other affrighting and stinging temptations Hee deales with them in this Case as Absalom with Ioab when Hee would not come at Him by sending once and againe Hee causes his servants to set His field of barley on fire and then there was no neede to bid him hie When inferiour miseries and other meanes will not doe it God sets as it were their Soules on fire with slames of horrour in one kinde or other and then they looke about them indeede with much care and feare searching and syncerity They seeke Him then with a Witnesse earnestly and early For afflictions of Soule are very soveraigne and have singular efficacy to stirre and quicken extraordinarily to weane quite from the world and keepe a Man close and clinging unto God How many tho perhaps they thinke not so would grow proud worldly Luke-warme cold in the use of the Ordinances Selfe-confident or something that they should not bee if they were not sometimes exercised with iniections of terrible thoughts By this fiery dart the Divell desires and endeavours to destroy and undoe them quite But by the mercy of God it is turned to their greater spirituall good It is in this Case as it was with Him who thrusting his enemy into the Body with â—ull purpose to have killed Him lanceâ— the ulcer which no Physition was able to 〈◊〉 and let out that corrupt mâ—tter that would have cost Him his life By representation of such horrour out of Satans cruellest malice they are happily kept more humble watchfull earnest in praier eager after the Meanes weaned froÌ„ the World compassionate to others c. Hiding of Gods face from Him and leaving Him to the darknesse of His owne spirit did put and preserve Master Iohn Glover in a most zealous holy and heavenly life for ever after Heare the story This gentleman being called by the light of the holy Spirit to the knowledge of the Gospell and having received a wondrous sweet feeling of Christs heavenly Kingdome His minde after that falling a little to some cogitation of his former affaires belonging to His vocation began by and by to misdoubt himself upoÌ„ occasion of those words Heb. 7.4 For it is impossible c. Vpon considerations of which words Hee was so farre deserted as to bee perswaded that Hee had sinned against the holy Ghost even so much that if Hee had been in the deepest Pit of Hell Hee could almost have despaired no more of His salvation Beeing young saith Foxe I remember I was once or twice with Him whom partly by his talkâ— I perceived and partly by mine owne eies saw to be so wornâ— and consumed by the space of five yeares that neither almost any brooking of meate quietnesse of sleepe pleasure of life yea and almost no kinde of senses was left in Him Who in such intolerable griefes of minde altho Hee neither had nor could have any ioy of His meate yet was hee compelled to eate against His appetite to the end to deferre the time of his damnation so long as Hee might thinking with Himselfe no lesse but that Hee must needs bee throwne into Hell the breath being once out of the Body Albeit Christ hee thought did pitty his case and was sorry for Him yet hee could not as Hee imagined helpe because of the verity of the word which said It is impossible c. But what was the happy issue and effect of these extraordinary spirituall terrours and terrible desertion The same blessed Man of God who writes the Story and was himselfe with the Party tells us Albeit Hee suffered many yeares so sharpe temptations and strong buffetings of Satan yet the Lord who graciously preserved Him all the while not onely at last did rid Him out of all discomfort but also framed Him thereby to such mortification of life as the like lightly hath not been seene In such sort as Hee beeing like one placed in Heaven already and dead in this World both in word and meditation led a life altogether celestiall abhorâ—ing in His minde all prophane doings Thus a spirituall desertion or some other affliction of spirit doth that alone many times which variety and a long continued succession of ordinary outward crosses one upon the Necke of an other is not able to effect For troubles of Soule sooner take and are of a quicker and stronger operation then those which afflict the Body The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity But a wounded spirit who can â—eare Prov. 18.14 All other afflictions are nothing to this They are but flea-bitings to this fiery Scorpion The stoutnesse of a Mans spirit will stand under a world of outward miseries many times But if the eie which is the light of the Body bee in darkenesse how great is that darkenesse If the spirit it selfe bee crusht which should support the whole man how great is the confusion Hence it was that faithfull David waded thorow a world of troubles yet all that time no malice of Saul no hatred of the Philistines no rebellion of Absalom no treachery of Ahitophel no grapling with a Lion no fighting with a Beare no threatning of a vaunting Goliah could so much discourage Him But when at any time Hee suffered immediately in His soule under the wrath of God O! then his very bones the master-timber of His Body are broken in peeces Hee roares all the day and His moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Then Hee speakes thus unto God When thou with rebukes doest correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a Moath Thus having discovered the Cases and Causes of spirituall Desertion I come now to the comforts and the Cure 1. And let us first take notice of a double desertion first Passiue when God withdrawes Himselfe from us secondly Active when wee with-draw our selves from God And they are both two-fold first Temporary and secondly Finall 1. Passive desertion temporary As in David Psal. 77. Heman the Ezrahite Psal. 88. Iob. Both the Glovers See their story Acts and Monuments 1885. 1891. Mistris Brettergh Master Peacocke And many moe of Gods Children 2. Finall In many after a wofull and willfull abuse of many mercies meanes of salvation and generall graces As Saul Iudas c. Such as have out-stood all opportunities and seasons of grace and all those Prov. 1.24 1. Active desertion temporary As in Solomon c. 2. Finall as in those Heb. 10. Now in the present Point I understand onely a Passive temporary Desertion And therefore in that Man which is truly ingraffed into Christ by a justifying Faith and regenerated who can never possibly either forsake finally or be finally forsaken of God Of whom Hooker thus speakes Blessed for ever and ever be that Mothers Childe whose Faith hath made Him the Child of God The earth may shake the Pillars of the World may tremble under us The countenance of the Heaven may be appaled the Sunne may loose his light the Stars their glory But
observed the Winde to blow another way He followed the blast and set his sailes according to the weather Which made David after complaine But it was thou O Man even my Companion my Guide and Familiar We tooke sweet counsell together and walked unto the House of God in company Wherefore let Great Men without grace professe and pretend what they will and protest the impossibility of any such thing as Hazael did in an other Case yet ordinarily I know not what some One morall Puritan amongst a million might doe in such tumultuous times and of universall confusion for the securing of their temporall happinesse which without timely turning on Gods side is all the heaven they are like to have in this World or the World to come I say upon a Point of great advantage and advancement with safety they would flie from the declining State and downe-fall of their old Master tho formerly the mightiest Monarch upon earth as from the ruines of a falling house And it can bee no otherwise for they have no internall Principle or super-naturall power to illighten and enable them to set their shoulders against the Torrent of the times and to bee overflowne with it But now Hee that truly feares God would rather lose His high Place Nay his posterity As much hearts-blood if He had it as would animate a whole Kingdome then leave His lawfull Soveraigne Lord in such a Case upon any termes tho Hee might have even the Imperiall Crowne set upon His owne Head For conscience that poore neglected Thing Nay in these last and looser times even laughed at by men of the World yet a stronger tie of Subjects hearts unto their Soveraignes then Man or Divell is able to dissolve ever holds up his Royall heart erect and unshaken when all Shebnaes Hamans and Ahitophels would hide their heads and shrink in the wetting Which conscience of his if upon such occasion Hee should unhappily wound Hee knowes full well it would follow Him with guilty cries for his so base temporizing and traiterous slinking all the daies of his life Whereas gracelesse and selfe-seeking greatnesse can well enough in the meane time conquer such clamorous accusations of an ill conscience with the boisterous excesse of carnall contentments even as the Sacrificers of their Sonnes to Mâ—loch in the fire drowned their lamentable cries with the louder sound of Tabrets and Drummes Ambitious Nimrods are able by the inordinate heate after humane greatnesse to digest and drive away the after-stings of bribery basenesse if not close bloodshed their ordinary meanes of mounting with their delight in domineering and beeing adored above others It is a fit Passage therefore in our Common Prayer-Booke That it may please Thee to endue the Lords of the Counsell and all the Nobility with grace wisedome and understanding Grace is fitly put in the first place For understanding and wisdome without this heavenly Iewell doe but prepare their Owners to doe the greater mischiefe To oppresse innocency with finer tricks and more unobservedly to plague Opposites more plausibly to compasse their owne ends more exactly and at last for the abuse and mis-imploiment of their great Parts and Places in serving themselves and not seeking Gods glory to be damned more horribly Without sanctification by speciall grace the rarest endowments degenerate Wisedome into craft Power into private reuenge Valour into violence Prudence into plotting their owne ends Courage into foole-hardinesse to uphold a faction Policy into plastering over soule-businesses with faire colours All of them are basely and unworthily made subordinate and serviceable onely to the setting forward and safe-garding their owne outward felicity Without this celestiall Load-starre to steere aright in all affaires there will ever be some warping A great man a Friend an enemy feare cowardlinesse affection faction partiality covetousnesse malice or something will certainly sway and transport away But now a godly Man besides his presence exemplary precedency in piety and prayers which are ever pleasing and prevailing with God the discharge of his Place with integrity and truth improving industriously all opportunities high favours interest in great Ones and utmost possibility every way to advance Gods glory promote good causes protect good Men Hee may also by observing the calmnesse of a Royall countenance and openesse of a Princely eare unto Him wisely and humbly suggest some things and speake those words for the publike Good and good of religion wherby not only a Kingdome but the whole Christian World may fare the better Vpon these and the like grounds I hold it an high happinesse and great honor to have an hand in working spirituall good upon those excellent spirits which hold high Roomes or stand in neare attendance unto mighty Princes And by this time you easily discerne my drift and rightly apprehend the top of my ambition in this Dedication even to doe your Soule good Which is much more Worth then the Whole World and must never die To which I conceived a doore opened when it pleased you in more then ordinary manner to manifest your liking and allowance of my last Booke And therefore Sir I beseech you out of the generousnesse of your noble disposition to doe me that fâ—vour Nay that right Nay that honour for so I shall account it As not to conceive the least thought that hereby I goe about to seeke great things to my selfe or ever to come nearer the Court then by the continuance of my daylie heartiest praiers for the salvation and life of King Charles my dread and dearest Soveraigne I am drawing apace towards my long Home and must shortly appeare before that high and everlasting Iudge and therefore I desire to lose no time but to ply all I can the businesse God hath set me about for the short remainder of these few and evill daies that by the mercies of God I may finish my course with joy and give up that last and great account with favour and comfort in the Name of Iesus Christ. Mee thinkes besides many other and mighty divine Motives that one speech of Chrysostome who Himselfe many times preached every Day and gave a precept for it and yet professeth that the dreadfulnesse of those words Heb. 13.17 For they watch for your soules as they that must give account did strike a great terrour into his heart should make all Gods Ministers resolve to doe nothing else almost but reade meditate preach and pray Wherefore noble Sir I shall have my full desire and utmost end if you be but pleased to make me the happy Instrument of helping you towards Heaven and give me leave to gaine this advantage for your spirituall good by your love unto my Ministeriall Labours that they my thereby leave a more kindly and deeper impression in your apprehensions of heavenly things and worke with more life and power for a sound erection and sure settling of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ in your owne Soule You stand in a
That Heathenish Religion did inspire Her Worthies of Old with invincible victorious spirits But Christian Religion begets effeminatâ—nesse deiections and seare He speakes to this purpose which to me seemes strange That such a profound Professour of the depths or rather diuelishnesse of policy should dote so sottishly And yet it is no such strange thing for many times we may observe that deepest Policy by the curse of God upon it for opposition to goodnesse turnes into extremest folly And all counsels and politicke constitutions against Christ are but the brainelesse infatuations of Ahitophel For that which this fellow holds there holds strong contradiction both to common sense and a thousand experiences to the contrary For the first and in a word Let the great Master of mischiefe and of most abhorred atheisticall Principles of State tell me whether a reall assurance of a Crowne of life and endlesse ioyes in another world be not more powerfull to raise a Mans spirit to the highest pitch of undaunted noblenesse of spirit and unconquerable resolution then a vaine breath of immortall fame amongst miserable men after this life And in this lies the sinew of His proofe For the second Let the Acts of the ancient Iews be indiffereÌ„tly wayed from whose magnanimity in causes of most extreme hazard those strange and unwonted resolutions have growne which for all circumstances saith a great Divine no people under the roofe of heaven did ever hitherto match And that which did alwaies animate them was their meere Religion And let the Chronicles also say I of later times be searched and wee shall find from time to time many renowned Worthies to have for ever ennobled the matchlesse and incomparable courage of Christianity with in imitable impressions of valour and visible transcendency above all humane boldnesse and affected audacities of the most valiant Pagans To begin with great Constantine the first mighty Commander of a Christian Army with what victorious glory did He confound cut off many potent Heads of Paganisme Thrice was the whole world most famously fought for betweene Alexander and Zerxes Caesar and Pompey Constantine Licinius This last was most illustrious wherein Constantine the Great did mightily conquer and triumphantly carry all before him the heroicall and royall spirit of Christianity trampling victoriously upon the desperate rage of the most furious foole-hardy Pagan Tyrants I might here passe on to Theodosius and his miraculous conquests and so along but the disgression would bee too unseasonable Therefore I leave you for the prosecution of this point to Anti-Machiavel Even in later times wofully plagued under the reigne of Antichrist with a vast degeneration from primitive purity and power Christian Religion tho empoysoned with Popish superstition yet did so farre inspire it 's Warlike Professors with extraordinary spirits that in point of manhood they did wonders to the astonishment of the whole world and all succeeding Ages Godfrey of Bulloigne that famous Warriour with his followers conquered in lesse then foure yeeres all the goodliest Provinces of Asia and drave out the Turkes In that dreadfull and cruell conflict in Solomons Temple as himselfe reports in a letter to Bohâ—mund King of Antioch their men by the great slaughter of the enemy stood in blood above the ancles At that terrible and bloody battell at Ascalon as most report they slew an hundred thousand Infidels c. The valour and victories of Hunniades whose mighty spirit and incredible courage for any thing I know have no parallell in any precedent Story were so great and did like a violent tempest and impetuous torrent so batter and beate downe the enemies of Christ that Hee was rightly reputed the Bulwarke of Europe and thundring terrour of the Turkes amongst whom His name became so dreadfull that as the story reports they used the same to feare their crying children withall Hee fought five times with the Turkes upon one day and five times foyled and put them to flight with the losse of three thousand He killed that valiant Viceâ—oy of Asia Mesites Bassa with His sonne and twenty thousand Turkes moe at that famous battell of Vascape wherein he got the greatest victory that ever any Christian Prince before that time obtained against the Turkish Kings with fifteene thousand souldiers He overthrew Abedin Bassa sent against Him most ragingly by reason of a late shamefull losse according to Amuraths instructions by the slaughter of the Hungarians to sacrifice unto the Ghosts of their dead friends and companions with an Army of fourescore thousand fighting men Scanderbeg also was such a Mirrour of Manhood so terrible to the Turkes that nine yeares after His death passing thorow Lyssa where His Body lay buried they digged up His bones with great devotion reckoning it in some part of their happines if they might but see or touch the same and such as could get any part thereof were it never so little caused the same to be set some in silver some in gold to hang about their necks or weare upon their bodies thinking the very dead bones of that late invincible Champion would animate their spirits with strange and extraordinary elevation and vigour Besides an admirable variety of other rare exploits at one time with the losse of sixty Christians He slew Amesa with thirty as some say but at least twenty thousand Turks He kild with His owne hand above two thousand enimies When He entered into sight the Spirit of valour did so work within Him and the fiercenes of His courage so boyled in His brest that it was woont to make bloud burst out at His lips and did so steele His Arme that He cut off many overthwart by the middle But take notice by the way aâ— profession of Christian religion inspired these renowned Worthies with a marchles height of courage and might of spirit so the mixture with Popish Idolatry did then and doth to this day unhappily hinder all thorow successe and constant prevailing against that most mighty bloud-thirsty Turkish Tyrant the terrour of Christendome who drunke with the wine of perpetuall felicity holds all the rest of the world in scorne and is the greatest and cruellest scourge of it that ever the Earth bore And besides that the Idolatry of the Romish Church most principally and with speciall curse blasts and brings to naught all undertakings of the Christian world against that wicked Empire the practise also of some pestilent Principles proper to that Man of sin hath plagued the most hopefull enterprises in this kinde For instance The king of Hungary by the helpe of Hunmades was in a faire course and forwardnes to have tamed and taken downe nay to have for ever crusht and confounded the insolency and usurpations of that raging Nimrod but then comes in the Pope with a beastly tricke and utterly dashes and undoes all For He out of His Luciferian pride by the power or rather poison
New-birth to sound comfort in Christ mortification New-obedience walking with God c. 4. Others there are who passe out of trouble of Conscience for sinne into some more tolerable courses for the time to come but yet not thorowly and savingly into the truth and Trade of Christianity For when Satan once perceives that sorrow for sinne lies so heavie upon a Mans heart and the rage of guiltinesse doth sting him still with such restlesse angvish that in all likelihood it will at length draw and drive him to some alteration at least and worke out at last some measure of amendment then doth hee out of an insatiable hellish thirst to hold him still in his clutches bend and imploy all his power and policy to make him satisfie himselfe and rest finally as sufficiently fitted for salvation in some partiall insufficient halfe-conversion and to sit downe contentedly with religious formes onely and some outward reformation The Divels first desire in working our destruction is to keepe a Man notoriously naught in the highest straine of impiety A Traitour in graine as it were and most desperate Rebell to the divine Majesty wallowing still in all variety of villany and vanity But if that will not bee Hee is glad to detaine him in what degree of prophanenesse hee can most conveniently and with greatest safty tho the least and the lowest in any state of unregeneratenesse tho furnished with the utmost perfections â—f which it is capable so that Hee step not into the Kingdome of Christ. Rather then Hee will utterly lose him and part with Him quite Hee will leave possession of Him in part and be willing tho full sore against his will to lose a great deale of his former more furious service and something of the fullnesse of his conformity to the fashions of Hell If Hee cannot doe as hee would Hee will doe as hee may as they say When Hee sees him grumbling and grow discontent and weary with the loathsomnesse of the Dungeon and waight of his fetters rather then Hee should escape and breake quite away Hee will knock off some of his irons grant him the liberty of the Prison the comfort of the walks nay and suffer Him sometimes to walke abroade so that Hee bee still watchfully attended by his Keeper and continue a Retainer to the kingdome of darkenesse Hee will bee content to give him the benefit of the fewest stripes in Hell and the least measure of damnation tho that also be more then infinitely terrible and intolerable rather then Hee should bee undamned at all And therefore in such a Case Hee will easily suffer Him to proceede to some kinde of Repentance and reformation of some one or moe outward grosse notorious sinnes remorse whereof perhaps did first raise the terrour and trouble in his minde so that He wil there rest and remaine unmortified and unamended in the rest Or Hee cares not much tho He be universally outwardly reformed and unblameable for the most part in his visible carriage and conversation Tho Hee restore ill gotten goods with Iudas say his praiers give almes fast often give tythes of all that He possesses with the Pharisee hold out a Lamp of goodly professioÌ„ to the eie of the world with the foolish Virgines observe godly Ministers reforme many things after their Preaching and heare them gladly with Herod So that for all this plausible and unpernicious outside the heart continue unchast impure unholy unheavenly still and He still hug in his bosome some secret lusts and sensuall corruptions with willing delight and loathnesse to leave them Or if a man besides outward religious representations and conformities desires also to finde and feele in Himselfe some kinde of inward worke Hee will not bee much troubled with addition of the spirit of illumination temporary Faith some ioy in the Word taste of the powers of the World to come c. So that the spirit of speciall sanctification bee wanting still and that some darling delight bee maintained in heart life or calling which the Man by no meanes would have meddled with or mortified Or that which is a notable Depth of the Divell of which take speciall notice Whereas a Man heares many times out of the Ministry of the Word that the abandoning of his bosome-sinne is a good token of a true conversion and the embracing of it still is too sure a signe that hee is Satans still To the end Hee may blind Him in this important Point Hee will suffer Him to exchange the visible forme and outward exercise even of His beloved sinne For the purpose A mans Captaine and commanding sinne is covetousnesse and it is outwardly exercised in usury bribery sacriledge c. Hee is well enough content in this Case to let Him bee frighted by the terrour of the Ministry from those grosser acts of cruelty for which the World cries shame on Him especially not restoring so that Hee insensibly fall unto and secâ—etly practise some other cunning invisible oppressions or any unlawfull waies of getting His sweet sinne is voluptuousnesse Hee hunts after it in the horrible villanies of adultery or fornication But at some Sermon or other Hee is told and terrified That by such sinnes He doth not onely damne Himselfe but also ever draw another to Hell with Him c. Whereupon Hee may grow into a slavish distaste and dis-continuance from them and Satan will not say much so that there succede in their roomes some other kinds of uncleannesse perhaps immoderate abuse the marriage without any checke or remorse or some other secret Selfe-abominations not to bee conceived without horrour much lesse to bee named Nay Hee will yet yeeld further and endure an utter cessation from the externall acts and visible practise of a Mans predominant and reigning sinne so that hee delightfully feede upon it still in his heart with speculative greedinesse and spend the strength of his affections and the most of His thoughts that way Hee will give Him leave to leave off His Vsury and to call-in his money but ordinarily ever without restitution so that hee may hold his heart still exercised with covetousnesse Hee can well enough abide abandoning the grosse acts of uncleannesse so that Hee lie frying in the flames of his owne scorching concupiscence and consume his thoughts in the adulteries of the heart and contemplative filth O the endlesse Maze unfathomed Depths and deepest malice of that old red Dragon Hee will yeeld unto any thing take in the very darkest Nooke of Hell for some cunning Devise rather then part with a pretious Soule out of his Hellish Paw If a Man bee so haunted with horrour of conscience that hee dare not for his life lie any longer in his notoriousnesse but will needs into some new course Hee can put him into many new fashions and yet no New-birth no New-man Hee will suffer him to passe into a more tolerable conversation and yet come short of a true conversion Hee can
have parted with the magnificent state and pompe of Pharaohs Court where Hee might have wallowed in varietie of all worldly delights and to take part with His afflicted Brethren of a world of miseries in a vast and roaring Wildernesse There was never carnall man since the Creation but in such a Case would have followed the Court and forsaken Gods people Hester a weake Woman could never possibly have holden out against the fury of so mighty a Favourite the hazarding of Her high Place the favour of so great a King and even life it selfe had She not been upholden by an extraordinary strength from Heaven No great Woman in the World wanting Grace would ever have runne such an hazard but have suffered the servants of God to sinke or swimme so that She might swimme downe the Current of the times without crossing and enjoy the present without perill It was a 〈◊〉 temptation 〈◊〉 â—â—nathan and a very 〈…〉 Dilemma Either leave to adhere to David or resolve to lose a Kingdome But the hope of an earthly Crowne could not hire Him to hold His peace and betray the innocency of His heavenly Friend And Ionathan answered Saul his Father and said unto Him Wherefore shall Hee bee slaine What hath Hee done The dread of dis-countenance from two angry Kings whose indignation is as the roaring of a Lyon was a terrible Motive to have made Michajah temporize not a Server of the Times and His owne turne in the World but would in this Case have tuned His Pipe to Ahabs pleasure especially encouraged by the flattering concurrence of so many false prophets But the sight of the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth sitting upon His Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by Him infused such an holy fortitude into the spirit of this Man of God that no greatnesse terrour or Majesty of any crowned Potentate could possibly daunt His courage or dash Him out of countenance And therefore Hee answeres with a resolution as high as Heaven and out of a sacred pang of seraphicall zeale As the Lord liveth whatsoever the Lord saith unto mee that will I speake So that Hee may discharge a good conscience and doe as God would have Him Hee is at a Point That Message which thâ—â—lmighty had put into His mouth must 〈…〉 Him to a centur◠〈…〉 from so 〈…〉 owne Coate to a suspicion of dis-loyalty for crossing so peremptorily the Kings Plot to smiting both with the fist of wickednesse and taunts of the tongue from His fellow Seers Nay tho His faithfull dealing throw Him into a Dungeon there to bee fed with the Bread of affliction and Water of affliction untill the full wrath of an enraged prophane King fall upon Him to the uttermost Thus let the World say what it will whatever flesh and blood suggest to the contrary Howsoever unsanctified great Ones storme and disdaine yet assuredly every true Friend to Iesus Christ must bee content farre rather to bee dis-courted then desert a good cause or not to defend the innocency of a gracious Man tho in disgrace and to speake for Gods people tho Haman rage to roote them out quite as a company of singular exorbitant fellowes who serve God as they list and keepe not the Kings Lawes As is unanswerably evident by the precedency of these newly named noble and holy Saints I confesse this may seeme precise Doctrine and a divine Paradox to all the great Masters of pleasure and Minions of luxury and pride whose blood runnes fresh in their veines and marrow is yet strong in their bones Nay who having attained the height of their ambitious aimes sit now aloft in the very top of their un-blessed bravery and greatnesse drunke with the pleasant wine of worldly prosperitie and holding in scorne the holy preaching of the good way the syncerity of the servants of Christ and society of the Brotherhood Yet I can assure them in the Word of Life and Truth the now embracement and practise of precise walking will incomparably more comfort them upon their Dying-Beds in that great and last encounter with all infernall powers about the immortality blisse and glory or the endlesse and unsupportable paines and misery of their Soules then if they had been the sole and soveraigne Commanders of all the Kingdoms of the Earth all their life long But no marvell in the meane time that as the Spirit of truth tells us and punctually to my purpose Not many Wise men after the flesh nor many Mighty not many Noble are called Not for any impossibility For the irresistable might of the Spirit worketh upon whom it will and some Great Men are good but by reason of the difficulty Being beset with such variety and strength of temptations they are rarelier and hardlier wrought upon by the Word and woone out of Satans en-snarements High roomes temporary happines abilities above ordinary so puffe them up and transport them beyond themselves with such a deale of Selfe-love Selfe-opinion Self-prizing that their proud and obstinated spirits will by no meanes stoope to the simplicity of the Gospell â—â—gularitie of the Saints and the foolishnesse of preaching But if at any time they heare of a Nathan Ieremy Amos Chrysostome Latimer c. They are very loth to lend their attention lest thereby they should bee made Melancholike put in mind of the Evill day tormented before their time But if they have the patience They are ready to startle in their seates and whisper One to an Other You see now these preciser Fellowes would damne us all to Hell Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their Cordes from us Such adoe there is and a world of worke to bring such noble Bedlams into their right minds and to fright such Idolizers of their owne sufficiencies and wilfull graspers of their gilded Fetters from their admired follies and honorable servitude 3. Thirdly a gracious Man about a Royall Person is a goodly Sight full well worth even a Kings Ransome For never any except himself truly feare the great God of Heaven can possibly bee cordially and conscionably serviceable to any of our earthly Gods A Principle so cleare and unquestionable that no Man of understanding and Master of his owne Wits except himselfe be notoriously obnoxious can have the face to deny it Please they may bee politically plausible flatter extremely and represent themselves to ordinary observation as the onely Men for loyalty and love But if wee could search and see their hearts wee should find them then most laborious to serue themselves and advance their owne ends when they seeme most zealous for their Soveraignes service Ahitophel in the Sunne-shine of peace and calmenesse of the Kingdomes time did accommodate himselfe to the present both in Consultations of State and religious conformitie But no sooner had this hollow-hearted man espied a dangerous tempest raysed by Absoloms un-naturall treachery but Hee turned Traytor to his naturall Lord when Hee
him and â—ore torments of the inner parts So that the wormes rose up out of the body of this wicked man and whiles hee lived in sorrow and paine his flesh fell away and the filthinesse of his smell was noysome to all his army Herod in the height of his hatred against the Gospell and pride in imprisoning and persecuting the Apostles was eaten up of wormes in a most fearefull prodigious manner Gardiner gaping for newes of the dispatch of those two blessed Martyrs of Iesus Latimer and Ridley at Oxford deferred his dinner untill three or foure of the clocke at afternoone delighting more in drinking the bloud of the Saints then in his ordinary foode But upon the returne of his Post Hee fell merrily to his meate And marke what followed The bloudy Tyrant saith the Story had not eaten a few bittes but the sudden strokâ— of God His terrible hand fell upon him in such sort as immediatly he was taken from the table and so brought to his bed where he continued the space of fifteene dayes in such intolerable anguish tormeÌ„ts that all that â—eane while during those fifteene dayes he could not avoyde by order of urine or otherwise any thing that hee received Whâ—â—eby his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many good Martyrs before was brought to â— wretched end For further inlargement of this Point looke into the Stories of the primitive Church Acts and Monumentâ— Theater of Gods iudgements 4. A cry farre louder then the noise of many waters or voice of greatest thunder knocks continually with strong importunity at Gods iust Tribunall for a showre of fire brimstone and an horrible Tempest to be rained downe upon their heads I meane a cry of bloud wrongs disgraces and slanders wherewith they have loaden the Saints of God Rev. 6.10 And they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth 5. They are the principall provokers of Gods wrath against a nation Their hatefull heate overflowing gall and scornefull carriage against Gods people doth ripen apace His fiercest indignation fill up full the vialls of His vengeance and draw downe upon a kingdome a desperate and finall ruine without all remedy But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and mis-used Hiâ— Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2. Chron. 36.16 6. Their spitefull spirits being once thorowly set on heate with this fire of hell and infernall rage against the grace of God and His people commonly continue in flâ—me and fury untill their fearefull and finall confusion And they being once flesht as it were with the bloud of the Saints at lest by scoffes slanders for even lewd and lying tongues are keene razours and sharpe swords scourges and scorpions that fetch bloud they feede insatiably upon the damned sweetnesse of such supposed cursed revenge untill they be seizd upon with irrecoverable ruine and fall amongst the firers of their malice and Arch-persecutors of all Professours the fiends of Hell This is my meaning This pestilent and crying Sinne of persecution is like the gulfe of drunkennesse which Austin compares to the Pitt of Hell into which when a man is once fallen there is no redemption or returne A Persecutour is rarely or never â—eclaimde Either by miracle or Ministry mercy or misery Fire from Heaven falling upon the first Captaine and His fâ—â—y did not fright the second Captaine and His fifty from pressing upon Elijah to apprehend him 2. Kings 1.10.11 The souldiers who came to take Iesus as soone as Hee had said I am Hee were strangely upon the suddaine stroke downe to the ground Ioh 18.6 and yet this miracle did never a whit mollifie and abate the malice of the Priests and Pharisees against Him Not even the Miniâ—â—ry of Christ Himselfe though He spoke as never Man spake Not that of Stephen whose face appeared to His Hearers as it had beene the face of an Angell not that of the Apostles freshly filled with the holy Ghost from heaven did at all dis-enrage or â—ame those fellowes which were possest with this fâ—ule spirit of scornefull contradiction See Luc. 4.28.29 And 16.14 Act. 7 54. And 2.13 Not all those horrible miraculous plagues of Aegypt were able to quench Pharaohs fury against the people of God untill he was choakt in the red Sea No kindnesse from David though extraordinary and matchlesse 1. Sam. â—4 11. And â—6 9. could turne Saâ—ls heart from hunting him as when One doth hunt a Partridge in the mountaines And no marvaile tho they be not mooved by all or any of these meanes for they scorne persecute and contemne the very meanes which should amend them and the onely Men who should convert them Whether of the two thinke you is likelier to recover That man who being dangerously sicke yet entertaines the Physition kindely and takes patiently what is prescrib'd or Hee who having a Potion presented unto Him very soveraigne for his recovery throwes the glasse against the wall spils that pretious Receipt and drives the Physition out at doores Conceive proportionably betweene the Persecutour and the lesse pestilent sinner who meddles nor maliciously against the Ministry 7. They are already in the pestilent Path and very hie-way that leads to sinne against the Holy Ghost The horriblenesse and height of which dreadfull villany may bring upon them even in this life impossibility of pardon Matth. 12.31.32 and liablenesse to that flaming iudgement â—iery indignation threatned Heb. 10.26 c. And that they are growing towards this sinne if they be not quite gone that way appeares because they despitefully traduce with much malice and mischiefe persecute the very workes of Grace and graces of Gods Spirit shed into the hearts and shining in the lives of the children of light 1. Ioh. 3.12 Psal. 38.20 1. Pet. 4.4 If a man would drinke sweare swagger revell and roare with them If he durst bee an Ignorant an Vsurer a Sabbath-breaker a Worldling a doter upon and defender of heathnish superstitious customes a practiser or Patrone of Old anniversarie fooleries and rotten vanities an incloser gamester good-fellow c. Oh! then Hee should bee the onely Man with them entertain'd into their hearts and houses with all affectionate embracements of kindnesse and acceptation but if the same man by the mercies of God once begin to breake from them and out of the snares of the Devill to dis-rellish and detest his former wayes of nature and naughtinesse to love and reverence the most searching Ministry to reade the Scriptures and best bookes to sanctifie the Lords Day to pray in his family to renounce resolutely His running with them to the same excesse of riot to abandon and abominate their lewd and licentious courses In a word to turne Christian Oh! then Hee is an arrant Puritane a Precision an
calmnesse of a good conscience is grounded upon a Rocke upon which tho the raine descends the floods come the windes blow the tempests beate yet it stands like Mount Zion sure sober strong lasting impregnable Nay it is of that heavenly metall and divine temper that it ordinarily gathers vigour and puissance from the worlds rage and growes in strength and resolution together with the encrease of all iniust oppositions Persecutions and resistance serue as a provocation and seasoning to it's sweetnesse It is not enforced formall artificiall affected furious desperate misgrounded ambitious upon an humour in the face onely onely in hot blood out of a vaine-glorious pang c. Such may bee found in Aliens and resolute reprobates It were nothing worthy if strangers might meddle with it If Men or Divels or the whole World could take it from us If it were sustained onely by any created power or arme of flesh This Pearle that I praise and perswade unto is of an higher price and more transcendent power then any unregenerate Man can possibly compasse or comprehend It hath for it's seate a sanctified Soule for the Fountaine of it's refreshing the Spirit of all comfort for it's foundation the favour of God for it's Warrant the promises of Amen the faithfull and true Witnesse for it's object an immortall Crowne for it's continuance the prayers of all the Saints for it's companions inward peace invincible courage an holy security of minde for it's end and perfection fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore In a word this couragious comfort and true noblenesse of spirit which dwells in the heart of the true-hearted Christian doth differ as much from and as farre surpasses all the groundlesse confidences of what carnall men or religious counterfeits soever as the reall possession of gold an imaginary dreame of gold as the true naturall lively Grape which glads the heart a painted juycelesse Grape which onely feedes the eye as a strong and mighty Oake rooted deepely in the earth which no storme or tempest can displant or overthrow a Stake in a dead hedge or Staffe stucke lightly into the ground which every hand may snatch away or blast of winde supplant and overthrow Secondly the trouble of a wounded conscience is further amplified by it's Attribute intolerablenesse But a wounded Spirit who can beare Whence note Doctr. That the torture of a troubled Conscience is intolerable Reas. 1. In all other afflictions onely the Arme of flesh is our adversary wee contend but with Creatures at most wee have to doe but with Man or at worst with Divels but in this transcendent misery wee conflict immediately with God Himselfe Fraile Man with Almighty God sinfull Man with that most holy God Whose eyes are purer then to behold evill and who cannot looke upon iniquity Who then can stand before his indignation Who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger When his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are throwne downe by Him When hee comes against a man as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelpes torent the very caule of His heart and to devoure him like a Lion No more then the driest stubble can resist the fierest flame the ripe Corne the Mowers sharpest sythe or a garment the Moath no more nay infinitely lesse can any power of Man or Angell withstand the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth when Hee is angry for Sinne. When thou saith David with rebukes correctest man for iniquity thou as a Moath makest his beauty to consume Alas when a poore polluted wretch upon some speciall illumination by the Word or extraordinary stroke from the rod doth once begin to behold Gods frowning face against Him in the pure Glasse of His most holy Law and to feele divine iustice by an invisible hand taking secret vengeance upon his conscience His heavy heart immediately melts away in his brest and becomes as water Hee faints and failes both in the strength of his body and stoutnesse of his minde His bones the pillars and Master-timber of his earthly Tabernacle are presently broken in pieces and turn'd into rottennesse His spirit the eye and excellency of his Soule which should illighten and make lightsome the whole Man is quite put out and utterly overwhelm'd with excesse of horrour and flashes of despaire O this is it which would not onely crush the courage of the stoutest sonne of Adam that ever breath'd upon earth but even breake the backe of the most glorious Angell that did ever shine in Heaven should Hee lift up but one rebellious thought against his Creatour This alone is able to make the tallest Cedar in Lâ—banon the strongest Oake in Basan I meane the highest looke and the proudest heart the most boisterous Nimrod or swaggering Belshazzar to bow and bend to stoope and tremble as the leaves of the forrest that are shâ—ken with the winde 2. In all other adversities a man is still a friend unto himselfe favours himselfe and reaches out his best considerations to bring in comfort to his heavy heart But in this Hee is a scourge to Himselfe at warre with Himselfe an enemy to Himselfe Hee doth greedily and industriously fetch in as much matter as hee can possibly both imaginary and true to enlarge the rent and aggravate his horrour Hee gazes willingly in that false glasse which Satan is woont in such Cases to set before Him wherein by his Hellish malice Hee makes an infinite addition both to the already un-numbred multitude and to the too true hainousnesse of his sinnes and would faine if Hee will be lead by his lying cruelty mis-represent to his affrighted imagination every Gnat as a Camell every Moate as a Mole-hill every Mole-hill as a Mountaine every lustfull thought as a Sodomiticall villany every idle word as a desperate blasphemy every angry looke as an actuall bloody murder every intemperate passion as an inexpiable provocation every distraction in holy duties as a damnable rebellion every transgression against light of conscience as a sinne against the holy Ghost c. Nay in this amazednesse of spirit and disposition to despaire Hee is apt even of his owne accord and with great eagernesse to arme every severall sinne as it comes into his minde with a particular bloody sting that it may strike deepe enough and sticke fast enough in His already grieved Soule Hee imployes and improoves the excellency and utmost of His learning understanding wit memory to argue with all subtilty with much Sophistry against the pardonablenes of his sins and possibilitie of salvation Hee wounds even his wounds with a conceit they are incurable and vexes his very vexations with refusing to bee comforted Not onely crosses afflictions temptations and all matter of discontentment but even the most desirable things also in this life and those which minister most outward comfort Wife Children Friends Gold Goods Great mens favours Preferments Honours Offices even Pleasures themselves every
Debitors while they have any doings as they say and are in trading in policy let them alone and say nothing but if once downe the winde in sicknesse poverty disgrace c. Then comes Sergeant after Sergeant Arrest upon Arrest Action upon Action All their sinnes are set in order before them and fall full foule upon the now distressed Soule as Ravens upon the fallen Sheepe to picke out the very eyes and heart of it and to keepe it downe in the Dungeon of despaire for ever 5. Nor others because they cousen themselves with a formall false conceite of a comfortable spirituall state as did the Phariâ—ie Luk. 15.11 with a groundlesse presumption that they are in Gods favour as did those Matth. 7.22 And the five foolish Virgins Matth. 25. When as God knowes they are meere strangers to the Mysterie of Christ and farre enough from any sound Humiliation Thus the blindnesse security searednesse slumber Selfe-deceite or some other such distemper of the Conscience conceales and keepes in the stings of those sins in sensuall men which without turning unto the Lord in truth while it is called To Day will hereafter torment with intolerable and restlesse terrour thorow all eternity 3. A third reason why thy unlamented and unpardoned sinnes tho every one of them bee armed with a severall bloody and fiery sting and of their owne nature so heavy with horrour that they are able to sinke Thee into the bottome of Hell doe not as yet stirre nor presse upon thy Soule with the insupportable weight of divine vengeance is this They are in their native soyle where they were borne bred and brought up in their owne Element as they say I meane in a carnall heart soaking in sensualitie and not resolved to bee reformed Wee say in Philosophy An Element is not heavy in it's owne Place One Bucket full of water upon the Earth would bee burdensome to the Backe of that Man who were Hee in the bottome of the Sea would feele no weight at all from all the water there tho it were three miles high over His head A sensuall heart settled upon it's lees can beare without sense or complaint a world of wickednesse which out of it's Element and humour would bee crusht into Powder and tremble with horrour upon the sad apprehension of the least sinne especially set out by Gods just indignation While Belshazzar was in His Element revelling and rioting amongst His Lords His Wives and His Concubines drinking wine swaggeringly and contemptuously in the golden and silver Vessels of the Temple Hee felt no touch in point of conscience or terrour at all But put out of His humour by the hand-writing upon the plaister of the Wall His countenance was presently changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of His loynes were loosed and His knees smote one against another 4. Fourthly The never-dying worme that naturally breeds and growes bigge in every unregenerate conscience which beates backe still the searching power of the Word and secret warnings of the Spirit is like a Wolfe in the foot Feede it continually with fresh supply of raw flesh and it will let the Body alone but with-draw that and it devoures upward While the Sonnes and daughters of pleasure and all those who have their portion and Paradise in this life stoppe the mouth of this hellish worme with variety of carnall delights they doe well enough and finde pretty ease and exemption for a time from the rage and bitings thereof But they may assure themselves in evill times when the dayes are come upon them wherein there is no pleasure when the Play is done when all worldly comforts and comforters like run-away servants and drunken Serving-men are to seeke when they have most use and need of them I say that then the time and turne is come that the worme of conscience destitute now â—or ever of any further satisfaction from sensuall sweetnes will ragingly turne upon the Soule devoure like a Lion knaw like a Vulture vex eternally 5. Fifthly If the weight of the whole world were now laid upon any of these Bodies here lately buried it would not stirre or groane And why Because it is naturally dead Proportionably Tho the burthen of sinne farre heavier then a mountaine of Lead then this mighty and massie earth under our feete lyes upon every impenitent Soule ready every houre to presse and plunge it into the lowest Pit yet wretched and bewitched Thing it neither feeles any smart nor feares any hurt it is neither sensible of the present weight nor troubled for the future wrath And what is the reason It is spiritually dead It is starke dead in trespasses and sinnes The strong man is gone away with all And there is no stirring nor sense of this cursed Burden untill Either a stronger then Hee lay hands upon this Hellish Tyrant disarme Him and throw downe His Holds and a mightier voyce of the Sonne of God then that which made Lazarus come out of the Grave put life into it Or else that the dreadfull thunder of Gods fierce and finall wrath the Day of visitation beeing expired awake it to everlasting woe 6. Tho in the meane time thou bee extreamely miserable and if thou dyest in thine impenitent state this day thou must most certainely lodge this night in the Lake of fire and brimstone amongst the damned yet thy sinnes for the present doe not represent to the eye of thy conscience those formes of foulenesse and terrour of which they are naturally full and which without timely repentance thou wilt hereafter find and feele in them to thine endlesse griefe because thou lookest upon them in the false Glasse of vaine-glory ignorance selfe-love selfe-conceitednesse painted over by the Divels dawbing with whorish intising colours of pleasure profit preferment worldly applause and other such goodly and golden out-sides Whereas a true and effectuall beholding them in the cleare Christall of Gods pure Law hunted continually at the heeles with divine vengeance all the curses in this Booke and plagues innumerable internall externall eternall and in the bitter Passion of Iesus Christ without whose hearts-blood not the least sinne that ever was committed could ever have been remitted were able to â—right and fire a very Blackamore out of His blacke skinne and a Leopard from His spots And thou something easest thine heart also against the terrour of the Lord for thy sinnes by looking upon Gods mercy with false spectacles and so enlarging it beyond the limits of His Truth But heare what that excellent discoverer of the Depths of our Selfe-cousoning hearts tells thee in such a case As a man passing over a bridge saith Hee which his false spectacles make to seeme broader then in deed it is being thereby deceived goes besides the bridge and so is drowned so is it with those whose deceitfull hearts make the bridge of Gods mercy larger then it is they are in danger of falling beside it into
is the care of those Ministers which divide Gods Word aright say our great Divines of Great Britaine first fitly and wisely to wound the Consciences of their hearers with the terrours of the Law and after to raise them by the Promises of the Gospell c. The Spirit first terrifies those who are to bee justified with the Law breaking and humbling them with threats scourges and lashes of Conscience that thereby despairing of themselves they may flie unto Christ. Wee cannot learne out of the Gospell saith Chemmitius that wee are to bee blessed in Christ except by an anthithesis as Luther speakes we also acknowledge that wee are accursed by the Law The Doctrine of the Law saith Davenant is to be propounded to the impious and impenitent to strike terrour into their hearts and to demonstrate their just damnation except they repent and she to Iesus Christ. Perkins that great Light of our Church both for soundnesse of learnâ—ng sincerâ—ty of iudgement and insight into the Mystery of Christ teâ—ching How Repentance is wrought telâ— vs That first of all a Man must have knowledge oâ— foure things Of the Law of God Of sinne against the Law Of the guilt of sinne and of the Iudgement of God against sinne which is His eternall wrath In the second Place must follow an application of the former knowledge to a Mans selfe by the worke of the conscience assisted by the holy Ghost which for that cause is called the spirit of bondage in this manner The breaker of the Law is guilty of eternall wrath saith the Minde But I am a breaker of the Law of God saith the Conscience as a Witnesse and an Accuser Therefore I am guilty of eternall death saith the same Conscience as a Iudge Every Law shall have His part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Reuel 21.8 But I am a Liar Therefore I shall have my part in that everlasting fiery Lake And so of other sinnes Covetousnesse Cruelty Drunkennesse Whoredome Swearing Defrauding Temporizing Vsury Filthinesse Self-uncleannesse Foolish talking â—esting Ephes. 5.4 Revellings Galat. 5.21 Prophaning the Lords Day strange apparell Zeph. 1.8 And innumerable sinnes moe which beeing all severally prest upon the heart by a discourse of the guilty conscience as I have said must needs full sorely crush it with many cutting conclusions from which set on by the spirit of bondage is woont to arise much trouble of minde which saith Hee is commonly called the sting of the conscience or penitence and the compunction of heart And then succeedes seasonably and comfortably the worke of the Gospell The Soule beeing thus sensible of and groaning under the burden of all sinne is happily fitted for all the glorious revelations of the abundant riches of Gods dearest mercies for all the comforts graces and favours which shine from the face of Christ for all the expiations refreshings and exultations which spring out of that blessed Fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse Never any of Gods Children saith Greeneham were comforted thorowly but they were first humbled for their Sinnes The course warranted unto us by the Scriptures saith Hieron is this First to endeavour the softning of our Hearers hearts by bringing them to the sight and sense of their owne wretchednes before we adventure to apply the riches of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus The preaching of the Gospell is coÌ„pared by our Saviour Himself unto the Sowing of seedes as therefore the ground is first torne up with the plâ—â—gh before the seede be committed unto it so the fâ—llow ground of our hearts must first bee broken up with the sharpenesse of the Law and the very terrour of the Lord before wee can bee fit to entertaine the sweete seed of the Gospell I would have a Preacher to preach peace and to aime at nothing more then the comfort of the Soules of Gods people yet I would have Him withall frame his course to the manner of Gods appearing to Elijah The Text saith that first a mighty strong winde rent the Mountaines and brake the rockes then after that came an earthquake and after the earthquake came fire and after all these then came a still and a soft voyce After the same manner I would not have the still and milde voyâ—e of the Gospell come till the strong tempest of the Law hath rent the stoâ—y hearts of men and have made theâ—â— beliâ—es to tremble and rottennesse to enter into their bones Or at least because our Auditories are mixt consisting of men of divers humours it shall bee good for Him to deliver His doctrine with that caution that neither the humbled soules may be affrighted with the severity of Gods judgements nor the prophane and unrepentant grow presumptuous by the abundance of Gods mercy The person that is full despiseth the hony-combe saith Salomon And what doth a proud Pharisie or a churlish Nabal or a Politicke Gallio or a scoffing Ishmael care to heare of the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of God in his Sonne Iesus Except it bee to settle them faster upon their lees The Doctrine of that nature is as unfitting such uncircumcised eares as the snow the Summer and the raine the Harvest Vnto the Horse belongs a whip to the Asse a bridle and a rod to the Fooles backe c. Hee that intendeth to doe any good in this frozen generation had need rather to bee Boanerges one of the sons of thunder then Bar-Ionah the Sonne of a Dove The Word of God saith Forbes hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men For first it falleth to mens eares as the sound of many waters a mighty great and confused sound and which commonly bringeth neither terrour nor ioy but yet a wondering and acknowledgement of a strange force more then humane power This is that effect which many felt hearing Christ when they were astonished at His Doctrine as teaching with authority What manner doctrine is this Never man spake like this man This effect falleth even to the reprobate which wonder and vanish Haâ—ak 15. Act. 13.41 The next effect is the voice of thundâ—r Which bringeth not onely wonder but feare also not onely filleth the eares with sound and the heart with astonishment but moreover shaketh and terifyeth the conscience And this second effect may also befall a reprobate As Felix Act. 24. The third effect is proper to the elect the sound of harping while the word not onely ravishâ—th with admiration and striketh the Conscience with terrour but also lastly filleth it with sweete peace and ioy c. Now albeit the first two degrees may bee without the last yet none feele the last who have not in some degree felt both the first two God healeth none saith Gouge but such as are first wounded The whole need not a Physitian but they that are sicke Christ
was annointed to preach the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted c. Ob. Many have believed who never grieved for their misery as Lidia c. Answ. Who can tell that these greeved not It followeth not that they had no greife because none is recorded All particular actions and circumstances of Actions are not recorded It is enough that the greefe of some as of the Iewes of the Iaylour of the woman that washed Christs feete with Her teares and of others is recorded Lidia might bee prepared before she heard Paul For shâ—e accompanied them which went out to pray and shee worshipped God Or else Her heart might be then touched when she heard Paul preach The like may bee said of those which heard Peter when Her preached to Cornelius And of others Certaine it is that a man must both see and feele Hiâ— wretchednesse and bee wounded in Soule for it before Faith can be wrought in Him Yet I deny not but there may be great difference in the manner and measure of greeving c. The heart is prepared for faith and not by faith Iustifiâ—ation beeing the worke of God is perfect in it selfe but our hearts are not fit to apply it untill God have humbled us brought us to despaire in our selves The whole preparation beeing legall wrought by the Spirits of bondage to bring us to the Spirit of Adoption leaves us in despaire of all helpe either of our selves or the whole world that so beeing in this wofull plight wee might now submit our selves to God who infusing a lively faith into our hearts gives us His Son and our iustification with Him None ever had conscience truly pacifyed that first felt not conscience wounded The preparation to repentance Hee meanes Evangelicall are those legall sits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time too before Faith As there can bee no birth without the paines of the travell going before so neither no true repentance without some terrours of the Law and streights of Conscience The reason is plaine None can have repentance but such as Christ cals to Repentance Now Hee cals only sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 even sinners heavy laden with the sense of Gods wrath against sinne Mat. 11.28 Hee comes onely to save the lost sheepe that is such sheepe as feele themselves lost in themselves and know not how to finde the way to the fold It is said Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare which shewes that once they did receive it namely in the very first preparation vnto conversion that then the spirit of God in the Law did so beare witnes unto theÌ„ of their bondage and miserable slavery that it made them to tremble Now there vnder the person of the Romans the Apostle speakes to all Beleevers and so shewes that it is every Christians common case the law hath His use to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentiam The Gospell His force to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resipiscentiam and both are needfull for Christians even at this Present as formerly they have ever bin Gods mercy may not bee such whereby His Truth in any sort should bee impeached As it should if it be prostituted indifferently and promiscuously to all as well the insolent and impenitent as the poore humble and broken hearted sinner For unto these latter onely is the promise of mercy made And if to others the gate of mercy should bee set open Gods mercies as Solomon saies of the wicked's that they are cruell mercies should be false and uniust mercies But God never yet learned so to bee mercifull as to make Himselfe false and unfaithfull The first thing that drawes unto Christ is to consider our miserable estate without Him Therefore wee see that the Law drives men to Christ And the Law doth it by shewing a Man His sin and the curse due unto the same Wee must know that nothing performed of us can give satisfaction in this matter of humiliation Yet it is such a thing without which wee cannot come to Christ. It is as much as if a man should say the Physitian is ready to heale Thee but then it is required that Thou must have a sense of the disease c No Man will come to Christ except He bee hungry Onely those that are troubled receive the Gospell No Man will take Christ for his Husband till Hee come to know feele the Waight of Satans yoke Till that time Hee will never come to take upon Him the yoke of Christ. To all you I speake that are humbled Others that minde not this Doctrine regard not the things of this nature But you that mourne in Zion that are broken-hearted you that know the bitternesse of sin to you is the salvation sent Vnder the causes I comprehend all that worke of God whereby Hee worketh Faith in any which standeth especially in these three things 1. That God by His word and Spirit first illightneth the understanding truly to conceive the Doctrine of Mans misery and of His full recovery by Christ. 2. Secondly by the same meanes Hee worketh in His heart both such sound sorrow for His misery and fervent desire after Christ the remedy that Hee can never bee at quiet till Hee enioy Christ 3. Thirdly God so manifesteth His love in freely offering Christ with all His benefits to Him a poore sinner that thereby hee drawes Him so to giue credit to God therein that Hee gladly accepts Christ offered vnto Him These three works of God whosoever findeth to have bin wrought in Himselfe Hee may thereby know certainly Hee hath Faith But without these what change of life soever may bee conceived there can bee no certainty of Faith The Law first breakes us and kills us with the sight and guilt of sin before Christ cures us and binds us up The holy Ghost worketh and maketh Faith effectuall by these three Acts 1. First it puts an efficacy into the Law and makes that powerfull to worke on the heart to make a man poore in spirit so that hee may bee fit to receive the Gospell The Spirit of bondage must make the Law effectuall as the Spirit of adoption doth the Gospell c. 2. The second worke is to reveale Christ when the heart is prepared by the spirit in the first worke then in the next place Hee shewes the unsearchable riches of Christ what is the hope of His calling and the glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints what is the exceeding greatnesse of His power in them that beleeve I say wee neede the Spirit to shew these things c. 3. The third Act of the Spirit is The testimony which hee gives to our spirit in telling us that these things are ours When the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed unto us that wee prize them and long after them yet
our owne wee shal bee Pastours feeding our Selves not our flocke The Authour of the imperfect commentary in Chrysostome sorted by some Body into Homilies upon Matthew seemes to intimate that the cause of the overflowing and rankenesse of iniquity is the basenesse of these Self-preaching men-pleasers Tolle hoc vitium de Clero saith Hee Take this fault from the Clergy to wit that they bee not men-pleasers and all sinnes are easily cut down But if they blunt rebate the edge of the Sword of the Spirit with dawbing slattery temporizing or strike with it in a scabberd garishly and gaudily embroiderd with variety of humane learning tricks of wit frier-like conceits c. it cannot possibly cut to any purpose it kills the Soule but not the sinne They are the onely men howsoever worldly wisedome raue and unsanctified learning bee besides it selfe to beate downe sinne batter the Bulwarks of the Deuill and build vp the Kingdome of Christ who setting aside all private ends and by-respects all vaine glorious covetous and ambitious aimes all serving the times proiects for preferment hope of rising feare of the face of Man c. addresse themselves with faithfulnesse and Zeale to the worke of the Lord seeking sincerely to glorify Him in converting mens Soules by the foolishnesse of that Preaching which God hath sanctified to save them that beleeve In a word who labour to imitate their Lord and Master Iesus Christ and His blessed Apostles in teaching as men having authority in demonstration of the Spirit and power And not as the Scribes By embroidered Scabberd I meane the very same which King Iames not long before His Death did most truly out of His deepe and excellent wisedome conceive to bee the Bane of this Kingdome To wit A light affected and unprofitable kinde of preaching which hath been of late yeeres taken up in Court Vniversity City and Country Heare something more largely what reason led His royall iudgement to this resolution and desire of reformation His Maiesty beeing much troubled and grieved at the heart to heare every day of so many defections from our religion Both to Popery and Anabaptisme or other Points of separation in some parts of this Kingdome And considering with much admiration what might bee the cause thereof especially in the Raigne of such a King who doth so constantly professe Himselfe an open adversary to the superstition of the One and madnesse of the other His Princely wisedome could fall upon no One greater probability then the lightnesse affectednesse and vnprofitablenesse of that kind of preaching which hath been of late yeares too much taken up in Court Vniversity Citty and Country The usuall scope of very many Preachers is noted to bee a soaring vp in Points of Divinity too deepe for the capacity of the people or a mustring vp of much reading or a displaying of their own wits c. Now the people bred up with this kinde of teaching and never instructed in the catechisme and fundamentall grounds of religion are for all this aiery nourishment no better then abrasae Tabulae meere Table Bookes ready to bee filled up either with the Manualls and Catechismes of the Popish Preists or the Papers and Pamphlets of Anabaptists c. In another place hee resembles with admirable fitnesse the vnprofitable pompe and painting of such Selfe-seeking discourses patched together and stuft with a vaineglorious variety of humane allegations to the redde and blew flowers that pester the corne when it stands in the fields where they are more noysome to the growing crop then beautifull to the beholding eye They are King Iames his owne words Whereupon a little after hee tells the Cardinall That it was no decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with the sacred Name of God Nor should his Lordship Saith his Maiesty have marshalled the passage of a Royall Prophet and Poet after the example of an heathen Oratour These things being So how pestilent is the Art of Spirituall Dawbing What miserable men are Men-pleasers who being appointed to helpe mens Soules out of hell carry them headlong and hoodwinkt by their vnfaithfulnesse and flatteries towards euerlasting miseries Oh how much better were it and comfortable for every man that enters upon and undertakes that most waighty and dreadfull charge of the ministery a burden as Some of the Ancients elegantly amplify it able to make the shoulders of the most mighty Angell in heaven to shrinke under it to tread in the steps of blessed Paul by vsing no flattering words nor a cloake of covetousnesse nor seeking glory of men but preaching in season and out of season not as the Scribes but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power Keeping nothing backe that is profitable declaring unto their hearers all the counsell of God holding the Spirituall children which God hath given them their glory ioy and crowne of reioycing still watching for the Soules of their flocks as they that must giue account Heb. 13.17 The terrour of which place Chrysostome professeth made his heart to tremble I say by such holy and heavenly behaviour as this in their ministery To be able at least to say with him in sincerity not without vnspeakeable comfort I take you to record this Day that I am pure from the blood of all men Let us bee moved to this course and frighted from the contrary by consideration of the different effects and consequents of plaine dealing and dawbing in respect of comfort or confusion Faithfulnesse this way 1. Begets those which belong unto God to grace and new obedience See Peters piercing Sermon Act. 2.23.37 2. Recovers those Christians which are fallen by remorse and repentance to their former forwardnesse and first loue See Nathans downe-right dealing with David 2. Sam. 12.7.13 3. Makes those which will not be reformed inexcusable See Pauls Sermon to Foelix Act 24.26 How strangely will this fellow be confounded more then vtterly without all excuse when hee shall meet Paul at that great Day before the highest Iudge 4. It is right pleasing and profitable to vpright hearted men and all such as happily hold on in a constant and comfortable course of Christianity Doe not my words do good to him that walketh vprightly Micah 2.7 It makes them still more humble zealous watchfull heavenly minded c. 5. Hardens the rebellious and contumacious See Isa. cap. 6. In which faithfull ministers are also unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2. Cor. 2.15 6. And the Man of God himselfe shall hereafter blessedly shine as the brightnes of the firmament and as the Starres for ever and ever And all those happy Ones which hee hath puld out of Hell by his downe-right dealing shall raigne and reioyce with Him in unknowne and vnspeakeable Bliste through all eternity But now on the otherside the Effects of Dawbing and men-pleasing are most accursed and pestilent in
all woe made partaker of all good at peace in himselfe and fitted and in tune to doe God some service This is to some sooner to some later according to the helpes and meanes they haue and wise handling they meet withall and as God gives power It is hard to say at what instant faith is wrought whether not till a man feeles that hee apprehends the promises or even in his earnest desires hungring and thirsting For even these are pronounced blessed But here for I desire and endevour as much as I can possibly in every passage to prevent all matter both of scruple in the upright hearted and of cavill in the contrary minded let no truly humbled sinner bee discouraged because Hee cannot finde in himselfe these severall workings or other graces in that degree and height which Hee desires and hath perhaps seene heard or read of in some others If hee have them in truth and truly thirsts and labours for their increase hee may goe on with comfort Neither let any bee disheartened though Hee did not observe so distinctly the order of the precedent acts nor could discerne so punctually their severall operations in His Soule yet if in substance and effect they have been wrought in Him and made way for Iesus Christ Hee needs not complaine As this man of God in experimentall divinity so our renowned and invincible Champions in their Polemicall discourses upon other occasion speake to the same purpose telling us also of some antecedent Acts humbling and preparing the soule for conversion There are say they certaine internall effects going before conversion or regeneration which by vertue of the word and Spirit are wrought in the hearts of those which are not yet iustified Such as Illumination of the mind and conscience with the knowledge of the word and will of God for that purpose Sense of sin feare of punishment or legall terror advising and casting about for enlargement from such a miserable estate some hope of pardon c. Let mee but adde one other and Hee also of excellent learning And then I have done Such is the nature of man Saith hee that before hee can receiue a true justifying faith hee must as it were bee broken in pieces by the law Ier. 23.29 Wee are to bee led from the feare of slaves through the feare of Penitents to the feare of sonnes And indeed one of these makes way for another and the perfect love thrusts out feare yet must feare bring in that perfect love as a needle or Bristle drawes in the threed after it or as the potion brings health In the preparation and fitting us for our being in Christ hee requireth two things First The cutting of us off as it were from the wild Olive-tree By which hee meaneth two things First A violent pulling of us out of the corruption of nature or a cutting as it were by the knife of the law of an unregenerate man from His security c. Secondly A violent atraction to Christ for ease man at the first plainely refusing it The hunted beast flies to his den the pursued malefactor to the hornes of the altar or city of refuge Pauls misery Rom. 7.24 Drives him to Gods mercy The Israelites are driven into their chambers by the destroying Angell Balaam is made to leane backe by the naked Sword Agur to runne to Ihiel and Veall that is Christ Pro. 30.1.2.3 When he is confounded with his owne brutishnesse God must let loose his Law Sinne Conscience and Satan to baite us and kindle hell fire in our Soules before wee will bee driven to seeke to Christ. Secondly A paring and trimming of us for our putting into Christ by our humiliation for sin which is thus wrought God giveth the sinner to see by the law his Sinne and the punishment of it The detection whereof drives Him to compunction and a pricking of heart which is greater or lesser and carries with it divers Symptomes and sensible passions of griefe And workes a Sequestration from his former courses and makes Him loath Himselfe c. And yet by the way once for all take this Caveat and forewarning If any should think of these precedent Acts these preparative workings of the Law and Gospell which make way for the infusion of faith as any meritorious meanes to draw on Christ it were a most false rotten foolish execrable popish absurd Luciferian misconceit and might justly merit never to obtaine mercy at Gods bountifull hands nor part in the merits of Christ I speake thus to fright every one for ever from any such abhorred thought God the father offers His Sonne most freely God so loved the world that hee gave His onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 Vnto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given Isa. 9.6 If thou knewest the gift of God saith Christ unto the woman of Samaria and who it is that saith to Thee Give mee to drinke Ioh. 4.10 Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the Gift of righteousnesse c. Rom. 5.17 Christ calleth Himselfe a Gift And it is called the Gift of righteousnesse And nothing so free as Gift And therefore those Divines speake not unfitly who say It is given unto us as fathers give Lands and Inheritance to their children as kings grant pardons to their subjects having merited death They give them because they will out of the freenesse of their minds All those who would come unto Christ and desire to take him as their wisedome righteousnesse Sanctification and redemption must bee utterly unbottomed of themselves and built onely on the rich and free mercy of God revealed in the Gospell They must bee emptied First Of all conceit of any righteousnesse or worth in themselves at all Secondly Of all hope of any ability or possibility to helpe themselves Nay filled thirdly with sense of their owne unworthinesse naughtinesse nothingnesse Fourthly and with such a thirst after that water of life Ioh. 4.14 that they are most willing to sell all for it and cry heartily Giue mee drinke or else I die And then when they are thus most nothing in themselves doe so long for the rivers of living water they are certainely most welcome unto Iesus Christ and may take Him most freely Heare how sweetly Hee calls them Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no mony Come yee buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without mony and without price Isa. 55.1 In the last day that great day of the feast Iesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Hee that beleeveth on mee as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Ioh. 7.37.38 It is done I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End I will give unto him that is a thirst of the Fountaine of the water of
wilt heare O Lord my God Hee concludes thus Thou hast seene how that any misery pressing our mortality a convenient Antâ—ote may be taken out of Scripture and all the carking of this life may bee cured neither need wee to bee greived for any thing which befals us Therefore I beseech you that henceforward you would come hither and listen diligently to the reading of divine writ And not onely when you come hither but also take the bible into your hands at home and receive with great affection the profit to bee found in it For from thence springs much gaine First that the tongue may bee reformed by it The soule also takes wings soares aloft and is gloriously illightened with the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse and that while is freed from the entisements of impure thoughts enioying much calmenesse and contentment Furthermore that which corporall food doth for encreasing bodily strength the same doth reading performe to the soule All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and writ by the spirit of God for this purpose saith great Basil that in it as a common Mart of soule-medicines every one of us may chuse a medicine proper and fit for his spirituall malady Jerome writing to many even of Her sexe whom as I told you before much reading of Scriptures and other good bookes made mad if the extremest malice of the most mortall enemies to the waies of God may bee credited doth stirre them up with extraordinary earnestnesse to a diligent industrious and fruitfull reading of Gods Booke in many Passages of His Epistles In that to Gaudentius about bringing up a young Maiden Hee would have Her at seaven years old and when she begins to blush learne the Psalmes of Dauid without Booke and untill twelue make the Books of Salomon the Gospels the Apostles and Prophets the treasure of Her heart To One Hee speakes thus This one thing about all others I would fore advise Thee and inculcating it I will admonish againe and againe That thou wouldest possesse thy minde with love of reading Scriptures To an other Let the Booke of God bee ever iâ— thy hands And after the holy Scriptures reade also the Treatises of learned men To another Let the sacred Scriptures bee ever in thine hands and revolved continually in thy minde Reading Scripture saith Origen daily prayers the word of Doctrine nourish the Soule even as the Body is strengthened by dainty fare The Spirit is nourished growes strong and is made victorious by such foode Which because you doe not ply doe not complaine of the infirmity of the flesh Doe not say wee would but cannot c Those reverend men that made the Homilies seeme to apprehend themselves and they commend to us the excellent sweetnesse which may bee suckt from the breasts of consolations in meditating upon the Scriptures by this their emphaticall and effectuall expression Let us ruminate say they and as it were chew the cudde that wee may have the sweet juyce spirituall effect marrow hony kernell tast comfort and consolation of them I have said all this upon purpose least melancholike men should be miss-led or disheartened by the cursed counsell of carnall freinds and wicked clamours of the world from turning their sadnesse into sorrow for sin and from plying Gods blessed booke and the powerfull ministry thereof the onely wellspring of all true lightsomnesse and ioy and able as I said before if they wil bee converted and counseled to dispell the very darkenesse of hell out of their hearts Mee thinkes they rather above others should bee encouraged hereunto 1. Because they have a passive advantage that I may so speake when it pleaseth God to sanctifie for that purpose and set on worke the spirit of bondage by reason of their sad dispositions and fearefull spirits to bee sooner affrighted and dejected by comminations of judgements against sinne more feelingly to take to heart the miseries and dangers of their naturall state more easily to tremble and stoope under the mighty hand of God and hammer of his Law Guiltinesse and horrour damnation and hell beget in their timerous natures stronger impressions of feare whereupon they are woont to tast deeplier of legall contrition and remorse and so proportionably to feel and acknowledge a greater necessity of Iesus Christ to thirst after him more greedily to prize him more highly and at length to throw their trembling soules into his blessed bosome with more eagernesse and importunity And having once entred into the holy path their native fearefulnesse beeing rectified and turned the right way they many times walke on afterward with more feare to offend and happy is the man that feareth alway more watchfulnesse over their wayes tendernesse of conscience impatiency of losing spirituall peace sensiblenesse of infirmities and failings awfulnes to Gods word c. 2. And because of all others such men have most neede of lightsomnesse and refreshing which when carnall counsellers flattering mountebanks of the Ministry labour to introduce into their darke heads and heavy hearts by the arme of flesh outward mirth and such other meanes they onely palliate and dawbe and are so farre from doing any true good that thereby they drowne them many times deeper and more desperately into the dungeon of melancholy afterward So that a melancholicke man let him turne him which way hee will is like without the light of grace to live a very miserable life upon earth and as it were in some part of hellish darkenesse to which also at length shal bee added the torment if hee dye impenitently But now let them addresse themselves to the booke of life and thence onely they may sucke and bee satisfied with the breasts of consolation Let them leane their sorrowfull soules improoving naturall sadnesse to mourne more heartily for sinne upon the promises there and every severall one will shine upon them with a particular heavenly and healing light with sound and lasting joy All those then are starke mad either with ignorant or learned malice who beare the world in hand that reading scriptures plying the powerfull ministry taking sinne to heart c. will make melancholike men mad If you desire to know before I passe out of the point the differences betweene the heavines of a melancholike humour and affliction of conscience for sinne take notice of such as these 1 Terrour for sinne springs out of the conscience and from the smart of a spirituall wound there Melancholy dwels and hath his chiefe residence in the phantasie uncomfortably ouercasts and darkens the splendour and lightsomnesse of the animall spirits in the braine 2 The melancholike man is extremely sad knowes not why Hee is full of feare doubts distrust and heavinesse without any true and just ground arising onely from the darkenesse and disorder of the phantasie the griesly fumes of that blacke humour in the braine But a broken heart a thousand to one
bee said Hee died in a Ditch They are Desolators not Consolators as Austin somewhere calls them Not sound Comforters but true Cut-throates Besides that which I have said before of the precedency of the working of the Law and of the spirit of bondage to make way for Christ let mee further tell you upon this occasion that it may appeare that much more is to bee done herein then is ordinarily imagined before comfort may upon good ground and seasonably bee applied to the Conscience awaked what an excellent Divine both for depth of learning and height of holinesse delivered somewhere in this Point to this purpose No man must thinke this strange that God dealeth with men after this strange manner as it were to kill them before Hee make them alive to let them passe through or by as it were the gates of Hell to Heaven to suffer the spirit of bondage to put them into a feare into a shaking and trembling c. For Hee suffers those that are his to bee terrified with this feare 1. First in respect of His owne glory For the magnifying both of His iustice and of His mercy 1. Hee glorifies His iustice when lessening or altogether for the time abstracting all fight of mercy Hee lets the Law Sinne Conscience and Satan loose upon a Man to have their course and severall comminations and sets the spirit of bondage on worke c. Thus as in the great worke of redemption Hee would have the glory of His iustice appeare so would Hee have it also in the application of our redemption that iustice should not bee swallowed up of mercy But even as the Woman 2. King 4. who had nothing to pay was threatned by Creditours to take away her two sonnes and put them in prison so wee having nothing to pay the Law is let loose upon us to threaten imprisonment and damnation to affright and terrifie and all this for the manifesting of His iustice Furthermore the Booke of God is full of terrible threatnings against sinners Now shall all these bee to no purpose The wicked are insensible of them to them therefore in that respect they are in vaine Some there must needs bee upon whom they must worke Shall the Lion roare saith the Prophet and no man bee affraide Sith then they who should will not Some there bee who must tremble This the Prophet excellently setteth â—orth Isai. 66.2 where the Lord sheweth whom Hee will regard But to this man will I looke even to Him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word Neither is it without good cause that God dealeth thus with his owne in this manner tho it bee sharpe in the experience First wee must feare tremble and bee humbled and then wee shall receive a spirit not to feare againe 2. His mercy also is thereby mightily magnified Which would never bee so sweet nor relish so well nor bee so esteemed of us if the awfull terrour of iustice had not formerly made us smart A King sometimes doth not only suffer the Law to passe upon some grievous malefactor for high treason but also causeth him to bee brought to the place of execution yea and lay downe his head upon the blocke ere Hee pardon and then mercy is mercy indeed and melts the heart abundantly with amazâ—mâ—nt and admiration of it So God dealeth with us many times Le ts the Law loose against us puts us in feare casts us into Prison and threatneth condemnation in Hell for ever so that when mercy commeth to the Soulâ— beeing now lost in it selfe and at the Pits brinke it appeares to bee a wonderfull mercy the riches of exceeding mercy most seasonable most sweet most ravishing Why doe so many find no savour in the Gospell Is it because there is no matter of sweetnesse or delight in it No it is because they have not tasted of not been soundly toucht and terrified by the Law and the spirit of bondage They have not smarted nor as yet been afflicted with a sense of the bitternesse of sinne nor of iust punishment due unto the same God therefore sends into our hearts the spirit of feare and bondage to prepare us to rellish mercy And then the spirit of adoption not to feare againe And thus by this order the one is magnified and highly esteemed by the fore-going sense of the other 2. Secondly for our good and that two waies first in Iustification secondly and in Sanctification 1. For the first wee are such strangers unto God that wee will never come unto Him till wee see no other remedy being at the Pits brinke ready to starue hopelesse c. Wee see it in the prodigall Sonne He would never thinke of any returne unto his Father till all other helpes failed Him money friends acquaintance all sorts of food Nay if Hee might have fed upon huskes with the Swine Hee would not have thought of returning any more to his Father This beeing denied him the Text saith Hee came to Himselfe shewing us that when Men runne on in sinfull courses they are mad men out of themselves even as wee see thâ—se in Bedlam are beaten kept under denâ—ed comforts till they come to themselves And what faith Hee then I will arise and goe to my Father and will say unto Him Father I have sinned against heaven and against Thee c. So it is with us untill the Lord humble and bring us low in our owne eyes show us our misery and spirituall poverty and that in us there is no good thing that wee bee stript of all helpeâ— in and without our selves and see that wee must perish unlesse wee beg His mercy I say untill then wee will not seeke his face and favour nor have recourse to Iesus Christ the rocke of our salvation It is with us in this Case as it was with the Women whom Christ healed of the bloody issue How long was it ere shee came to Christ She had been sicke twelve yeeres She had spent all her living upon Physitions neither could she bee healed of any Now this extremity brought Her to Iesus Christ. This then is the meanes to bring to Christ To bring us upon our knees to drive us out of our selues hopelesse as low as may bee To shew us where helpe is onely to bee found and make us runne unto it The hunted Beast flies unto his Den The Israelites being stung by fiery Serpents made hast to the Brazen Serpent a Type of Christ for helpe The Man-killer under the Law chaced by the avenger of blood ranâ—e a pace to the City of refuge Ioab being pursued for his life fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord and laid fast hold upon the horneâ— of the Altar A wounded man hies unto the Surgeon Proportionably a poore Soule broken and bruised with the insupportable burden of all his abominations bleeding at heart-roote under sense of Divine wrath by the cutting edge of the Sword of the Spirit managed
to sinke or swimme to eate the fruit of their owne waies to the fulnesse of that unquenchable wrath which by their innumerable sinfull provocations impenitency and unbeliefe they have treasured up against this Day and wrath That raging worme which never dies in the damned and naturally breeds in every gracelesse conscience by their insatiable surfet in sinne and greedy drinking-in iniquitie like water growes so strong and to such a strange bignesse that taking advantage especially in the time of terrour of their weakenesse and confusion of spirit upon the Bed of death at some dead lift and irrecoverable danger it surprises them upon the sudden with unexpected Hellish armies of guiltinesse and horror and over-throwes them quite horse and man never to rise againe in this world or the world to come Then would those wofull wretches who would never bee warned betime give tenne thousand Worlds if they had them for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which they have cursedly long abused for the benefit of the Ministry which they have insolently scorned for a drop of that precious blood which by their desperate villanies and hatred to bee reformed they have trampled under foote But alas no mercy no blessing no comfort will then bee had tho with prophane Esau they seeke it with teares and throw their rufull and piercing cries into the aire with hideous groanes and yelling And therefore turning their eye upon their torments will roare out like those sinfull Hypocrites Isai. 33.14 with un-utterable angvish of spirit Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongstus shall dwell with everlasting burnings In the Morning they shall say Would God it were Even and at Even they shall say Would God it were Morning for the feare of their hearts wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall see In their life-time they behaved themselves like cruell Beasts and bloody Goades in the sides of the Saints and against their syncerity and how at last themselves are caught with a witnesse and lie upon their Beds of extremity and terrour like wilde Bulls and Beasts in a net full of the fury of the Lord. 2. Others there are who finding their sinnes discovered and their consciences wounded by the light and power of the Word and now feeling sadnesse heavy-heartednesse uncouth terrours much perplexity and anxiety of spirit comming upon them addresse themselves presently and have speedy recourse to the Arme of flesh outward mirth carnall contentments and such other miserable comforters They falsely suppose and to their owne utter and everlasting overthrow that these spirituall pangs that are now upon them which if rightly managed might proove an happy preparative and Legall Petard as it were to breake the iron barres and open the everlasting doores of their Soules that the King of glory might come in bee nothing but fits of Melancholy or sowre and unseasonable effects and compressions of some Puritanicall Ministry dangerous temptations to despaire And therefore they hie out of them as fast as they can by posting after worldly pleasures Pastimes Plaies Musicke Gaming merry Company Ioviall meetings of good-fellowship Tavernes Ale-houses Visites Entertainements improovement of their chiefe carnall contentment c. If not to Wisards and even to light a candle at the Divâ—â—â— for lightsonmesse of heart Thus I know not whether with more sinne or folly they endeavour to come unto themselves againe by the mirth and madnesse of wine earthly joy carnall counsell c. Wherein they are not unlike those bloody Israelites who while they burnt up their children in sacrifice to Molech filled their eares with noise of Instruments lest by the rufull cries of their little Babes they should bee moved to pitie and so staied in the cruell service of that blood-sucking Idoll Iust so these Men of pleasure and perdition doe sinfully seeke to stop the guilty clamours of their vexed consciences with the comforts of this life and sensuall joy while their soules are sacrificing to Satan and making fit fewell for the fire of Hell lest by listning to their cryes and controlements they should bee stirred up to take compassion of their owne poore immortall Soules and stopt in the pursuite of their fugitive follies and delights of sense But alas in so doing they are also like a Man in a burning â—ever who lets downe cold drinke eagerly and mâ—rrily because in the extremity of thirst it cooles Him a little But after a while Hee shall finde the heat the paine and the danger all doubled upon Him Earthly pleasures may for the presens still the noyse of in accusing conscience and seeme somewhat to allay it's guilty â—â—ge but assuredly they will afterward kindle such a fire in the Bowels of these miserable men that will burne even to the very bottome of Hell and blow them up Body and Soule with irrecoverable ruine for ever Hee that goes about to cure the wound of his conscience for sinne with sensuall delight is as if to helpe the tooth-ake Hee should knocke out his braines or when hee is stung with a Waspe should rub with a Nettle the smarting place or finding no good by Physicke should runne 〈◊〉 Wise-men as if in extremity of thirst hee should drinke ranke poyson to quench it apply a venemous plaister to his sore and prop up his falling Roofe with burning fire-brands Remedies farre worse and more pestilentiall then the Malady For they either plunge them deeper into the Dungeon of Melancholy and heavy-heartednesse or else draw a skinne onely over the spirituall wound whereby it festers and rankles underneath more dangerously For thus stopping the mouth of that never-dying worme that insatiable Wolfe in the meane time doth make it when there is no more supply of carnall pleasures whereupon it feeds for a while to fall more furiously upon the conscience that bred it and to gnaw more ragingly by reason of it's former restraint and enforced diversion I know full well Satan is right-well pleased and doth much applaud this pestilent course of theirs and therefore Hee helpes forward this accursed businesse all hee can of abandoning and banishing all trouble of minde for sinne with worldly toyes For ordinarily out of his cruell cunning thus He proceeds in these Cases 1. In the first Place and above all hee labours might and maine to detaine men in that height of hard-heartednesse that they may not bee mooved at all with the Ministry or suffer the Sword of the Spirit to pierce And then like a strong man armed Hee possesseth their Bodies and Soules which are his Palace with much peace and disposeth them wholly in any hellish service at his pleasure Thus Hee prevailes with a world of men amongst us They heare Sermon after Sermon Iudgement upon Iudgement and yet are no more stirr'd with any penitent astonishment for sinne or saving worke of the Word then the very Seates whereon they sit the Pillars to which they leane or
dead Bodies upon which they tread They are ordinarily such as these First Ignorants of two sorts first Vnskild both in the Rules of reason and religion Such are our extremely sottish and grossely ignorant people which swarme amongst us in many places to the great dishonour of the Gospell by reason of the want of Catechising and other discipline secondly Led by the light of naturall conscience to deale something honestly but Ideots in the great mystery of godlinesse Such are our meerely civil honest men Secondly Those that are wise in their owne conceits Isai. 5.21 Beeing strongly perswaded of their good estate to God-ward whereas as yet they have no part at al in the first resurrection Such as those Matth. 7.22 and 25.11 Thirdly all such as are resolved not to take sinne to heart See Isai. 28.15 These either first make God all of mercy secondly or preserue a secret reservation in their hearts to repent hereafter thirdly or have so prodigiously hardened their hearts that they feare not the iudgement to come fourthly or with execrable villany desire to extinguish the very notions of a Deity by a kind of an affected Atheisme and beeing drowned in sensuality labour not to beleeve the Word of God that they may sinne without all checke or reluctation 2. But if it fall out so by Gods blessing that the Word once begin to get within a Man and to worke terrour and trouble of minde for sinne so that He sees him grow sensible of His slavery weary of His former waies and like enough to breake the Prison and bee gone then doth Hee seriously observe and attend which way the Partie enclines and how hee may bee easiliest diverted that hee may thereafter proportion His Plots and Attempts against Him the more prosperously First if hee find Him to have been an horrible sinner of a sad and Melancholike disposition much afflicted with outward crosses c. Hee then laies load upon His affrighted Soule with all his cunning and cruelty that if it bee possible Hee may drive Him to despaire For this purpose Hee keen's the sting of the guilty conscience it selfe all he can sharpens the empoysoned Points of his owne fierydarts addes more grisselinesse to his many hatefull transgressions more horrour to the already flaming vengeance against sin c. That if God so permit Hee may bee sure to strike desperately home and sinke Him deepe enough into that abhorred Dungeon Secondly But if hee perceive Him not to have been infamous and noted for any notorious sinnes By naturall constitution to bee merrily disposed impatient of heavy-heartednesse and formerly much addicted to good fellowship If hee spie him to strive and struggle for dis-intanglement out of these uncouth terrours and re-injoyment of his former worldly delights and Ioviall companions I say then Hee is most forward to follow and feede His humou◠〈◊〉 way also that so He may stifle and utterly extinâ—â—â—sh the worke of the spirit of bondage in the very beginning And to this end he blunts with all the cunâ—â—â—â— he can the sting of a Man 's owne Conscience and quite remooves his owne Hee procures and offers all occasions of oâ—â—ward contentment Hee furnishes His Fellowes in iniquity and the Divels proctors with pernicious eloquence and store of entisements to bring him backe againe to their bent and beastly courses He ministers his owne delicious 〈◊〉 of carnall pleasure to cast His conscience asleepe 〈◊〉 In briefe He leaves no Policy plot or practise un-assayed un-attempted to make the power of the Law unprofitable unto Him and to drowne all his sorrow for sinne in sensuall drunkennesse This then I make the second pestilent Passage out of pangs of conscience to wit when a man to decline them is driven by the subtilty of Satan and perversenesse of his owne flesh if not to Wisards and Wisemen as they call them and other such Oracles of the Divell yet at best to humane Helpes to worldly wisedome to outward mirth Good-fellowship pleasant company His heapes of gold hoards of wealth riches Pastures variety of choisest Pastimes nay for ease to any thing even to Drinking dancing dicing Masking Mis-rule revelling roaring c. or any other such ribald bedlam and raging fooleries 3. Some there are who passe out of trouble of mind for sinne and Legall terrours into a kind as it were of an artificiall enforced unsound untimely and counterfeit peace of conscience I meane it thus when a Mans carnall heart wounded by the terrifying power of the Word with sight and horrour of his former wicked wayes but weary of the wound impatient of spirituall heavinesse wilfully set and resolved obstinately against the holy severities of the Schoole of Repentance mortification godly stricktnesse walking with God c. And withall meeting with some Dawber with untempered mortar who is very ready to heale his heart with sweet words saying Peace peace when there is no peace I say in this case snatches hold of comfort and applies the Promises of mercy and salvation before they belong unto Him Before Hee bee searched to the quicke sounded to the bottome and soundly humbled Before the spirit of Bondage hath as it were it 's perfect worke and Hee kindlily fitted for Iesus Christ. For this purpose they are wont to wrest abuse and misapply many places in the Booke of God The unskilfull Physicions in application and the deluded Patients in apprehension of them Even such as these Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 Yea but they are not weary of all their sinnes but onely troubled with the present terrour nor willing to take upon them the Crosse of Christ Well enough content they are to take Him as a Saviour to preserve them from Hell but not as a Lord a King and an Husband to serve obey and love Him Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall bee saved Rom. 10.13 Yea but they doe not consider that many also shall cry Lord Lord Matth. 7.22 and 25.11 and yet bee excluded from eternall blisse and therefore all that call savingly upon the Name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2. Tim. 2.19 But they upon recovery will by no meanes depart from their darling delight Hee that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life Ioh. 3.36 Yea but justifying Faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 fills it with deare affections unto heavenly things deads it to the World and divorces it quite from all former carnall pleasures and companion-ship I will giue to Him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the Water of life freely Reu. 21.6 Yea but they thirst onely for salvation not for sanctification for mercy not for grace for happinesse not for holinesse c. These men as well as the second sort will by no meanes thorow the pangs of the New-birth into the holy Path. They wickedly misconceiue out of the rotten Principles of their owne worldly wisedome
hee was upon the earth called thy blessed Lord and Saviour Divell See Matth. 10.25 Ioh. 7.20 which passeth all I am perswaded that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee Contemne thou therefore for ever and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience all their contumelies and contempts Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble without wound or passion the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard Doth the World carnall men thine owne friends ormall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy Profession and will needes concurrently and confidently yet falsely fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie An heavy charge Yet for all this Let thy truly-humble heart conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services like a strong pillar of brasse beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way without any dejection or discouragement Onely take occasion hereby to search more thorowly and walke more warily Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also He had against him not onely the Divell his enemy pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God running upon him like a Gyaâ—â— and his terrours setting themselves in aray against himâ— Powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding his good and honest heart having been long before acquainted with and knit unto his God â—â— truth makes him breake out boldly and resolutely protest Till I die I will not remove my integrity from mee My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe Chap. 27.5.6 Behold my Witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Cap. 16.19 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children and hast thou lost the dearest The greatest outward crosse I confesse that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted and goeth nearest to the heart Yet thy sorrow is not singular but out-gone in this also For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent sonne the Lord of life most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes Ioh. 19.25 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely Art thou pained extremely from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou taste any of these severally But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this bee not thy Case and rufull condition thou commest yet short of Iob a most just man and one of Gods dearest Iewels 4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises In every one of which it is incredible to consider what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies wâ—rpâ— up Oh how sweet are they to a thirsty soule in the â—â—me of angvish and trouble They are like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of a drought They are very glimpses of Heaven shed into a heart many times as darke as hell They are even rockes of eternity upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose with impregnable safety A truly humbled spirit relishing spirituall things would not exchange any one of them for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies Tell me deare heart thou that in thy unregenerate time though now happily changed lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood whether that mercifull promise Isai. 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes bee as skâ—rlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimson they shall bee as wooll bee not farre dearer unto thee then thousands of gold and silver Or thou who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts which now thou canst not remember without horrour tell mee if it were utterable by the Tongue of man with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace thy broken heart was bound up and revived when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place Ezech. 36.25 I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall bee cleane and from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you c. There was beyond the Seas as my Author reports Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations wofully at length yeelded to despaire and attempted the destruction of her selfe After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact at last having first put off her apparrell threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea But having received no hurt by her fall shee was there by a Miracle and extraordinary mercy strangely preserved for the space of two houres at the least though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe Afterward drawne out with much adoe and recovered shee yet still did conflict with that extremest desperate horrour almost a whole yeere But by Gods good providence which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things listening on a time though very unwillingly at first to her husband reading amongst other places that Isa. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwaies wroth for the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made I say listening to these words the Holy Ghost drawing her heart shee begun to reason thus within her selfe God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite and spirit of the humble and that hee will not contend for ever neither bâ— alwayes wroth But I have a very contrite heart and a spirit humbled 〈◊〉 to the dust one of the acknowledgement and sense of my sinnes and divine vengeance against them Therefore peradventure God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit and not contend with 〈◊〉 for ever nor bee wroth against mee still c. Hereupon by little and little there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart abundance of life lightsomnesse spirituall strength and assurance In which she continued with constancy and comfort many a yeere after crowned those happy dayes and a blessed old age with a glorious and triumphant death and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now but Hers that felt it can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary un-utterable
desert to what Christ hath done for thee and to the Almightinesse and All-mercifullnesse of him that promiseth consider with all that God is also abundant in truth Every promise in his Booke is as sure as Himselfe sealed with his Sons Blood and confirmed with his owne Oath Hee must sooner cease to bee God and deny himselfe which is more then infinitely impossible and prodigious blasphemie to imagine then faile in the least circumstance or syllable of his immeasurable love and promises of life to any one that heartily loves him and is true of heart And therefore when thy thirsty soule makes towards the Well of life by vertue of that promise Rev. 21.6 I will give to him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely And upon survey of the overflowing Rivers of pleasures and blisse which everlastingly spring thence begins to retire from it as too-good newes to bee true I say then steele thy Faith and comfort thy selfe gloriously by consideration of that abundant truth with which hee hath crowned every word of His stronger then a Rocke of brasse far surer then the Pillars of the Earth or Poles of Heaven Nay I speake an admirable thing and of unutterable consolation which cannot bee violated without Destruction of the Deity most blessed and glorious for evermore And let this ever banish and beat backe all scruples doubtes seares which at any time offer themselves and oppose thy unspeakeable joy and peace in believing 6. Well saith an other I easily acknowledge the incomprehensible goodnesse in this Name of God and hold them most blessed who have their part and portion therein But for my part I am affraid I come too late For I have observed the course of the Ministery amongst us and the dispensation of Gods mercy in it At first comming our Towne being full of Ignorance prophanesse and much superstitious follies having never before injoyed the Word with any life or power wee all stood amazed a good whle at the Majesty and Mysterie of this new heavenly Light The first messages of the Ministry sounded in our eares as the voyce of many waters mighty and great but confused not working in us either joy or terrour but onely an extraordinary wonder and secret acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power But afterwards when our Watchman was better acquainted with our waies and had more fully discovered the state of our soules the Word was unto us as a voice of a great thunder more distinct and particular breeding not only admiration but feare also not filling our eares onely with an uncouth sound but our hearts also with a terrible searching For the Sermons of every Sabbath came-home to our consciences singling out our severall reigning corruptions beating punctually upon our bosome-sinnes manifesting clearely our spirituall misery and certaine liablenesse to the extremest wrath of God and endlesse woe Whereupon wee were all at our wits end what to doe grew weary of our lives wished with all our hearts that such a Puritane-Preacher had never come amongst us told every man almost wee met that wee had a Fellow at our Towne would drive us all to despaire distraction selfe-destruction or some mischiefe or other That wee heard nothing from him but of damnation and hell and such horrible things c. Now in this second worke of the Word there was a good number even some out of that cursed crue and knot of Good-fellowship wherein I have been insnared so long wonne unto Iesus Christ. For beeing illightned convinced and terrified in conscience for their former sinfull courses the continued piercing of the Word and worke of the spirit of bondage keeping them upon the Racke under the dreadfull sense of divine wrath and their damnable state a good while at last they happily resolved without any more delay diversion by-path or plunging againe into worldly pleasures to passe on directly by the light and guidance of the Gospell into the holy path And so undertooke and hitherto have holden out in Profession and a blessed conformity to the better side But I and the greater part a great deale more was the pitty hating heartily to bee reformed and abhorring that precise way so much spoken against every where into which woe conceived such severe Ministeriall counsell would have conducted us I say wee wickedly wrested out of our vexed consciences those keene arrowes of truth and terrour with great indignation wee unhappily hardned our hearts and foreheads against the power of the Word which particularly pursued us every Sabbath Nay alas we persecuted the very meanes which should sanctifie us and men which would have saved us Here then is my Case and complaint neglecting that blessed season when I was first terrified and troubled in minde when the Angell from Heaven as it were troubled the water and when some even of mine owne Companions in iniquity were converted I am affraid I now come too late that the mercy of God to doe mee spirituall good is already expired and that the Ministry which I have so wretchedly opposed is the very same to mee that it was to the obstinate Iewes Isa. 6.9.10 Nay but yet say not so though it bee with thee as thou hast sayd For our gracious God keepeth mercy for thousands Here you must know that a finite number is put Synecdochecally for an infinite and an infinite indeed And therefore if thou now bee in earnest and willing to come-in in truth and those thine other brethren in Good fellowship and hundreds thousands millions moe or any whosoever to the worlds end God hath mercy in store for you all and being all weary of all your sinnes unfainedly thirsting for the Well of life resolving for the time to come upon new courses company and conversation you shall all be most welcome to Iesus Christ. Even the last man upon earth bringing a truly broken heart to the Throne of grace shall bee crowned as richly and with as large a portion of Gods infinite mercy and Christs un-valew able merit as Adam and Eve or whosoever layd first hold of that first promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head 7. Yea but alas I have been no ordinary sinner My corruptions have carried mee beyond the villanies of the vilest you can name Not only variety but the notoriousnesse also and enormity of my wicked waies have set an infamous brand upon mee even in the sight of the world beside those secret pollutions and sinfull practices which no eie but that which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun ever beheld Had I not been extremely outragious stayned with abominations of deepest die and gone on thus with a high hand I might have had some hope But now I know not what to say Take notice then to the end that nothing at all may possibly hinder or any way discourage any poore soule that syncerely seekes for mercy desires to turne truly on Gods side from assurance of
confidence as it was woont So that for a time Thou mayst lie under the torture of an heavy heart uncheerfullnesse in all thy waies and some degree of horrour because thou canst get no better hold-fast But more is thy fault For never did dearest Father so lovingly entertaine into His greedy armes a penitent Sonne returning from going astray then our mercifull God upon thy renewed humiliation is willing to shine upon thee againe with the refreshing beames and blessings of his woonted favour Yet tell mee true deare Heart Tho for the present that precious and happy prayer of Paul for the Romanes The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving be not fulfilled upon thy Soule Tho thy former joyfull feelings bee turned into distrustfull feares yet doth not that heavy heart of thine desire farre more to bee re-comforted with the presence and pleased face of thy Beloved then crowned with the glory and pleasures of many worlds Wouldest thou not much rather feele the hand of thy Faith fastned againe with peace and full perswasion upon the Person Passion and promises of the Lord Iesus then graspe in thy bodily hand the richest Imperiall Crowne that ever sate upon any Caesars head If Satans spitefull craft taking a cruell advantage of thy present dejection of spirit doe not hinder thy trembling heart from telling the truth I know thou canst not deny this And then I must tell Thee These hearty longings and longing desires in the meane time untill God give more strength be right deare to that tender-hearted Father of thine which doth infinitely more esteeme one groane or sigh from a broken spirit then a thousand rammes or tenne thousand rivers of oyle and are most pretious and piercing to that compassionate heart that poured out it's warmest and dearest blood to purchase the salvation and refresh the sadnesse of every truly-humbled Soule Ground upon it then and bee of good cheere If thy troubled spirit fild with the sense of the want of it's former sweet and joyfull feelings finde in it selfe a true and hearty longing after the supply of that want a constant and conscionable pursuite of all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply I can assure Thee in the Word of life and truth in Gods season Thou shalt bee satisfyed Hee will fullfill the desires of them that feare Him Hee also will heare their cry and will save them And this blessed promise for the accomplishment of thy desire is as surely thine as the breath in thy Body Hee must sooner cease to bee God and deny Himselfe which is more then infinitely impossible and prodigious blasphemy to imagine then faile in the least circumstance or syllable of all His love and promises of life to any One that heartily loves Him All the sacred Sayings in His holy Booke and all those promises of salvation are signed with the hand of Truth it selfe and sealed with the blood of His beloved Sonne And so are farre surer then the Pillars of the Earth or Poles of Heaven For Heaven and Earth must passe away before any title of His Word fall unto the ground And therefore as Hee will most certainly poure upon the hairy Pate of every One which hates to bee reformed all the plagues and curses threatned there even to the least sparke of the flames of Hell and the last drop of the full vials of His infinite endlesse unquenchable wrath so will Hee abundantly make good to every upright Soule syncerely thirsting after Iesus Christ in the best time all the promised good in His blessed Booke and that aboue all expectation expression conceit 4. Fourthly Thou mayst bee diversly distressed upon thy Bed of death 1. Casting thine eye backe upon thy whole life all thy sinnes from Adam to that houre and willing as thou must now take thy farewell so to take thy fill of repentance They appeare to the eie of thy conscience farre moe in number and more ougly then ever before And no marvaile for beeing now sequestred for ever from all worldly comforts and company distractions and diversions and the cloudes of naturall feare raised by the dreadfull circumstances of approaching dissolution uniting as it were and collecting the sight of thy Soule which imploiments in the world commerce amongst men and Sunne-shine of outward prosperity did before too much disperse dazle and divert they are represented farre more to the life and in their true colours Whereupon comparing the poore weake nothingnesse as thou now apprehends of thy godly sorrow hatred and opposition against them with thy present apprehension of their hainousnesse hatefulnesse and horrible number Thou begins to bee dejected and knowest not well what to thinke of thy Selfe I say then for thy comfort consult with thy sanctified heart and thou shalt finde and feele an infinite hearty desire that thy repentance for them detestatiō of them and heart-rising against them had been and now were as thorow sound and resolute as ever was in any penitent Soule that breathed the life of grace upon earth 2. Secondly Revising now thy whole Christian conversation spending of Sabbaths pouring out prayers reading Scriptures hearing the Word love of the Brethren dayes of humiliation workes of mercy receiving the Sacrament godly conference living by Faith in all estates c. Thou mayst see them in this last impartiall cleare retired examination of thy conscience to have been pestered with so many failings imperfections deadnesse of spirit distractions distempers that thou begins to feare and conceive As well never a whit as never the better as they say c. In this case also reflect upon the holy habituall disposition of thy heart and thou shalt feele it thirsting and longing unfainedly that all the holy duties and good deeds that ever passed thorow thy heart and hands had been done in answerable exactnesse to the rules of divine Truth and if it had so pleased God with absolute freedome from all infirmities 3. Thirdly Thou mayst bee troubled at that time because beeing perhaps as yet but of little standing in Profession thou hast done God so little service and in that short time hast not stood on Gods side with that courage and life nor walked in his holy wayes with that watchfulnesse and Zeale as thou mightest And it cuts thy heart the more because thou spent so much of thy time in serving thy selfe and Satan and expectest now to enjoy immortall joyes and a Crowne of endlesse blisse But here is thy comfort It is the unfained desire and resolution of thine heart If the Lord would bee pleased to allow Thee a longer time in this life and adde many moe yeeres unto it Thou wouldest double thy diligence and improove all oportunities to doe thy God every way farre more glorious service then heretofore all the daies of thine appointed time Oh! then thou wouldest doe so and so c. Assure now thy selfe in these three cases and troubles upon thy last Bed this syncere desire of thine
humour doth naturally give extraordinary entertainement and edge to terrours and sorrowes 2. The crabbednesse and crookednesse of His naturall disposition which must be tamed and taken downe with more adoe with much violence and renting An hard and knotty Block must have an hard wedge An angry word or frowne will worke more with some dispositions then many sore blowes upon a crosse and sturdy spirit God is here woont sweetly and wisely to apply Himself to the severall natures conditions and dispositions of His Children 3. Height of Place and Happinesse to have for this life â—hat heart can wish Whereby it comes to passe that men are so deepely drowned in sensuality Epicurisme and earthly mindednesse that for a thorow Change they have need many times to be taken down thorowly with a deepe sense of legall terrours 4. Excellency of naturall or acquired Parts and endowments as wit learning courage wisedome c. wretchedly abused and long mis-imploied upon wrong and wicked Objects Much adoe many times and a great measure of humiliation will hardly fright such vaine over-valewers of themselves and Idolizers of their owne sufficiencies from their admired follies And here also Satan interposeth most furiously and hinders this happy worke all Hee can possibly For Hee well knowes That if such noble and worthy Parts should bee sanctified to the Owners and turned the right way His Kingdome would fare the worse and Hee should bee a great looser Suppose a Christian Prince should with his Army breake into the Turkes dominion Would not the Turkes fortifie those Castles best out of which beeing wonne the enemy might doe Him most harme So whom the Divell seeth to bee the likeliest Instruments for the overthrow of his kingdom if once they become Temples of the Holy Ghost those Hee is lothest to loose and labours mightily â—o keepe in His slavery still And therefore He opposes with all His power and policy raysing as many tempests of terrour as Hee is able that Hee might either drive them backe in their Passage to the holy Path or swallow them up into the abhorred gulphe of despaire by the way 5. A more searching and piercing Ministry which is ordinarily woont to awake the conscience with more terrour to irradiate and fill it with more universall and clearer light to quicken it with more apprehension and so proportionably to affect and afflict it with a more feeling and fearefull sense of Gods most just and holy wrath against sinne Whereupon they become excellent and everlasting Christians 6. Byting it in as they say and not opening the wound of Conscience betime to some skillfull Soule-Physition may bee an unhappy meanes much to enlarge both the continuance and extremity of a Mans spirituall trouble Shame bashfulnesse pretence of want of opportunity hope to get thorow by Himselfe c. are ordinary keies to lock up his tongue at such a time But sure I am Satan hath a chiefe stroke and principall part to perswade concealement For alas Hee winnes by it wofully All the while Hee plies with great advantage and much subtilty his hideous temptations to Selfe-killing despaire of mercy returning againe to folly c. And it is to bee feared which is a most grievous thing that sometimes by this cruell silence Hee conquers casts some poore soules upon the bloody and most abhorred villany of Selfe-perishing Let such an One then be ever sure most resolutely to break thorow the Divels accursed snare in this kinde and to powre out His Soule-secrets betime into some faith full holy bosome I have heard many after they have escaped tell what strange tricks and variety of devises Hee practised to discourage divert and dis-able them to discover their mindes as they purposed even when they were come with much adoe into the presence of the spirituall Physition 3. The ends to which God prepares and fits some by their sore travaile in the New-birth and longer langvishing under His visiting hand in this kinde God may purpose sometimes in such cases 1. To imploy them as Christs most resolute and undanted Champions in more worthy services In managing whereof remembrance of their having beene once as it were in the mouth of Hell and scorched with flames of terrour serves as a continuall spurre and incentive unto them to doe nobly and to supply them from time to time with mightinesse of courage height of resolution and eminency of Zeale in those glorious waies As wee may see in those renowned pillars of the Church Austin Luther c. The higher and greater the building is the deeper must the foundation be laid in the earth 2. To make them afterwards of excellent use and speciall dexterity out of their former experience to speake unto the hearts of their Brethren ready to sinke into the same gulphe of horrour and danger of despaire out of which the good hand of Gods gracious providence hath by such and such meanes so mercifulLy pulled and preserved them The same keyes which dip open the locks and loose the fetters which Satan hung upon their heavy hearts may happily undoe those also which Hee hath fastned upon the Soules of others 3. To render them to the Church as remarkeable Precedents and Mirrours of mortification Selfe-denial heavenly mindednesse and holy walking with God for others to looke upon and imitate Mindfulnesse of their former wrastling with the wrath of God despaire and the horrours of Hell makes them for ever after more mindlesse of earthly things weaned from the world startling at every appearance of evill greedy of godlinesse conversing in Heaven excellent Christians indeede Master Iohn Glover after five yeeres horrible afflictions of Soule was framed thereby saith Master Foxe to such mortification of life as the like lightly hath not been seene in such sort as Hee beeing like one placed in Heaven already and dead in this World led a life altogether celestiall c. See Acts and Monuments pag. 1885. 3. In sound contrition and saving Repentance let us for the present take notice Of first a sensible smart and angvish of the heart Secondly a dislike hatred and aversion in the Will Thirdly a change of the minde illightened and now enabled to give stronger reasons out of Gods Booke love of Christ c. against any sinne then carnall reason the Divell Himselfe or the drunken eloquence of His old Good fellow companions can suggest to the contrary Fourthly an universall opposition and constant endeavour against all manner of iniquity Fifthly an hearty sorrow that wee are not more sorrowfull Now say I If thou shouldest not feele in thine heart that stirring griefe and violent renting for those many rebellions and horrible filth of thy naughtie heart and former wicked life which thou heartily desires their hamousnesse exacts at thine hands and many lesser sinners then thy selfe have endured yet if thou findest an unfained hatred and displeasednesse in thy Will a settled resolution in thy minde a watchfull striving in all thy wayes
like Iehu in the pursuite of earthly pleasures and now creepe but slowly forward in the waies of God or if they begin to looke backe againe with some un-controled glances after disavowed delights and abandoned company c. I say in such Cases the Lord may withdraw Himself in displeasure leave them for a time to the terrours of their owne hearts all their old sinnes may returne to the eie of their consciences as unremitted c. That so their regeneration may be as it were regenerated their New-birth New-borne their sinnes new sorrowed for the hatefulnesse and horrour of their youthfull pollutions more hated and abhorred And in conclusion For all the worke and waies of God with His chosen are ever in love and for their good that the storme being disperst the comfortable beames of divine favour may shine more amiably upon them then ever before and by the effectuall stirring againe and stronger influence of the Spirit Spirituall life that was hid in the heart for a season may sprout out fresh spring and spread abroade more flourishingly and fruitfully for ever afterward 3. Thirdly For triall quickening and exercise of spirituall graces that they may put forth themselves with more power improovement and illustriousnesse The cold comfort of a desertion in this Case beeing unto them as water cast upon the Smiths Forge to make some of them especially to burne inwardly as it were in the meane time with more intention and heate and all afterward to breake out and flame more gloriously There are many gracious dispositions and endowments in the Christians heart which would never see the light at least with such eminency were it not for this darkenesse The brightnesse of lampes langvish in the light but they shine cleare in the darke the splendour and beavty of the Starres would never appeare were there no night You have heard of the patience of Iob saith Iames And wee reade also of his excellent Faith when Hee said Though Hee slay mee yet will I trust in Him But wee had neither heard of or admired the one or the other had He not been afflicted both with outward troubles and inward terrours It is the highest and most Heroicall Act of Faith and it is improov'd to the utmost and prooved steele to the backe as they say Then to trust in the Name of the Lord and to stay upon our God when wee walke in darkenesse and have no light God is best pleased and most honoured when wee rest upon Him without any sensible comfort I make no doubt but that admirable ejaculation of Iob Tho Hee slay mee c. did hold scale in Gods acceptation with all those innocencies integrities and gratious conformities to His holy Law blessed fruits I confesse of His invincible Faith enumerated Chap. 31. Nay did incomparably ouer-weigh them Abrahams believing against hope was far aboue and of infinite more worth with God then the sacrifice of His Sonne or all His other glorious services It is no such great matter or maistery to bee confident when wee are encouraged and hired as it were with ioy peace in believing but then to sticke to Christ and His sure Word when wee have against us sense and reason flesh and bloud feares and feeling Heaven and Earth and all Creatures That is the Faith indeed there is it's excellency there is the true and orient sparkling and splendour of that heavenly Iewell That prayer is truly fervent fullest of Spirit and enforced with most unutterable groanes which is poured out for the recovery of Gods pleased countenance after it hath been turned away from us for a time That love is most industrious and mighty groweth strong as death and into a most vehement â—lame which is enkindled in the upright soule when Her dearest Love is departed in respect of feeling and fruition Oh! then shee prizeth and praiseth His spirituall beauty and excellency as one exceedingly sicke of loue and takes on extremely As you may see Cant. 5.10 c. I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawne Himselfe and was gone My soule failed when Hee spake I sought Him but I could not finde Him I called Him but Hee gave mee no Answer The Watchmen that went about the Citty found mee they smote mee they wounded mee The Keepers of the walls tooke away my vaile from me I charge you O Daughters of Ierusalem if yee finde my Beloved that yee tell Him that I am sicke of love What is thy beloved O thou fairest among Women What is thy Beloved more then another beloved that thou doest so charge us My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousands His head is as the most fine gold c. That thankefulnesse which springs from a sensible re-enjoyment of Iesus Christ and returne of the sense of the savour of His good ointments into the soule hath farre more heart and life then the free and full possession of all the visible glory and outward comfort of the whole world could possibly put into it That joy which makes our hearts leape within us upon the re-gaining of the woonted workings of grace and our heavenly feelings is much more joyfull then either that which followed the first taste or the after free enjoyment of them Excellent and extraordinary good things tasted and lost doe beget a farre greater sense of their sweetenesse and comfort upon their recovery then if they had been either never tasted or never lost That Sun-shine is most faire and amiable which breakes out after some boisterous storme or great Eclipse Restitution to sense of grace after some despairefull sadnesse for Gods departure may produce a deeper impression of spirituall pleasure in the recovered Patient then the first plantation of it Thus doth our gracious God who when Hee please can bring light out of darknesse life out of death something out of nothing Heaven out of Hell even come nearer unto us by departing from us By the dead winter-time of a spirituall desertion He may bring by His blessed hand of mercy and quickening influence more strength activenesse lively exercise and excellency into our graces and sweetest fruits thereof 4. Fourthly The ChristiaÌ„ as he growes in knowledge grace spirituall abilities forwardnes fruitfulnes further from His New-birth except Hee bee very watchfull over his heart much practised in the exercises of humiliation often exercised in the schoole of afflictions terrified sometimes with hideous injections and walke humbly with his God shall have by a slie and insensible insinuation privy pride to grow upon Him confidence in His owne strength too much attribution to the meanes a Selfe-conceit of an independant standing upon his owne Bottome as it were and by the power of his present graces And therefore our wise God doth sometimes take a course to take downe his selfe-confidence by with-drawing His countenance and to humble His spirituall presumption with a spirituall desertion I meane by taking from Him the sense of grace
to forsake not some but every sinne every corruption every breach of the will of God whatsoever Hieron in his third Sermon upon Matth. 13 44. What must the sinner sell All that Hee hath What is that His Goods Lands Children No These bee none of His owne God hath but lent him these to use and some that would haue Christ and shall have no goods to sell What then is our owne Our sinnes and nothing else Hee that will have part in Christ must part with his sinnes Hee cannot have Christ and keepe any One of them Rogers in his Doctrine of Faith p. 171. c. Qui volit pro dignitate suâ astimare donum hoâ— quod ossert Christus quantum sit necesse est jam primum de peccatis suis miseriâ cogitet sic enim siâ—t ut pluris â—aciat Christum quam uniâ—ersum 〈◊〉 mundum eumque avide ad se cripiaâ— ad justificationem Salutem suam aeternam Rolloc in Ioan. cap. 6. pag. 376. t Though a Man dares not apply the promise to One onely terrified by the Law yet to One truly thus humbled by the Gospell and contrite hearted wee doe no other Rogers Ibid pag. 141. * Heb. 5.9 u Hâ—c ad exilium Babilonicum restringenda non esse dixi quia patent latissimè et doctâ—inam Evangelij comprehendunt In qua pâ—â—ecipuè est vis iâ—â—a coâ—solandi Ejus enim â—st erâ—gâ—re â—fflictos prostiatos â—â—ctios serè mortuos recreare maesâ—os 〈◊〉 tristitià Calvin Quia Captivitas liberatio illa corporalis 〈…〉 captivitatis liberationis spiritâ—â—â—is non in literâ— haerendum nobis sed ad â—â—pliâ—itatis spiritualis sub peccati â—ugo aeternâ—e mortis metu itemque redemptionis sempiternae per Christum factae cogitationem assargendum erit Scult x De spirituali Ierosolymâ loquitur cujus fundamentum Christus 1. Cor. 3 11. Scult in locum * In that sense as I teach in my Exposition of the last article of the beliefe Faith in the first act maketh us Christs reconciles us to him makes us one with him and by Him with God the Father D.D. y Rogers of Dedham in his Doctrine of Faith pag. 63. z Hee makes contrition to foâ—low Legall terrour and precede that repentaÌ„ce which is the Daughter of Faith and in order of nature followes after it See ibid. pag. 121.122 123.124 See also Master Hookers Preface to His Booke added in the second Edition a If any bee troubled because hee talkes of hope joy c. before Faith let Him seeke satisfaction Ibid pag. 161.162 and weigh well His distinction of the Gifts of God pag. 125.126 where Hee tells us of three kinds of them First some common to Elâ—ct and Reprobate as knowledge in Scripture Prophecy Tongues Miracles and such like Secondly some speciall belonging to the Elect onely as Faith by which wee are justified a renewed heart a good conscience the feare of God and such like graces Thirdly some middle ones wrought in the heart of those that bee not yet actually the children of God yet certainely shall bee And which whosoever have wrought in them shall surely have Faith and cannot goe long without it Such is this contrition and such dispositions as bee in men before Faith which yet are wrought by the Gospell These are better then common Gifts yet not actuall Graces and yet gracious inclinations to Faith which are in those that are to bee justified and which if wee speake properly cannot bee wrought in any that shall perish See Master Hooker in the Preface to the same Booke b As a great Divine saith of Faith Non ex gradu aut mensurâ— fidei dependet justificatio sed ex verâ—â—aâ—e IustificatioÌ„ depends not upon the degree but the truth of Faith Davenantius in Expos epist. ad Coloss. pag. 21. So may wee say proportionably of other graces in respect of comfort froÌ„ them and yet that of Austin is most true Si dixisti sufficit perijsti If any say hee hath grace enough hee hath just none Minimè certè bonus est qui melior esse non vult Bernard c Sunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem sive regenerationem praevia quae virtute verbi spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur qualia sunt notitia voluntatis divinae Sensus peccati timor poenae cogitatio de liberatione spes aliqua veniae Ad statum justificationis in quo pacem habemus apud Deum per D.N. Iesum Christum non solet gratia divina homines perducere per subitum Enthusiasmâ— sed multis praevijs actionibus ministerio verbi subactos preparatos Hoc videre licet in illis qui audiâ—á Petri Concione peccati â—nus sentiunt timent dolent liberationem desiderant spem aliquam ventae concipiunt quae omnia exillis verbis colligi possunt Act. 2.37 Quùm haec audivissent compuncti sunt corde suo dixerunt ad Petrum reliquos Apostolos Virisratres quid saciemus Hoc ipsa rei natura requirit Nam sicuti in generatione hominis naturali multae sunt praeviae dispositiones quae formae inductionem praecedunt ita in spirituali per multas antecedaneas gratiae actiones ad spiritualem Nativitatem pervenitur Hoc denique apparet ex instrumentis quibus utitur Deus ad homines regenerandos Vtiturenim ministerio hominum instrumento verbi 1. Cor. 4.15 Per Evangelium ego vos genui Quod si Deus immediatè vellet hominem impium regenerare justificare nullà cognitione nullo dolore nullo desiderio nullâ veniae spe praeparatum nec hominum ministerio nec verbo praedicato hanc ad remopus esset nec ministris verbum Dei rectè secantibus cura incumberet apte prudenterque auditorum conscientias primò legis terroribus sauciandi Deinde Evangelicis promissis erigendi ac eosdem hartandi ad poenitentiam fidemquâ— Ã Deo per preces lachrymas petendam Suffrag Colleg. Theologorum Magnae Britanniae de quinque controversis remonstrantium Articulis de antecedaneis ad conversionem Thes. 2. d Yates in his Modell of Divinity lib. 2. ca. 26 c Neither let any dreame that these are any Productions of free will I heartily abhorre Popery Pelagianisme and all enemies to the Grace of God But know that they are the Effects of the Word and Spirit Sunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem sive regenerationem praevia quae virtute verbi Spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur qualia sunt notitia voluntatis divinae sensus peccati timor poenae cogitatio deliberatione spes aliquâ veniae Suffrag Colleg. Theologorum Mag. Britan. c. De anticedanâ—is ad conversionem Thesi. 2. * Quod nam sit hoc donum ipse exponit verbis sequentibus quis sit qui dicit tibi Donum igitur est ipse Christus silius quem dedit nobis Pater Rolloc in Iohan. pag. 196. Zach. 13.1 f Vidisti ulcus
Zanch. in 1. Epist. Iohan. cap. 1. vers 7. Nil certius quà m ex unione personali naturarum consequi omnes operationes Iesu Christi esse totius suppositi ac proinde divinas hominis humanas Dei Naminde audimus Filium hominis descendisse e Coelis Deum esse mortuum Concedimus etiam satisfactionis dignitatem oriri à personâ satisfaciente ideóque satisfactionem Christi maximae imò infinitae dignitatis esse Chamierus Tom. 3. lib. 9. cap. 2. sect 18. Christus obtulit ut Pontisâ—x carnem sanguinem suum quá homo sed victimae suae immensam essiâ—aciam aspirat per spiritum aeâ—â—â—nam quâ— Deus est Pat. in epist. ad Heb. cap. 9. vers 14. q Plures ex his qui oderant Câ—â— islum compuncti corde conversi sunt tanti sanguinis tam impie atque immaniter sasi indulgentiam perceperunt ipso redempti sanguine quem faderant August Expos. in Evangel Iohan. Tract 92. r I meane with a hearty willingnesse to sell all to part with all sinne and with a sincere resolution for after-obedience To take Him as a Saviour and a Lord. Never did any take Iesus Christ savingly who tooke him not as an Husband and a Lord to serve love and obey him for ever after as well as a Saviour to disburden Him of His sinnes as a King to governe Him by His Word and Spirit as well as a Priest to wash him in His blood Never was any truly justified who was not also in some measure truly sanctified s Dignitas amplitudo tum personae filij Dei tum beneficij ac salutis tantae per tantam personam comparatae augebunt suprà modum incredulitatem nostram ut qui multò meliori laco faissemus si nihil unquam in vitâ de Christo audissemus quam si audientes neglexissâ—mus tamen tantam salutem acquisitam nobis annunciatam à tantâ personâ Rolloc in Ioan. cap. 3. t Arguet mundum Tum causam reddens eò inquit quòd non credunt in me Peccatum igitur designat incredulitatis nomine quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita insignit licet non sit unicum illud incredulitatis peccatum Sunt enim alia peccata varij generis verum peccatum omnium gravissimum est incredulitas quae secum unà trahit reatum maximum condemnationem gravissimam simul velocissimam Ideò dictum est suprà Qui non credit in filium jam condemnatus est Contrà verò fides justitia potissima est adeoque sola Nam ea aufert reatum omnium peccatorum liberat à condemnatione Nulla est condemnatio ijs qui sunt in Christo Iesu. Atque hinc usurpata est praeclara illa sententia Nullum peccatum nisi infidelitas nulla justitia nisi fides Non quòd sola infidelitas sit peccatum sed quòd infidelitate ut ait Augustinus manente manâ—at peccatum omne eâ rursùs decedente aboleatur quoad reatum peccatum aliud quodcunque Et certè peccantibus tam clarâ luce Evangelij quovis modo sive per adulterium sive homicidium sive per surtum c. ascribendum est maximè infidelitati obstinationi cordis quâ tantae luci resistitur Rolloc in Iohan. cap. 16. De peccato quidem inquit quia non crediderunt in me hoc enim peccatum quasi solum sit prae caeteris posuit Quia hoc manente caetera retinentur hac discedente caetera remittuntur August Expos. in Evang. Iohan. Tract 15. Si manifestum est praeter hanc infidelitatem alia multa hominum esse peccata cur de hoc solo mundum spiritus sanctus arguet An quia peccata omnia per infidelitatem tenentur per fidem dimittuntur Proptereà hoc unumprae caeteris imputat Deus per quod sit ut caetera non solvantur dum non credit in humilem Deum homo superbus Cùm dicitur Arguit mundum de peccato non alio quam quod non crediderunt in christo Hoc denique peccatum si non sit nulla peccata remanebunt quia justo ex fide vivente cuncta solvantur Sed multum interest utrum quisque credat ipsum esse Christum utrum credat in Christum Nam ipsum esse Christum daemones crediderunt Ille enim credit in Christum qui sperat in Christum diligit Christum Idem de verbis Dom. in Evang. secundum Iohan. Serm. 61. Take all the sinnes that ever were committed none like to this no greater thing can bee laid to our charge then to refuse the Sonne to refuse the righteousnesse revealed c. D.P. Atrocitas peccati quod contemptu Evangelij admittitur notatur particulâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tanta salutis Par. in Epist. ad Hebraeos cap. 2. Magnum autem crimen incredulitatis quoniam vnâ—genitus ipse sit Dei filius Nam quantò praestantius est quod contemnitur tanto majoribus qui spernit supplicijs subjacebit judicatum vero jam ait essem credulum quod ipse in seipsum quoniam largitorem indemnationis non suscepit condemnations intulit sententiam Cyril in Ioan. lib. 2. cap. 53. This sinne of unbeliefe is a greater sinne then the world is aware of Men thinke theft murther drunkennesse to bee hainous and so indeed they bee but unbeliefe is a farre worse for it is the Mother of these and all other evils Rogers of Dedham of Faith cap. 10 pag. 409. u Quod autem lucrum dari filium O magnum supra humanam mentem ut omnis qui credit in illum duo illa lucretur vnum quidem quod non perit alterum quod vitam habet vitam aternaâ— Theoph. in Ioâ—n cap. 3. x The worke is done one Christs part There is a righteousnesse which God hath prepared and is therefore called The righteousnesse of God Nothing is looked for at our hands but onely to take it to beleeve it and apply it unto our selves D.P. Christ is a free Gift and may bee had for the accepting Humiliation is no further requisite thereunto then as it is a meanes to bring us to accept and lay hold of that grace and life in Christ which is freely offered D.V. But lest any mistake this Taking heare what resolution before and conversation afterward these two great Divines excellently versed in the mystery of Christ speake of Obiect But some will say Is nothing else required Must God doe all and wee nothing but take the righteousnesse prepared Answ. It is true wee must live a holy religious and sober life for this end the grace of God hath appeared c. D.P. Howsoever though thou mayest have him freely yet notwithstaÌ„ding thou must have him as thy Lord thou must bee his servant Hee thy King and thou His Subject c. When God hâ—th inlightened the eyes of a Man that He can see where this treasure is Hee is so inflamed with the love thereof that Hee resolves
of Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 104.107 A man may have quietnesse after trouble and yet the House not wonne to wit from the strong Man Hee may also have some kind of reioycing and yet the comforter not there abiding That thou mayst not therefore bee deceived consider the whole course of thy life since that time For the holy Ghost will not governe as the Divell did they are of so contrary a nature Touchstone for a Christian cap. 3. b By this halfe Herodian conversion they may leave many sinnes and doe many things heare the best Ministers gladly respect and countâ—nance them c. And yet for all this in respect of their owne Personall salvation As well never a whit as never the better As well not at all as not thorow-stitch d â—â—fi Assyrius veluti ignis fuit qui suo ardore terram exureret tamen aliquid longè atrocius exprimere voluit Propheta interius videlicèi tormentuÌ„ quo exagitantur impij conscientiae aculeos qui retundi non possunt inextingvibile scelerum incendium quo cruciatus omnes superantur Calv. in Loc. Deut. 28 67. c Some men are pricked and to put away their sorrow they will goe sleepe they will goe sport they will get to merry company and passe away the time and so as they terme it they will purge and drive away the rage of melancholy they never goe to any Preacher to aske of the Lord or at the mouth of his Spirit they never respect prayer nor seeke any comfort in the Word of God But to put away sorrow on this sort is to call it againe and to feele it more freshly either in the houre of death or in Hell Greenham in Sermon of Repentance The reprobates in their sorrow runne away from God even as a Dogge from him that whippeth Him Iudas in his terrours ranne to the high Priests the enemies of Christ and to the Halter Cain to building of Cities Saul to Musicke to a Witch and at last to His Sword Dike of Repentance cap. 3. But alas the franticke dealing of men in this case is too palpable and to bee wondred at when Gods Word strikes upon them when they feele the keene-nesse of it when the threatnings have cut so that they smart for it then they run to dicing carding drinking dancing c. as it were of set purpose to drive away the Spirit of God that was comming towards them to heale their Soule Whately Redemption of time pag. 62. It is the property of ungodly men to remoove the discomforts of their heart by worldly delectations As Saul called for Musicke when he was troubled with an evill spirit And to this purpose men that bee afraid of despaire and love not to be humbled under the mighty hand of God doe use their wives their friends then meat and their drinke with all the Pastime that can bee devised to reioyce themselves withall that they might put themselves out of their dumpes as they call it Marbur in His Sermon upon Psal. 32. f When they sacrificed their sonnes to this Idoll they did beare upon Tabrels and Drummes that the cry of the childe might not bee heard by the father Godwins Moses and Aaron Lib. 4. Cap. 2. g Contra nos eò vehementius incitator quo ex corde nostro quastâ—â— iure propria habitatlonic expellitar Greg. in cap. 33. Iob. col 8â—â— h Multum delectat omnes peccatores amatores buius seculi quia misericors miserator dominus quia longanimis multùm misericors Sed siamas tum multa mitia time ibi ultimum quod ait verax Si enim vibil aliud diceret nisi misericors miserator Dominus longanimis multùm misericors quast iam convertereste ad securitatem impunitatem ad licentiam peccatoruÌ„ faceres quodvelles utereris seculo vel quantuÌ„ tibi permitteretur vel quantum tibi libido iussisset Etsi quis te bâ—ne monendo obiurgaret atque terreret ut cobiberes te ab immoderato luxu eundo post coxcupiscentias tuas deserendo Deum tuum inter medias voces obiurgantis obsisteres impudenti quidem fronte veluti audit â divinâ authoritate legeres de libro Dominico Quid niâ— terres de Deo nostro Ille Nisericers est miserator multùm misericors Ne talia homiâ—â—s dicerent â—â—um verbum addidit in fine quod verax excussit Letitiam malè praesumentium induxit timorem dalentium Gaudeamus ad misericordiam Domini sed timeanâ— us ad iudicium Domini Parcit dum tacet Tacet sed non semper tacebit August Lib. de decem chordis cap. 1. Nòs perversitate nostra sic volumus Deum esse misericordem ut non sit iustus Idem de temp Serm. 109. i Intuetur inimicus generis humani uniuâ—cuiusque mores cul vitio sint propinqui illa opponit ante faciem ad quae cognoscit facililiùs inclinars mentem ut blandes uâ— latis moribus sape luxuriam proponat c. Greg. in cap. 18. Iob. Col. 456. k Ier. 614. l Others have overgrowne them Hee meanes Legall terrors by snatching hold of the promiâ—e of mercy and salvation ere it belonged to them thinking themselves good Christians because they had felt some terrours But the Promise of salvaiton is not straight belonging to one that is onely terrified for his punishment but is contrite-hearted for sinne which is the worke of the Gospell Rogers of Dedham in His Doctrine of Faith pag. 108. m Psal. 45.11 Hos. 2.19 n Quemadmodum fratres si Sponsus seccrit Sponsae suae annulum illa acceptum annulum plus diligeret quà m Sponsum qui illl fecit annulum nonne in ipso dono Sponsi adulterae anima deprehenderetur quamvis hoc amaret quod dedit Sponsus tamen si diceret Sufficit mihi annulus iste iam illius faciem nolo videre qualis esset Quis non detestaretur hanc amentiam Quis non adulterum animum convinceret Amas aurum pro viro amas annulum pro Sponse August in Epist Ioan. Tract 2. Cave ô anima ne quod absit Meretrixdicaris simunera Dantis plus quaÌ„ amantis affectum diligis August Meditat lib. 2. cap. 4. o And let not these be weary of the yoke of God and the Law and make over-much haste out of this state for so may they undoe themselves For as some withstanding their terrour have withstood their salvation so some have by hastening out made waste of all and beeing impatient of beeing in this case and over-willing to catch hold of the promise straight have prooved but loose unsound and unsavory Christians in time which if they had tarried the Lords leysure in it might have come to sound and true comfort which would have continued all their dayes Rogers of Dedham in his Doctr. of Faith pag. 110. p Cùm nunquam graevioribus tentationibus expositi sint hominesquà m dum infirmitati bus exerâ—entur aut
turpissimarum cogitationum veluti in obsidione urbium vel castrorum fieri consuevit cum stercoribus cloacarum aut â—ùm terret repentino strepitu quempiam vel horrorem immittâ—t quasi inopinatè prout similitor Bombardarum toâ—â—â—ruo impugnatores munitionum agere consueverâ—nt quemadmodum ioculatores trâ—fatores pueris horrorem inusâ—â—at is suis gestibus incutere novêrunt Intendant inquam quòd talia non curent neque mulâ—um cum his litigent sed potiùs irrideant dicentes cum illo Patre in vitis Patrum in talibus experto Immunditia tua super te Daemon Dominus mihi adiâ—tor non te timâ—bo Quia enim immundus spiritus es immundiâ—ia opus tuum est Item terrores tuos non timeo quâ—a â—um qui venturâ—s est iudicare vivos mortuos seculumper ignem Defensorem habâ—o Gâ—rs Remed â—ontr pusill Si autem nec sic infernales tales musâ—ae pungitivae pacem permiserint optimum remedium est ut homo nihil de eis ampliùs curet sed sub divina confidenâ—iâ patieâ—â—iam habeat sit securus quòd non ei nocebunt Idem de modo se hâ—ben Cont. Mal. 〈…〉 Frequentèr hae cogitationes meliùs vincuntur si eas nihili pendimus aut cuâ—amus sed alijs in rebus occupamus animum quà m si eas vinitamur propellere Idem de diver Tentat p Est autem hâ—ec sors sanctorum ut noâ— is in singula momâ—nta tentattoâ—ibus exerceantâ—r neque illis iâ—ducias longâ—s permittit Satan qui ex nostra perditione maximum vulâ—ptatem capere â—â—nsuâ— vit Et quamvis non ignâ—râ—t â—â—cclorum finem omninò everti non pusse iucundum â—amen illi est si â—os aliquá ex parte tâ—rreri labascere videat Gvalt in Luc. cap. 8 hom 84. q If your Atheist will not believe his owne eyes beholding the strange judgements of God in others but will rather give his owne senses the lie then acknowledge the truth of the Godhead let him but by some injurious deed or contumelious word provoke some Witch of Endor that hath the temporary power over some Spirit upon condition that hee shall have eternall power over her and it is like enough hee being voyd of all faith and sense of God and so out of his protection that hee shall feele to his cost and confâ—sse to his shame that there is a power over and besides the ordinary course of nature Gent. Indeed these Atheists that deny God doe also deny that there is either Divell or Angell and I thinke will confosse them all as soone as any one Morton of the nature of God cap 1 pag. 34. I quote this onely to inferre that when Satan doth thus cleaâ—â—ly â—â—sâ—over himselfely accident and consequent hee banishes all thoughts of Atheisme or offers at least to any understanding Man an evident argument against it r Cum cogitatio huiusmodi mala horrenda grossa tâ—â—pis nefaria importune occurrerit non terreatur nec triftetur persona devota proptereà nimiùm neque credat se propter talem à Deo derelictum sed maiorem siduciam se pertinendi ad Deum inde accipiat Gers. de mod se habendi contr mal immis Quidam putant se esse desertos à Deo quia non dat eis quietem à tentationibus quùm potiùs tentatio signum divini amoris sit Multiplicatio tentationum signum est quòd aliquis de manibus Daemonum evaserit Dum aliquit est in carcere unicum habet custodem vel duos si verò evaserit omnes eum insequuntur Sic dum aliquis captus est à Diabolo non tantùm eum daemones per sequuntur quantùm quum ovaserit Gregor Quis pertinens ad Christum non varijs tentationibus agitatur quotidiè agit cum illo Diabolus Angeli eius ut pervertatur qualibet cupiditate qualibet suggestione aut promissione lucri vel terrore damni vel promissione vitae vel terrore mortiâ— aut alicuius Potentis inimicitijs aut alicuìus Potentis amicitijs Omnibus modis instat Diabolus quemadmodum deijciat August in Psal. 62. Hostis noster adhuc in hac vitâ nos positos quantò magis nos sibi rebellare conspicit tantò amplius expugnare contendit Eos enim pulsare negligit quos quieto iure possiderese sentit Contra nos verò eò vehementiùs incitatur quò ex corde nostro quâ—si exiure propriae habitationis expellitur Hoc enim Dominus sub quadam dispensatione sigâ—guravit qui Diabolum non nifi post Baptisma se tentare permisit ut signum nobis quoddam futurae conversionis innueret quòd mombra eius post quam ad Deum proficerent tunc à criores tentationuÌ„ insidias toleranent Post primaÌ„ igitur vicem moeroris atque laetitiae quam unusquisque per studium conversionis agnoscit haec secunda suboritur quia ne securitatis negligentiâ dissolvatur impulsu tentationis efficitur Et quidem quisque in ipso conversionis initâ—o magnâ plerùnque excipitur dulcedine consolationis sed durum laborem post modùm experitur probationis Gregor in cap. 33. Iob. Ex quâ re nobis factus est adversarius Diabolus nisi ex hac quia videt hiberos quos tenebat antè captivos quia videt sanos quos suis iaculis prostraverat valneratos qui videt vestiri dennò immortalitate quos nudaverat propinando iniquitatem quia Muscipulâ eius comminutâ nos eruti sumus August De symb ad Catechum lib. 2. cap. 1. Quod ad Sanctorum gloriam proficit malignis spiritibus crescit in damnationis augmentum De omni quidem malitia suâ Daemones in aternâ poenâ â—unientur In congressione quidem occulti certaminis quando electi vincunt mala quae repellunt suis hostibus tribuunt Quia isti tanquam aurum in fornace probantur illi verò pro reprobâ suggestione puniuntur Greg. in 1. Reg. cap. 9.