God and staying it selfe vpon his authoritie Or Acquired which is produced by the light of reason discourse and created testimony The latter is to bee found in the diuels for they beleeue and tremble And in the Papists for their faith is no better according to their grounds and principles My reason is this briefly for I will deliuer my selfe of this point in a word The Iesuites by their iugling haue cast themselues into a circle about the faith of the truth and diuinitie of Scriptures and that is this Ask any Papist in this land how he beleeues Scripture to be the word of God and diuinely inspired he will answere Because thâ— Church deliuereth it so to be And why beleeueth he the testimonie of the Church Because it it is infallibly guided by the spirit And how doth that appeare Because it is so contained in Scripture as in Iohn 16. The Spirit will leade you into all truth And how shall wee know this scripture of Iohn to bee the word of God and diuinely inspired Because the Church deliuereth it so to bee and so they must needs run round in this circulation Now I would propose to the Papists the choice of these three one of which they must of necessitie accept First whether they wil run round in this circle wax giddy and fall and sink into that pit where Poperie was first hatcht or they wil break the circle at the authoritie of the Scriptures and so by consequent they must fall to our side and the truth or they will breake it at the testimonie of the Church and so all their faith as I told you must needs be onely acquired because it depends on a finite and created testimonie and consequently comes farre short of saluation I doubt not but the Papists will acknowledge and approoue that difference betwixt infused and acquired faith consented vpon by the Schoolemen That infused faith relieth immediately vpon an increated authoritie but acquired vpon a finite and created testimonie I know the Iesuites a kind of men inspired with a transcendencie of Antichristian imposture labour busilie to passe plausibly and handsomly out of this circle but if their shifts be thorowly sisted they followed with force of argument it is certaine they will either be driuen into the circle againe or enforced to start out at the one of those breaches I told you of Becaâ—us one of them after hee had long tired himselfe in this circle and at last by the helpe of Gregorius de Val. and former Iesuites got out but with shamefull absurditie and inconuenience in a poore reuenge to relieue himselfe he threatens vs with another circle and so writes a Treatise de Circulo Caluinistico but very weakely and falsly as might be demonstrated euen out of the sounder Schoolemen in their question of the last resolution of faith But I intended no discourse of controuersie but of sanctification and therefore I proceed and take the formall hypocrite along further towards the state of grace For besides knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods word by an historicall faith hee may by the vertue of a temporarie faith adde three degrees moe That is He may moreouer professe it in outward seruices of religion He may inwardlie reioice in it He may bring forth some kind of fruit But these things are onely found in him so long as they do not mainely crâ—sse but are compatible with his worldly peace wealth libertie and other delightfull contentments Here therefore I must leaue him and acquaint you with those workings and degrees of sauing faith which qualified as I shall propose them are peculiar to Gods child and so distinguish and diuide the regenerate man from the state of formall hypocrisie They are these A feeling and speciall approbation of the word of life and promises of saluation a most feruent expetition and thirsting for the enioyment of them an effectuall apprehension a particular application a full perswasion a delight and ioy thence rising sound and vnconquerable That you may vnderstand these you must conceiue that the soule of Gods child comming fresh out of the pangs and terrors of his new-birth a mysterie to the formall hypocrite humbled vnder the mightie hand of God by a sight and sense of his sinnes lookes vpon the whole body of diuine truth as vpon a precious iewel wherin Christ his gratious promises shine vnto him especially as a stone of inestimable worth and valuation whereupon with a peculiar dearenes he sets such a liking that with it hee holds himselfe an heire of heauen without it a child of endlesse perdition Hence followes an expetition and desire of it enforced with groanes vnutterable and a gasping for it as the dry and thirstie ground for drops of raine Thirdly hee apprehends it with a fast and euerlasting hold Fourthly hee applies it closely and particularly to his owne soule Fifthly he is truely and fully perswaded by Gods good spirit out of a consideration of his vniuersall change that it is his owne for euer Lastâ—y he lies downe in peace that passeth all vnderstanding He is filled with ioy that no man can take from him He delights in the grace apprehended as in a treasure farre more deare vnto him then the glory of infinite worlds or life it selfe From the power and workings of this inward grace spring outward actions both in his generall calling of Christianity and his particular vocation which by the mercies of God are faithfull constant vniforme impartiall resolute vniuersall comfortable Whereas those which are produced by the more weake and inferiour degrees of temporarie faith incident to the formall hypocrite are weake wauering many times interrupted variable guided much by occasions the time forced by hope or feare swayed by secret respects to priuate ends and worldly contentments But these more inward markes of difference howsoeuer by a sweete and gratious experience they be felt and acknowledged of the child of God yet generally and to the vnregenerate they are hidden mysteries and vndiscernable to the brightest eye of the naturall man Therefore I will come to those markes of difference betwixt the state of formall hypocrisie and sauing grace which are more outward familiar and more generally and casilie discernable Of which one may be this The power of grace doth beget in a regenerate man a watchfulnesse care and conscience of smaller offences of secret sins of sinfull thoughts of appearances of euill of all occasions of sinne of prophane companie of giuing iust offence in indifferent actions and the like whereas the formall hypocrite taketh not such things as these much to heart but either makes no conscience of them at all holding it a point of precisenes to be too conscionable or else proportions it to serue his owne turne or to giue satisfaction to others And in forbearance of sinnes he hath an especiall eye onely at those that may notoriously disgrace him in the world entangle him in danger of law or vexe his conscience
A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons in Oxford and at Pauls Crosse By ROBERT BOLTON 2. CORINTH 13.5 Prooue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be reprobates AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for EDMVND WEAVER and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-gate of Pauls Church 1611. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR AVGVSTIN NICOLS Knight Serieant at the Law the glorious comforts of Grace here and the blessednesse of immortalitie hereafter SIR I hauing been often and much solicited with varietie and iteration of strong importunitie to publish and let passe into the eie of this censorious world these thevery first fruites and essaies of mine imployment and businesse in the Ministerie did apprehend and embrace this season with better contentment and with more cheerefulnes addresse and compose my self thereunto because I did see opportunitie offered thereby to let appeare abroad my thankfull acknowledgement of your respectfull and more then ordinary fauour vnto me and a publike testimonie of your worthie and exemplarie integritie in discharging your hands and faithfully disposing that portion of the Church his patrimonie committed to your trust and conscience An affaire though in these desperately sinfull times fearfully and accursedly abused of high and waightie consequence and of great power as it shall be discharged with conscience or corruption either further to ruine our Church and bring it to more miserie and desolation or to repaire and aduance it to better state more happinesse For mine owne particular it hath so pleased God to guide your heart in this busines and to blesse me with his prouidence that wheras too many Patrones now adaies either by detaining sacrilegiouslie Gods portion agaiâ—â—â— all grounds of equitie both diuine humane or by furnishing Church-liuings simoniacally and corruptly do certainly pull vpon their own heads soules and bodies goods and posteritie an heauie and horrible curse and shall thereby make their account to be without fauour at the last day and whereas many worthie men after they haue wearied and wasted their bodies and mindes their spirits and patrimonie in studie and worne out their hopes with long and tedious expectation pursuit and dependance come at length with much adoe to no great matters and when all is done it is well if they escape all galling and gash of conscience such is the strange iniquitie of the times yet I say so worthily haue you dealt with me so vprightly in the Church his cause that vpon your owne first motion you sent vnto me to accept the place I now enioy from you and offered me a faire a free and comfortable passage to the exercise of my Ministerie abroad which next vnto the saluation of mine own soule I hold most deare and precious when I neither sought after nor thought vpon preferment This your rare and singular bountie did at the very first affect me with a secret sense of an extraordinary obligation for all inward affectionatnes and with a desire of representing it in some visible forme of outward testification But when I did after further consider first how that Sacriledge and Simonie that damned couple of crying sins like two rauenous Harpies and the two insatiable daughters of the Horsleech had seazd euen vpon the Heart of our Church readie to rent and teare in peeces her very heart-strings and to sucke out the inmost blood and last life of our dearest Mother when I looked aboue me in this famous Vniuersitie where I haue liued and saw many reuerend and learned men full of the light of diuine truth and of the water of life able gloriouslie and comfortablie to illighten many darke places and drie soules in this land readie to expire and powre out their soules in the bosome of this their famous Nurce not brought vp by her to die at her breasts but if they might haue honest and lawfull passage readie and resolute to enlarge Christs kingdome abroad and to oppose with all their power against the bloodie torrent of Poperie and rage of Antichrist lastly when I weighed with my selfe mine owne naturall declination and resolued vnfitnes to make a noise and stirre in the world for preferment I did finde that as these considerations did before giue small hope of changing my station so now they were of power yet further to double the impression of your worthie and extraordinarie goodnesse vnto mee and freshly to renew the thankfull deuotions and apprehensions of mine heart Out of which hath sprung in me a thirsting earnestnes and contention of spirit to returne vnto you for these temporall fauours so farre as the nature of that high Ministeriall function wherein I stand shall guide me and the power of my poore abilitie can reach the Blessings of Heauen and comforts of a better world To which end I here present vnto you this Treatise which I haue intended to be so farre as my gracious God hath giuen me vnderstanding in the point as it were a looking-Glasse or Touchstone to whomsoeuer it shall please to take thorow notice thereof for the discerning and trying in some good measure whether he alreadie bee of the number of those fewe which truly liue the life of God and vnder the Scepter of his Sonne or lie as yet enthralled in the inuisible chaines of damnation and death and vnder the large and powerfull raigne of Satan For I am perswaded that in this glorious noontide of the Gospell many thousands deceiue not only the world and others but euen themselues and their owne soules about their spirituall state thinking if they finde in themselues a freedome from grosse and notorious sinnes fairenes of conditions ciuil honestie a formall profession of Christianitie outward performances of religious seruices that then their case is good enough for heauen though there bee wanting the sauing power of inward sanctification and the truth of a sound conuersion though they bee strangers to the great mysterie of Godlinesse and disacquainted with a conscionable and constant course of Holinesse in their liues and actions But we must conceiue that ouer and besides these degrees of goodnesse with which millions of men content and deceiue themselues yea and quite beyond and vtterly without the compasse of all worldly glorie all visible pompe the most admited greatnesse and sufficiency vpon earth for which a great part of the world exchange the euerlasting happinesse of their soules there is a Paradise of Christian comforts a Royall Peculiar a victorious Simplicitie a neglected Innocencie a marueilous Light an inuisible Kingdome an Heauen vpon Earth which I call the state of Grace and labour in the ensuing Discourse to difference from al perfections and sufficiencies attaineable in the state of vnregeneration I meddle not purposely with the notorious sinner for me thinkes in these daies of light there should none so wilfully and deeply inwrap
that bloudie act But that which is the accomplishment of all miseries and terrour they iustly fall into the hands of the liuing God who will certainely iudge them after the manner of them that shead their owne bloud and will giue them the bloud of wrath and of iealousie And whereas they looked to leaue a name behind them it shall rot away with as vile detestation as their carcases in the graue The memoriall of the iust faith Salomon shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot If it doe liue it shall liue to their shame and infamy For I dare say this boldly There was neuer any man rightly informed either in the principles of nature or in the gracious way to heauen in the sober passages of moralitiâ— or in the iustice of state and policie or acquainted with the fairenesse of true honour that euer gaue any allowance or euer will to the reputation of manhood falsely so called purchased in priuat quarrell in the field This is then all they get for the losse of soule and bodie of heauen and earth of name and posteritie they onely gaine the damned applause of diuels swaggerers and wicked men But if it fall out otherwise that they be not kild but kill marke what befals themâ— they depart the field drunken with blood as with new wine and therefore they shall be sure at length to be fild with drunkennes and with sorrow euen with the cup of destruction and trembling they shall drinke of it deepe and large and wring it out to the very dregs For presently after the murder committed they haue Caines fearefull marke stampt vpon them The furies of conscience and cries of blood shal for euer persecute them with restlesse horrour As they clothed themselues with rage like a raiment so shall it now come into their bowels like water and sinke like oile into their bones In the meane time they shall liue in the hell of conscience vpon earth and expect euerie houre to be tumbled into the hâ—ll of wicked diuels for euermore in the world to come Let me then in the name and feare of God aduise them if they would win an opinion of true valor indeed if they look for any portion in the mercies of God or honour amongst his Saints to settle and compose such wild affectionâ— by the word of truth to turne the greatnesse of their courage and gallantnesse of Spirit to the subduing and conquering of their owne corruptions and to the wrastling against principalities and powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesses which are in the high places This fight is Christian and couragious indeed the victory is glorious the reward is immortalitie A third note of difference may be this Euery child of God by the power of sauing grace doth hunger and thirst after all those meanes God hath ordained or offers for his furtherance in the way to heauen and for his comforting and confirming in a Christian course and doth make a holy vse of whatsoeuer is either publickly or priuately laid vpon him for his amendment and therefore he continually profits and proceeds in sanctification by his word his iudgements and his mercies by the exercise obseruation and sense of which hee growes sensiblie in heauenly knowledge faith humiliation repentance thankfulnesse and all other spirituall graces But the formall hypocrite doth so farre take notice and regard of them as they further his temporal happinesse and as his neglect of them by consequent threatneth danger and ouerthrow to his outward worldlie state For the present perhaps hee is mooued with the hearing of the word of God with the terror of his iudgements while they lie with some extraordinarie waight vpon himselfe or the whole land and with the sweetnesse of his mercies because they secure him in his prosperitie But these things sinke not into his soule with the power of mortification to the destroying of his sinfull affections and the shaking off of euery knowne sinne Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus let vs euery one of vs I beseech you trie himself faithfully by this note of difference And the rather because our gracious God hath most plentifully and incomparablie vouchsafed vs in this land all meanes to bring vs vnto heauen He hath visâ—ted vs with his word his iudgements and mercies to the astonishment of the whole world Now let vs consider whether as they haue bred admiration in men and Angels so they haue brought saluation to our owne soules First for his word For these fiftie yeeres you know hee hath spread out his hands all the day long he hath sent all his seruants the preachers of his word rising vp earely and sending them saying Returne now euery man from his euill way and amâ—nd your workes Let vs then examine our selues in this point Hath this glorious Gospell which hath so long shined bright in our eies and sounded loud in our cares hath it I say bin mightie in operation vpon our soules in planting in them the power of true godlinesse Doe wee daily grow more sound by it in the knowledge of the truth and see more particularly into the way and whole course of Christianitie Doth it continually build vs vp more strongly in faith repentance and an holy obedience to all his commandements Why then blessed is our â—ase for this powerful experience in our soules of daily growth in godlinesse by the word is a notable mark vnto vs that we are in the state of grace and so al the blessings in the book of God belong vnto vs and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number But if otherwise which is rather to be feared if we haue either bin no hearers or but now and then as our worldly commodities would giue vs leaue or hearers onelie of forme and faâ—â—â—on not of zeale and conscience to profit by it and yeeld obedience vnto it or onely hearers and no doers why then we may assure our selues we are yet short of the state of grace and marke what will be the end both of vs and the whole land it must needs be the same with that of Iuda and Ierusalem for they were as wel beloued of God as euer England can be Goe saith God vnto Ieremie Goe and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem I haue sent you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp earely and sending them but you would not encline your care you would not obay me therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will bring vpon Iuda and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem all the euill that I haue pronounced against them I will doe vnto this house whereupon my name is called wherein also ye trust as I haue done vnto Shilo I will cast them out of my sight And will make â—his City a curse vnto all the nations of the earth And the Lord was so vnremoueable
any other by-respect plunge themselues into such companies where perhaps they may enioy many pleasant passages of wit set and artificiall disports and passing the time direction in their worldly affaires combination against the power of religion and the true professors thereof but where they shall find no furtherance in the way to heauen no comfort in heauenly things no encouragement to piety no counsell in tentations no consolation vpon their deaths-bed O how much better were it for these few and wretched daies to sort and solacâ— themselues amongst the Saints of God with whom they might shine as glorious lights together in the earth and hereafter in the heauens aboue the brightnesse of the sun for euermore rather then prophanely to sport themselues in Meshech and for a season proudly to ruffle it in the tents of Kedar where there is no light of grace no ioynt expectation of eternity but darkenesse of sinne and shadow of death Mistake me not in this point I would not haue men goe out of the world or become Separists I would rather haue them if they will vnderstand Paul aright be made all things to all men that they might by all meanes saue some That is I would haue the children of God not be wanting in any offices of kindnesse or pietie but to yeeld and communicate themselues so far as dutie charity humanitie necessitie of their generall or particular calling vpon good warrant and iust occasion mâ—y challenge and exact at their hands But as for a free and full communication of the secrets of their soule of their dearest affections of their spirituall estate of their ioyfullest and best expence of time I would haue that onely vouchsafed and conueied into the faithfull bosome of a true Christian and confined to grace as it peculiar and principall Object Let their goodnesse and good deeds spread without limit but their delight and intimatenes is to bee restrained and appropriated to the Saints that are on the earth and to the truely excellent which are onely the godly Hence it is that Gods children are many times censured for morositie vnsociablenes disdainefulnesse of spirit and opposition to good fellowship when God knowes they can find no taste in the white of an egge no strength in a broken staffe of reed no comfort in the men of the world who haue their portion in this life and therefore they would not part with their Paradise of communion of Saints or comfortable communication with God in their solitarines for the companie of kings and a world of carnall contentments Fourthly Satan doth sometime worke a soule decay of grace and exercise of godlinesse by putting into our heads some inordinate plot and forecast for preferment and greatnes For if he can once set our thoughts busily on foot for proiecting and contriuing with excessiue desire ambition and greedinesse some honour office or high place why then farwell zeale farwell taking part with Gods children farwell an vnshaken resolution in standing for the honour truth and seruice of God and a Christian courage in reprouing sins For then we must liue reseruedly we must be content to part with our libertie and be depriued of our selues We must labour to satisâ—ie and accommodate our selues to the humours pleasures and passions of men In a word our whole cariage must hold a necessarie and exact correspondence with the men and meanes that are able to promote vs for so vâ—certaine and irregular are the reuolutions of mens fauours that many times if a man but misse or mistime one ceremony or circumstantiall obseruance it is enough to cast him off and vtterly cashire him from his hopes ends Most miserable and seruile is their life that thus forsake the strong tower of their saluation and claspe their hand of faith about the arme of flesh For they do not onely bereaue themselues of that worthie freedome of spirit which an honest Heathen would not exchange for his life but also as they grow into a habit of seruitude and base engagements vnto men so they grow into a flauerie vnto sinne and bondage vnto the corruptions of the time And the higher they rise into fauor with prophane greatnes and policie the deeper they sinke into the miseries of basenes and flatterie and the high displeasure of almightie God And at length if they attaine their ends for sometimes they die in the tedious prosecution of some vndeserued dignitie they double their discomforts and encrease their account For commonly where the pursuit and purchase of any honour and preferment hath beene base and indirect there the discharge and execution is formall vaineglorious and vnconscionable Thus you see a second method of Satan whereby he goes about to kill the fruits of faith and to cause if not an vtter cessation yet much weakenes and interruptions in the operations of grace Many moe such depths and proceedings hee hath in his tentations As for example If he meet with notoriously wicked men as Drunkards Swearers vncleane persons and the like he tempts them to Atheisme a reprobate sense contempt of Gods worship and seruice and to the great offence To defend their leaud and gracelesse courses to glorie in their sinnes and in their dexterity of making others drunke with the same iniquitie He stickles strikes the bargaine betwixt them and death and hell and enters as it were bond for the performance of the couenant Hee tempts them to scorning and by their scoffings and railings in some fort to the despiting of the spirit of grace in the children of light which is a soule signe of a feared conscience and a fearefull preparatiue to sinne against the holy Ghost These are Satans standard-bearers and theâ—fore he inspires them with extraordinarie boldnes and desperatenesse in sinning and teacheth them to march furiouslie in variety of rebellions against the Maiestie of heauen If he meete with honest ciuill men heelabours to perswade them that iust and vpright dealing with their neighbours good meanings and intentions in matters of religion are the verie life of the seruice of God and a sufficient way to heauen And to conceiue sinne and sinceritie to be nothing else but morall vertues and vices the power of sanctification to be nothing but good education the practise of godlinesse to be nothing but sober and honest behauiour and the whole mysterie of Christianity to be onely a graue and stayed ciuilitie And the much adoe about faithfull and conscionable preaching to bee onely the humor of some odde fellowes that would be accounted singular and seraphicall If he meete with formall hypocrites who besides immunitie from grosse sinnes and their ciuill honestie are carefull and fashionable in the outward duties of religion yet short of a sound conuersion hee labours might and maine to settle in them an opinion that the state of regeneration is nothing but precisenesse and puritanisme that sauing sincerity and a true practise of holines is onely a transcendent Idea consisting in pure abstraction conceiued in the
the practise and actions of true and sound regeneration and therefore it is transcendent to his most happie naturall capacitie to the depth of his worldly wisedome and to the greatest height of his speculations though otherwise neuer so vniuersall and profound Now as concerning other parts of diuine knowledge and other points of religion hee may be furnished with store of rare and excellent learning in Fathers Schoolemen Commentaries Cōtrouersies he may be endewed with suttletie in disputing and defending the truth of God yea and in resoluing cases of cōscience too so far as a formal obseruatiō and Popish Doctors can leade him For their resolutions in that kind are only busied about cases incident to their Antichristian Hierarchy about perplexities arising out of their wil-worship and bloudy superstition and determination of some particulars in the Commandements which may fall within the capacitie of an vnregenerate man but their profession I meane the Papacie cannot possibly reach vnto the heart of godlines the mysterie of regeneration and the sauing power of the life to come Nay yet besides this the formall hypocrite may be made partaker of some degrees of the spirit of illumination in vnderstanding and interpreting the book of God for the good of his Church and children For I doubt not but many haue much light of iudgement that haue little integritie of conscience and are inspired with the spirit of illumination for the good of others that haue no part in the spirit of sanctification and sound conuersion for their owne happinesse But yet me thinks there may be conceiued some differences betwixt the child of God and the formall hypocrite in the very speculation and knowledge of Gods truth and in apprehension of things diuine in the vnderstanding Which I take to be such as these First the light of diuine knowledge in the formall hypocrite doth onely discharge his beames and brightnes vpon others but neuer returnes and reflect◠on his owne soule to an exact discouerie of the darkenesse of his owne vnderstanding the disorder of his affections the slumber of his conscience the deadnesse of his heart but euery child of God is euer in some measure both a burning and shining Lampe he is both illightned and inflamed inwardly in his owne vnderstanding heart and affections and also the brightnesse of his Christian vertues are euer dispersed and working vpon others Wheresoeuer hee liues he shines as a light amid a naughtie and crooked generation in the sight and censure of God the blessed Angels and good men though to the iudgement of the world and eye of prophanenesse his glorious graces euer did and euer will appeare to bee nothing but darkenesse and dissembling You may conceiue this difference thus The sun beames you know are not onely cast and shed into the inferior Orbs and aire but are first rooted in the sunne and doe inwardly and vniuersally fill with light that faire and glorious body It is otherwise in the moone for howsoeuer she receiue light for the cheering and comforting other bodies yet she remaines darke within and in respect of her selfe it serues onely to make her spots more conspicuous It is iust so in the point wee haue in hand The light of diuine knowledge in the child of God doth not onely shine vpon the soules of others for their instruction and refreshing but doth first fully illuminate his owne though not to an excellencie of degree for that is reserued for heauen yet to a perfection of parts of which only our mortalitie is capable But in the formall hypocrite howsoeuer it may sometimes dispell ignorance and errors from the minds of others yet within he is darkenesse in the Abstract in respect of sauing light as is euery vnregenerate man Ephes. 5.8 And his light of knowledge in respect of himselfe serues onely to make his sinnes more soule and sinfull his damnation more iust and himselfe more inexcusable For he that knowes his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Secondly the knowledge of diuine mysteries in Gods child is entertained and enioyed with a peculiar kind of sweetnes with an impression of incomparable ioy and pleasure It is far sweeter vnto him then hony and the hony combe Hee hath more delight in it then in all manner of riches It is more precious vnto him then gold yea then much fine gold It begets and stirres in him flagrant desires and affections correspondent to it pretiousnesse and excellencie But it is not so with the formall hypocrite for his earthly-mindednesse by which his affections are as it were glued vnto the fashions of the world if he were sensible of it would tell him that it is many times not so sweete vnto him as his pleasures His close couetousnes or other vnconscionablenes in his calling if his conscience were illightned would informe him that many times it is not so deare vnto him as gold Thirdly the child of God hath an humble and gratious resolution a sweet and willing submission euer mixt with his diuine knowledge of being mastered guided and gouerned by it though against the violent bent of his owne inclination and the current of the time but the formall hypocrite if he deale faithfully with his owne heart may feele in himselfe a secret subordination and subiection of his vnderstanding therein to his wealth honours and worldly preferments Fourthly in apprehension of diuine truth in the formall hypocrite the power of naturall discourse and light of reason beares the chiefest sway and therefore hee stickes as it were in the bone and barke in generalities and vncertainties but in the child of God the sacred illustration of Gods spirit doth plentifully concurre and therefore hee is able to prie into and pierce the marrow and pith of Gods holy truth the particular veines and the sauing sense thereof I come now to the other habit which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall prudence by which the word and faith take no root in the vnderstanding of the formall hypocrite This habit I told you is a spirituall prudence or a sanctified vnderstanding in the practicall affaires of the soule by which a regenerate man is inabled with a iudicious sinceritie to deliberate and determine in cases of conscience in the perplexities of tentations in all straites ambiguities and difficulties incident to the consideration and cariage of a Christian and with spirituall discretion to guide and conduct all the actions of grace and euery particular both in his generall and speciall calling This wisedome as I take it is an attendant vpon iustifying faith and onely and inseparablie annexed vnto sauing grace and therefore the formall hypocrite though I place him in the highest perfection that is attaineable in the state of vnregeneration is vtterly vncapable of it and a meere stranger vnto it as he is vnto the life of God By this holy wisedome Dauid Psalm 119. vers 99. is said to be wiser then his aduersaries that is then Saul and
in their sins But sith I know not how soone I shall come to iudgement my poore soule shall not appeare before my blessed Sauiour red with the blood of those soules for which his precious blood was shed Therefore I will not be Non-resident You see here a restraint from Non-residencie that bloodie gangrene that with remorselesse greedines eates and deuoures the pretious soules of men This short explication of the nature of conscience thus premised you may easily conceiue with mee thus much that Accordingly as the practicall vnderstanding of a man is furnished with principles and rules for guiding his actions according to the nature of them and soueraignty they hold in the conscience such and thereafter commonly is his life and actions I except the grosse hypocrite for hee sinneth against the knowledge of his heart and light of his conscience Therefore the sound of feare is already in his eares and in his prosperitie the destroyer shall come vpon him Hee beleeueth not to returne out of darkenesse for he seeth the sword before him Affliction and anguish shall make him afraid They shall preuaile against him as a king ready to the battel God shall run vpon him euen vpon his necke and against the most thicke part of his shield because hee hath couered his face with falshood and inwrapped himselfe in a cloud of hypocrisie The point then must bee exemplified in other sorts of men First the notorious sinner by reason of his delightfull conuersing with the wicked and custome in the workes of darkenesse doth obscure smother and in some measure extinguish in his conscience not onely the light of supernaturall truth but of nature too Therefore hee runnes headlong without restraint or bridle into desperate villanies and outragious rebellions He drawes in sinne with cartropes and worketh all maner of vncleanenesse with greedinesse He is bound with his sinnes and couered with iniquities as a field is hedged in with bushes and the path therof couered with thorns whereby no man may trauell It is shut vp and is appointed to be deliuered by fire Secondly The Papist he entertaines and treasures vp for his practicall principles the bloodie Dictates of the Pope of Rome that man of sinne and vicegerent of Satan which are so farre from receiuing strength or warrant either from nature or diuine truth that they hold strong contradiction and eternall opposition to both and therefore his conscience is enlarged like Tophet For it can without scruple or remorse nay with hope of heauen and a brighter crowne of glory digest euen the sacred blood of kings and swallow downe with ease the ruines and desolations of whole kingdomes He can meritoriously butcher his brother in the streets with prodigious cruelty as in that horrible massacre at Parâ—s He can bee dispensed with and discharged from oaths and truth of speech the necessarie and soueraigne instruments of all iustice and society amongst men He may expect canonization for blowing vp of Parliaments and tearing in peeces the royall limbes of the Lords Anoynted and the strong sinewes of the worthiest State vnder heauen and after saile towards the Popish Paradise which is indeed the pit of hell thorow a sea of innocent blood without any checke or counterblast of conscience Thirdly the ciuill honest man hath his conscience informed with rules of naturall honesty and generall notions of right and wrong and therewith contents himselfe And therefore he frames himselfe with sober cariage faire conditions iust and vpright dealing towards men so that he is well spoken of and reputed by the world a good neighbour a sober wise man of harmelesse behauiour no medler a peaceable man and these are excellent if not seuered but seruiceable to true pietie and sauing knowledge Peace is a pretious thing if it may bee purchased and possest without impeach and preiudice to holinesse and a good conscâ—â—nce Follow peace with all mâ—n and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Peace and holinesse must goe together If otherwise it is an holy peace to bee at warre with the corruptions of the time and to be at peace with sinne is to war against God and his owne soule But the meerely ciuill honest man by his practicall principles is led no further but to the executions of morall honestie as for instruction in heauenly mysteries and diuine knowledge hee doth not much meddle with care for or seeke after but onely for companie and fashion Fourthly the formall hypocrite besides the direction of naturall light in his conscience doth interesse and acquaint himselfe with practicall principles out of supernaturall truths and the word of God for the performance of religious duties and seruices but hee puts them in practise with reseruation with his owne exceptions and limitations Hee is onely so farre guided by them in his life and conuersation as they are compatible with his worldly happines And therefore in the time of persecution as it is in the parable hee falleth away But by persecution you must vnderstand not onely the fierie triall and striuing vnto blood but also inferiour and not so smarting afflictions and tentations as it is cleere if we compare the three Euangelists in their narration of the parable It is many times disgraces and contumelies for his profession displeasure and discountenance of great Ones the hazarding of some profit and preferment the losse of friends and fauour of the world or the like that makes him slinke and yeeld and desperately to cast himselfe into the current of the times there to swimme with others for a while with full saile of outward prosperitie vntill he drowne himselfe in perdition and sincks suddenly into the gulfe of endlesse woe and miserie Hence it is that Mat. 13.21 he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Temporizer Hee is not thorow sound resolute and true-hearted for godlines good causes and to good men For many times when the honour of God is put as it were in the one scale of the balance and his owne contentment in the other he suffers some worldly profit or pleasure the gratification or satisfaction of some great man the purchase of some Fellowship Benefice or spirituall dignitie for sometimes it proues perhaps as deere as a purchase the greedie desire and pursuit of some vndeserued office or honour the enioyment of prophane company or coherence with worldly wise men the pleasure of some secret and sweet sinne or such like I say he suffers these to weigh downe the exceeding waight of heauenly blisse the vnualuable treasure of a good conscience and the infinit glory of God Which is strangely miserable sith all the worth wisdome power excellencie and whatsoeuer other happinesse of man al the highest and greatest treasures and glory vnder the Sunne without the feare and fauour of God if they were put in the waights with vanitie vanitie would waigh them all downe So thought Dauid Psal. 62. The children of men are vanitie the chiefemen are lies to lay them
vpon a balance they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe Lastly the child of God besides the better and more speciall apprehensions of nature stores his conscience his treasurie of practicall principles with many sacred and sauing lessons and rules out of heauenlie truth and Gods holie word but so that in his practise of them he stands not vpon termes of pleasure profit or preferments but doth whollie and entirely resigne vp himselfe in obedience and humilitie to be guided and gouerned by them without restriction or cuasion in his thoughts affections and actions thorow the whole course of his life Therefore Luke 8.15 the hearer compared vnto the good ground which is the child of God to whom in al my Discourse I oppose the stony ground which I call the formall hypocrite is said to be of an honest and good heart that is downe-right for godlinesse and good men without hollownesse faintheartednesse or slinking Hee makes Christianitie as it were his trade he sweates and toiles in it as the end for which he was created and placed in this world And as he receiues the word of God into his honest and good heart so there he treasures it vp and keeps it faithfully The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He keeps it though it be with much difficultie strugling and colluctation with his owne corruptions the temptations of Satan and vanities of the world who cunninglie conspire and labour ioyntlie to plucke it vp and wrest it from him and he brings foorth fruite with patience He yeelds no ground though he meete a a Lion in the way or a Tyrant in the face In the day of trial and encountring with dangers and vngodly oppositions he shrinkes not but stands fast and suffers himselfe rather to be ouerflowne then to be carried downe the streame of the sinfull fashions and wicked waies of the world He knowes full well howsoeuer he goes now on his way weeping yet he caries precious seed and therefore the time will come shortly that he shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Crosses disgraces and tribulations may beget in the formall hypocrite fainting and defection but in Gods child they bring foorth patience experience hope and resolution Euer when he enters consultation with himselfe whether God must be obaied and glorified or man pleased and satisfied he is quickly resolued out of that in Isai. 51.12 I euen I am he that comfort you Who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man which shall bee made as grasse And forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath spread out the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth He considers the heauie iudgement determined and reserued for all fearefull men al spirituall cowards and saint-hearted in the Christian warfare who more feare men then God and for their fauour and countenance part with the protection of the Almightie and the comforts of a good conscience They shall be punished with vnbeleeuers with the abominable with murtherers and whoremongers with idolaters and hers in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Reuel 21.8 You may now cleerely conceiue the point I haue in hand how the word of God is not rooted in the conscience of the formall hypocrite The ordinarie intelligencers to his conscience are examples custome opinion worldly wisdome common preiudice against a strict course of sanctification precedencie and practise of greater men for true goodnesse many times ouerprized and misualued by the worlds flattering censure the common naturall notions of right and wrong But if vpon some extraordinarie good motion by guidance of diuine rules he sometimes crosse the current of the times enter a profession of sinceritie and some correspondence with Gods children it is but for a spirt an essay like a morning cloud and as the morning dew For as soone as his feruour in religious affaires and furtherance of good things doth once by the fury of hell crueltie of prophane men malice of the world enkindle and stirre vp against him I say not onely a fierie triall but euen some smarting heate of lesser persecution some railing and slanderous tongue which schorches like coales of Iuniper a disconccit and dereliction in his friends and old acquaintance disgrace with the world discountenance of Greatnesse vnlikelihood of rising and preferment if it once raise against him stormes of iealousies enuies and molestations why then he is gone he slinks and starts aside like a broken bow All his former good motions purposes and endeauours melt as the winter ice and goe away like the morning dew For the formall hypocrite euer when he seeles disturbance in his present securitie interruption of his former contentments hazard of his temporall felicitie he begins strongly to suspect himselfe of too much forwardnesse of vnseasonable and preposterous zeale of distemper and indiscretion in matters of religion and therfore giues backe and falles away into his former plodding course of formalitie and that perhaps without any check of conscience but if any scruples and reluctation arise in his heart out of his worldly wisdome he Interprets this yeelding to the times to be but an ordinarie and pardonable infirmitie and therfore notwithstanding slatters and deceiues himselfe with hope of heauen which is a strong barre to keepe him out of the state of grace and vnacquainted with the glorious comforts of sound and sauing sinceritie But the sacred light of Gods holy truth is habituated and incorporated into the conscience of Gods child and is the onely and constant rule and square by which with all humilitie vprightnesse of heart a free entire submission and obedience vnto it he frames al his thoughts affections and actions And in this light he walkes with a settled constancie and grounded resolution thorow pouertie and oppression contumelies and contempt slanders and indignities good report or ill report For he hath his eie still fastned vpon eternitie he hath the crowne of glory alreadie in sight the inestimable pretiousnesse and euerlasting beautie whereof rauisheth and possesseth his truly free and great heart with such a longing and feruencie that hee is at a point with all that is vnder the Sunne that he doth not only contemne patiently endure and vanquish al asperities and difficulties but euen with reioycing entertaine and embrace if the tyranny of the times so require the vtmost that malice and crueltie can inflict vpon him There is no other consideration or creature either in heauen or earth can separate him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus or from his glorious seruice in al good conscience And as the word of God is planted and rooted in the conscience of Gods child for his direction and constancie in the waies of godlinesse so is it also there fastned for his forbearance of sinnes by these three properties which are not to be found in the formall hypocrite Remorse for sinnes past by which he is saued from