Note The higher that this ground of error of judgement is the more obstinate are the resolutions that are built upon the same Because such conclusions are to the deceived matters of conscience founded as they think upon divine authority farre above the countermand of any humane reason or argument and testimony of truth diffenting from their tenets and opinions Observe Abused Scripture harmefull From hence we may observe that although God hath graciously given us his holy Scriptures to be the powerfull meanes of life a Rom. 1.16 yet many men do abuse and make the same the meanes of their owne destruction as Peter speakes of the unlearned and unstable who did wrest the Episties of Paul as they did also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction b 2 Pet. 3.16 and so the Commandement that was ordained to life is found to bee unto death to them Rom. 7.10 as the Gospell that is the savour of life to life to those that are saved is the savour of death to death to those that perish c 2 Cor. 2.16 Nothing doth so much hurt when it is abused as that which may do most good when it is rightly used There is no heresie or practise or opinion so vile in the Christian world that pretends not and abuses not Scripture or something in it or from it in defence or excuse of the same and upon that ground chiefly prevailes upon mens consciences and holds them captivated in their errors and ill courses and so men do turne the sweetest Manna into the bitterest gall of Aspes to their owne perdition Compatison As a man by managing a sword by its handle may defend himselfe thereby so by taking and using it by the point or edges mischiefes himselfe by the same Therefore wee need take heed how wee use the sword of the Word Prevention of this error by not following the letter against the true meaning of the Scripture For prevention of error of judgement from this ground of abused Scripture wee are to be carefull that we be not moved with the letter of the Scripture without its proper sense agreeable to the truth contrary to which the abused letter of the Scripture is no warrant for us to beleeve or do any thing as wee see by our Saviour Christs replie to Satan who a Mat 4.6 in tempting of him alledged Scriptures after his manner to perswade him to doe evill Observe Our faith and practise should be founded upon sound knowledge otherwise all our building will fall that is reared up upon a rotten foundation and wee shall commit two faults at once one in error of our judgment another in our unwarrantable practise according to the same Rules or meanes of knowledge of the Scripture Therefore that we may not wrest the Scripture from its true sense to our meaning that wee shall please to give it or that wee should take it in a carnall or grosse sense contrary to its owne interpretation we are to observe foure rules or helps that wee may rightly understand the Scripture 1. Humility First it is needfull that we be indowed with humility of spirit that denying our owne selves and carnall reason wee may submit to take such sence and meaning of the Scripture as it of it selfe affords with the assistance of the helps of the Church and not to impose upon it any sense of our owne making or to wrythe or wrest it to favour our conceits or purposes but that laying aside all ambition of over-ruling the Scripture to force it to patronize and countenance any new fangled humorous opinions or old errors of ours for our vaine ostentation or sinfull profit we are humbly to conforme all our opinions and courses to the Scriptures and not to bring the Scriptures into subjection to our opinions and practise God will guide the meeke in judgement and the meeke will he teach his wayes saies David Psal 25.9 2. Holinesse The second meanes whereby we may be able rightly to understand the Scriptures is holinesse of heart and conversation as our Saviour tells us that if any man will do his will he shall know of his doctrine whether it be of God Iohn 7.17 For as the Philosopher saies Every evill body is an ignorant Omnis malus est ignorans Arist Ethic. l. 3. and persons prepossessed with error and vice labour to interpret all Scripture in favour of the same Whereas godly people indowed with a new divine nature as Peter tels us a 2 Pet. 1.4 are thereby inclined so to expound the Scripture as best agrees with the truth and grace of God in them who are divinely illightned whereby they are able to try things that differ b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1.10 When others are blinde and cannot see a farre off 2 Pet. 1.9 3. Prayer The third meanes to help us rightly to understand the Scriptures is Prayer to God that he would both reveale and manifest to us his truth and also would give us grace rightly to conceive it in our minds and hearts as the Prophet David praies Teach me good judgment and knowledge Psal 119.66 that so we may be taught of God c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.9 For the matter of the Scripture is in many points so supernaturall and high and wee so dull and grosse in conceiving such truths that as flesh and blood cannot reveale them to us neither can the naturall man receive the things of the Spirit of God d 1 Cor. 2 14. without divine help procured by prayer 4. The Spirit of God The fourth meanes of rightly understanding the Scripture is the Spirit of God in and by our use of hearing and reading and conferring illightning our mindes and perswading our consciences of the truth according to the promise of our Saviour touching the holy Spirit whom he said he would send and that when this Spirit of truth is come he would guide us into all truth which he manifests to us by a twofold light Twofold light of the Spirit 1. In the Word First that which accompanies the Word and truth it selfe whereby it makes it selfe conspicuous to all that have eyes to see it Comparison even as the Sun manifests it selfe by its owne light and splendour to the world 2. In our mindes The second kind of light whereby the Spirit manifests the truth of the Scripture to us is that light that hee endowes our minds withall whereby we are enabled and made capable to see and apprehend the former light of truth in the Word Compatison as a blind man that can see nothing before that he hath both an inward faculty of sight restored to him and also an externall light to make the object visible So then none can truly nor fully understand the truth of the Scriptures but by the same Spirit that gave them For as the Apostle saith The things of God knoweth no
opinions and practises of men are to be examined by reason and Gods word Try all things follow that which is good 1 Thess 5.21 because whatsoever is humane may be as it is humane erroneous proceeding from men subject to be deceived and erre Caveat against vaine praise To conclude this point I would intreate all men specially Scholars and men of sublimated brave spirits to beware of the encomiasticall discourses of heathen authors either encouraging to self-murder or commending self-murderers that neither the poyson of that opinion nor the example of that vile practise in eminent and famous persons may insensibly corrupt and seduce us to dare to enterprise the like upon our selves Observe for by the praise of self-murderers and by amorous discourses the heathen writers have done much hurt in the Christian Church besides the example and dregges of their Idolatry from which the Christian world is not yet well purged but among us where there is no law nor approved custome doctrine nor practise of self-murdering we are not in like danger as heathens to erre in our judgements upon this ground seeing wee have sufficient meanes of knowledge and restraint to the contrary §. 4. Of misunderstood Scripture perverting the Iudgement and the remedy thereof The second ground of errors in judgements is misunderstood Scripture The second ground of a deceived judgement in this point is misunderstanding of the Scriptures As our Saviour told the Sadduces That they did erre not knowing the Scriptures a Mat. 22.29 Whereof wee have Origen for an example who gelt himselfe upon his misconceiving the speech of our Saviour saying There be Eunuches which have made themselves Eunuchs for the kingdom of heavēs sake Mat. 19.12 Martinius b Christiana pietas lib. 2 de remicidio Professor at Breme in Germany tells of those that he cals Patriciani who held that the substance of mans flesh was made not by God but by the devill that they held it lawful to kil thēselves to be rid of their bodies from which they supposed that all sin did come Baldwin c Cas lib. 3. c. 4. Cas 13. circa melanchelicos the Casuist speakes of a certaine Hermit that threw himselfe into a well to drowne himselfe out of the abundance of his devotion that he had to mortifie himselfe upon the mistake of the meaning of Col. 3.5 in like manner did Baals priests in the heat of their devotion cut themselves 1 Kings 18. Gloriae sibi putibant si seipsos ex petris praecipitarent in ignem conjicerent vel alia ratione nee◠traderent The Circumcellions among the Donatistss did count it an honour to them if they did throw down themselves off rocks cast themselves into the fire or by any other meanes kill themselves Augustine speaking of them in his booke of heresies written to Quo-vult-Deus sayes that in a mad cruelty they did not spare themselves for they used to kill themselves by divers kindes of deathes chiefly by water fire and throwing themselves downe headlong from high places a Non sibi insana feritate parcēdo nam per mortes varias maximè praecipitiorum aquarum ignium seipsos necare consueverūt their grounds of so doing were abused Scripture Such as that the flesh is to be mortified and he that hates his life shall finde it Augustine sayes that there were specially two vile and usuall deaths of them who doe kill themselves the halter and steep headlong places Self-murder both Iudas and the Donatists have learned from the same master Indas to doe it by the halter the Donatists by steep headlong places b Duae sunt maximè viles atque usitatae mortes eorum qui seipsos interimunt laqueus praecipitium spontaneas mortes ab uno magistro utrique didicerunt Judas laqueum Donatistae praeipitium Causes of misunderstanding Scripture The causes or meanes of mis-understanding the Scripture are specially three 1. Fals teachers and undiscreete First false teachers who under pretence of their learning and authority seduce and beguile the simple by specious pretexts obtruding error for truth or intermingling falsehood with verity or obscuring or corrupting the truth from the simplicity thereof And also undiscreet teachers are a meanes to men of mis-understanding the Scriptures by their neglect or transgressing the true genuine scope and meaning of their texts in their preaching diffused into the latitude of common places multiplyed according to the number of the words Metamorphosed preaching And likewise those teachers that expresse the truth in termes and phrases proper to heretickes or schismaticks teaching things wherein we differ from them in sense and meaning doe not only make themselves to be suspected of error but also they open a way for entertainment of errors from others And also they that do disguise the ancient truth into new fangled habit of method and expressions whereby it may seeme to be some other more transcendent thing than it is and do with curiosity dangerously mince and marre the truth contrary to that which is warrantably revealed whereby the way to peace is rather lost than found they unsetle men from their former faith about the truth and incline them to embrace erroneous innovations about opinions whereby their judgments are mis-informed or made doubtfull what to hold or stick to being shaken by this course which is sutable to the practise of some ore-curious Schoolmen who did degenerate from the plaine simplicity of the Fathers The Schoolmen in handling and publishing of the truth which those Sophisters corrupted and perverted by such foraine Philosophicall termes and perplexed distinctions and method as both obscured and did weare out of use and respect the plaine ancient truth and also laid grounds and gave occasions for and raised manifold errors which filled the Church with contention schismes and heresies which overthrew peace sincerity and the power of godlinesse 2. Shallow capacities Secondly wee are often deceived by the weakenesse of our owne intellectuals and shallow capacities as were the Capernaits about eating of Christs body a Iohn 6.52 when we limit and interpret the Scriptures according to our reason and sense and not by themselves as wee ought with the helpe of the meanes in the Church that God hath given us 3. Headstrong affections Thirdly our misunderstanding of the Scripture proceeds from the strength of our headstrong affections self-willed resolutions and from our ambition after vaine glory whereby wee wring and wrest the sense and meaning of the Scriptures to make them favour and speake what we fancie and hold So not taking the sense contained in the Scripture but imposing our sense upon the Scripture as best pleases us to maintaine our owne opinions or to purchase the vaine glory of extraordinary learning among shallow braind or prejudicate persons whom nothing pleases but that which is strange or new or suits and agrees with their humours and ends
speech to the Lord saying Oh that Ishmael might live before thee a Gen. 17.18 Vse To preserve life The chiefe use of the former doctrine is to provoke and move us to use all lawfull meanes to preserve and prolong our lives for hee that wills the end should also will the meanes whereby he may attaine to that end §. 5. Of the meanes of lifes preservation The meanes 1. Prayer Those meanes are first prayer to God for to sustaine and preserve our lives especially in apparent dangers as David did Psal 102.24 saying Oh my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes For as our lives depend upon him that is the fountaine of life b Ioh. 1.4 so our eyes must be to him for a continuall influxe of continuing the same in regard of outward dangers and inward mortality dayly putting our lives in jeopardy which of our selves we are not able to resist 2. Foode cheerefulnesse c. The second meanes of the preservation of mans life is the moderate and cheerefull use of necessary foode and raiment with other convenient comforts and delights needfull to cherish and preserve our lives according to Solomons direction that there is nothing better for a man than that he should eate and drinke and that he should make his soule enjoy good in his labour Eccles 2.24 according to Iacobs desire Gen. 28.20 intreating God that he might have bread to eate and cloathes to put on not to hoard and lay up but for his use For a man to have plenty and yet to be in want is a miserable condition for so he defrauds and wrongs himselfe he is injurious to the creatures in not imploying them to the use for which God made and gave them and is ingratefull to God in not rightly using his blessings so as he may thereby doe God the greatest honor and service Of cheerefulnesse Cheerefulnesse is an excellent meanes of life for as Solomon saies by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken and all the dayes of the afflicted are evill but a merry heart maketh a cheerefull countenance and he that is of a merry heart hath a continuall feast a Prov. 15.13 15. and therefore Eccles 8.15 he commendeth mirth because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eate and to drinke and to be merry for that shall abide with him of his labour the daies of his life which God giveth him under the sunne and for this purpose God gives us some things that are onely for delight and of other things he often bestowes such plenty upon us as shewes it to be his pleasure that we should use them not onely for necessity but also for cheering of us that we may both taste thereby how good he is to us and also that we may the more joyfully serve him with gladnesse of heart in health and in plenty of all things Grounds of cheerefulnesse 1 A good conscience grace and hope The grounds of this Cheerefulnesse are two First inward peace of conscience in the apprehension of Gods favour and love to us in Christ Iesus in the comfortable evidence of the pardon of our sins in the undeceivable enjoying of the saving graces of Gods spirit in the truth of our conformity and obedience to God and in assured hope of everlasting life and happinesse all which will make us to rejoyce yea even in tribulation Rom. 5.3 with joy unspeakeable and glorious 2. Outward blessings The second ground of our cheerefulnesse is the outward favours and benefits that God in mercy bestowes upon us whereof wee are to take the present use and sweetnesse not depriving our selves thereof nor deading our spirits with feares of uncertaine or remote future evils according to the direction of our Saviour Mat. 6.34 Take no thought for the morrow forbidding anxious tormenting care for feare of ensuing crosses and according to the practise of Hezekiah to whom the Lord had denounced fearefull judgements upon his posterity who said Good is the word of the Lord for there shall be peace and truth in my dayes Isai 39.8 3. Physick Thirdly to preserve our lives it is requisite that we use the seasonable fit and moderate help of Physick to prevent or remove diseases which are not onely the enemies of life but are also an inchoate or begun death as Hezekiah did take a lump of figgs and laid it on his boile for his recovery 2 King 20.7 according to Gods direction by Esay the Prophet in this respect did Saint Paul direct Timothie to drinke no longer water but to use a little wine for his stomacks sake and his often infirmities 1 Tim. 5.23 that so a man may not be a deficient cause of the preservation of his owne life when God gives meanes to save or prolong it §. 6. How to use Physick Cautions about Physick 1. That wee trust not to it In taking of Physick wee are alwaies to observe these subsequent cautions First that wee dote not upon nor trust or ascribe too much to physicall meanes but that we carefully looke and pray to God for a blessing by the warrantable use of them For it is God that both directs the Physitians judgement and conscionable practise about a patient and also puts vertue into and gives healthfull operation to the medicines 2. Use it moderately Secondly that we use Physick moderately not out of wantonnesse but for necessity nor as our daily diet bringing our selves under a necessity of ever using it and so by repairing of the house of our body wee may waste and overthrow it neither are we then to use Physick when there is no needfull cause nor yet in such desperate cases where there is no hope of life but apparent signes of approching death lest under an intent of prolonging life wee doe shorten it or of curing wee doe kill where there is not strength of nature to help physick to work its due effect 3. Use it not rashly Thirdly our care about Physick must be that wee doe not unadvisedly and rashly use it either by practising upon our selves or others beyond our skill or calling or else by taking Physick from others that be either presumptuous-ignorant Empericks or prophane and desperate dispensers and undertakers neither conscionable in their owne lives nor tender of the lives of others but are more desirous of their patients monies than of their healths and therefore our endeavour should be to take physick both seasonably for time and also by the counsell and direction of such as be both skilfull persons in that facultie and also conscionable for religion and piety that God may blesse their labours the better who will be tender and carefull of mens lives working by safe courses and in manner fit for their patients good and herein what ever the effect be men may have comfort when they shall have insisted in a warrantable way 4. Not to be perplexed about the event
this degree followes after faith 2. Begetting faith Secondly the power of the spirit in us by the meanes is seene by the working of true saith in us which the Apostle ascribes to the same 1 Cor. 12.9 Ephes 2.8 It is by this faith that wee do divinely and spiritually live c Rom. 1.17 Halak 2.4 in the act of beleeving uniting our selves to the saving and lively object Christ Iesus with his gracious promises by us adhered unto and thereunto conforming our selves without Christ we have no life in us as himselfe tells us Ioh. 6.57 and without faith wee can neither have him nor his blessed promises but by saith we have them both that so by this spirituall instrument spirituall blessings may be spiritually enjoyed whereof the soule is the immediate subject and secondarily the body onely by the soule to this faith our Saviour attributes this spirituall life when he sayes That whosoever beleeveth in him though he were dead yet shall he live d John 11.25 therefore it neerely concernes us all to labour to get true saving faith and that we doe make use of the same in and about its proper objects And for our comfort it behooves us to know that we have this faith but because the signes how to discerne it is the generall subject of most men in their bookes and sermons I passe it over with reference to them 3. Applying of Christ Thirdly the Spirit of God manifests the power of it in us by the meanes in the application of Christ and his merits to us whereby we become one with Christ and being grafted into him have the adoption of the sonnes of God a Ephes 1.5 Rom. 8.16 and free justification from all our sins sealed up and assured to us by the same Spirit whereupon we may apprehend the sweet favour of God toward us wherein consisteth life Psal 30.5 and may be filled with a lively vigour of consolation in the apprehension of the pardon of our sinnes and upon the assurance of the graces and blessings of God to us for our eternall happinesse in which respect it is called the Spirit of Consolation b Iob. 14.26 which makes us cheerefully to endure afflictions and to runne the way of Gods Commandements when thus we are enlarged by the spirit and by the same possessed of Christ and his graces by and in whom we spiritually live there is nothing in this world that we should be so carefull of as to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit giving testimony of our adoption by our good works Evidences of the vvorke of the Spirit in us applying Christ 1. But of the aforesaid worke of the Spirit in us we may have some comfortable evidences upon these ensuing grounds First by the sense of the vertue from Christ quickning us wee may assuredly discerne that we touch him and have communion with him being in him as members under our head and partaking in and from him of all his merits and graces 2. Secondly the same is evident by the change of our estates morally considered in regard of what our dispositions and lives formerly have beene and now are touching vertue and vice goodnesse and evill concerning both which a supernaturall change cannot be but by a supernaturall efficient and divine principle and so from the effects we doe conclude the eause to precede or goe before 3. Thirdly the aforesaid worke of the Spirit is manifested and discerned by our subsisting and keeping our standing in goodnesse and in adhering to God and to his Word in states and times of great and manifold trialls wherein experiment is made of our strength and sincerities and cleaving to God in which condition when the unsound fall away those that are built upon the rocke Christ a Mat. 7.24 25. and from him are supernaturally furnished with all needfull graces by beholding and relying upon him that is invisible they doe receive from above a continual influxe of assistance and abilities whereby they stand fast and endure as did Moses Heb. 11.27 4. The Spirits vvorke in sanctisication Fourthly the Spirits worke in us by the meanes is powerfully manifested by these lively seeds and divine principles of grace which it infuseth or worketh in us called by the Apostle Peter a divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby the regenerated man is furnished with all sufficiency of heavenly and new inherent principles for the right ordering of himselfe in divine manner even as the naturall man is stored with his principles of reason thereby to square his judgement and life in naturall manner §. 10. Of the degrees of the Spirits worke of holinesse in us The degrees of grace 1. Habituall Which is the holinesse of mans new nature The degrees of this worke of grace and holinesse of Gods Spirit in us are two First that which consists in habituall divine qualities diffused throughout all the powers and faculties of the man in whom the same is which are wrought or infused gradually from one degree to another These are opposite to mans naturall pollution of sinne and malice inherent in him upon the which they being superinducted they doc by degrees weaken dispossesse and abolish the same as the light doth the darknesse Use of it So then the office and use of this habituall holinesse and qualification of man with inherent graces of Gods spirit is threefold 1. First it serves to adorne accomplish and beautifie in spirituall manner the regenerate man 2. Secondly it subdues mortifies and expells the contrary vice in equall measure of extension and degree as it selfe is 3. Thirdly it qualifies and inables a man that hath it to the actuall doing of all holy duties according to the quality and greatnesse of those divine principles of grace that is the inherent originall of the same so being both the materiall and also exemplary cause of actuall holinesse of life this cannot be without that 2. Degree is actuall obedience which is the holinesse of mans actions The second degree of this spirituall holinesse is that which consists in actuall obedience to Gods will in all holy performances rightly ordering all our thoughts all the inclinations of our wills all the motions of our affections all the morall postures of our behaviour all the words of our mouthes and all the actions of our lives in abstaining in sustaining and in active performance exactly according to Gods commandments with perfection of integrity and sincerity The use of it 1. The use of this degree of holinesse consisting in actuall obedience is threefold First to manifest the truth and power of mans in ward and habituall grace 2. Secondly to oppose and keepe our corruption and sin out of that possession which formerly they had of our actions and hearts 3. Thirdly that the body which is to be saved with the soule may in all the organes and powers thereof bee honoured in holy imployment for good example to
sometime yet the corruption and practise thereof he loves and entertaines which is sweet in his mouth and which hee hides under his tongue as Zophar saies b Iob. 20.12 as upon persevering in well doing attends eternall life so unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey and continue in unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath is their portion and tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soule of man that doth evill Rom. 2.6 7 8 9.10 §. 13. Of the causes of mens adventure upon sinfull courses Reasons of mens so living The reasons why men do so desperatly venture upon such deadly courses and continue in them to the destruction of their owne soules are specially two 1. Seeming good First because the same seemes good to them in regard of the blindenesse of their minds a 2 Pet. 1.9 that cannot truly discerne things that differ and in regard of their unregenerated affections which do sympathize and comply best with such courses and because they are self-deceived by a seeming goodnesse of profit or present pleasure in them which they preferre before true morall goodnesse and therewithall do rest and content themselves in the ignorance and want of better comforts but a wise man will beware of self-deceit by trusting to his owne opinion or sense considering that there is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the waies of death Prov. 14.12 2. Want of faith The second cause of mans boldnesse in adventuring to run an unlawfull course with the perill of the damnation of his soule is want of true faith to beleeve the threatnings of God in his word against the same or at the least they suppose that the judgments will not be so bad and intolerable as is given out or they hope they shall escpe them or they comfort themselves with conceit of their fellowes company and doe imagine God to be all mercy and no justice the reason hereof is both their not discerning nor regarding of the spirituall judgments of God upon them which are the greatest and worst and such as they see not sensibly and also because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill Eccles 8.11 the flourishing of men in their owne ill condition hardens them and staggers the godly b Psal 73.12 13. §. 14. Of spirituall self-murder by sinning against the Gospell The second kind of sinnes of commission are against the Gospell The second kind of soul-killing courses are sinnes committed against the Gospell which is the only remedy given for transgressors of the Law that when they are condemned for their disobedience to the Law they may be saved by their obedience to the Gospell without which they cannot but perish This Evangelicall obedience differs from legall obedience in foure points 1. Obedience of the Gospell differs from obedience of the Law Done by Christs power First whereas legall obedience is originally required to be done by a mans owne power and strength Evangelicall obedience is to be done by us through the power of Christ and his Spirit working in us and by us inabling us above the power of nature 2. Acceptable with infirmity Secondly no obedience of the Law is acceptable to God from those doing it as under the Law for justification by their workes except the doers thereof be pure from inherent corruption and doe their actions in their highest degree of morall perfection without any defect therein but for the obedience of the Gospell it is accepted by God from the hands of sinfull men as perfect if it be in truth and sincerity although accompanied with many involuntary defects in our beleeving and repenting 3. It includes legall obedience Thirdly perfect legall obedience yea any obedience of the Law as legall whose performance respects justification excludes Evangelicall obedience with which in that sense it cannot consist seeing justification both by workes and faith both by the Law and Gospell are incompatible as the Apostle proves Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 But Evangelicall obedience includes legall obedience as inferiour and subordinate to it for there is an Evangelicall use of the Law under the Gospell both for preparation to the beleeving of it and also for sanctification of life ordered thereby by assistance of power from Christ for manifestation of the truth of Gods grace in us to the workes whereof although imperfect a reward is due 4. It respects salvation by another Fourthly the obedience of the Law by it selfe considered respects salvation by way of morall works in our selves but the Gospell respects the same by way of application of merit from another to witt from Iesus Christ the Law cannot cure nor excuse the transgressions committed against the Gospell but the Gospell can heale and deliver us from the sinnes and judgements of the Law whatsoever they have beene and therefore it is that the transgressors against the Gospell are in farre more danger of destruction therby than by their sins against the Law §. 15. Of Infidelity Sins against the Gospell Of these soul-killing transgressions against the Gospell there are foure branches 1. Infidelity First positive unbeliefe or infidelity when a man will not beeleve savingly in Christ to have him to bee both his Saviour and Lord neither beleeves truly the Gospell in its full latitude and contents although litterally hee knowes the same but holds and beleeves deceitfull errors defending the same and applauding himselfe therein and therefore seeing that now there is no salvation but by true faith in Christ those that will not so beleeve according to the Gospell must needs perish a Iob. 3.18 1. Causes of infidelity The chiefe causes of this infidelity are First an innated habit to beleeve error before the truth 2. Secondly our carnall reason deceitfull fancies and humane presumptions upon false principles overswaying our faith contrary to the word of God whereby men turne aside to their owne crooked wayes and perish as it were in the gainsaying of Corah b Psal 125.5 Cure For prevention of this infidelity I conclude with the Apostle take heed brethren lest there bee in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God c Heb. 3.12 §. 16. Of Impenitency 2. Impenitency The second kind of sinnes against the Gospell whereby men kill their owne soules is finall impenitency when they neither care nor indeavour to repent for their sins past nor to reforme their lives for time to come but goe on in their sinnes out of love or carelesnesse of them remorse for sinnes in respect of the punishment of them is not true repentance if it bee not specially for the offence of God by them and if a man bee sorrowfull for some grosse sinnes committed by him and doe restraine his practise therefrom it is not sound repentance
so long as hee is not grieved for his sinnes of omission nor makes conscience to doe his duty in keeping the affirmative Commandements of God Of the danger of this course of impenitency the Apostle Paul gives his censure in these words But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgements of God Rom. 2.5 Cure To prevent this impenitency we must beware of custome in sinne and of slighting our spirituall estates §. 17. Of the sinne against the Holy Ghost 3. The sinne against the Holy Ghost The third branch of the sinnes against the Gospell whereby a man kills his owne soule is the sinne against the Holy Ghost which consists in hating and opposing the knowne saving truth of the Gospell a Mat. 12.31 and is called a sinne unto death 1 Ioh. 5.16 from which there is no recovery not onely because it is ever accompanied with finall impenitency but specially for that the nature of that sinne is so directly against the meanes of salvation that thereby a man cuts himselfe utterly off from it and deprives himselfe of the suffrages and prayers of the Church b 1 Ioh. 5.16 every sinne disposes a man lesse or more to this sinne which is the transcendency of all sinnes and therefore that all men may feare and not presume upon any sinfull course God hath set bounds to his mercy how farre in what cases and to whom he will shew the same and in what cases and to whom not It behooves all men as they would escape damnation to beware of this sinne which at last often causes men to lay violent hands upon themselves and to end their lives in desperation The sinnes neere approaching to it are those that men doe wilfully with a high hand commit and stand in with hatred and persecuting of the contrary vertuous courses in others Cure To avoid this sinne against the Holy Ghost wee must be carefull that wee sinne not presumptuously nor hate goodnesse and good people Things observable in it It is by way of enlargement further to be observed that this sinne against the Holy Ghost is both incident onely to persons inlightned with certaine knowledge of Christ and the Gospell a Heb. 6.4 by the Spirits illumination and are indowed with some competent measure of Evangelicall graces by the power and worke of the Holy Ghost and also that the nature of it consists in an obstinate malicious opposition of Iesus Christ and his merits and of the Gospell and of Evangelicall grace and goodnesse against divine light and convincing illumination of the Holy Ghost in those that doe it who in their very act of their opposition of Evangelicall truth and the professors and obeyers thereof doe the same with malicious refisting the very motion working and perswasion of the Spirit within them to the contrary at that very instant Observ Many more doe now in the time of the Gospell commit this sinne against the Holy Ghost How many now do commit it than could doe it in the time of the Law and many now doe come so neere unto it that they fall into the desperate estate of impenitencie and of a reprobate sense in regard of the clearenesse and abundance of the light of the Gospell contrary to which and to their owne conscience they runne with greedinesse to all excesse of wickednesse and prophanenesse with hatred and opposition of goodnesse and of the power of the Gospell and of those in that respect that are godly Note None that are affraid they have committed the sinne against the Holy Ghost or are troubled about it or grieved for it can in that case commit it neither have committed it because this sinne is done with the whole consent of will and sway of affections in a totall Apostacy with impenitency and unreconcileable hatred and persecution of the truth of the Gospell and of the professors thereof §. 18. Of Apostacy Finall Apostacy Fourthly the soule murdering sinnes committed against the Gospell are apostacy from the profession or power of it occasioned by an evill heart of unbeliefe by the profits honors pleasures or examples and temptations of the world in those that are hypocrites and unsound as were Demas a 2 Tim. 4 10. and Simon Magus b Act. 8.21 and by renouncing of God and the Gospell by compact explicit or implicit with Satan as Witches and Magitians doe resigning their soules to him and to eternall destruction Where it is to be observed that Apostates in Gods just judgement not onely runne into all excesse of impiety and prophanenesse but doe also become most bitter haters and persecuters of the profession and professors which formerly they seemed to embrace being not content to perish themselves but also are grieved that any should bee saved and stand fast in the truth Apostates are hardly ever recovered and their damnation is greater because they fall from a higher pitch than other men and against more meanes of knowledge and reluctancy whereby they are self-condemned and often at last end their dayes in despaire graduall apostacy or relecting in the power and wayes of godlinesse is incident to the godly and recoverable as wee see Revel 2.5 and therefore is not comprenended in this ranck of soul-killing-apostacy which is not fallen into at once but by degrees To persevere in the truth we must labour to be sound in the faith and to love and delight in the truth above all things The difference of sinnes Although it is certaine that all sinnes are damnable for nature in regard of their contrariety to God and his Law and are also of a condemning property in respect of their merit of due punishment of damnation For the soule that sins shall dye Ezek. 18.4 yet all sinnes are not alike as the Stoicks affirme but some are more mischievous and more repugnant than others to God himselfe and to our salvation and to the good of others and are more incompatible with justice and charity than others are as Idolatry perjury c. §. 19. Of the malignity of the sinnes against the Gospell above those committed against the Law Sinues against the Gospell worse than against the Law The sinnes that are done immediately against the Gospell are more dangerous and worse than those that are committed immediatly against the Law whereof I will give three reasons Reasons 1. First for their nature they are of a higher straine than the sinnes of the Law as the Gospell is more eminent than the Law which is intimated Heb. 10.28 29. 2. Secondly these sinnes against the Gospell are done with more opposition against more abundant meanes and grace by those that now live in the Church than the sins of the Law as Paul manifests to us 2 Cor. 3.8 3. Thirdly the sinnes against the Gospell are committed with farre more inevitable destruction than the sinnes against the
is borne by many Be observant and helpfull 2. How men are to order themselves in afflictions The second use or observation from the point is that people in distresse do fit themselves and so order their course and behaviour as is most pertinent and best becomming their present estate that they may not be overcome by it 1. First by their care to live by faith a Habak 2.4 and not by sense and that they may ride by the anchor of hope cast upward within the vaile b Heb. 6.19 2. Secondly by humbly submitting themselves under the mighty hand of God with passive obedience rather cutting our masts of self-will and pride by the board than to hazard being over-set by a high saile in the storme of troubles 3. Thirdly they should labour to possesse themselves in patience that they may stand fast and overcome by suffering 4. Fourthly they should endeavour to be chearefull under the crosse 5. Fiftly they should not be carefull of future events so long as they walke in a good course but commend themselves by prayer to God a Phil. 4.6 Mat. 6.25 and rest confidently upon him being imployed and taken up with meditation of the gratious promises and dealing of God towards those that depend upon him By neglect of which course the Devill prevailes much against people in that estate even sometimes to self-murder §. 18. Concerning anger and revenge The third generall motive of self-murder Anger and revenge The third generall motive of self-murder is the rage of Anger and the unsatiable desire of revenge which are most furious passioÌ„s that most spoile and are least subject to the command of reason or religion and can most hardly be supprest or kept within any due compasse which when they cannot ease themselves by vent upon others will reflect upon the subject wherein they are to destroy the same Kinds of it This anger and revenge is of two sorts 1. Against a mans selfe First that which is directly against a mans owne selfe and that is either for what he hath done or else for what he presently is Sometimes men fall into that degree of anger and revenge against themselves for what they are or have done or beene that nothing will content them Propter peccata admissa For sinnes done but murdring of themselves as for some hainous crime or flagitious course of life whereby they finde themselves upon sight and sense hereof subjected either to importable shame and punishment or to intolerable griefe of conscience as those that are guilty of some horrible capitall crimes done against their consciences such as wilfull murder spitefull blasphemie against God and the like in regard of the former wee see how Indas hanged himselfe and the more secret that such crimes have beene kept and secure from the stroke of humane justice the more is man armed and bent with self-murder to destroy himselfe whom divine justice will not suffer to live Viciousnesse of nature and wicked motions Againe for the present when a man labours in a continuall conflict against the execrable viciousnesse of his nature and against the horrible motions of his minde and inclinations of his heart with much uncomfortable molestation and trouble without hope of overcomming the same finding the same more and more to prevaile against him so that hee concludes that if he doe live hee shall be quite overcome by it and caried headlong to all evill to his greater shame and eternall ruine which that hee may prevent or bee revenged upon his wretched flesh and corruption out of his furious zeale he by the instigation of Satan murders himselfe and so upon pretence of destroying sinne hee destroyes himselfe in and by the most horrible sinne of self-murder He esie Touching this killing of a mans selfe in griefe and revenge for his sinnes committed Alphonsus à Castro adversus haereses de Martyrio haeresi secunda Haeresis est quae docet cos quise pro peccatointerimunt delore Martyres numupari pro cò quod puâ—unâ—in se quod dolent commisesse sayes it is an heresie which teaches that those that kill themselves for their sinne ought to be called Martyres because they doe punish in themselves that for which they grieve that they have committed it The Author of which heresie he sayes was Petilian the Donatist against whom St. Augustine wrote which name of heresie it may well brooke if we consider the damnable danger of it specially accompanied with obstinacy in opinion against the judgement and advice of the Church Than to bee counted an heretick nothing was more odious because the same excludes a man both from the Communion and priviledges of the Church on earth and also from the fruition of glory in Heaven to which for punishment self-murder is equivalent and if in any case it bee held obstinately in opinion to bee lawfull it is directly and formally an heresie because the contrary is according to truth determined by the Church as a point concerning salvation Twofold revenge upon oxes selfe for sinne There is a twofold revenge upon ones self for sin a good and a bad 1. Good In three things The good is that whereof the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold what revenge which flowes from griefe for offending God and consists in three things 1. Mortifying humiliation First godly revenge upon ones selfe for their sinnes is in our chastising of our selves and afflicting of our soules before God in penitent manner in mortifying humiliation subduing our bodies by discipline abstinence c. whereby through Christ both the guilt and love of sinne is extinguished in us and also the power of the corruption of it is killed 2. Curbing our lusts Secondly it is in the restraining and curbing of our owne lusts and wills to subdue them wholly to the will of God which cannot bee done without both much trouble and paines and dislike to the old man of nature Cutting off the meanes of sin And also it is in the stinting or depriving of our selves of the use of those things by which the flesh hath or doth take occasion to sin against God as delights and pleasures or things above necessity when wee abuse them which is as to pluck out the right eye or to cut off the right hand 3. Strictnesse Thirdly it is in a more strict tasking of our selves to religious observances to holy duties and good life and to opportunities and offices of doing good to ourselves and others so cutting our selves short of that liberty whereby wee are apt to breake out to dishonour God and so bringing our selves under the yoake of more severe spirituall subjection and discipline to God wee shall subdue and mortifie our old man of sinne in which three points lyes the revenge here allowed The second kind of revenge upon ones self Bad. The second kind of revenge upon ones selfe for sinne is that