THE CONVERTS FIRST LOVE Discerned Iustified Left and Recouered Resoluing THE TRVTH OF AN EFFECTVALL CONVERSION AND Informing THE RIGHT WAY TO PERSEVERANCE and PERFECTION By THOMAS COOPER 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by F. KINGSTON for WILLIAM WELEY and are to bee sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the white Swanne 1610. TO THE RIGHT VVORshipfull and religious Sir Iames Harington Sir William Dier Sir William Fairut Sir Edward Harington Sir Thomas Fulgeam Knights and their vertuous Ladies grace mercie and peace from God the Father through IESVS CHRIST the sonne of the Father in truth and loue RIght Worshipfull and dearely beloued in the Lord whom I loue also in the truth and not I onely but they that haue knowen the truth for the truths sake which dwelleth in vs which is professed and maintained of you and shall abide with and preserue vs for euer Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath reuealed his sonne vnto you and hath giuen you a large heart towards his Saints that your delight is the Law of the Lord and your affections are to the excellent that are on earth to consider wisely of the cause of the afflicted and to minister comfort to the distressed soule And blessed be the name of his Maiestie for euer who hath respected the base estate of his seruant and made mee a witnesse both of your loue vnto his word and his afflicted members In consideration whereof as I can doe no more then testifie my thankfulnesse vnto our gracious God for his mercies bestowed on mee not only in deliuering mee from a most desperate sicknesse but in casting mee graciously on such feeling members who ministred so abundantly towards my recouerie so I must doe no lesse then to doe my vtmost indeuour that the memoriall of the iust may liue for euer and their righteousnesse may be had in euerlasting remembrance to their more comfortable assurance that their reward is with God when all will-worship and presumption of merit shall be confounded and to the prouocation of the Saints in these daies wherein charity is growen cold that they bee not weary of well-doing as being assured that in due time they shall reape if they faint not And the rather doe I finde my selfe obliged at this time to this Christian dutie because the Lord hauing inabled mee in my great weaknesse to bestow a spirituall gift vpon the most of your worships being graciously by Gods holy hand brought together to such good ends it pleased his good Maiestie so to affect your hearts with that heauenly treasure as not only to hearken with all reuerence and attention vnto the wholesome word of life but for the further establishing of your iudgements and triall of your hearts thereby that it might appeare your holy purpose was to cleaue vnto the Lord in the obedience of his word our gracious God in the riches of his mercie inclin'd some of your hearts I doubt not for the behoofe of all to desire a briefe of what had beene publikely taught thereby to trie the spirits with the men of Berea and so to hold the truth in constancie of well-doing And could I doe better then according to my poore strength and memorie then to leaue such generall and short notes with you which might in some sort testifie my desire to build you forward in Christ Iesus howsoeuer they could not satisfie your desires for the full resoluing of your consciences in so principall and profitable a point as is the triall and recouerie of our first loue And ought I not then to indeuour the further kindling of such smoaking flax such holy and gracious desires May I not iustly take occasion in paying a debt vnto you to make the Church of God become my debtor for this paines now published for the generall good and so ingage my selfe in a further and more generall debt both of praier that the Lord would giue a blessing to these poore labours and of further paines as God shall minister health occasion and libertie And shall not the Saints also become debtors vnto you by whose holy desires it is that they now also haue this glasse to discerne aright their estate in grace to recouer their decaies and grow to perfection And is not the Lord indebted vnto vs all to crowne his owne graces and recompence the faithfull imploiment of his talents And hath not our glorious God thus brought light out of darknesse Will he not perfect his power in weaknesse and wisdome in humane infirmitie Shall not the dead men liue Shall not they awake and sing which haue sate in the dust yea in the shadow of death yea haue beene euen swallowed vp of the nethermost hell Shall not the brand be pluckt out of the fire and the prey out of the teeth That the glory may be vnto our God and not vnto men Behold saith Iacob I had not thought to haue seene thy face and yet the Lord hath let mee liue to see thy seed This is the Lords doing and it is maruellous in our eies Accept therefore right worshipfull some fruit of your desires and euidence of Gods power in this weaknesse of his seruant which the more it appeares let our God the more haue the only glory both of your desires and my indeuours in blessing both with conscionable practise in this life and crowning also both with competent perfection and glory in the life to come This is the fruit of our labours and for this is and shall bee the scope and summe of my praiers vnto our God for you that according to his promise he would make you perfect in euery good worke to doe his will on earth that his will may be done on you for euer in heauen to raigne with Iesus Christ in that glory which neuer fadeth And so I humbly take my leaue From my poore house at COVENTRY this 10. of April 1610. Your Worships most bounden for euer in Iesus Christ THOMAS COOPER TO THE CHRISTIAN READER WISDOME TO DISCERNE HIS Estate aright and grace to grow forward to perfection BEloued in the Lord Iesus it is a most dangerous and yet very easie and plausible delusion to conceit vnto our selues an estate in grace when as yet wee remaine the bond-slaues of Satan And it is a very difficult and yet most necessarie triall to discerne our constant abiding and proceeding in this estate of grace For to passe by those who make a mocke of conuersion as being a touch of noueltie a brand of inconstancie and imputation of hypocrisie who is there almost that flatters not himselfe to be in the fauour of God and so interessed in his grace And hath he not many such pretences and colours heereunto which may so abuse his iudgement that hee may thinke himselfe to be somewhat when he is nothing and so refusing to be found in Christ by being lost and emptied in himselfe thereby become worse then
in contracts and bargaines goes currant with men for stanch and sound holinesse But if we enter into Gods sanctuarie and by the rule of the word determine heereof is not the prosperity of the wicked their destruction and not their conuersion Doth not the old sent remaine in Moab because he was not changed from vessell to vessell but enioied constant prosperity thereby was setled on his lâ—es and rooted more obstinately in natures dregges thereby exercised more greedily and desperatly the lusts thereof Can the change of the outward estate change the inward man from worse to better As they were increased so did not Gods people rebell against him who in their afflictions sought vnto him deceitfully Is not heere a change from better to worse An hypocrite in affliction as being bridled and restrained prooues a desperate enemie when by prosperitie he hath power in his hands As for walking in a ciuill calling howsoeuer this being sanctified by the spirituall may bee a meanes to lay vp a good foundation against the day of Christ 1. Tim. 6. 19. 20. yet to the naturall man there is not a more dangerous outward meanes to exclude grace then the greatest measure of honestie that is seene therein For is it not the grace of this calling to rest in it selfe for good successe without inuocation of Gods assistance or reference to his blessing Is not our pursuit heereof a priuilege to exempt from holy duties We must liue and therefore we cannot be bookish We haue no leasure to the Church c. Nay is it not a price proposed to incourage diligence in these worldly businesses euen licence to prophane the Sabbaths to despise the word c. And what if men keepe touch and day in paiments and contracts What if a little eie-seruice be vsed in the outside of their wares Is it for conscience to God to whom they desire to approoue the truth of their hearts or only a care for the maintenance of trading and mutuall commerce which without this outward equitie must needs be abolished Who will trust or shall be trusted if word be not kept But is it kept any further then may cleere from touch of mans law Is promise kept heere to our hindrance so we may winde out by the arme of flesh Is the substance of our wares any thing lesse then answerable to the shew Is not God robbed of his glorie while we sacrifice to our labour and wit and Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the honour of my name c. Surely as these outward things are common to all so no man knoweth loue or hatred either by prosperity or aduersitie Well may a good man by right vsage make these good vnto him but these of themselues may wel make him worse otherwise they haue no power inwardly to better him Only it belongeth vnto God through the ministerie of his word to conuert the soule as tendring to this end vnto vs not corruptible things as siluer and gold which make outwardlie happie in this life but the pretious blood of Christ as a Lambe vndefiled and without spot whereby wee are cleansed from all our sinnes and redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the fathers But hearken I pray you vnto a further plea of the hypocrite Haue we not heard thee teaching in our streets Nay Haue we not taught in thy name Haue we not receiued the word with ioy and done many things accordingly Can the best doe more Doe not wee in many things offend all Is not this a sufficient euidence of an effectuall conuersion Surely where the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared effectually there it teacheth vs not only to eschew all euill in thought word and deed but on the contrary to prosecute all good both 1. inwardly in the heart and minde as being purified by faith whereby with constant purpose we cleaue vnto God and also 2. outwardly in the word and conuersation Iam. 3. 1. Ephes 1. Rom. 12. 1. 1. Cor. 6. yea generally and vniuersally hauing respect to all Gods Commandements Psal 119. 7. 8. and constantly also continuing and abounding yea increasing in grace and finishing our course that no man take away our Crowne Reu. 3. 1. Cor. 15. 58. Ephes 3. Col. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 8. 9. 2. Tim. 4. 3. Phil. 13. And therefore seeing the word of God must bee a sauour of death vnto death vnto some who are to be renounced and made inexcusable thereby hence is it that though they receiue it 1. with ioy as being rauished with the sweetnesse thereof yet being not mixed with faith it becomes vnprofitable and so the ioy of the hypocrite lasteth but a moment And so it commeth also to passe that for carnall respects as vain-glory credit satisfaction of others whom they desire to be like the hypocrite also may do many things according to the letter of the word though not answerable to the power thereof not from the purpose of his heart renued by the holy Ghost but executing therein the lust of his heart as spirituall pride hypocrisie c. Neither shall he be able to continue in any substance of well-doing seeing howsoeuer for his credit and profit hee must sometimes shew religious yet by reason of difference of companie change of times and occasions he must euen for the same ends of credit and profit cast off his visour of holinesse and so appeare in his true likenesse to the satisfying of such to whom nothing but grosse and desperate wickednesse will giue any contentment Nay doth not this necessity lie vpon the hypocrite that howsoeuer for a time he must glose and fawn vpon the truth while it is his pack-horse to further him to promotion riches c. yet when by plunging himselfe into worldly courses hee must necessarily crosse in his outward actions the power of that truth must he not now for his credit abase and vilifie that truth which before hee so magnified as being either too seuere and precise because hee cannot reach it or being foolishnesse and madnesse and therefore he is now more wise more sober then to be guided by it you must pardon his former folly and giddinesse he will doe no more so he will be more wise moderate c. This is the issue of an hypocrites supposed conuersion answerable euen vnto the measure thereof which being not rooted in the heart nor aiming at Gods glory no maruell if the glory of an hypocrite prooue his confusion And is hee not iustly deceiued in this fancie of regeneration Is he not heereby excluded from the power of conuersion because he resteth in the shadow thereof But to admit a true conuersion Is the combate now at an end or not rather now begun Is there any place heere for idlenesse securitie remisnesse in our calling Surely though the foundation standeth sure in respect of God who knoweth
who are his yet it lieth much in vs either to make sure and beautifie the building by being watchfull and diligent in well-doing or else by our negligence and security to deface and interrupt the same yea many times to our sense and feeling euen vtterly to ouerthrow the same For proofe heereof peruse this treatise ensuing let it be in Gods feare a touch-stone vnto thee to make triall of a sound conuersion and take it as a preseruatiue to keepe thee in the power of godlines that so thou maist not leaue thy first loue If by pride or security thou hast beene left to thy selfe and so hast left thy former measure view thy selfe diligently in this present glasse and vse it as a meanes for thy recouerie and perseuerance Expect not what may be said seeing my health and study affoords only breuity neither misconstrue what may be well digested lest thou be peruerted by a stumbling blocke Though many are called yet but few are chosen and therefore if few digest this pill let them not condemne the physicke but their owne ill-disposed hearts Those that can get meat out of the eater and sweetnesse out of the strong let them praise the glorious Lord who bringeth light out of darknesse and not cease praying vnto our gracious Father that he would turne our darknesse into light and enable vs to worke while yet we haue the light that so wee may approoue our selues the children of the light and bee prepared to that light which shall neuer be changed into darknesse Euen so be it Come Lord Iesus Come quickly ⸪ In whom I rest thine vnfainedly THOMAS COOPER DOCTRINES AND OBSERVAtions opened heerein are 1 That the best haue their infirmities 2 The least euill in the Saints causeth the Lord to haue a controuersie with them 3 Sinne not to bee smoothered but plainely reprooued 4 The godly must perseuere in grace and grow to perfection 5 Euery true conuert hath a first loue where of the meanes and markes thereof 6 The Conuert may leaue his first loue where of the meanes whereby it is cooled 7 First loue may seeme to be lost when it is not where diuers false imputations are remooued 8 The leauing of first loue with the true markes and symptomes thereof 9 First loue how to bee recouered and re-gained againe c. 10 How farre the Saints may recouer their first loue 11 The Saints cannot finally nor wholly lose their first loue but shall in some measure recouer it THE CONVERTS FIRST LOVE REVELAT 2. 4. Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Loue. OVr blessed Sauiour hauing by the Ministerie of his Apostles planted diuers Churches in Asia directeth his seruant Iohn the Euangelist to write vnto each of them for their further strengthening in the faith And because the Church of Ephesus was both famous for the outward glorie and inward graces thereof as also in a sort the peculiar charge of the Apostle Iohn therefore doth he first send greeting to that Church giuing very iust and true testimonie vnto her of the great graces of God bestowed vpon her and her profitable vse of them in the second and third verses And that she might not be ouercome of spirituall pride to which in regard of such excellent graces she might be subiect yea was so tainted therewith as that it wrought in her some securitie and thereupon remissenesse he therefore giues her notice of this her decay and cooling in the fourth verse telling her that He had somewhat against her because she had left her first loue both therein expressing the greatnes of her fall by the excellencie of the thing wherein she failed namely her first loue as also aggrauating this her fall by the iust esteeme thereof in the iudgement of her Sauiour Christ namely that it gaue occasion for him that was her aduocate now to come against her and to haue a controuersie with her as an enemie and thereby giuing her to conceiue in what a fearefull case she stoode hauing him now to be against her who if he were on her side she need not feare who were against her who being against her all other things though with her must necessarily serue to her further condemnation So that these words doe containe a description of some declination in this Church of Ephesus with some arguments to lay this her estate more closely to her heart that so she might by repentance recouer her selfe againe Wherein first that this Church of Ephesus though otherwise endowed with excellent graces and hauing so prospered in the holy vse of them that she receiues a testimonie from the trueth himselfe of such great faithfulnesse as to haue endured patiently and not fainted is yet notwithstanding charged by the same Lord Iesus to be defectiue and to haue some failings and imperfections in her wee may learne here this lesson That as the best Church so the best Christian hath and may haue some infirmities and corruptions as appeareth by these places 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Iames 3. 2. Chron. 8. 36. and by the examples of the best Dauid 2. Sam. 12. commits murder and adulterie Peter denies his master Matth. 27. Moses did not giue glorie to God in beleeuing his word Noah was drunken Salomon idolatrous c. Numb 20. Gen. 38. Gen. 9. Thus haue the saints of God been subiect to infirmities and that not before their conuersion only but euen after also as the Apostle Paul in the name of all the rest acknowledgeth for himselfe in the seuenth to the Romans 19 20 21 22. And surely seeing the Lord Iesus hath satisfied the wrath of his father for vs in fulfilling the lawe and vndergoing the penaltie thereof and so continues daily our intercessor and suertie to answere vnto the iustice of God for our offences and to obtaine pardon for them so that there is no necessitie that we should be freed quite from sinne and so perfit as to fulfill the law of God seeing the Lord Iesus hath performed this already and therefore for vs to vndertake the same were to intrude into Christs office and so to rob him of his glorie Therefore that some infirmities and corruptions doe remaine in vs seeing now the guilt and punishment yea the dominion and rage of sinne is taken away by Christ It is very conuenient and profitable and that first 1. That Gods free mercie may be daily aduanced in the pardoning of sinne Psalm 51. 12 13. 2. That the merit of Christ Iesus may be glorified in satisfying for sinne Iohn 9. 3. That our saluation may be better assured vnto vs in the daily experience of Gods loue in the forgiuenesse and healing of our particular corruptions 2. Pet. 1. 8. 4. That the graces of the spirit may be exercised in the daily resisting and conquering of sinne Ephes 6. 11 12 13. 1. Pet. 4. 5. That the power of God may be perfited in
defending the same from the reproches of the wicked as also in reseruing the vse thereof to it fit season and occasion when our God shal be best glorified our profession iustified and brethren informed and confirmed thereby And this is 1. When we haue an especial calling to witnesse a good profession as being inwardly furnished with gifts and outwardly led foorth by the Spirit to maintaine the cause of Christ Iesus our Sauiour The one of these we shall discerne 1. By sound knowledge of y e cause in particular which we are to make good by whatsoeuer sufferings so that our iudgements are throughly informed and so our consciences conuinced with the trueth doe finde rest and comfort therein Ephes â— Phil. 1. 2. By our ardent loue vnto that truth which wee haue apprehended and heartie desire that by any our neuer so great affliction it may bee glorified in the hearts of the Saints 3. By our especiall apprehension of Gods singular mercie towards vs in accounting vs so worthie as to make profession of that truth 4. Hence wee euen long and desire to taste of that cup which the profession of that truth may cost vs. 5. Yet so as that our most ardent desires are subiect to contrarie buffetings of feare of our owne inabilitie in our selues and therefore 6. Rather desiring the grace of the Spirit so to conduct vs in the combat that Gods cause may be honoured in our constancie therein then we in any sort magnified thereby nay that wee shall haue in respect of the flesh any good issue out of them howsoeuer we haue many gratious promises yea likelihoods for the same 7. And therefore simply submitting our selues to the will of our gratious Father rather to vndergo any the most grieuous extremitie then the least disparagement may redound vnto his glorious truth 8. Finding in our selues a gratious contentment in our God arising vpon long experience of the deceitfulnesse of the world and faithfulnes of our gratious Father and 9. So discerning in our selues a readines to death as being prepared thereto by daily mortification and experience of our sweete societie with our blessed God 10. As that withall wee especially for this end desire life euen to witnesse a good profession and giue glorie vnto our God in auouching and sealing vp his eternall truth with our momentanie sufferings To this end 11. Finding in our selues an abilitie of faith relying rather on Gods promise to guide vs with his counsell then our owne experience to wade thorow the affliction Thus may we discerne inward sufficiencie to make profession of our faith And for outward calling and leading forth by the Spirit thereunto there are these markes of it First in respect of vs as that 1. We haue alreadie published and declared that truth and so now much more it being called in question are to iustifie the same 2. Are also prouoked by our people that haue depended on vs to make good the same for the establishing of their faith lest our suppressing or deniall may shake and make shipwrack thereof 3. Are especially called thereto by the Magistrate who may require a reason thereof and forced by the gainsayings of the enemie to defend the same Secondly in respect of the truth And that 1. When it is openly resisted and gainesaid of a peruerse generation not onely priuately and indirectly and when 2. By the suppressing thereof the glorie of our God is necessarily impeached the power of religion vndermined c. otherwise in matters 1. Of difference which reach not thus farre we may be silent respecting the peace of the Church and dealing rather with our God in prayer for the reformation of such breaches and by all priuate and peaceable meanes rather enduring an inconuenience or couering an infirmitie then by any publike opposition making a rent and diuision in the Church of God 2. As also if our persons rather in malice are aimed at then the truth oppugned we may auoide the rage by flying concealing c. 3. At leastwise though we be not altogether silent yet so farre we may conceale the truth 1. As it is not demanded 2. And may satisfie the honest purpose of the Questioner 3. Yea may happily by stumbling of him and turning his edge vpon another so thereby diuert his malice from our selues So did our Sauiour put the Pharisies and Sadduces together and thereby escaped So did he for a time goe aside and walked no more openly neither committed himselfe vnto them because his time was not come Nay may wee not shape such an answere to our aduersarie not onely to conceale part of trueth as Samuel did 1. Sam 16. but euen to giue vp the wicked to their owne counsels that will not obey the truth bidding them goe vp and prosper as Michaâ—â—h did 2. King 22 yea in an holie dirision vpbraiding their carnall confidence Reioyce oh young man and take thy fill Eccl. 11. And seeing they will not be reclaimed and hate to be reformed may not the prudent keepe silence in such euill times 2. Chron. 2. Amos 5. Or so only speake as to leaue the incorrigible to their lusts ceasing to rebuke a scorner that we may wisely auoid his hatred and so pronouncing the wrath of God against him in yeelding him vp to his owne lusts as that he may blesse his soule in this fearfull libertie and wee by thiâ— wisedome may maintaine our holy libertie Oh that we were wise to consider of these things and to whom the arme of the Lord shall reueale them For the waies of the Lord are righteous and the iust shall walke in them but the wicked shall fall therein As for the changing of our features and habits for a time to auoid vnnecessarie trouble herein I take it wee may thus farre be iustified As though 1. Not to change our names And that because they are of a diuine institution as well as ciuill imposed not only to make distinction of our persons from others but to be witnesses pledges of our profession and both memorials of Gods former mercies towards vs as also euidences of Gods euerlasting couenant with vs to be our protector and preseruer for euer And therfore not to be denied if we be demanded the same lest therein we denie our faith neither to be changed because our profession must not bee changed Especially seeing by deniall or changing wee shall not onely not aduantage our selues to the thing wee intend namely not to be knowne seeing by other markes of proportion or complexion wee may be bewraied but being discouered we shal hereby adde vnto our affliction not only being iustly exempted out of Gods protection by reiecting the badge thereof our names but exposed also the rather to the rage of man as being tainted hereby with dissimulation c. Adde we hereunto that not only we haue not any president in the scripture for the like in this case but also this