make him shame thee before the whole world at the last Iudgement or make thee shame thy selfe to no purpose before many on thy death-bed Euery secret thing must be made open euery hidden thing must bee brought to light O now drag this corner-seeking and light-shining vice into the open view by a free and plaine confession as thou hast beene exhorted that it may not at that day remaine to bee laid open to thine eternall confusion If thou tellest me that thou hast bin long time a professour of religion hast long accounted thy self the child of God therfore if the matter be brought to that passe that after all this while thou must be faine to take vpon thee the name of an Hypocrite thou canst not see any hope of euer being true I answere thee that this is a vaine feare with which Satan seekes to hinder thee from doing that that is absolutely needfull to thy saluation for this is one and a principall cause that thou wast neuer yet true because thou wouldest neuer yet be made to see thy felse false But remoue this impediment by the much perswaded confession I call for at thine hands and whatsoeuer thou hast been and how long soeuer thou shalt bee made true for God comes hither now in this his ordinance to make thee true if thou doe not make thy selfe vncapable of truth by refusing to acknowledge thy want of truth wherefore breaking thorow all vnwillingnesse and delayes and laying aside all shifts and defences fall vpon thy knees in thy secret chamber and there say vnto thy selfe and in more words complaine against thy selfe vnto God that thou art as yet an Hypocrite a barren branch that standeth euery houre in perill of being cut off This done 2. A constant lamenting of his hypocrisie in the second place frame thy selfe to mourning and sorrow for thine hypocrisie and ferret out thy guile by lamenting it For there is no sinne or corruption in the heart of man so tyrannous and ouer-ruling but that godly sorrow will fetch it downe and ouer-master it Indeed a little whimpering griefe a sigh or two a teare or two a sad countenance for a Sermon time or so will not preuaile The best medicine that is will not heale a sore if there bee not a sufficient quantity of it applyed if it bee not constantly applyed and followed close He that will be content to grieue a little at Church or so for his guile and out of the present euidence of the Spirit working with the Word will perhaps yeeld to see and to lament his hollownesse but lets the matter passe quickly and takes no more paines about it shall anger the sore as it were and not heale it and by carelesse neglecting of Gods grace in such motions offered hee shall cause his hypocrisie to fester more and grow more incurable for euen this weake worke of the Word will helpe out of his owne erronious disposition to coozen him and to make him too soone thinke himselfe vpright and so he shall neuer become vpright But the sorrow I speake of must be a settled and constant sorrow which a man must let rest vpon his soule and willingly entertaine within himselfe many a day together though not in a violent manner to hinder his other occasions yet in a still quiet maner to make his thoughts in the middest of all other occasions as well they may without offering any wrong vnto such occasions be still running vpon the matter of his guile and in an inward and silent manner continuing to bemone the same within himselfe A spirit of griefe will not change an Hypocrite into a true Christian a constant griefe will This then doe as he that hath a grieuous sore or wound applies the curing of that wound aboue all things vntill it be whole set thy selfe for a good space of time together to make it thy principal worke to obserue the working of thine hypocrisie and to bewaile the same Sometimes be earnest with thy selfe and in thy solemne and secret prayers and confessions labour to rend and breake thine heart with grieuous sorrow and to bee wonderfull vile in thine owne eyes because of thy long continued hypocrisie and striue to doe as Peter did for his denying his Master for a counterfeit following him is little better then a denyall of him euen to get alone and weepe at least grieue which may well be without weeping very bitterly and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber yet hold thy thoughts still on worke and let the plaister lye to the sore all the day Be thinking Ah wretched creature I that haue so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite a professor of Religion not changed in heart not washed in the inner man not made a new creature O how great cause hath God to abhorre me haue I to abhorre my selfe that haue so long gone about to coozen God and to mocke mine owne soule And so whatsoeuer thou beest doing let thine heart bee feeding on this bitter herbe of inwardly bemoning thy guile and thine irreformednesse and vnchangednesse of heart Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meate and count them as the best sawce for thy meat yea as the best dish on thy table In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions and in solitarinesse giue thy selfe ouer to them and so continue to doe till thou find a plaine change of thine heart a manifest alteration and so euident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before that at last thou mayest be able which if thou wilt not be weary of striuing within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say Now I finde and feele that I am made new Brethren if any of you had a very sore leg or arme he would be content to goe to some Chirurgion to dresse the same euery morning and euening and let perhaps a smarting plaister lye vpon it all day long and all night too for three weekes or a moneths space together that he might be healed and not lose his ioynt O why should not he that hath an heart diseased with that grieuous fistula of hypocrisie be contented as it were to dresse it twice a day by some solemne secret and earnest lamenting it before God and to let the plaister of griefe lye at it all day by frequent renewing of his sorrowfull thoughts for it that this foule and festered sore may be healed and he may not lose his soule and body both by it Wilt thou not bestow as much time paines care in healing thy soule as thy leg or arme Doubtlesse this care would goe happily forward for God himselfe would be the Chirurgion and health would follow without faile for the medicine is soueraigne and hath been tryed by many and prescribed by an excellent and skilfull person Saint Iames bids wauering-minded and double-hearted men hee meaneth Hypocrites to turne their laughter into teares and to afflict themselues and
's no longer nor further then as he will impart with him is wisedome with him is power greatnesse and riches and Maiesty and dominion are his Hee is infinitely iust and righteous hating sinne with ten thousand times more vehement hatred then wee can thinke hee doth and punisheth it with ten thousand times more seuerity then wee can thinke he will He is thorowly and thorowly acquainted with all that is in man needeth not to receiue information from any other His eyes in euery place behold the euill and the good and he is most fearefull and terrible to the sinner and euen farre more burning then any consuming fire Put thy selfe therefore in mind frequently of his all-searching eye all-hearing eare almighty hand and euery-where-present presence Say with Dauid Lord whither shall I goe out of thy presence And thou compassest my path and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes He that will thus set his mind on worke often to muze of Gods excellencies shall finde the candle of the knowledge of God to bee lighted vp within his soule And as a theefe endureth not the light and therefore if a candle be tinded he flies so this slie theefe of hypocrisie will bee gone if we set vp and renew this burning lampe of knowledge within vs. Wherefore gather together such worthy texts of Scripture as tend to set foorth God vnto vs and bestow much time in pondering of them and telling thine heart how true they bee and most inconceiueably great and good hee is that hath in them discouered but his backe parts vnto thee and thou shalt soone finde that the beames of this Sunne will dispell the fogs of guile within thee 5. And last to be constant in examining himselfe by the Law and discussing ones owne deeds Last of all thou must be constant in examining thy selfe by the Law of God and in discussing thine owne life calling thy selfe to account often at least euery day for the thoughts words and deeds of the day renewing the sorrowfull confessions of thy soule for what thou findest to bee amisse and thine hearty purposes of amendment Hypocrisie cannot preuaile but where a man doth suffer himselfe to passe on carelesly heedlesly thorow the world not regarding much how matters goe with his soule nor caring to set himselfe in Gods presence and consider how he hath behaued himselfe towards God He that lets his reckonings runne on a long time without setting them in order or considering how they stand is many times a very banquerupt and knowes it not but hee that doth often make his accounts euen doth likely keep before-hand We must daily cast vp our accounts with God we must daily reckon with him and our selues for our debts and arrerages But especially a man must haue a speciall eye vnto that most beloued sinne of his which he takes most delight in is most prone vnto and is lothest to see and leaue and most watchfully marke and obserue each stirring and turning and mouing of it within his soule be it what it will bee worldlinesse passion reuenge vaine-glory lust voluptuousnesse carking or the like Likely hypocrisie that is it selfe a close corruption and loues not to bee seene hath some lieutenant as it were some master-sin that keepes its place openly and holds vp its dominion See this oppose this subdue this and the raigne of guile is ouerthrowne This ferreting out of all sinne by the Law and chiefly of the master-sinne this frequent appearing before God to try our daily conuersation in his presence will cause that a man shall not bee vnder the dominion of guile He shal discouer so much hypocrisie and so much hurt comming to him by hypocrisie and so much good by the purging out of hypocrisie that by confessing and opposing it hee shall gaine certaine freedome from the tyranny and vsurpation thereof Lo brethren so many of you as haue hitherto beene seruants to guile I haue reuealed vnto you the meanes of recouering your liberty Doe these things and though you haue been to this time arrant hypocrites you shall be changed and become vpright Onely doe these things now for the present from this time forward without deferring or delaying without putting off the Lord vntill another time for the plaister will come too late when the sore is past cure After a man is dead make him a cawdle saith the Prouerbe This is madnesse indeed when God hath so long borne with thy dissimulation as that now hee resolues to beare with thee no longer nor euer to pardon thee and therefore turnes thy conscience loose vpon thee to pursue thee as he did on Iudas then shalt thou bee vnable to doe these things and then shalt thou finde it past time a day to thinke of reforming thy guile when God is now in cutting thee off for it for the night will come when no man can work as Christ telleth Wherfore now at the pure reproofes of Gods Word and at the gentle and louing motions of his Spirit addresse thy selfe to this though painfull yet happy and needfull labour of reforming thy guile and I protest vnto thee in the name of the Lord that thou shalt preuaile See thine hypocrisie grieue for it before God considering the certaine and insufferable danger of it and the assurance of escaping it by this meanes and euen falling out with thy selfe because thou canst not grieue more for it and withall pray earnestly vnto the Lord for his Spirit meditate much of his excellencies and presence and vse to marke and examine thy life daily chiefly in respect of thy most deare sinne which thou findest thy selfe lothest to see and leaue and then heare thou the Word of the Lord vnto thee Thy sinne shall be pardoned thy guile shall be remoued and thou shalt from this time forward become a liuing and a fruitfull branch O how happy shall this change be how comfortable this alteration and how shalt thou blesse the time the day the meanes the cause that so changed thee And now I pray you brethren giue mee leaue yet a little further to presse this exhortation vpon your consciences Answere each of you within himselfe and say What is thy resolution and what intendest thou to doe Wilt thou passe ouer this exhortation as carelesly as thou hast already done many others and goe as fruitlesly from this Sermon as from others heretofore neuer regarding to amend the sin which the Word of God discouereth vnto thee to bee so mischieuous wilt thou I say euen neglect and set light by this admonition and euen forget it so soone as thy backe is turned on the Church and neuer take care of following it or wilt thou heed it obserue it follow it and now begin to make thy selfe a true Christian by purging out the formerly preuailing guile of thy soule Come to a resolution before thou goest hence what thou wilt doe whether obey the Word of God or disobey it practise it or let it slide
of God shall haue the vpper hand and our faith shall bee our victory We are many times little lesse then out of heart because the proceedings doe seeme very slow and well-neere indiscernable But bee not discouraged O ye Christian soules promise your selues victory in this spirituall conflict for the Lord doth fight on your side and you shall conquer In truth we want much of that mortification which we might attaine if out of this confidence we would put forth our selues to the vtmost The diuel labours to make vs beleeue that it wil be to no purpose to resist our lusts wee haue so often resolued to leaue such a fault and cannot yet leaue it we haue thus often resolued against anger lust pride worldlinesse and the like and yet behold the passions and motions of them are stirring and also breake forth againe sure therefore it will neuer be better and it is in vaine to continue striuing about that which cannot bee effected These be the heartlesse and vnbeleeuing conclusions wherewith the diuell and the flesh would dismay vs. But now know thou that these conclusions are false I tell thee the quite contrary in the name of the Lord It shall not be in vaine to striue against sinne the husbandman will prune the branches and shall not hee bee able to bring his workes to passe according to his promise Tell me from thine owne feeling doe not these sins vexe thee more and more and art thou not more and more angry and discontented against thy selfe for them and more and more out of loue with thy selfe because of them if so as sure thou canst not deny but it is so then all is safe this is to be in pruning now the sinne is dying onely doe thou make vse of Gods words to Ioshua fighting against the Canaanites Faint not nor bee discouraged but take to thy selfe a valiant spirit to continue praying against meditating on the Word of God and the death of Christ opposing the first motions of it and vsing all other good wayes that God hath directed thee vnto for the subduing of it and I say vnto thee thou shalt prosper goe vp and fight against these Philistims and the Lord will deliuer them into thine hands Our want of being sufficiently purged doth come from want of sufficient indeuours to purge our selues and this want springeth from a want of faithful assurance of Gods assistance and good successe in our indeuours But now I beseech you all that bee members of Christ set in earnestly and with a good courage and you shall vanquish them you shall more and more preuaile against them till at last you haue quite ouercome them in the ouercomming of the last enemy which is death If wee did labour against sin alone in our owne strength we should finde indeed that vaine is the helpe of man and the labour of flesh and blood in this behalfe but the God of heauen he is the husbandman and hee pruneth The Lord is present with thy prayers to make them effectuall for the killing of thy lusts The Lord is present in his Word to make it a two-edged sword to cut off all carnall affections and to wound the body of death more and more The Lord is present with thine holy meditations to make them effectuall to weaken any of thy sinfull passions Faint not therefore but stir vp thy selfe to worke with God in those holy exercises know that thy successe shall be as often it hath been with Gods people in the naturall battell farre beyond thine expectation And of the matter of Gods Husbandry so farre We must now looke into the end and effect of it for God will neuer misse of his ends though hee often misse of those ends whereto his actions in their owne nature are fitted and which speaking after the manner of men to our capacity he tells vs that he intended This is that they may bring forth more fruit CHAP. XVI Containing the fourth poynt of doctrine that the people of God must increase in fruitfulnesse SO are we come to the last poynt wee intended to speake of Doct. 4 The true Christian must waxe better and better viz. that the true branches of the Vine must labour to increase in fruitfulnesse Euery true Christian man must proceed and goe forward in the fruits of the Spirit growing better and better and more and more abundant in the worke of the Lord. As we looke that a tree the longer it growes in our Orchard the more and more increase it should yeeld vs in like manner should wee behaue our selues towards God The Apostle Peter wisheth vs to long for the sincere milke of the Word that we may grow thereby A Christian is like a young child that sucketh on the brest of his mother who doth to this end receiue that kindly nourishment that he may increase in stature and strength of body Paul aduertizeth the Thessalonians saying I beseech you brethren as you haue receiued of vs how you ought to walke and to please God 1. Thes 4.1 and 10. that yee abound more and more And afterwards concerning brotherly loue We beseech you that you increase more and more And Dauid saith Psalm 92.14 that the trees which are planted in the courts of Gods House doe bring forth fruit in their age and are fat and flourishing But the poynt is without deniall and the reasons of it are more then euident Reason 1 First they are short of perfection They are not yet perfect so long as they liue in this world and therefore must striue forward to perfection Paul himselfe tels the Philippians that he pressed hard towards the marke because he not yet reached it and wisheth as many as are perfect to be so minded In a race a man must neuer cease running till hee touch the goale wee shall neuer touch the goale of perfection till wee haue deliuered vp our soules into the hands of God by death for heere we know but in part and therefore can doe nothing in whole hence it followes that till death we must be still going onward When a man hath attained his full stature he must grow then indeed hee needeth onely nutrition but till then augmentation is requisite for these two motions are very different as you know and his limmes must become greater and stronger yea and will doe so vnlesse diseases hinder Now we be but striplings or rather infants in goodnesse In truth wee are but in the wombe of the Church all the while we walke in this world our death-day will be our birth day and then we shall at once be made full and compleat wherefore till then there must be a continuall addition of grace to that wee haue already receiued Indeed some Christians in comparison of others are called strong men as euen of infants in the wombe some are perfecter then other but simply there is none a full growne man brought to the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of Christ
till hee be fully vnited to Christ and walke no longer by faith but by sight seeing as he is seene and knowing as hee is knowne Wee must conclude then to be walking forwards till we lye downe in graues for neuer are we at our iourneys end till then Secondly Reason 2 God hath offred them sit meanes of growing the Lord hath affoorded and prouided vs sufficient meanes and helpes to grow The Word of God is able to build vs vp yet further the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth bring the body and blood of Christ vnto vs to be our spirituall food The Spirit of God that worketh in and with these and all other meanes is a spirit of life and serueth not alone to mortifie the deeds of our flesh but to quicken our inward man also till wee come to bee perfect men in Christ and haue his Image fully renewed in vs. We want none helpes this way that wee can desire if we want not care to vse them and we may bee well assured that hee which hath prouided them did neuer intend that they should bee prouided in vaine but that hee would haue vs vse them and by the vsing attaine the fruit of them Thirdly Reason 3 if we grow not better If they grow not better they shall soone grow worse it cannot bee long afore we grow worse There will bee a sensible decay of grace after a little while if there bee not some addition to it Wee moue either vpward or downeward and wee cannot long hang in the middest for things that doe but tend to perfection and haue not yet gotten it if they approch not neerer to it will bee remoued further from it If the fire be not fed with fewell it will goe out and a young tree if it cease shooting vp its branches doth quickly cease to liue All naturall motions are more and more earnest towards their ending and so much more swift by how much they grow neerer to their proper place of rest so must all the motions of goodnes be in Gods Saints Last of all Reason 4 our growing in grace here Growth in grace will procure growth in glory shall procure vnto vs a growth in glory hereafter The more holinesse we attaine in this world the more happinesse wee shall attaine in the other world Euery dram of grace shall bee rewarded as it were with a pound of glory If we be rich in the worke of the Lord our labour shall not bee in vaine in the Lord but hee will exceeding plentifully requite all the seruices which wee haue performed for him and all the vertues which wee haue for his sake laboured to get and exercise He that sowes liberally shall reape liberally hee that sowes sparingly shall also reape sparingly This life is our seedes-time that to come must be our haruest Who would not bee incouraged by so inestimable rewards to straine himselfe to all painfulnesse that he may grow So it is possible to grow in grace for we haue sufficient helpes and meanes it is profitable for we shall grow in glory and that also proportionably it is necessary for we are not yet come to our full growth yea it is of absolute necessity so to grow for else we shall grow worse and worse euen from ought to nought as the Prouerbe speaketh and all these reasons confirme the poynt and shew that it is the duty of Gods people to wax better and better onely it may be demanded whether that all the Saints of God do performe this duty and bee in act more holy and vertuous euery day then other To which I answere that it is with Gods people as with children who are subiect to many sicke sits in which they doe weare away and euen lose their flesh and strength but yet for all that they recouer and come to be men at last yea and strong men too A Christian oftentimes doth goe backward for a season Sometimes Gods people for a time doe grow worse but they recouer and become more humble that is better at length but hee recouers himselfe feeles his going backe returneth and at the last becomes better indeed though not in his owne feeling then euer he was For after it may bee some long fainting and fading of grace hee is brought backe with a deeper sence of his owne basenesse then euer he had before and so growing in humility growes likewise in all graces for with the growth of that all doe grow though perhaps he may not liue to doe so many excellent workes as formerly hee had done and so the story of holy Writ doth shew that it was with Dauid who seemed worse after his settling in the Kingdome then before and was so for a while but rising vp againe hee was more holy then euer before though he fought not so many battels as before CHAP. XVII Containing the first vse of the last poynt viz. a terrour to them that grow worse NOw this poynt concerning the branches bringing forth more fruit Vse 1 Terrour to them that decay rather serueth to discouer the vnhappinesse of those men in whom no such growth is found but the quite contrary viz. that are grown backwards and falne behinde hand being more feeble in all graces and scant in all good workes then formerly they were wont to be And thus alacke it is with many a man Time was when they were frequent in hearing the Word of God and could not bee kept from it by any meanes now their hunger after it is turned into fulnesse and the least occasion that is will detaine them from it yea rather then faile they will quarrell with the Minister either for some poynt of doctrine which hee teacheth contrary to their minds or for some faultinesse in the manner of teaching or for some mis-behauiour of life or for some thing or other against which they can alleage any probable shew of quarrell rather then that they will not seeme to themselues to haue cause of not caring to come to heare They were wont to reade much and pray often and take time to meditate vpon those things which they had heard but now all these things are either quite laid aside or very seldome performed once they were abundant in workes of mercy now they are scant and sparing formerly they were liuely in their seruices now little lesse then dead and so it is with them that any man which hath occasion of conuersing with them may plainly perceiue them to be changed from better to worse O this is a lamentable condition hauing its originall in the ouergrowth of voluptuousnesse worldlinesse pride or some other like carnall affection and shall haue its issue either in some grieuous sinne or heauy calamity or both euen though they bee Gods children I dare not say brethren that it may not befall a true Christian thus to fade for a season and yet the withering of the blade is a sore signe of a stony ground But this I dare
power of being healed and knit againe by the meanes of some playster or medicine skilfully applyed but cut a sticke of wood or breake it in peeces and no playsters will make vp the wound or knit the broken peeces together againe So is it with corrupted mankinde and this is all that the truth of Gods Word will giue vs leaue to ascribe to man as a reason of his being truely ingraffed into Christ he is capable of such a worke of Gods Spirit But the Principall and onely actiue cause 2. From God is Gods power and goodnesse that cause beyond which it is a madnesse to enquire for any other cause The Lord doth please to bestow effectuall grace vpon those whom he will receiue to mercie whereby they haue not alone their mindes inlightned to some perceiuing of the truth of Gods word but also their wills by the mighty operation of the holy Ghost subdued to the obedience of the same So by the infusing of a new life into them they are inabled to become such as hee doth wish them to be and as themselues desire to be accounted Were it not for this grace all in the Church would be hypocrites as well as any but it pleaseth the Lord to bestow that grace vpon one whom he hath inabled to desire it that hee may gratiously bestow it which to another hee giueth not but leaueth him to his owne carelesnesse of it that missing it by his owne default his blood may bee vpon his owne head So the perdition of hypocrites is of themselues because they willingly refuse the goodnesse of God which hee doth offer them the soundnesse and happinesse of the Saints of God is of his free grace that breakes the yoake of sinne which held them vnder and makes them willing of vnwilling and able of vnable to turne themselues vnto him For to imagine as some will needes doe that the Lord doth deale no more bountifully with one than with another of the members of the Church but that the cause why one becomes an hypocrite the other preuaileth to vprightnesse is meerely and wholly in themselues is a fancie I thinke so contrary to all both Scripture and experience of Gods Saints that hardly can any be deceiued with it but hee that neuer felt what it was to be vpright and whence it came And thus haue we laid before you the truth of this point CHAP. III. Shewing the description and sorts of hypocrites NOw it is very requisite that wee make a plaine and sound explication of it to the intent that euery man may discerne of himselfe and of his owne estate whether himselfe be an hypocrite yea or no. Wee will therefore doe our best to lay the matter open clearely that it may bee euidently discouered to them that will take the paines of inquiring about the point who is guilefull who without guile and for this purpose it is necessary to stand vpon these foure heads First to shew what an hypocrite is secondly to shew the diuers sorts or rather degrees of hypocrites thirdly to set downe some generall notes of difference betwixt the true-hearted and the hypocrite Lastly to declare more particularly the agreement disagreement of them both in foure principall and maine graces whereof the one hath alone the shadow the other the substance that is first in knowledge secondly in faith thirdly in repentance fourthly in good life or in obedience First then for the describing of an hypocrite What an hypocrite is viz we must make vse of a necessary rule of Logicke which bids vs to define the concrete by the abstract as they terme it as no man can possibly declare what a white thing is but by conceiuing and expressing what is whitenesse nor what a prowd man is but by vnderstanding what pride is nor what an hypocrite is but by knowing what is hypocrisie And againe we must vnderstand that vertues and vices do not denominate their subiects vnlesse they be in them in so high a degree as to preuaile and be predominant ouer their contraries as nothing is called white but that in which whitenesse so preuaileth that it partaketh more of white than of any other colour and if a thing doe so pertake of whitenesse we call it white though it faile much of the whitest whitenesse that may be So is hee called a proud man in whom pride preuaileth an infidell whom infidelitie ruleth a reuengeful man in whom reuenge doth beare sway and a couetous man in whom couetousnesse raigneth And so must wee likewise conclude in the present matter that hee is an hypocrite in whom hypocrisie preuaileth and beareth rule To the making of an hypocrite therefore three things must concurre A prosessor of Christian religion in whom hypocrisie ruleth first a fit subiect viz. such an one as doth at least in appearance professe himselfe to be a Christian and to beleeue in Christ As nothing can bee called an vnfruitfull branch if it bee not a branch so neither can any man bee termed an hypocrite vnlesse at least externally he bee in Christ in this meaning as wee now take the word hypocrite in opposition to a sound member of Christ Secondly there must be in that subiect an adiunct that vice of hypocrisie and thirdly this vice must bee in that subiect in such degree as to beare to rule and to bee as they terme it predominant Wherefore for our further information in this matter which is most exceeding needfull to be very distinctly knowne and conceiued of wee must search into the nature of that crooked What hypocrisie is viz. selfe-couering and selfe-cousening vice of hypocrisie about which wee neede not goe farre but alone turne our thoughts to the Apostles description of it 2. Tim. 3.5 viz. that it is a forme of godlinesse without the power thereof It a false fained goodnes a goodnesse alone painted and put on and counterfeited In plaine words thus you may describe it A corruption of the will A corruption of the will inclining it selfe to doe some good leaue some euill for ones owne sake whereby it inclineth it selfe to seeme good by doing some good and leauing some euill for ones owne sake For euery man is naturally desirous to haue other men esteeme him good and to esteeme of himselfe also as of one that is good and because neither will his neighbours conceiue so of him neither can hee so conceiue of himselfe without some ground for such conceit he is therefore willing to doe something that may worke in others and in himselfe such an opinion of him and to auoyde some other things that might procure the contrary opinion Yea euery man naturally is willing to be happy and willing to think that he shall be happy yet because this thought cannot be maintained without some colour of reason hee is also willing to doe some things that he may thinke will further his happynes and auoyde some other things that will hinder it Now when a man
ouer-greedily feede vpon the promises as a childe will doe on sweet things euen to surfeting and as you know children are apt to eate their meate without bread in the meane space not caring to apply to himselfe the Commaundements for his direction and the threats for his humiliation yea the more forward he is in taking to himselfe the promises by way of vsurpation the lesse carefull he is of taking the precepts and threats of the Word and laying them close to his soule also Thus he maketh it manifest that it is not the holy Ghost which doth inable him to lay holde vpon the promises and to rest himselfe vpon them but that it is the presumptuous boldnesse of his owne selfe-loue which maketh him forward to lay violent hands vpon any thing that hee thinketh is good for him and to pull it to himselfe as it were whether God will or no. But now the true hearted Christian doth in the same degree apply the other parts of the Word to himselfe that the promises of saluation and Gods goodnesse in Christ Hee doth not seuer what God would haue ioyned but because it is the good Spirit of God that frameth his heart to receiue Christ and relie vpon him therefore by the direction of the same Spirit which must needs moue him to be of the same minde towards those things that are equally true and equally from God he feedeth also vpon the sowre herbs of the threats to humble himselfe as need requires and ceaseth not to vrge the precepts vpon himselfe for his continuall direction So the hypocrite separateth what God would haue ioyned picking out of the Word that that likes him best I meane the comfortable promises and casting the rest behinde his backe But the true Christian ioyneth those things together that God would haue ioyned making vse of the whole Word to himselfe as well as much as carefully in their times and places as of the promises Againe the hypocrite applies the promises falsely not according to the tenour of the Scripture The hypocrite applies the promises falsely to himselfe not regarding to seeke for in himselfe the conditions by which the promises are limited but according to his owne fancie not duly deducting his particular perswasion out of the generall directions of the Word but sophistically concluding in his owne behalfe according as best liketh him The Lord hath made many gratious promises in his Word by name that principall promise of saluation And it hath pleased God to limit these promises to those that doe such and such things requiring as you would say certaine conditions to be performed on his part that must enioy these promises Now the hypocrite hee neuer looketh to his part nor mindeth what care he hath of standing to the condition but gapeth after the good thing promised without any more adoe and thinkes himselfe sure of that vpon some sleithy reason and there an end Therefore Iohn Baptist warned them that they should not begin to say wee haue Abraham to our Father but should bring forth fruites worthie amendment of life Heere hee shewes the fore as it were of their presuming and false faith by telling them of the remedy An hypocrite hee loues to be short in applying the promises and doth it by enthymems Christ dyed to saue sinners and therefore I shall be saued forgetting to tell himselfe what things are required of such sinners as Christ must saue and to consider afore hee draw that conclusion whether himselfe haue the properties of such a sinner yea or no. Or thus I shall be saued because I come to Church receiue the Sacraments do many good things or the like not remembring that more is required than all this of him that would be saued But now the true Christian The true-hearted applies truly still vrging himselfe to performāce of these conditions he is more wary and better aduised in drawing his conclusion he will be sure to finde in himselfe those graces which are required in him whom the promises doe concerne afore hee conclude to himselfe that hee shall receiue the promises Hee will not content himselfe to say The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord I come to Church c. nor to say I haue Abraham for my Father but he must finde in himselfe fruits worthy amendment of life or else he will neuer giue credit to his owne thoughts that it shall be well with him So the one doth build his speciall conclusion vpon false grounds and falsely deducteth his particular assurance out of the generall promise the other truely gathereth his comfortable assurance to him selfe and will not hold fast his conclusions vnlesse hee can by the Word of God assuredly iustifie his premises The one reasons falsely out of GODS Word because he neglects to proue both propositions from thence the other is neuer well till hee can make good by euidence of Scripture both parts of his reason and so his conclusion must needs hold good and sure for the holy Ghost hauing wrought those graces in him which the promises doe specifie causeth that by comparing himselfe with the promises he can soundly comfort his owne heart but the hypocrite not hauing these graces in him and yet desirous to enioy the benefits offered will rather beleeue vpon sleight proofes than that hee will seeme to himselfe to want a part in so pretious and excellent benefits Thus the difference of the faith of the true Christian and the hypocrite hath beene laid open The next thing wherein wee must make a comparison betwixt them is in the point of repentance CHAP. VIII Shewing how the repentance of hypocrites may be distinguished from the repentance of true Christians REpentance which is a turning from sinne vnto God hath two parts the one humiliation in regard of the faults that haue beene already committed and the other reformation in regard of that part of the life which is to come heereafter by leauing the euil one hath liued in and performing the good hee hath neglected An hypocrite may goe a great way both in humiliation and in reformation and yet hee will neuer goe farre enough Let vs consider what he can doe and wherein hee giues himselfe leaue to faile An hypocrite then may come to be very sory for some sinne or sinnes that he hath committed An hypocrite may confesse some sinnes to God with great sorrow and that so as to weepe for it with some plentie of bitter teares and also he may come to confesse his sinne or sinnes not alone to men in some cases but in some cases also to God in secret Exod 9.17 10.16 And thus Pharaoh once or twice acknowledged to Moses that he had sinned no doubt with great sorrow for the present time that he had so long continued obstinate So did Saul with teares confesse to Dauid 1. Sam. 14.17 26.21 O my sonne Dauid I haue sinned and thou art more righteous than I. So Iudas came with extremity of
doth as Dà uid after the numbring of the people through the smiting of his owne heart betake himselfe vnto the Lord say O Lord I haue done excēeding foolishly Matth. 26.75 and as Peter after his deniall of his Master before any crosse before any force offered out of his owne tendernesse of conscience goe forth by and by and weepe bitterly Neither yet is Gods child so vnsensible of a crosse but that his afflictions doe make him looke vnto his sinnes and bestow those teares in lamenting them which the power of nature hath stirred vp And it is an happy effect of his chastisements that they increase his godly sorrow and so help to take away his sinnes but yet he doth not only mourne then he doth labour euen in prosperity to mourne for sinne and to make vse of Gods kindnesse in bestowing benefits to become a meanes of humbling him and making him grieue and in a word godly sorrow is a content vnto him and nothing doth him more good than that hee can kindly bewaile his sinnes and mourne ouer Iesus Christ A stinging crosse a bitter tentation an earnest exhortation and the power of a good Sermon may draw an hypocrite to teares but a godly man without any of these things will set himselfe to mourne and lament and most willingly out of the loue hee beares to God whom his sinnes haue offended wil euen turne his ioy into sorrow and his laughter into teares Thus you see the difference of hypocriticall humiliation from that that is vpright Reformation is another part of repentance and here we will shew how much the hypocrite may reach vnto An hypocrite may amend his life very much by the meanes of the Word preached and wherein he is defectiue An hypocrite may reforme diuers things that are amisse in him and that at the preaching of the Word and by meanes of the exhortations which hee heareth in a Sermon but herein he faileth that in some one or other thing he must be held excused Hee brooks not the generalitie of that little large word all you kill him when you presse vpon him that vniuersall exhortation Ezech. 18. Cast away from you all your transgressions O no! this he cannot doe some one or two faults are as it were darlings vnto him his soule is in loue with them and he must be dispenced with he cannot leaue them In any thing else hee will bee ruled by God but in such a thing hee must needs craue pardon though it be a sinne hee hopes it is not so great but that hee may bee borne withall therein for alacke hee cannot liue vnlesse he doe it or so forth The hypocrite hath euermore some hand or foote that he will not cut off some eye that he will not pull out and fling from him some dearely beloued sinne some most pretious euill some most sweete or gainefull offence that he cannot tell which way in the world to forgoe and therefore loues not to heare of amending it would not be reprooued for it would not be called vpon to forsake it would not think of it but would turne away his thoughts from it and would faine haue his conscience also forbeare to vrge him in that matter The hypocrite still liketh some one sin so that hee would not heare of it the true Christian would mend all and desires to heare most of those hee can least reforme Psal 119.6 He keepes some one or other wickednesse vnder his tongue as a most daintie morsell which he cannot find in his heart to spit out But now the true godly man desireth and purposeth in all things to please God hee hath respect as Dauid speaketh to all Gods commandements without picking or chusing he takes the whole Law as it lieth before him and frameth his will to bow and bend which way soeuer God will haue it whatsoeuer thing he knowes to bee a dutie that hee resolueth to doe without any further excepting or cauilling and whatsoeuer he knoweth to be a sinne that he determineth to cast from him what euer it be what euer may follow thereupon He knowes that God is a Soueraigne commander and that his will must be followed in one thing as well as another Iames 2.10 and that hee which keepeth the whole Law besides failing yet wittingly in one point is guiltie of all Wherefore hee doth not dare to giue himselfe a licence of departing from the knowne way of Gods Law in any thing Indeed a good man findeth some sinnes harder to him to leaue than others and some duties harder than others to performe but yet his purpose determination resolution is to be found obedient to God in those things also and hee doth most earnestly striue against his owne corruptions there where hee finds them most apt to be opposite to Gods Word and takes most paines to make himselfe straight there where hee finds himselfe most crooked whereas the hypocrite tolerates some euill in himselfe and takes libertie so to transgresse making some shift or other to daube vp his conscience and to secure himself from the checks thereof Thus Iudas would neuer leaue purloyning and licking his fingers as the prouer be hath it after once the bag was committed to his custodie The true heart allowes no one knowne sinne whatsoeuer the hypocrite euermore allowes at least some one sinne that hee either knowes or suspects to be sinne Satan hath alwaies some peculiar or exempt place in his heart and life where hee may reigne without controle and whether the iurisdiction of Gods Word may not be suffered to extend And yet sometimes also the hypocrite will seeme to make a proffer of pulling his necke out of Satans yoke The hypocrite for a little will make an offer to amend his best beloued sinne by promising to leaue and beginning for a spirt to make as if he would leaue his most beloued sinne but quickly returne to follow it with greedines the Christian neuer returnes againe to an allowed practice of it So Simon Magus for a little while began to desist from following his sorceries and Pharaoh said once or twice that he would let the people goe and twice Saul promised Dauid faire that he would surcease to trouble him any further But this mood holdeth not long he quickly returneth to his old wallow and laps vp like an vncleane curre his filthy vomit which hee had formerly disgorged I do not meane that he is ouertaken only to do the same fault againe once or twice or oftner for that may befall the true Christian also but he proceedes to allow himselfe in doing of it to goe on in it and follow it with greedinesse excusing it or hardning himselfe in it at least comming to this passe that hee cannot leaue it that it is not possible and therefore it is in vaine for him to striue about an impossible matter and so hee returneth to make a trade of his sin for all his good promises and offers of
promises and threats and to say within your selues this good or euill shall surely be performed vnto me accordingly And so mighty is the Word of God that if it be thus hidden in the heart it shall surely purge the heart make it good if it be ingraffed in the soule it is able to saue the soule if it bee couered with earth it wil bring forth a crop neither is any branch so barren and vnfruitfull but by thus applying the Word to it selfe in priuate meditation it shall by little and little be made fruitfull But many men doe want the power of the Word because they content themselues barely to reade or heare the Word or if they marke it a little for the present they esteeme-that sufficient neuer taking care to goe alone and lay it fast vnto their owne hearts Take knowledge I pray you brethren of the true cause why the Word of God doth not profit the most of your soules you come hither to heare it perhaps also you gine some reasonable heede to it and can remember what was spoken and can talke of it a little if occasion serue but the world with its businesses or delights doth so bewiteh and beguile you that you can find neither heart nor time neither wil nor leasure to call againe to mind the things that you haue heard and to aske your selues Doe I this dutie am I guilty of this sinne doth not this reproofe pertaine to me haue I any part in this promise and accordingly to striue with your owne hearts to be either humbled or comforted and so to resolue on amendment and reformation according to the Word This is the cause that we haue so too too many fruitlesse hearers Hence it is that so much is taught so little practised How long will you continue to neglect this most sauing and most profitable exercise of binding the Word on the tables of your hearts and of incorporating it into your soules and being Gods instruments to ingraue it in your owne minds by meditating on it and by busying your cogitations vpon it afterwards as a thing that much concerneth you How often haue you been told that much hearing without meditation wil breede nothing but a swimming knowledge that it will not beget holinesse that it will not renew the soule but that hearing seconded with meditation will quicken and will sanctifie I pray you take notice of this fault amend it Redeeme time as to come and hearken to the voyce of God speaking to thee so likewise to get alone afterwards and apply it to thy selfe in thy serious meditations Certainely if we did thus declare our high esteeme of Gods Word and make it appeare that our soules did account of it as of a thing most pretious and healthfull to our soules the Lord of heauen would not faile to giue his blessing and to make it mighty to the working of a godly conuersation in vs it should bring forth the fruit of good liuing But lastly Lastly pray to God to make vs frui full by his Spirit you must also ioyne with your meditating which he that meditateth cannot but doe he that meditates not can hardly doe in any earnestnesse constant prayer vnto God for his holy Spirit to write his Law in your inward parts to engraue it in the fleshly tables of your hearts and to moue and incline your wills to obedience that so you may become the Epistle of God ministred by men For fruitfulnesse is a supernaturall effect it comes not from any power inherent in mans soule or arising from his owne wil but it is an effect of the spirit of life and grace which is sent from Christ the Vine as it were sap into the seuerall branches that doe sucke and draw it from him in his ordinances and by name by faithfull and earnest and continuall requesting it at his hands You must therefore make conscience to call vpon God for the good worke of his spirit to helpe you to liue holily to make you assured of his loue feruent in loue to him zealous of his glory and constant in walking in his lawes And in particular you must daily beg of him to strengthen you for the performance of such and such duties and leauing of such and such sinnes as from time to time the Word of God which you heare doth call vpou you to leaue or to performe God will be entreated for all good things and hee hath bound himselfe not to deny the requests of all that call on him Matth. 7.8 Euery one that seeketh findeth O comfortable and large promise answering all obiections and able to stay vp the soule against all discouragements Neuer any man was so wicked sinful but if he would come to the Lord earnestly beseech him for his name sake to change his heart and life and continue constant in following this suite the Lord did surely hearken vnto him and make him godly You cannot be good of your selues but you may if you will not winke see your owne badnesse and your owne impotency You may if you will not harden your owne hearts and make your selues carelesse of your owne soules cry and call to God to make you good and importune him with perpetuall supplications to bow and incline your hearts to keep his precepts to open your eyes to see and your hearts to entertayne his holy Law that you may conuert and he may heale you This I say you may doe if you do not make your selues wilfull and obstinate by contemning the exhortations of Gods Word and euen stopping your eares against it and by wilfull turning your hearts after other matters I haue shewed you now how the barren may become fertile how the dry may be filled with sap and how the liues of them may be made godly and Christian which are yet farre from godlinesse and Christianitie See your barrennesse and to attentiue hearing ioyne diligent meditating on the Word you heare and constant prayer vnto GOD for the strength of his Spirit to make his Word effectuall and to giue you grace to obey it then shall you surely be made branches bringing forth fruit for then do you abide in Christ and his word abideth in you and that our Sauiour himselfe doth after wards prescribe as an infallible way to bring forth much fruit CHAP. XIX Containing the fourth vse BVt now it is time that we turn our selues vnto the fruitfull branches The sruitfull must be comforted therein to diuide vnto them that comfort which GOD hath allotted vnto them which this text affordeth and they stand in need of For all those therfore that do bring forth fruit in Christ in such sort as hath bin shewd we haue much good to speake and ioyfull tidings to deliuer Wee are to assure and secure them against all the feares of their owne hearts against all the cauils of Satan and false censures of the wicked world that they be not hypocrites but true-hearted and
you may see that in these words we are led to speake of foure most necessary points The destruction of hypocrites The corruptions of Gods true Saints in that they need pruning The helpe they haue against these corruptios by pruning And the good they get by this pruning viz. growth in godlinesse of which whilst I doe speake with as much plainenesse and euidence as I can let me craue you also to attend with all diligence and reuerence CHAP. II. Shewing the certaine destruction of hypocrites and the degrees and meanes thereof Doct. 1 All hypocrites must be destroyed COme hither therefore I pray you in the first place and behold the end of the hypocrite He is to be cut off All false-hearted guilefull and hollow professors of Christian Religion that are not in truth which they seeme in appearance shall by degrees be surely brought to nought and destroyed The Lord will no more suffer such persons to remaine in his Church vndiscouered and vnconfounded then a good husbandman will suffer dry and rotten branches to remaine vpon the trees of his Orchard vncut off So you haue it in the other Parables also Matth. 3.10 The tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire saith Iohn the Baptist to the men that came to his Baptisme The house that was built vpon the sand when the winde raine and tempest did beate vpon it was quickly tumbled vnder foot Matth. 7.17 and the fall thereof was great saith our Sauiour in the conclusion of his Sermon on the mount The stony ground also withered away in the heate and the thorny was ouerrunne with thornes The earth that drinketh in the raine which commeth vpon it and bringeth forth no better fruit then thornes and bryers is neere vnto cursing whose end shall be burning saith the Author to the Hebrewes And from him that hath not meaning in truth that shall bee taken away which he seemed to haue as our Sauiour tells vs. Saint Iohn doth giue vs examples of this ruine of dissemblers saying of many in his time They went out from vs because they were not of vs. Thus hath the Lord beene abundant in discouering his intended vengeance against the counterfeit Christian That you may the better conceiue of Gods Wisedome and Iustice herein we will shew you in what degrees and by what instruments the Lord doth cut off these dry branches The degrees are likely these and thus they follow one vpon another First whereas they had some workes of common grace bestowed vpon them as the inlightening of their mindes in some measure to conceiue diuine truths the framing of their wils to a liking of exercises of piety a gladnesse to heare and speake of the Word a gladnesse of the company of good men and the like these workes are by Gods iust Iudgement because they refuse to make a good vse of them in turning all to the thorow changing of their hearts and reforming of their liues euen quite withdrawne from them and so there followes a sensible withering they care not for the Word they care not for the company of the Saints that once contented them and Religion seemeth nothing so goodly a thing vnto them as somtimes it did Secondly whereas they had once the spirit of restraint bestowed vpon them to hold downe their corruptions and to keepe the badnesse of their hearts from shewing it selfe in extremity the Lord doth now please to remooue these bars so to auenge himselfe vpon their ingratitude and stubbornnesse that did winke with their eyes and resist the offers of loue made to them and refuse to open the doore when hee stood there and knocked and to giue them ouer into the hands of their owne euill natures that they may breake foorth openly and discouer themselues how rotten they were at heart by running into some such vile practice as carries them quite away so that they neuer returne againe by repentance nor neuer shew themselues to be soundly humbled for the same Then doth he send the temptations of Satan together with the affrightments or allurements of the world whereby they are so cleane pule away from the shew of godlinesse that at last they grow professedly cold and carelesse in open shew bearing before them an allowance of themselues in such their luke-warmenesse yea perhaps also they turne very enemies of that goodnesse which they seemed to haue fall out with those persons that they seemed best to loue brooke least that company that seemed most to satisfie them and become bitter harsh sharpe violent in speaking euill of those persons and things that were once approoued by them and lastly some miserable and fearefull end wherein they are either swallowed vp of horrible despaire or sold ouer to the most stony hardnesse that may be doth rent them from the land of the liuing and send them downe to hell And so is fulfilled that of our Sauiour in the sixth verse The branches that abide not in him are cast foorth and wither and gathered and cast into the fire and burnt Now the meanes of cutting them off are many euen all things that doe befall them for all workes together to the ruine of them that sell themselues ouer into the hands of sinne as well as for the good of them that worke righteousnesse but chiefly the Word of God it selfe a two-edged sword because they will not yeeld vnto it that it might cut off their corruptions from their soules becomes a sauour of death a weapon of vengeance to cut off their soules from God for by their often resisting it and much setting of their wits and consciences vpon the tenters to shift and dally with it they become blinder and blinder and harder and harder till at length they bee sold ouer vnto vtter blindnesse and giuen cleane into the power of sinne and Satan from which they seemed once to be redeemed And thus was Iudas cut off as the Scriptures shew vs. Hee was first a thiefe allowing himselfe in his couetousnesse and purloyning and not heeding the checkes of his owne heart which euery man must needs know would be apt to be moouing within him being a person of so great knowledge as he was and after he prooued a very deuill when he dipt his hands into the warme and innocent blood of his heauenly Master and well-knowne Sauiour The Lord to punish his guile in not opposing his couetousnesse and falshood put him cleane vp into the hands of the deuill and his owne both rage and lucre till Satan had possessed him with a full purpose of turning on the Pharises side where he saw more likelihood of rising and of making himselfe a faire way into their fauours by selling his Master vnto them for a little money And those reproofes and warnings of our Sauiour Christ which should haue withdrawne him from this reuolt and treason did nothing else through his desperate wilfulnesse but inrage imbitter and inuenome him prouoking him more and more against
deserued punishment which his grieuous wickednesse doth challenge at the hands of his righteousnesse If it be obiected that God might conuert the hypocrite if he would The answere is By his omnipotent power he might and so he migt the diuels too and the very prince of the diuels Beelzebub himselfe But wee must vnderstand that the Lord hath set downe a certaine way and order of conuerting men vnto him agreeable to the rules of his owne vnsearchable wisedome euen such a way as is in it selfe most plaine sure and infallible if the negligence and obstinacy of men doe not hinder and such a way as is most conuenient to procure the greatest honour that may be vnto him in their saluation and that is that man himselfe should become a working instrument with God to his owne conuersion and saluation Which seeing the hypocrite will not doe the Lord will neuer bee so ouer-gracious vnto him as to bring him to heauen by another way but will euen magnify himselfe in destroying him because he neglected to take the right course that was shewed him to doe himselfe good So you see reasons enow on Gods part why such branches should be separated from the Vine Consider we of themselues and see if there be not more then cause of handling them with such seuerity First they thrust away saluation from themselues Reason 2 as it is sayd of the Iewes in another case From themselues whom 1. They thrust away saluation from them Because they will not entertaine and yeeld vnto the good motions of Gods Word and Spirit that doe vrge and presse them to turne vnto the Lord and therefore what can be expected in reason but that they should procure vnto themselues euen sharpe and swift damnation For is it not most equall that he which will not receiue saluation when it is proffered vnto him by God should vtterly perish as that he should be starued and dye for hunger which will not receiue foode when it is put into his hands These men resist and oppugne the Spirit of God and will not accept of life vpon such termes as it may stand with Gods Iustice to bestow it vpon them If he would saue them and giue them leaue to goe on in their beloued sinnes too O how glad they would be of such a carnall way of comming to heauen But if he wil not giue eternall life but vnto those that are carefull throughly to reforme their hearts and liues they know not how to be at all that paynes Surely the matter standing thus betwixt the Lord and their soules it could not stand with his righteousnesse to preserue them from ruine The dissembling Christian dealeth by God as the Disciples of Christ did deale by him in the sixth of Iohn When he told them of eating his flesh and drinking his blood they sayd This was an hard saying who could heare it and so went backe and walked no more with him So the hypocrite hearing of remission of sinnes of life of saluation thinkes they bee things very desireable and out of a will to haue a part in them he will goe a great way with God but when he heares of a generall renouncing of all sinne and of washing and clensing his heart and that without this care there is no saluation he will not beleeue that the way to heauen is so narrow he shrinkes backe at these exhortations and thinkes the Lord is an hard Master and will goe with him no further So then seeing the fruitlesse branch doth carelesly or obstinately let passe the opportunity of sauing himselfe when it is often offered vnto him what can be more righteous with God then that hee should bring vpon himselfe eternall destruction Againe the hypocrite abuseth the richest of all Gods benefits his Word his Sacraments his Gospell the blood of his Son his tender of mercy and the rest of those supernaturall things that he hath to doe with He turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse and like a very Swine doth tread vnder foot the most precious pearle of Gods goodnesse in Christ and must not an heauy vengeance therefore needs oppresse him Meate drinke apparell wit strength health these be worthy gifts of God and exceeding sinfull is the abuse of them accounted in the sight of God as reason there is that it should and very heauy haue the punishments been that haue lighted vpon the abusers of such mercies But these are cōmon fauours euery dayes benefits the outcasts of the world haue them as wel as those of Gods houshold Only the Word of God his holy Ordinances the knowledge of himselfe of his Son and of his Kingdome and the offers of mercy to saue them from hell these are peculiar fauours highly-esteemed kindnesses specially bestowed vpon those of his owne family with whom hee pleaseth to bee in Couenant Now the hypocrite abuseth these he peruerteth these he flatters himselfe in his sins for all these and when God himselfe doth euen as it were come a wooing vnto him in all these ordinances and beseech him to be reconciled to receiue himselfe for an husband his Kingdome for a dowry and Heauen for a ioynture hee will none of the bargaine vnlesse he may haue the liberty of inioying his sinnes besides O how great an indignity is heere offered vnto God how shamefull a repulse doth the Lord receiue and how vndeserued a refusall wherefore by how much the mercies of God that the dissembler abuseth in cōtinuing obstinate against them are greater by so much must God in iustice needes increase the sharpnes and strength of his blowes against his soule 3. Doe much harme in the Church Againe the hypocrite doth procure a number of mischiefes in the vine where he growes which must needs occasion and hasten his cutting off These discredit Religion and cause it to bee ill spoken of these being of Gods family in shew doe bring an ill name vpon it as once the spies did vpon the land of Canaan They doe grieue the hearts of the vpright and strengthen the hands of other sinners and fill their mouthes with insultation Their barrennesse and want of good fruit doth administer matter vnto those that are ready to cauill of casting reproches vpon the roote on which they grow and vpon all the branches that grow by them Neuer did any professed enemy doe so much hurt to true Religion and so much hinder the proceeding of true piety as the hypocrite hath done Hee is one of the chiefe stumbling blocks in the world and if a woe be denounced against him by whom offences come then the heauiest of all woes must light vpon him from whose default the greatest of all scandals doe come Doe you not conceiue what triumphing there was against Christ when his owne Disciple had sold him for money The dry branch is a great impediment to the fruitfulnesse of the neighbour branches and the vnfruitfull Fig-tree doth euen keepe the ground idle Hee keepeth many from goodnesse that
to imagine vnlesse one doe take experience of his owne practice how much the renewing of this holy anger against a mans selfe for sinnes past will strengthen him against the same and abate the power of those corruptions of his heart which brake foorth into such rebellion Wherefore doe thus often many times many score times in a day put thy selfe in mind as occasion shall offer it selfe of thy former sinnes with a rising of thy soule against thy selfe and with an holy kind of sharpnesse and tartnesse being euen out of loue and conceit with thy selfe saying Ah vile creature how could I finde in mine heart to do such things would any man haue thought it possible for any creature from whom all piety and reason both were not banished to runne out into such words such deeds and what is wanting to the length and largenesse of these cogitations throughout the day in regard of the interruptions of other affaires that labour to supply by their oftennesse and by their earnest working within thee closing still with a turning away of thy liking from them and a wishing that thou hadst neuer so offended God Secondly 2. Renew often in thy selfe a resolution of no more committing thy most pleasing sinnes let a good man hold alwayes fast within himselfe a resolution of not committing such and such sinnes as he is most apt to commit and in regard of his condition calling place bodily temper or the like is most in danger to commit and let him often reuiue in himselfe also thoughts and motions to that end saying within himselfe Wel through Gods gracious assistance what euer come of mee I will no more transgresse the Law of God and displease him in such and such offences Should the creature wrong the Creator and the child doe iniury to the father Nothing is more vnreasonable then that I should for any thing sinne against my strength and my Redeemer of my selfe I cannot cease to sinne but God will worke in mee both the will and the deed and doubtlesse by his help I will not sinne in such kind measure manner any more I will no more bee so bitterly wrathfull nor vse such vndecent gestures and speeches in my passion I will no more bee so foolishly wanton nor vse such euill and defiling speeches and behauiours I will neuer be so impatient and discontented againe The Apostle Peter prescribeth this remedy against sin and vseth the phrase of being arm'd with it because a Christian soule so long as it remaineth peremptory in this resolution is like a souldier clad in strong harnesse who though he bee smitten at and receiueth a blow yet through the faithfulnesse of his armour is defended from the piercing of the weapon and from the wound If Satan or the flesh suggest a motion or present an occasion of doing such euils as a man hath often said within himselfe Well by Gods grace nothing shall euer make me doe it the will hauing bent it selfe fully against such things in generall flings away from this particular motion and reiecteth it with disdaine Wherefore Saint Peter as I was in saying commendeth this matter vnto vs in these words For as much as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme your selues with the same minde that he who hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne that hee no longer should liue the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God You see how a Christian should goe fenced well I will no longer follow sin nor doe after the corrupt lusts of men but the holy will of God And you see also by what argument pressed vpon himselfe a Christian should fortifie this settled determination in himselfe namely because Christ hath suffered for vs. And this determination must not alone bee prosecuted more plentifully and earnestly in our settled and solemne meditations but perpetually also renewed and confirmed euen as wee goe about our other affaires for a mans hand may be working in his calling and his heart drawing it selfe to the maine worke of his calling of Christianity by lifting vp it selfe with such thoughts as occasion may offer it selfe Surely that sinne that slew Christ Iesus our Lord is too vile a thing in it selfe too hatefull to God too hurtfull to the committer for a Christian man to liue in or once to practise and therefore what-euer may befall I will not commit such and such and such a sinne naming that that the present occasion shall giue him most cause to name or that his heart hath most reason to be most carefull of shunning And this a good man should doe not once twice or thrice in a weeke but euer and anon twenty and twice twenty times in a day in halfe a day For though we liue in the world yet our maine businesse is to trauell towards heauen and therefore the soule must take all occasions of furnishing it selfe with thoughts that tend to further it in that iourney Thirdly 3. Obserue and resolutely and speedily resist euill or idle motions a Christian ought euer to keepe a most wakefull eye ouer the motions that stirre in his minde that so soone as euer any sinfull or friuolous fancies begin to steale or breake in vpon him he may make speedy and resolute resistance by raising vp some holy affection of loathing the fault griefe for it anger against it or else reuerence of Gods holy presence feare of his fierce anger trembling at his iust threats or else by sending vp some present and short request vnto God for the assistance of his Spirit saying Lord helpe me with thy grace should I euer doe so vile or fruitlesse things nay should I suffer the cogitations of them to dwell in my soule God forbid Lord strengthen me by thy Spirit that I may not dishonour and offend thee by such words such actions Thus the Spirit by lusting against the flesh shall mortifie the deeds of the flesh Yea and if it so fall out that these shorter eiaculations or briefe petitions of the soule will not serue the turne but that the motions grow more thicke or vehement and the heart begins almost to consent vnto them and so we find our selues on the losing hand for when once the will hath giuen ground by either thinking Why should I not doe it or by making but a faint refusall a mans soule is foyled and if occasion bee not for the present committing of it yet the next time occasion doth come vnlesse he haue gotten more strength and armed his will more strongly he will soone bee drawne to commit it I say when wee thus perceiue corruption strong and grace weake we must take so much care of our soules as if it bee possible to lay all other things aside and in the solemnest manner fall on praying to God for strength against that corruption but if other occasions stand so auerse that we cannot haue time or place to make a solemne prayer yet we
must double and redouble the desires and grones of our heart thinking within our selues O heauenly Father thou seest I am weake and I feele I am yeelding and sinne is ready to get the vpper hand O strengthen me with grace strengthen me with thy power and let thy Spirit rule in me crush downe these foule passions for thy mercy sake and if yet the euill thought follow him as oft it will he must not be weary of renewing the same requests saying O I must not yeeld I will not yeeld but Lord without thee I cannot resist Lord beat downe for me these wicked desires and inclinations according to thy promise and so still though it cannot be without exceeding much wearisomenesse of Spirit continuing to raise vp holy wishes and holy affections seeking and taking the first opportunity of getting alone to his solemne prayers he shall be made strong in Iesus Christ and in the power of his might and shall bee a conqueror ouer the tentation For brethren we must conceiue the case to stand thus with all the members of Christ without him they can doe nothing and all their sufficiency is of him he doth indeed implant in their soules at their first regenerating an ability of turning away their wills from euill things and of departing from iniquity but yet so that there is necessary to their performing of these holy actions a speciall cooperation of his sanctifying Spirit and they must know that they doe good and shunne euill by a borrowed power not a power originally in themselues and by a borrowed power giuen of grace aboue nature not dwelling in their nature of it selfe And whilest they doe acknowledge this dependance vpon the Lord by making him their refuge in the time of tentation and therefore doe not alone stirre vp their owne strength and set their owne good affections and desires on working but withall send to heauen for aid and as vtterly distrusting themselues implore present assistance from God because they doe indeed giue honour vnto God they seldome faile to get the victory but when in these spirituall encounters they satisfie themselues with their owne endeuours and thinke it sufficient to set their owne spirituall strength on worke forgetting to beg helpe of Gods holy Spirit because this is a manifest demonstration of selfe-confidence and of a spirituall kind of selfe-conceitednesse therefore the Lord to make them know themselues doth withdraw his speciall grace and so after a few faint resistances because they renew not their strength by running vnto him their strength they are in some degrees or other plainly foyled and ouerthrowne Wherefore we must know that when wee finde the flesh to abate nothing of his forwardnesse to euill by our opposing good purposes and thoughts against it yea rather that it seemeth to grow more violent as water the current of which is stopped then I say we must know that the Lord doth now of purpose turne Satan with our corruptions vpon vs that we might find our frailty and betake ourselues wholly to him and his might and then as hauing a speciall calling to seeke to God we must as I said aboue not waxe faint but double and redouble our desires and if that will not serue so soone as wee can possibly get opportunity addresse our selues to solemne inuocation Thus doing wee follow the example of the Apostle Paul who when he was molested with a thorne in his flesh me thinkes that should denote some troublesome corruption of his owne heart which is said to be giuen vnto him because euen poyson may be giuen in a receit by the skilfull Physician did presently apply himselfe to God in prayer for the remouall of it and so was answered that Gods grace should bee sufficient for him Wherefore neither let thy thoughts and first motions of thy soule passe away vnobserued or vnresisted neither yet resist them alone in thine owne strength but spy them out speedily and presently oppugne them partly by setting on worke the grace already receiued partly by requiring a new supply of grace and hee that will make this practice familiar and easie to himselfe by vse of doing shall finde by proofe the vnspeakeable good that will come of it to his soule Lastly 4. Deny to our selues things otherwise lawful that doe occasion our corruptions to grow strong the Christian man that would preuaile against his corruptions must deny to himselfe those things which being otherwise in themselues lawfull doe yet become vnto himselfe through his corruption occasions of euill in any kinde For such is the finfulnesse of mans euill heart that euen that which is not in it selfe sinfull may giue an aduantage to his sinfulnesse and draw him to the committing of sinne These things when his experience hath discouered vnto him hee must carefully shunne and auoyd and not suffer his ouer-free vse of his liberty to become a snare vnto him Diuers exercises sports meetings times places and other like there are of which a man cannot say precisely that they bee sinnes yet they doe so strongly worke vpon the naughtinesse of the heart that they doe euen tempt and draw the heart vnto euill these hee that will not restraine himselfe from shall neuer be able to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world but shal be euen with a kind of force violence haled to the committing of wickednesse against his firmest resolution to the contrary In vsing thē a man doth euen lay himselfe open tempt lust and Satan to tempt him and tempt the Lord of heauen through his vnbridlednesse of heart to deliuer him vp into the hands of tentation and then how shall he chuse but bee vanquished and ouercome thereof Wherefore our Sauiour tels vs that if our hand or foot offend vs we must cut them off and cast them from vs yea if the very eye offend vs we must pull it out and fling it away His meaning seemeth to be not alone that all euen the dearest things that are sinnes must be abandoned but euen also that things which allure prouoke and sollicite vs to sinne because of the weakenesse of our soules must bee likewise renounced and forsaken for all their delightfulnesse or profit For hee that doth not so much loue holinesse and innocency that for the attaining thereof hee can be content to abridge himselfe of some part of his lawfull liberty shall neuer reach to any soundnesse and perfection of holinesse Euen as a weake and crazie body if hee make no choyce of his food but will indifferently fill his stomack with any kind of meate that liketh his appetite shall so increase the ill humours of his body and so strengthen his naturall diseases that it will bee impossible for him to escape diuers terrible pangs of them as experience shewes vs in bodies subiect to the Gowt or Collick or to a consumption or to the like malady so rightly fareth it with our infirme and sicke soules some sinlesse sports some company not in it selfe
the reasons of it are as cleere as can be not onely from the truth and power of God who is able abundantly to mortifie our sinnes and hath told vs that hee is faithfull and true to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse but also from two other pertinent considerations namely first that their need requireth it secondly that it standeth vpon his honour to performe it For first Reason 1 if the Lord their God should not vndertake the purging and cleansing of them Because else they should perish by the preuailing of sinne their sinnes would totally and finally preuaile against them and they could not possibly but perish If a Garden be not timely weeded it will quickly be so ouer-runne with weeds that there will bee no place left for good and wholesome herbes and flowers to grow therein If a dangerous fote bee not plaistered with conuenient salues it will fester and rankle and rot the ioynt and bring death to the body wherein it bred euen so would sinne also preuaile against the best of Gods seruants to their vtter destruction if hee himselfe did not ioyne to helpe them against it For in truth all their power without the perpetuall assistance of his speciall grace would bee to little purpose for the subduing thereof Either therefore the Lord must purge his people or see them dye for euer for want of purging This latter his tender pity and fatherly compassion his eternall infinite vnspeakable free and vnchangeable loue can neuer indure to see wherefore his wisedome power and goodnesse will set themselues on worke to effect the former euen to purge them that they may be saued And that the rather because in the second place Reason 2 it much importeth his owne honour so to doe It is for Gods honour to perfect the worke be hath begun in them For this is one of those wayes whereby hee is made glorious in all his Saints for that his working in them is so miraculously effectuall as to change blindnesse into sight lamenesse into soundnesse weaknesse into strength and death into life For as a Physiciā hauing vndertaken the cure of some desperat disease wil not for his credit leaue it off bunglingly in the middest halfe whole halfe ill but must perfectly consummate accōplish it to the totall strength of the member ill-affected and person diseased because the glory of a Physiciā doth stand in the multitude of those whom he hath perfectly healed of grieuous maladies So the Lord of heauen and earth hauing begun to heale the sicke yea desperately sicke soules of his poore afflicted and sinfull seruants must euen goe thorow with that hard worke for his glory sake that it may not be said he laid the foundation and was either so weak that he could not or so vnconstant that he would not set vp the roofe and he must winne to himselfe the glory of infinite power and skill in making them euery whit sound as our Sauiour speaketh of one whom himselfe had restored to bodily health It is his honour to shew himselfe strong in their weaknesse true in their falshood wise in their folly good in their badnesse and fuller of excellent ability to redresse their euils then they can be of euils that may need redressing and the glory of glories that hee affecteth to haue in his Church is this that hee turneth Lions into Lambs Woolues into Sheepe and Beares into Kine and Serpents into Sucklings fooles into wise men and sinners into Saints so taking away the most mischieuous violent ouerbearing and but by his strength vnsubduable corruptions of their nature whom he sanctifieth by grace as that he worketh the quite contrary vertuous qualities in them CHAP. XII Shewing the meanes and manner of the Lords pruning NOw hauing sufficiently manifested the present poynt to be true let vs for the better cleering thereof and to make it more easily and plentifully vsefull acquaint you with two necessary poynts about this pruning First The meanes of this pruning by what meanes it is effected and then in what manner For the first the meanes of purging are of two sorts proper Some proper that are fit to bring forth that effect of their owne nature and accidentall that doe not of their owne nature serue for so good a purpose but by Gods wisedome and power are ouer-ruled to the helping forward thereof The proper meanes are also of two kinds principall and instrumentall The principall is the blessed Spirit of God 1. The chiefe Gods holy Spirit for that reason tearmed a Spirit of burning because it serueth to consume the corruptions out of our soules as fire doth the drosse out of the metall The holy Ghost is giuen vnto them that beleeue that they may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit which bestoweth his efficacie vpon them in those spirituall ordinances of his that he hath appoynted they are then said to crucifie their lusts by the Spirit when they doe carefully vse those spirituall weapons wherewith the holy Ghost will neuer faile to cooperate And if there were not a supernaturall operation of the Spirit of Christ Iesus in vs to heale and helpe vs against these euils neuer should we by all our owne indeuours attaine any sound and thorow purging but alone a slight and superficiall washing of the outside And it is of great importance for vs to vnderstand that the holy Ghost is the chiefe worker in this worke without whom it would neuer succeed happily though we should labour therein with all our might both that we may be able with a more abundant thankfulnesse to acknowledge his care of vs and loue to vs in so great and beneficiall a seruice giuing away the whole praise from our selues to him and also that wee may bee ready with more humble carefulnesse to receiue and yeeld our selues vp vnto this heauenly worke of his which can by no meanes be hindred or interrupted but by our not regarding or not submitting our soules vnto it Wee must be strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might His Spirit must cloath vs and come vpon vs through him we must doe valiantly in this spirituall warfare and he must tread downe those lusts that rise vp against vs But this Spirit worketh in 2. The instrumentall the Word of God and by an excellent instrument the Word of God the Law and Gospell read preached heard meditated vpon which therfore we tearme an instrumentall cause of our purging For when as a Christian man doth exercise himselfe in the Word as for example by comming to heare it preached the Spirit of God doth then worke withall to make those speeches effectuall stirring vp and inclining his heart to marke and obserue the corruptions that are discouered vnto him and so to heed the words as to be moued by them So we reade that God cleansed Dauid from his impenitent continuance in his foule sinnes by the wholesome reproofe
of Nathan the Prophet And now are you clean saith our Sauiour anon after the text by the word that I haue spoken vnto you And as all the exhortations and admonitions of the Word of God doe serue to rub off the rust from the soules of his people so chiefly the doctrine of the Gospell by vertue of the blood of Christ which it offereth and giueth vnto them is a most cleansing doctrine This leaueth in the will of the truly iustified man such a deepe impression of the bitter death of Christ for sinne as worketh in it a loathing detestation of sinne and maketh it to turne it selfe away from a thing so abominably euill And this is to crucifie our sinnes vpon the Crosse of Christ when the consideration of the extreme foulenesse and vnvtterable odiousnesse of sinne which is cleerly manifested in the sufferings of our Lord for it and of the most excellent beauty and brightnesse of the tender mercy and kindnesse of God shining forth in the same passion is so seriously receiued and doth so deeply sinke into the very heart-root of a man that it mightily draweth him to set downe and inact this conclusion in himselfe of sinning no more In this meaning it is said that faith purifieth the heart and that hauing this hope wee purge our selues as Christ is pure and therefore the Word of God chiefly the Gospell being applyed to the working and increasing of our faith and hope becomes a blessed instrument of our purging And with these proper and naturall meanes Some accidentall are vsed also certaine accidentall meanes that are made so beyond their owne nature These are chiefly three Afflictions Tentations and falls into sinne for euen by poyson oftentimes is poyson cured and by iron is iron driuen out For the first 1. Chastisements the seruants of God are and must often be chastised that they may be whited These corrections are fit to stirre vp sorrow in those to whom they befall which sorrow by grace is turned into godly sorrow the most effectuall corrosiue to eate out the dead flesh of the soule and so the fruit of them is as the Prophet speaketh the taking away of sinne Afflictions make vs to feele the dangerousnesse of sinne they testifie Gods dislike of wickednesse they manifest our owne frailty and basenesse they conuince vs of the vanity of the world they pull downe the pride of our stomacke so eating out the proud flesh that growes within vs that the medicine of the Word may come neere the sore they quicken vs to prayer they driue vs to examine our selues and inforce vs to consider of our wayes that at last wee may be able to professe with the Prophet Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy righteous iudgements There is scarce any thing more needfull for Gods children then these Fatherly chastisements they doe breake open the heart to make a free passage for the Spirit of God to enter in at They doe plough vp the heart to make it capable of the seed of life the holy doctrine of the Word of God that is spoken to them In prosperity many times the soule is dull of hearing and scorneth to bee reproued It is sated with outward contents and takes no delight in remembring the death and blood-shedding of Iesus Christ It taketh pleasure in vanity and cannot haue while to thinke of things spirituall and most profitable But afflictions awaken the heart out of the deepe sleepe of security they distaste the sweet meates of the world and bore the eare and couer the pride of heart and make a man in whom the Spirit of God is to hearken and attend vnto the motions of the Word and of the Spirit The truth is that afflictions of themselues and in their owne nature as being fruits of sinne and euill are not of this force to purge the heart but through the wisedome of him that is able to turne all things to the best and by the working of the Spirit which taketh aduantage of all seasons and opportunities they doe become most happy instruments of our cleansing and there is scarce any one of all the Saints of God but may from his owne experience affirme that it hath been a great part of his happinesse to take and drinke these potions from the hand of his wise and louing Father for they haue purged out of his soule those noysome and euill humours which would otherwise haue made him little lesse then deadly and desperately sicke But moreouer 2. Satans bitter tentations the Lord doth make the diuell himselfe an vnwilling instrument of pruning his seruants by meanes of those fierce tentations wherewith hee doth mightily assault them Euen Satans violent buffettings are by Gods goodnesse turned into most excellent purgations When the diuell is let loose vpon a Christian man as the shepheards dog vpon the sheepe and with fury and craft striues to bring him to vtter despaire making him beleeue that the very pit of hell it selfe stands gaping before him ready to swallow him vp or when he doth worke mightily vpon his sinfull affections with a kind of excessiue violence haling him to the practice of those detestable sinnes which his soule hateth and making none end to lye at him with vncessant and vehement sollicitations to commit such and such foule deeds Oh this cuts this woundeth this vexeth and tormenteth this sets them on praying on weeping on crying on bleeding this doth so shame him and disgrace him to himselfe this makes him so farre out of loue and conceit with himselfe and so extremely vile and odious in his owne eyes that he thinkes no name nor vsage bad enough for himselfe this also maketh him with a blushing and confounded face and with a most deiected and a broken spirit to runne and cry vnto the Lord his God for helpe and strength Thus the more Satan striueth to stirre corruption the better it is purged for stirred it must bee before it can bee purged and by his tentations being brought to see and feele a number of corruptions which else we would neuer see and feele wee finde his sinfull malice by Gods goodnesse made an excellent furtherance to our cleansing of our selues And not onely so 3. Their owne slips and faults but in the third and last place our owne sinnes faults and slips doe become instruments of our making cleane from sinne euen as a man doth better scowre his foule hands hauing first smeared them with some foule thing that helpeth more to rub off the foulenes that cleaueth fast vnto the skinne not that the Children doe or may at any time of purpose commit sinne to this end for it is quite besides and against the nature of them to bring forth this effect yea euery sinne is apt to leaue as a filthy spot behind the committing of it a greater pronenesse to commit it then before but that the Lord doth please diuers times to giue them ouer to be foyled of
indeed true members of Christ seeing that the Lord hath pleased to make you knowne for such by doing that for you which hee doth performe for all true Christians and onely for them I confesse that there is a kinde of cleansing A kind of cleansing may befall an vnsanctified man which is not from Gods sanctifying Spirit such as hath bin found euen in Heathen men without the Church and without Christ This is such a leauing of some one or other outward grosse sin as ariseth from age or misery or other like naturall causes the heart in the generall disposition still remaining the same for a mans owne rod may so beate him as the common Prouerbe speaketh that he may be forced from those euill practices which once he followed as the vnthrifty man after he hath wasted his estate almost to the bottome and perceiueth penury comming against him may so farre returne to himselfe as to cease to bee riotous and the theese that hath beene frighted once or twice with the narrow escape of hanging may cease to giue himselfe ouer to theeuery and the man whose age and bodily decay doth not serue the turne to performe his vnchaste pleasures may cease to follow harlots and so in other like particulars This departing from a few outward acts of euill the heart remaining still impoysoned with the wonted inward disorders or other as bad is not the cleansing which the Lord doth afford to the true branches of the Vine neither may any man intitle himselfe to the comfort wee haue in hand from such a maimed kind of reformation But if any man doe finde himselfe cleansed in soule from the loue and liking of all known euils proportionably that what by the Word what by afflictions or such like meanes hee hath been made to take notice of more corruptions in himselfe then euer before he thought to haue beene there and seeing the same to detest them and abhorre himselfe for them before God crauing his strength and power to reforme them and by crauing strength hath obtained at Gods hands though not a totall release from these corruptions yet a great decay of them and a farre greater ability to leaue them then in former time Let these men reioyce in the liuing God and take this worke of his Spirit in them for an assured proofe of their being truly ingraffed into the body of Christ Those that doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit they shall liue those that are crucified together with Christ shall raigne with him and hauing beene made conformable to his death shall also be made conformable to his glory Wherefore as Samson fed on the honey which he found in the carkase of the Lion that hee had slaine so let all Gods people feede vpon the comfort which growes vnto them from the sinnes that they haue ouercome For doubtlesse nothing is more auailable to increase the worke of mortification then with ioy to looke vpon the good beginnings thereof and comfortably to behold the dying of sinne that a man may say to himselfe Loe now mine inward and spirituall enemies are smitten downe before me and become like foes that are put to flight and many of them slaine in the chase When a man lookes into himselfe and comparing himselfe with himselfe findes that by Gods grace such and such euils doe lesse preuaile within him then they were wont yea that now the least motions of them are more hatefull to him then formerly some grosse outward faultings therein and that the inclinations of that kind which hee feeleth in himselfe are either fewer or weaker or both that hee sooner spyeth more heartily and inwardly lamenteth and condemneth more carefully and diligently resisteth and opposeth them at least is much more humbled and abased to himselfe by meanes of them then formerly This is to be pruned and this is a true signe of a liuely branch in the true Vine Christ Iesus Neither let the people of God take lesse comfort in this pruning because it is not totall nor all at once but if they finde it to goe forward though slowly and by small degrees and to haue been attained by their spirituall industry in the vse of spirituall meanes now let them clap their hands and triumph in God saying Through God I haue done valiantly for he hath troden downe mine enemies that rose vp against me We must not suffer our selues to be so much vexed with the remainders of our corruptions as to depriue the Lord of the glory and our owne soules of the comfort which wee might reape from the beginning of their ouerthrow but must make our selues exceeding glad of this their first falling before vs that so we may more assuredly conclude as they doe concerning Haman when he began to fall before Mordecai that he should not preuaile but should surely fall quite before him When wee obserue the fruits of our faith as meanes to confirme our faith and the good workes of Gods grace as arguments to assure vs that wee are receiued into the state of grace this is an excellent meanes to make these fruits of faith and workes of grace to grow stronger and stronger in vs. An heart cheered vp in beholding and acknowledging the goodnesse of God that hath in some measure blessed his indeuour against sinne shall bee greatly furthered in this spirituall combate It animates souldiers to fight when as Ionathan speaketh concerning Sauls souldiers they eate the spoyle of their enemies but when they doe keepe themselues fasting as it were like as Saul did his souldiers pretending thereby to make them more eager in following the chase this makes them to be faint and weary and so doth very much hinder the slaughter of the foe Wherefore ye Christian souldiers that haue fought manfully vnder Christ your Lord with the weapons of the Word and Prayer and the like and haue found that your holy meditations and prayers haue diminished the force of your corruptions in some good measure eate you the spoyle of your spirituall enemies comfort your selues in the sence of this good worke and with great contentment of spirit conclude for your selues that you are true branches because the Husbandman doth bestow the paynes of pruning vpon you CHAP. XV. Containing the third vse of the poynt to incourage the Saints in striuing against sinne because the Lord will helpe them in this labour and they shall surely preuaile BVt this poynt doth yeeld likewise a third vse Vse 3 Incouragement to proceed in resisting of sinne to animate the people of God to a resolute opposing of all their corruptions because loe the God of heauen is ready at hand to cut off those euils which they are hewing at A man is sure of successe in the worke of mortification if he want not diligence to labour in that worke The flesh must downe corruptions shall tumble the Spirit shall bee victorious stronger is he that is in vs then he which is in the world and certainly the grace
and all the good effects thereof Wherefore againe and againe bee intreated to make it the principall scope of your liues to waxe more and more godly and righteous in life CHAP. XIX Containing a comfort to them that haue growne and doe grow in goodnesse IN the last place Vse 3 let all those that do perceiue themselues to be growing in fruitfulnesse Comfort to them that doe grow receiue much comfort heerein O well are they growth is a most sure signe of life a rotten branch growes not a rotten arme growes not Whosoeuer therefore perceiueth that his care of liuing godlily in Christ Iesus increaseth that he is more and more desirous to obey God and that his workes are better at last then at first blessed be he of the Lord let him receiue this happy comfort from the mouth of God and conclude himselfe infallibly to bee a liuing branch a sound-hearted Christian Indeed the people of God to whom this consolation doth most duly appertaine are not euer forward for the most part to imbrace the same yea they are ready to depriue themselues of it by diuersity of obiections and by name thus you shall haue them speaking against themselues Alas is there not a growth of Hypocrites as well as of the true-hearted Doth not the blade spring vp as well in the stony and in the thorny ground as in the good ground And how can I assure my selfe but that this growth of mine is such as may befall a dissembler I answere It must not be denyed that the man of a guilefull spirit the close Hypocrite hath his fulnesse his period his state to which he may come and to which till he haue reached he seemeth both to himselfe and others to grow But the difference is manifest and expresse The difference betwixt the growth of Hypocrites and the true-hearted The Hypocrites growing in the shewes of goodnesse causeth him also to grow in conceit of himselfe he thinkes better of himselfe and much applaudeth his owne proceedings but the godly man groweth in a meane conceit of himselfe and as he waxeth better and better so doth more more condemne himselfe that he is not better then he is He sees things to be better with him then they were but alas he sees them also to be so farre short of what they should be that hee is euen grieued with himselfe to thinke of his wants and defects The true godly man growes in humility as in other graces but the Hypocrite growes in conceitednesse and high esteeme of himselfe When a man prayes but is much moued with dislike of himselfe because hee prayes no better meditates but blames himselfe because his meditations are so shattered and distracted is merciful but is angry against himselfe because he is not more mercifull this mans growth is a sound perfect and sincere growth but when hee performeth these duties so that hee is good in his owne eyes because of the performance of them this is but a shooting vp of a blade that after will wither and come to nothing The fruitful branch in his fruitfulnesse sees so many wants that hee is humbled thereby the vnfruitfull branch is so satisfied with his shewes of fruitfulnesse that he still magnifieth himselfe and despiseth others being increased in pride by the increase of those things that seeme good in him It is a most manifest thing in all true godly men that when all men else doe perceiue them to grow and commend them for it they doe most complaine and condemne themselues for want of growth for they are so stil carryed onward to that the is before thē as they forget that that is behind but the dissembler so looketh behinde him and forgetteth what is before that he stands admiring himselfe for that which he hath already done and thinkes hee is better then this man and that man and compareth and preferreth himselfe before others Againe the godly man doth commend others that are better then himselfe and beholds their goodnesse with great liking and approbation being discontented with himselfe that hee is out-stripped by them but the Hypocrite is moued with enuy and indignation against those that goe beyond him and will haue some quarrell to picke against their as hee counteth it ouer-forwardlinesse The godly man saith still he is an vnprofitable seruant the Hypocrite brags of his seruice and glories in himselfe that hee is increased in wealth Now then consider if thy growth in goodnesse be accompanyed with a growth in humility and in an abasing of thy selfe and thinking better of others then of thy selfe or if it be ioyned with conceit of thy selfe and magnifying thy selfe aboue others and enuy against them that seeme to obscure thy praises and if it be with thee in the former manner thou growest indeed and must inioy comfort if in the latter manner thou growest alone in shew and hast no right nor interest into this comfort But further the good man will say against himselfe Alas I doe not grow I doe not bring forth more fruit I demand then Vpon what ground is it that thou chargest thy selfe with not growing Is it because thou findest thy selfe not all out so able to continue praying and mourning as in some times heretofore I answere that the true Christian is likely most affectionate at the first by reason of the strange alteration that he findes in himselfe But say Is not thine heart more abased now in the sence of thy faults Art thou not more sharpe against thy selfe more fauourable to others Is not thine heart now more carryed with a respect of God lesse with a respect of thy selfe Doest thou not become more hardly conceite of thy selfe then formerly Surely when a mans mind is more and more alienated from himselfe then hee growes most though hee seeme to himselfe least to grow and though he thinke himselfe lesse able to performe many good duties then formerly he was Wherefore now let all Gods seruants stay vp their hearts with diuine consolations and gather to themselues a ioyfull assurance of their being vpright by their increase in fruitfulnesse When a rich man casts ouer his accounts and findeth his stocke to be greater then it was and his reuenewes to be inlarged O how his heart leapeth within him and what good it doth him to perceiue that he is increased in wealth Why should not the godly man whose wealth is inward and spirituall perceiuing the stocke of vertue to be augmented and his two Talents to haue gained other two behold this with much praise to God and with a great deale of content and peace in himselfe Wee are bound in conscience to see and acknowledge the goodnesse of God this way and to prepare our selues for a further increase by taking delight in the gaines which we haue already made to our selues in the trade of godlinesse I deny not but that a godly man must still consider how farre he is remoued from the goale of perfection and comparing himselfe with the Law complaine much of himselfe for being vnprofitable But there is no contradiction betwixt these two A man may well consider of his wants to behumbled in them and yet withall take notice of his increase to be ioyed in that both must be done and the one of these will exceedingly helpe to the doing of the other If wee doe not ioyne these two together we shall finde much inconuenience by separating them Hee that still thinketh how much he is able to doe in the worke of obedience and doth not seasonably mind himselfe of his many defects shall bee in danger of swelling and puffing vp But hee that alwayes lookes to his wants and imperfections and doth not sometimes raise vp his heart in the meditation of the worke of grace within him which hath edifyed and built him vp in godlinesse and made the little he had at first far more then it was shall become heereby deiected vncheerfull and vnthankfull Wherefore feed humility with the one of these cogitations and thankfulnesse with the other It is yeelded that thou art as Paul saith nothing yea lesse then nothing in comparison of what thou shouldest but againe thou art something in comparison of what thou wast and what thou shouldest haue been but for the worke of Gods grace in thee Acknowledge therefore to the glory of the Vine and the Husbandman and to the consolation of thine owne heart Lord what by thy Word what by afflictions what by one or other meanes that thou hast vsed and blessed and by the gracious assistance of thy Spirit in and with all I doe truly perceiue my selfe to bee in some measure confirmed and strengthened in grace my faith is stronger my patience more stedfast mine heart more set vpon heauenly things my care of shunning all sinne and the occasions thereof my desire of seruing thee in all obedience more constant and earnest then it hath been Blessed bee thy name thou art indeed a good Husbandman and by thy good husbandry hast made mee that else should haue beene a dry and barren branch to bee somewhat fruitfull and to increase in fruitfulnesse Vertue is then improued to the best when it is put to the vse of making our soules to giue more glory to God and to take more comfort in him FINIS