie art thou cast dovvn vvithin mee Still trust in the Lorde for he is thy health and thy saluation FINIS A Letter from M. Robert Greeneham to a frend of his against hardnesse of heart I Beseech God the father of Iesus Christ giue mee his holy spirite in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time I receiued M. S. his letter wherein hee declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue beene not a little grieued because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrances and other waighty affayres I haue beene hindred hitherto from wrighting vnto you and albeit euen still I am euen in the same case yet conscience towardes God compassion loue towards you forceth me to ouercom lets which hardly I could otherwise preuaile against and albeit I cannot write as I woulde yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed groundes I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ if you will not too much faint in faith and yeelde to the aduersary yea if you will but hope so well of your selfe as in the feare of God I doo write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you tarried not still at Cambridge according to mine aduise you must knowe I aduised it not as a thing necessary but more conuenient as I then supposed but that I aduised you to obaye your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelding I canot see how you offended it beeing your Fathers pleasure you should so doo and who knoweth whether beeing here you might not haue bin as much troubled there beeing no priuiledge for persons and places In such cases who knoweth whether it be the Lordes pleasure for the ensample and instruction I hope the consolation of others in the ende And albeit you will nowe thinke that heere you were nearer the the more stronger means yet knowe you and bee perswaded that God can doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such meanes as wee cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God dooth offer vs as wee should I beseech you therefore in the name of
praier the Sacrament of the supper the companie of gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it bee verie grieuous yet it is neuer daÌ„ger us much lesse is it fearfull vnlesse anie bee so wilfull that they persevere and continue in desperate refusing al good means vnles they perseuere I say for through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie and his forceable power wherby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to wexe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fittes yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake verie euill of them But all this is but temptation and therefore God will bee mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake Thus Iob cursed the daye of his birth wished to be straÌ„gled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstain from blasphemie Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition though dutifully admonished wilfully weÌ„t on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriouslye presuming of his owne strength being most wisely effectualy admonished of his weaknes euen by our Lorde Iesus yet wittingly rusheth as the horse into the battel then verie cowardlye yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengthneth his sinne with a threefold coard and fastneth it with banning and cursings yet all these obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Satan desired to winnowe them so our Lord Iesus praied for them that theyr fayth though it was vehemently assaulted it should not be ouercome although it was battered yet that if should not bee destroied and though it was oppressed yet it shuld not be extinguished And here bee you fully perswaded that albe it Luk. 22. 31. the wordes seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter vz. I haue praid for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he praied for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon sathan hath desired to winow thee but you Why then saith hee I haue praied for thee Verely because hee should more greeuously offend than the rest although their offence was verie great therefore hys and our most blessed Sauior applyed to him the promise but not appropriated it vnto him onely and restrained it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. you shall see that the heauenlye verity affirmeth that he praied not only for the Apostles but for all those that shoulde beleeue through their word yea farther Our Lorde Iesu Christ was yesterdaye is to day shalbe for euer And as the fore-fathers were baptized vnto him and did eate his flesh and drink his blood so was his praier effectuall euen to them vnder the lawe then more to vs vnder grace And when you can find testimonie in your hart that wheÌ„ you would doo well euill is present with you and that ye doo the euil you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more when sataÌ„ works with al buffeting you assure you GOD hath pity on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weaknes If you beleeue according to your faith it shalbe done vnto you Bâ—â—â—ou will say you cannot beâ—â—â—â— that this vile crooked hardnes of your hart can be remitted and renued and eueÌ„ this was the second point which in the former part of my Letter I gaue you to vnderstaÌ„d was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirite nor to your self who hath receiued it Tell me what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and frute of faith therefore there may be faith without feeling aswell as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without anie appearance of frute yea of sap for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward show of his owne indnment and feeling so may a spiritual man be fore wounded by satan and diseased by the present sight and feeling of his sinful corruptions speally in temptation that hee may think yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholly faile as you haue heard or else the praier of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid in the one and fiftie Psal. the twelueth verse declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirite crooked or vnstable and in the fourteenth verse that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet in the thirteenth vearse hee prayeth that GOD would not take his holie spirit from him therefore hereby it appeared hee was not depriued of the spirite of sanctification Heere seemeth to bee repugnaunce but there is not anie hee was depriued indeed for a time of the graces of the sanctifiyng spirite but not of the holie Ghost wherwithall hee was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will do vnto you Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy partly Satan working therewith make you doo iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the Spirite in you which I beseech you to take heed of But the messenger cannot staye and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedie which you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall enable me and I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in perticular somwhat more and by this Bearer if you can becaus he is of your acquaintance and will bring it to me faithfully Onely I doo adde now vnto you that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the Woorde Create which Dauid vseth in the one and fiftie Psalme declaring that he had no feeling of his hearte To this ioyn that which the Prophet Esay speketh in the person of God 57. 23. I create the frute of the lips to be peace peace to him that is far off as to him that is nere Therfore in faith you may as well praye with hope to obtain as did Dauid therfore say with him often and with Gods people Esay 64. 12. O Lord thou art our Father we indeed are claye but thou art our maker wee are the worke of thy hands