from the marriage-bed and the like Thirdly Abstaine from all worldly labour as upon a Sabbath day for worldly busines the cares thereof doe as well as worldly delights distract the thoughts and hinder humble devotion and a ceasing there-from giveth a full opportunitie to holy imployments the whole day Therfore the Iewes were commanded to sanctifie a fast And that yearely Fast called the day of Atonement was upon perill of their lives to be kept by a forbearance of all manner of worke Now albeit the Ceremonials of that day are abolished in Christ yet forbearing worke as well as meate and drinke being of the substance of a Fast doth remaine to bee observed in all such as may properly be called Religious Fasts Thus much for the outward fast you must be as strict in observing the inward Begin the day with prayer according as I directed you to doe every day but with more than ordinary preparation with fervency and faith praying for Gods special grace to enable you to sanctifie a fast that day according to the Commandement Then apply your selfe to the maine worke of the day which hath these parts 1 unfained Humiliation 2 Reformation together with Reconciliation and 3 earnest Invocation The soule is then humbled the heart rent and truly afflicted when a man is become vile in his owne eyes through conscience of his owne unworthinesse and when his heart is full of compunction and anguish through feare of Gods displeasure with godly sorrow and holy shame in himselfe and anger against himselfe for sinne These affections stirred doe much afflict the heart To attaine this deepe humiliation know that it is to be wrought partly by awakening your Conscience through a sight of the Law and apprehension of Gods just judgements due to you for the breach of it which wil break your heart and partly by the Gospell raising up your heart to an apprehension and admiration of the love of God to you in Christ which will melt your heart and cause you the more kindely to grieve and to loath your selfe for sin and withall to conceive hope of mercy whence wil follow reconciliation reformation and holy calling upon God by prayer To worke this Humiliation there must be First Examination to find out your sinne Secondly a Accusation of your selfe with due aggravation of your sinne Thirdly Iudging and passing sentence against your selfe for sinne Sinne is the transgression of the Law and revealed will of God Wherefore for the better search and finding out of your sinne you must set before youthe glasse of the Law for your Light and Rule And if you have not learned or cannot beare in minde the heads of the manifold duties commanded or vices forbidden then get some Catalogue or Table wherein the same are set downe to your hand which you may reade with pausing and due consideration staying your thoughts most upon those particular sinnes whereof you finde your selfe most guiltie If of those many that are you doe not meete with one more fit for this purpose or which you shall like better then use this Examinatorie Table in manner as Followeth But expect not herein an enumeration of all particular sinnes which is beyond my skill nor yet of all the heads of duties or kindes of sinnes which would require a volumne but of those which are principall and most common yet hereby if your Conscience be awake it will be occasioned to bring to your thoughts those other not mentioned in the Table if you bee thereof guiltie The first Table of the Law concerneth duties of love and pietie to God the performance whereof tendeth immediately to the glory of God and mediately to the salvation and good of man The first Commandement concerneth the setting up of the onely true God to your selfe to bee your God Examining your selfe by this and so in the other Commandements thinke thus with your selfe Doe I know and acknowledge the onely true GOD to be such a one as hee hath revealed himselfe in his Word works namely One onely Infinite Immateriall Immutable Incomprehensible Spirit and Everlasting Lord God having beeing and All-sufficiencie in and from himselfe One who is simply full of all perfections and uncapable of the least defect being Wisedome Goodnesse Omnipotencie Love Truth Mercy Iustice Holinesse and whatsoever is originally and of it selfe Excellent The only Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords of whom through whom and to whom are all things The Father Sonne and holy Ghost God blessed for ever Amen Doe I Beleeve his Word in all things related commanded promised and threatned therein and that his holy and wise Providence is in all things Have I Him and his Word in continuall remembrance Doe I esteeme and exalt God in my heart above all so that it doth humbly adore him at the very mention and thought of him making my selfe to be nothing in mine owne eyes yea esteeming all creatures to bee nothing in comparison of him Have I given religious worship to him onely Have I beleeved in him and in him onely Have I sworne by him as there hath beene cause and by him alone Have I prayed onely unto him and have I sought to him and to obtaine helpe of him only by such meanes as he hath appointed giving the glory and thanks of my being and well-being and of al other things which are good unto him Is my Conscience so convinced of the truth Authority of God that it holdeth it selfe absolutely bound to obey him in all things that it doth incite to that which is good restrain from that which is evill encourage me in well-doing and check me when I doe ill Is my will resolved upon absolute and unfained obedience to doe whatsoever God commandeth to forbeare whatsoeuer hee forbiddeth to subscribe to whatsoever he doth as well done and have I borne patiently all which either by himselfe or by any of his creatures hee hath inflicted upon me Have mine affections beene so for God that I have loved him with al my heart loving nothing more than him nothing equally to him Doe I hate every thing that is contrary to him Hath my Confidence beene onely in him and my expectation of good from him Have my desires beene to him and for him longing above all things to have communion with him Hath it beene my greatest feare to offend him or to be severed from him Hath it beene my greatest griefe and shame that I have sinned against him Have I reioyced in God as in my chiefe Good Hath mine anger risen against whatsoever I saw crosse to his glory Have I beene zealous for God And have I made him the utmost end of all mine actions Hath my whole outward man as tongue senses and all other active powers of my body been readie to professe the true God and to yeeld obedience to his will Or contrariwise Am I not guilty of denying of God in word in workes or at least in heart
your selfe in Covetous Adulterous Revengefull Ambitious or other wicked thoughts you act that in your minde and phantasie which either for feare or shame you dare not or for want of opportunity or meanes you cannot act otherwise 4. When you are alone be sure that you ordinarily be well and fully exercised about something that is good either in the works of your calling or in reading or in holy meditation or prayer For whensoever Satan doth find you idle and out of imployment in some or other of those works which God hath appointed he will â—ake that as an opportunity to garnish you for himselfe and to imploy you in some of his works But if you keepe alwaies in your place and â—o some or other good worke of your place you are under Gods speciall protection as the Bird in the Law was while she face upon heregs or yong ones keeping her owne nest in which case no man might hurt her I have already shewed how you should behave your selfe as in Gods sight both in prayer and in the works of your calling I wil write some thing for your direction touching reading and Meditation SECTION 2. Of Reading BEsides your set-times of reading the holy Scriptures you shall doe well to gaine some time from you vacant houres that you may read in GODS Booke and in the good bookes of men First when you read any part of the word of God you must put a difference betweene it and the best writings of men preferring it farre before them To this end 1 Consider it in its properties and excellencies No word is of like absolute authority holinesse equity truth wisedome true elegancie power and eternity 2 Consider this Word in its ends and good effects No booke that aimeth at Gods glory and the salvation of mans soule like this none that concerneth you like to this It discovereth your misery by sinne together with the perfect remedie It propoundeth perfect happinesse unto you affordeth means to worke it out in you for you It is mighty through GOD to prepare you for grace It is the immortall seed to beget you unto Christ It is the milke and stronger meate to nourish you up in Christ It is the onely soulephysicke to recover you and to rid you of all spirituall evils By it Christ giveth spiritual sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the weake health to the sicke yea by it he doth cast out Divels and raise men from the death of sinne they beleeving it as certainly as he did all those for the bodies of men by the word of his power while he lived on the earth This Book of Goâ— doth containe those many rich Legacies be queathed to you in that last Will and Testament of God sealed with the bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. It is the Magna Charta and Statute-booke of the Kingdome of heaven It is the booke of Priviledges and Immunities of Gods children It is the word of grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified For it will make you wise to salvation through Faith in Christ â—esus making you perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Wherefore as when you heare this Word preached so when at any time you read it you must receive it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God then it wil worke effectually in you that beleeve Secondly when you read this Word lift up the heart in prayer to God for the Spirit of understanding wisedome that your minde may be more and more enlightned and your heart more more strengthned with grace by it For this Word is spiritual containing the secrets hidden things of GOD in a mysterie which as the bare letter doth signifie is as a booke sealed up in respect of discovery of the things of God in it to al that have not the helpe of Gods Spirit so that none can know the inward and spirituall meaning thereof powerfully and savingly but by the Spirit of God Thirdly read the Word with an hunger and thirst after knowledge and growth of grace by it with a reverent humble teachable and honest heart beleeving all that you reade trembling at the threats judgements against sinners reioycing in the promises made unto and the favours bestowed upon the penitent and vpon the godly willing and resolving to obey al the Commandements Thus if you read blessed shall you be in your reading and blessed shall you be in your deede The holy Scriptures are thus to be read of all of every sort and condition and of each sex for all are commanded to search the Scriptures as well the Laytie as the Cleargie women as well as men yong as well as old all sorts of all Nations For though the Spirit of GOD is able to worke conversion and holinesse immediately without the Word as he doth in all those infants that are saved yet in men of yeares the holy Ghost will not where the Word may be had worke without it as his instrument using it as the hammer plow seed fire water sword or as any other instrument to pull downe build up plant purge cleanse For it is by the Word both read and preached that Christ doth sanctifie all that are his that he may present them to himselfe and so to his Father without spot or wrinkle a Church most glorious And whereas it is most true that those which are unlearned and unstable doe wrest not onely hard Scriptures but all other also to their destruction Yet let not this as Papists would inferre cause you to forbeare to read no more then because many surfeit and are drunke by the best meats and drinkes you doe forbeare to eate and drinke But to prevent misse-understanding and wresting of Scriptures to your hurt doe thus 1 Get and cherish an humble and honest heart resolved to obey when you know Gods will If any man will doe his will saith Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God 2 Get a cleare knowledge of the first Principles of Christian Religion beleeve them stedfastly And indevor to frame your life according â—nto those more easie known â—criptures where on these prinâ—iples and first Oracles of God â—â—e grounded For these give â—ight even by the first entrance â—nto the very simple This doe â—â—d you shall never be unlearned 〈…〉 the mysteries of Christ nor â—et unstable in his wayes 3 Be â—uch in hearing the Word inâ—â—preted by learned and faithfull â—inisters 4 If you meet with place of Scripture too hard for 〈…〉 presume not to frame a sense it of your owne head but take â—tice of yourignorance admire â—e depth of Gods wisdome susâ—nd your opinion
courteous behaviour requiting evil with good comforting the afflicted releeving the needy peace-making and by doing all other offices of love which might tend to my neighbours safetie or comfort Or have I not wished my selfe dead or neglected the meanes of my health Have I not impeached it by surfeits by excessive labour or sports by fretting and over-grieving or by any other meanes And have I not had thoughts of doing my selfe harme Have I not beene angry unadvisedly malicious and revengefull shewing surly gesture and behaviour as sowre lookes shaking the head or hand gnashing the teeth stamping staring mocking railing cursing quarrelling smiting poisoning hurting or taking away the life of man any way without Gods allowance Have I not been a sower of discord or some way or other been an occasion of the discomfort if not of the death of others The seventh Commandement concerneth Chastitie whereby God provideth for a pure propagation and conservation of mankinde forbidding all bodily pollution under the name of Adultery Have I beene modest sober shamefast possessing my body in chastitie shutting mine eyes and stopping mine eares and restraining my other senses from al objects and occasions of lust bridling my tongue from lustful motions and lascivious speeches forbearing all manner of daliance and wantonnes abstaining from selfe-pollution fornication or any other naturall or unnaturall defilement of my body either in deede or desire And being married was I wise in my choise and haue I kept the marriage-bed undefiled through a sanctified sober and seasonable use thereof Or Am I not guilty of manifold acts of uncleannesse at least of vncleane thoughts immodest eyes eares touches embraces of wanton speeches gesture apparrell and behaviour Have I not run into the manifold occasions of adultery uncleannes as by idlenes gluttony drunkennes choise of such meats drinkes perfumes or any other thing that will provoke lust effeminate dancing frequeÌ„ting wanton company or places of uncleane provocations and of unseasonable conversing with the other sex alone The eight Commandement concerneth the preseruation of mans Goods the meanes of his comfortable maintenance in this life forbidding all wrong thereabout under the name of stealing Have I a good Title to the things which I possesse as by lawfull inheritance gift reward coÌ„tract or any other way which God alloweth Have I beene industrious and faithful in my Calling frugall provident Have I done that for which I have receiued pay or maintenance from others and have I given to every man his owne whether tribute wages debts or any other dues Or have I not got my living by an unlawfull Calling or have I not impoverished my selfe and mine by idlenesse luxurious and unnecessary expences by gaming unadvised suretiship or otherwise Have I not with-held from my selfe or others through niggardice that which should have beene expended Have I not gotten or kept my neighbours goods by fraud oppression falshood or by force and made no restitution Have I not some way or other impaired my neighbours estate The ninth Commandement concerneth Truth of speech the meanes of entercourse betweene man and man and of preserving mens rights and of redressing of all disorder in humane societie forbidding all falshood of speech under the name of bearing false witnesse Have I at all times in all things spoken the truth from my heart giving testimony in publike or private by word or writing of things concerning mine owne or neighbours Name and credit life chastitie goods or in any other thing that hath beene matter of speech betweene me or others whether in affirming denying with oath or without oath or in bare reports or in promises or any other way Or am I not guiltie of telling lies jestingly officiously or perniciously Have I not raysed spread or received false reports of my neigbour Have I not spoken falsly in buying and selling also in commending by word or writing of unworthy persons and in dispraysing the good in boasting of my selfe or flattering of others Have I not given false evidence used equivocations or concealed the truth which I should have spoken or perverted it when I did speake it The tenth Commandement concerneth Contentation with a mans owne condition the foundation of all order and iustice amongst men forbidding the contrary namely Coveting that which is not his Am I contented with mine owne â—oÌ„dition as with my place which â— hold in Family Church or â—ommon-wealth with mine â—wne yoke-fellow and estate Can I reioyce in it and also that â—t should bee well with others â—ay better than it is with my â—elfe Or have I not beene full of disâ—ontent with my condition coveâ—ing after some thing or other which was my neighbours at â—ast by actuall concupiscence in multitude of evill thoughts ariâ—ing from the law of my memâ—ers though my deliberate will â—ath gone against them Thus having by the Law found out your sinnes you must araigne and accuse your selfe as it were at the barre of Gods Tribunall representing your sinnes to your minde as they are in their hainousnesse and mischievousnesse according to their severall aggravations First consider sinne in it's nature it is a morall evill an anomy and irregularity in the soule and actions an enmitie to God the chiefe good It is the worst evill worse than the Devill and Satan he had not beene a Devill but for doing evill worse than Hell which as it is a torment is caused by Sinne but is onely contrary to the good of the Creature whereas sinne it selfe is contrary to the good of the Creator It is such a disteÌ„per of the soule that the Scripture calleth it wickednes of folly even foolishnes of madnesse Secondly consider from whence sinne in man had his originall even from the Devill who is the father of it It came and commeth from Hell therefore is earthly sensuall divelish Whensoever you sinne you doe the lusts of the Devill Thirdly consider the nature of the Law whereof sinne is a transgression A Law most perfect most holy equall and good which would have given eternall life to the doers of it had it not beene for this cursed Sinne. Fourthly consider the person against whom sinne is committed whom it highly offendeth and provoketh It is God to whom you owe your selfe and all that you have who made and doth preserve you and yours who albeit you have sinned desireth not your death nor afflicteth you willingly but had rather that you should humble your selfe Repent and live who that you might be saved gave his onely begotten sonne to death to ransome you who by us his Ministers maketh knowne his Word and good will towards you making Proclamation that if you will repent and beleeve you shall be saved yea by us he intreateth you to bee reconciled to him It is that GOD who is rich in goodnes forbearance and long-suffering waiting when you will turne that you may live who on the other side if you despise this his
heaven Meere Oratory in some patheticall Preachers when they speake of matters dolefull and terrible will move the affection and draw teares from some hearers Likewise a plaine powerfull downright conviction of the certainty of Gods wrath denounced and sense of some just judgement of God may wring forth some teares some humiliation yea some kind of reformation Did not Felix tremble when Saint Paul reasoned of Righteousnesse Temperance and Iudgement to come Did not Ahab humble himselfe when the Prophet denounced Gods iudgements against him and against his house Did not the Israelites oft when they were in distresse and when God did not onely warne them with his Word but smote them also with his rod returne and seeke earely after God And whereas they say they tasted of the heavenly gift of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come they may know that such is the sweetnesse of Gods promises and such is the evidence and goodnesse of Gods truth in the glad tydings of Salvation that the common gift of the Spirit going with it all the forementioned feelings may be wrought in men altogether destitute of saving grace For did not the seede sowen in stony and thoâ—nie ground goe thus far Did not those mentioned in the Hebrewes who notwithstanding all this might fall away irrecoverably attaine to thus much Now if men not in state of grace may goe so farre as hath been proved then it must not be marvelled that even such with Herod may also reforme many things For an hypocrite may have not onely a kinde of illumination but a kinde of sanctification which may for the time worke a kinde of change in him so that hee may leave many evils and may doe many good things hee may forsake bad company and keepe good yet this man may be in no better estate then hee out of whom the evill spirit did goe which returned with seven other more wicked than himselfe or then the Sow that was washed A Pharaoh also and a Simon Magus in their feare may desire a Moses and a Peter to blesse them and pray for them That cursed Balaam could wish that hee might dye the death of the righteous he would seeme not to transgresse for an house full of gold and though faintly telleth God that if it did seeme evill in his eyes hee would goe backe againe Yea further it is possible for a man without saving grace even out of meere selfe-love either when hee smarts or is ashamed for some foule sinnes or is afraid of Hell or when by the sweete allurements of the Gospell hee is affected with an admiration of heauen and heavenly things I say it is possible for him not onely to wish freedome from punishment and enjoyment of eternall glory as the end but may desire power against sinne and grace to doe well as the meanes but how onely as from a flash of lightning suddenly come and as suddenly gone like the sluggards longing but when he commeth to be taught the mystery of godlinesse and is put upon the spirituall workes of holinesse as the cutting off the right hand and the denying himselfe for Christ then he will none of it he conceiveth like those Discipies in Iohn that they are hard sayings Who can heare them For their good wishes were not from a setled deliberate will out of true hatred of sinne and out of love to God and goodnesse therefore they were but slight and unconstant Moreover the best men yea the best Ministers may have a very good opinion of an hypocrite David esteemed highly of Achitophel the Disciples never suspected Iudas For they seeing a good outside being also charitable and not able to see the heart doe alwayes judge the best and thinke men to be changed renewed when sometimes it proveth otherwise They mistake when they say they are changed and reformed if still they retaine any bosome and beloved sinne as Herod did To change-sinnes one sinne into another is no change of the man for hee that changeth the prodigality of his youth into Covetousnesse in old age remaineth a notorious sinner before God as well now as then conceive the like of all other likewise to forbeare the act of any sinne because they have not the like power occasions temptations or meanes to commit sinne as in former time this is no change sin in these respects hath left them not they it For true conversion and repentance doth consist of a true and through change of the whole man as well in one part as another whereby not onely some actions are changed but first and chiefly the whole frame and disposition of the heart is changed and set straight to God ward from evill to good as well as from darknesse to light And whereas naturally a man is earthly minded and maketh himselfe his utmost end so that either he onely mindeth earthly things or if hee mind heavenly things it is in an earthly manner and to an earthly end as did Iehu if this man have truely repented and is indeede converted he becommeth heavenly minded he maketh GOD and his glory his chiefe and furthest end in so much that when he hath cause to minde earthly things his will and desire is to minde them in an heavenly manner and to an heavenly end If you would judge more fully and clearely of this true change See at large the description and signes of uprightnesse before delivered Chap. 12. Last of all there are many presume that although as yet they have no saving faith in Christ nor sound repentance that God will give them space and grace to repent and beleeve before they dye Whence it is they have peace for the present These must give mee leave to tell them that they put themselvs upon a desperate hazard and adventure First who can promise unto himself one minute of time more than the present sith every mans breath is in his nostrils ready to expire every moment Besides the Spirit saith God doth bring wicked men to desolation as in a moment And againe Hee that being often warned hardeneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy 2 Suppose they may have time yet whether they shall have grace to beleeve and repent is much to be doubted For the longer repentance is deferred the heart is more hardned and more indisposed to repentance through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And it is a just judgement of God upon such as are not led to repentance by the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering that he should leave them to their impenitent hearts that cannot repent so treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Custome in sinne doth so root and habituate it in man that it will be as hard for him by his owne will and power to repent hereafter hee neglecting GODS present call and
strength and meanes be fully imployed in some lawfull businesse 5. Out of the fit the party thus affected must not oppresse his heart with feare of falling into it againe any more then to quicken him to prayer and to cause him to cast himselfe upon God 6. Out of the fits and in them also if the partie distempered be capable spirituall counsell is to be given out of GODS Word wisely according as the partie is fit for it whether to humble him if he hath not beene sufficiently humbled or to build him up and comfâ—â—â— him if he be already humbled 7. Lastly remember alwayes that when the troubled person is himselfe that he be moved to prayer and that others then pray much with him and at all times pray much for him When these troubles are mixt comming partly from naturall distemper and partly from spirituall temptation then the remedie must be mixt of helpes naturall and spirituall What the natural helps are hath bin shewne also what the spirituall in generall and shall be shewed more particularly in removing false feares rising from spirituall temptations The feares which rise for the most part from distemper of body may be knowne from those which for the most part or onely rise from the spirituall temptation thus When the first fort are clearely resolved of their doubts and brought unto some good degree of chearefulnesse and coÌ„fort they will yet it may be within a day or two sometimes within an houre or two upon every slight occasion and discouragement returne to their old complaints and will need the same meanes to recover them againe But those whose trouble is meerly out of spirituall temptation and trouble of conscience although for the time it is very grievous and hardly removed and sometimes long before they receive a satisfying answer to their doubts yet wheÌ„ once they receive satisfaction and comfort it doth hold and last untill there fall out some new temptation and new matter of feare This is because their Phantasies and memories are not disturbed in such sort as the others were The seeming grounds of feares that a man is not in state of grace when yet he is are for varietie almost infinite I have reduced them into this order and unto these heads First they who are taken with false feares will say their sinnes be greater than can be pardoned Secondly when they are driven from that they say then that they feare GOD will not pardon When they are driven from this by causing them to take notice of the signes of Gods actual love to them which give proofe that he will save them Then Thirdly they will question the truth of Gods love and favour But being put upon the ttyall whether God hath not already justified them and given them faith in Christ which are sufficient proofes of his love then Fourthly they will seeme to have grounds to doubt whether they have faith from which they are driven by putting them to the tryall of their Sanctification then Fifthly they doubt and will obiect strongly that they are not sanctified which being undeniably proved then Sixthly and lastly they feare they shall fall away and not persevere to the end Which feare being taken away also and all is come to this good issue they shall have no cause of disquiet feare This is the easiest most familiar and the most naturall method so farre as I can conceive both in propounding and in removing false feares SECTION 2. Removing false feare rising from thoughts of the greatnesse of punishment and sinne FIrst some in their fits of despaire speake almost in Cains words saying that their punishment which they partly feele and which they most of all feare is greater than they can beare or than can be forgiven I answer such If sense and feare of wrath and punishment be your trouble I would have you not to busie your thoughts about the punishment but divert them and pitch them upon your sinnes which are the onely cause of punishment for get your sinnes off and in one the same worke you get off and free your selfe from the punishment Labour therefore that your heart may bleed with godly sorrow for sin cry out as David did against his sinne so doe you against yours confesse them to GOD strike at the root of sinne at the sinne of your nature wherein you were conceived aggravate your actuall sinnes hide none spare none finde out arraigne accuse condemne your sinnes and your selfe for them grow first into utter detestation of your sinnes which have brought present punishment and a sense and feare of the eternall vengeance of hell fire then likewise grow into a dislike with your selfe for sinne loath your selfe in your owne sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Now when you are as a prisonerat the barre who hath received sentence of condemnation when you are in your owne apprehension a damned wretch fearing every day to be executed Oh then it concerneth you and it is your part and duty to runne to GOD the King of Kings whose name and nature is to forgive iniquity transgression and sinnes and that you may be accepted goe to him by Iesus Christ whose Office is to take away your sinnes and to present you without sinne to his father whose Office is also to procure and sue out your pardon Wherefore in Christs name pray and aske pardon of God for his Sonne Iesus Christs sake and withall bee as earnest in asking grace and power against your sinne that you may serve him in all well-pleasing Doe this as for your life with all truth and earnestnesse then you may nay must beleeve that God for Christs sake hath pardoned your sinne and hath done away the punishment of your sinne For this is according to the Word of Truth even as true as God is who hath Commanded you to doe thus and to beleeve in him But some will Reply this putting me unto a consideration of my sinnes breedes all my woe and feare for I finde them greater and more than can be pardoned Oh Say not so for you can hardly commit a greater sinne than indeed to thinke and to say so It is blasphemy against GOD yet this sinne if you will follow GODS Counsell and all other may and shall be pardoned I intend not to extenuate and lessen your sinne but you must give me leave to magnifie Gods truth and mercy and to extoll Christs love and merit Howsoever it is true that because sinne is a transgression of a law of infinite holinesse and equity in respect of the evil disposition of the heart is of infinite intention would perpetuate it selfe infinitely if it had time and meanes and because God the object and Person against whom sinne is committed is infinite therefore sinne must needes contract an infinite guilt and deserve infinite punishment which the very least sinne doth yet because the subiect of sinne the man that sinneth is
finite his sinne being the erring act of a creature cannot every way be infinite Wherefore such an act or transgression cannot in it selfe be unpardonable by a Creator a God who is every way infinite SecoÌ„ndly Consider that the price to satisfie GODS justice namely the death of CHRIST even the precious bloud of God the onely begotten Sonne of God doth exceed all sinne in infinitenesse of satisfaction of GODS justice and wrath due for sinne For if Christs death be a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of all Gods Elect in generall then much more of thine in particular whosoever thou be and how great and how many sins soever thou hast committed Thirdly Know that the mercy of God the forgiver of sinnes is absolutely and every way infinite For mercy in God is not a qualitie but is his very nature as is cleare by the description of his Name proclaimed Exod. 34. Which rightly understood and beleeved taketh away all the objections which a fearefull heart can make against himselfe from the consideration of his sinnes First He is mercifull that is he is compassionate and to speake after the manner of man is one that hath bowels of pittie which yerne within him at the beholding of thy miseries not willing to punish and put thee to paine but ready to succor and doe thee good But I am so vile and so ill deserving that there is nothing in mee to move him to pittie mee and doe me good 2. Hee is Gracious whom he loveth hee loveth freely of his owne gracious disposition who saith I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And when God saith hee would sprinkle cleare water upon sinners and that hee would give them a new heart c. hee saith not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God That you should be sensible of your owne misery and then in the sense thereof that God may be enquired after and sought unto for mercy is al which he looketh for in you to move him to pitty and mercy and such is his graciousnes that he will worke this sense and this desire in you that he may have mercy But I have a long time prouoked him 3. He is long-suffering to you-wards nÌ„ot willing that you should perish but that you should come to repentance but waiteth still for your repentance and reformation that you may be saved Yea But I am destitute of all goodnesse and grace to turne unto him or doe any thing that may please him 4. He is abundant in goodnesse and kindnesse he that hath beene abundant towards others heretofore in giving them grace and making them good his store is no whit diminished but he hath all grace and goodnesse to communicate to you also to make you good Yea but I feare though God can yet God will not forgive me and give me grace 5. Hee is abundant in truth not onely the goodnesse of his gracious disposition maketh him willing but the abundance of his truth bindeth him to bee willing and doth give proofe unto you that he is willing He hath made sure promises to take away your sinne and to forgive it and not yours onely but reserveth mercie for thousands Beleeve therefore that God both can and will forgive you Yea but my sinnes are such and such and such bred at the bone â—â—numerable hainous and most â—â—ominable I am guilty of sins 〈…〉 all sorts 6. He forgiveth iniquity transâ—ession and sinne He is the God â—hat will subdue all your iniâ—uities and cast all your sinnes â—â—to the bottome of the Sea Yea but I renew my sins daily 7. I answer out of the Psalm His mercy is an everlasting mercie his mercy endureth for ever He biddeth you to aske forgivenesse of sinne daily therefore hâ— can and will forgive sinne daily yea if you sinne Seventie time seven in a day and shall confess it to God with a penitent heart he will forgive for he that biddeth you be so mercifull to you brother will himselfe forgive much more when you seeke unto him I But I have not onely committed open and grosse sinnes both before since I had knowledge of GOD but I have been a very Hypocrite making profession of GOD and yet daily commit grievous sinnes against him 8. What then Will you say your sinnes are unpardonable God forbid But say I will follow the Counsell which GOD gave to such abominable Hypocrites I will wash mee and make me cleane I will by Gods grace wash my heart from iniquitie and my hands from wickednesse by washing my selfe in the Laver of regeneration bathing myselfe in Christs bloud and in the pure water of the Word of truth applying my selfe to them and them to me by faith Say in this case I will heare what God will speake And know that if you will follow his counsell Isa 1 18. If you wil hearken to his reasoning and embrace his gracious offer made to you in Christ Iesus the issue will be this though your sins have beene most grosse reiterated double dyed even as crimson and sear let they shall be as wooll even as white as snow God will then speak peace unto you as unto other his Saints onely he will forbid you to returne to folly For not onely those which committed grosse sins through ignorance before their conversion as did Abraham in Idolatry and S. Paul in persecuting noâ— yet onely those which committed grosse sinnes through infirmitie after their conversion as did Noah by drunkennesse and Lot by incest also and Peter by denying and forswearing his Master Christ Iesus obtained mercy because they sinned ignorantly and of infirmity But also those that sinned against Knowledge and Conscience both before after conversion sinning with an high hand as Manasses before and in the matter of Vriah David after conversion they obtained like mercy and had all their sinnes forgiven Why are these examples recorded in Scripture but for patterns to sinners yea to most notorious sinners of all sorts Which should in after times beleeve in Christ Iesus unto eternall life Be willing therfore to be beholholding to God for forgivenes beleeve in Christ for forgivenes which when you doe you may be assured that you never yet committed any sin which is not and which shal not be forgiven For was it not the end why Christ came into the world that he might save sinners yea chiefe of sinners as well as others Was he not wounded for transgressions viz. of all sorts Is it not the end of his comming in his Gospell to call sinners to repentance What sinners doth hee meane there but such as you are who are laden and burdened with your sinne Doth hee not say if any man sinne marke if any man we have an advocate
with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Who by being made a curse for you hath redeemed you from the curse of the whole Law Therfore from the curse due unto you for your greatest sinne Consider this againe can the sinne of a finite creature goe beyond the pardon of an infinite Creator Can a sinne in some sense finite deserve beyond the satisfaction of a price for value every way infinite Howsoever it is impossible for a notorious sinner yea for any sinner by his owne power or worth to enter into the kingdome of Heaven Yet know what is impossible with man is possible with God Is any thing too hard for the Lord Hee can alter and renew you and give you faith and repentance he can make these things possible to you that beleeve yea all things are possible to him that beleeveth I you will say if I did beleeve Why what if yet you doe not beleeve It is not hard with him you comming to his meanes of faith you harkening to the precepts and promises of the Word considering that the God of truth speaketh in them I say it is not hard for him in the use of these meanes to cause you to beleeve Wherefore neither greatnesse of sinne nor multitude of sinnes should because of their greatnes and multitude make you utterly despaire of salvation or feare Damnation When once you can beleeve or but will and desire to obey beleeve the greatest matter of feare is past I know if you never had sinned you would not feare damnation Now to a man whose sinnes are remitted his sinnes though sin dwell in him are as if they were not or never had beene For they are blotted out of Gods remembrance I even I am he saith God that blot out thy transgressions for my names sake and will not remember thy sinnes And who is like thee saith the Prophet that pardoneth iniquitie c. hee will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and will cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea A debt when it is paid by the Surety putteth the principall out of debt though he payd never a peny of it The holy Ghost speaketh most comfortably saying that God doth finde no sinne in them whose sinnes are pardoned In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquitie of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found but how may this be he giveth the reason for I will pardon them whom I reserve If you beleeve that God can pardon any sinne even the least you have like reason to beleeve that God can pardon all yea the greatest for if God can doe any thing he can doe every thing because he is infinite He can as easily say thy sinnes are forgiven thee all thy sinnes are forgiven thee as to say Rise and walke He can as wel save one that hath beene long dead rotten and stinking in his sinne as one newly fallen into sinne For he can as easily say Lazarus come forth as to say Damsell I say to thee Arise Lastly to make an end of removing this fear I ask thee who art troubled with the greatnesse of thy sinnes past and with feare that they can never be pardoned how stand you affected to present sinnes Doe you hate and loath them Doe you use what meanes you can to be rid of them Are you out of love with your selfe and humbled because you have harboured them to GODS dishonour and your owne hurt And doe you resolve to returne from your evill wayes and to enter upon an holy course of life if God shall please to enable you and is it your heartie desire to have this grace to be able And are you afraid and have you now a care lest you fall wittingly into sinne then let Satan and a fearefull heart object what they can you may say though my sinnes have beene great and hainous for which I loath my selfe and am ashamed yet now I see that they were not onely pardonable but are already through the rich mercy of God pardoned For these are signes of a new heart and a new minde Now to whomsoever GOD giveth the least measure of saving grace to them hath he first given pardon of sinne and will yet abundantly pardon For he saith Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne to the LORD and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon SECTION 3. Removing the feare that riseth from doubts that God will not pardon THere are others who make no doubt of Gods power they beleeve hee can forgive them but they feare yea peremptorily conclude that hee will not pardon them and that because they be Reprobates as they say for they see no signes of Election but all to the contrary I answer these thus When your Consciences are first wounded with a sense of Gods wrath for sinne it is very like that before you have beleeved and repented you cannot discern any signes of Gods favour but of his wrath for as yet you are not actually in state of grace and in his favour And oft-times after a man doth beleeve though there be alwaies matter enough to give proofe of his Election yet hee cannot alwayes see it If you be in either of these estates conceive the worst yet you have no reason to conclude that you are Reprobates It is true that God before the foundation of the world fully determined with himselfe whom to choose to Salvation by grace to which also hee ordained them and whom to passe by and leave in their sinnes for which he determined in his just wrath to condemne them But who these be is a secret which even in point of Election the Elect theÌ„selves cannot know untill they be effectualâ—y called nay nor being called untill by some experience and proofes of their faith holines they do understand the witnesse of the Spirit which testifieth to their spirits that they are the children of God and doe make their Calling Election which was alwayes sure in God sure to themselves But in point of reprobation namely that God hath passed them by to perish everlastingly in their wickednesse no man living can know it except he know that he hath sinned the sinne against the holy Ghost that unpardonable sinne For God calleth men at all ages and times some in their youth some in their middle age some in their old age yea some have beene called at their last houre Now let it be granted that you cannot by search into your selves finde the signes of effectuall calling which yet may bee in you though your dimme eies cannot perceive them Nay suppose that you are not yet effectually called here is no cause for you utterly to despaire and say you are Reprobates How know you
kinde of the sinne if you wel observe it it being a wilfull and malicious refusing of pardon upon such tearmes as the Gospell doth offer it scorning to be beholding unto God for it You may perceive what it is by this description The sinne against the holy Ghost is an utter wilfull and spitefull reiecting of the Gospell of Salvation by Christ together with an advised and absolute falling away from the profession of it so farre that against former knowledge and conscience a man doth maliciously oppose and blaspheme the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ordinances of the Gospel and motions of the Spirit in them having resisted reiected and utterly quenched all those common and more inward gifts and motions wrought upon their hearts and affections which sometimes were intertained by them in so much that out of hatred of the Spirit of life in Christ they crucifie to themselves a-fresh the Sonne of God and doe put him both in his Ordinances of Religion and in his members to open shame â—reading underfoot the Sonne of God counting the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing doing despight to the spirit of grace If you shall heedfu'ly looke into these places of the Scripture which speake of this sinne and withall doe observe the opposition which the Apostle maketh betweene sinning against the Law and sinning against the Gospell you shall clearely finde out the nature of this sinne But to resolve you of this doubt if you be not overcome with Melancholy for then you will answer you know not what which is to be pittied rather than regarded I would aske you that thinke you have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost these Questions Doth it grieve you that you have committed it Could you wish that you had not committed it If it were to be committed would you not forbeare if you could choose Would you take your selfe beholding to God if hee would make you partakers of the bloud and Spirit of his Sonne thereby to pardon and purge your sinne and to give you grace to repent Nay are you troubled that you cannot bring your heart unto a sense of desire of pardon and grace If you can say yea then albeit the sinne or sinnes which trouble you may be some fearefull sinne of which you must be exhorted speedily to repent yet certainly it is not the sinne against the holy Ghost It is not that unpardonable sinne it is not that sinne unto death For he that committeth this sinne cannot relent neither will he be beholding to GOD for pardon and grace by Christs bloud and spirit he cannot desire to repent But he is given over in Gods just judgement unto such a reprobacy of minde pollution and deadnesse of conscience perversnesse and rebellion of will and to such an height of hatred and malice that he is so blasphemously despitâ—fully bent against the Spirit of holinesse that â—t much pleaseth him rather than any way troubles him that hee hath so maliciously and blasphemously rejected or fallen from persecuted and spoken blasphemously against the good way of Salvation by Christ and against â—he gracious operations of the Spirit and against the members â—f Christ although he was once convinced clearly that this is the â—nely way of Salvation and that those graces and gifts were from God that they were the deare children of God whom he doth â—â—w despight Others if not the same object â—â—us God will certainely conâ—â—mne them because S. Iohn â—â—th said if their hearts condemne â—em God is greater than their â—arts hence they in ferre God will condemn them much more For they say their hearts doe condemne them There is a double judgement by the heart and conscience It â—â—â—gâ—â—h a mans state or person â—â—â—theâ—â—e be in state of grace â—â—â—â—â—â—o Also it judgeth a mans â—…lar actions whether they be good oâ— no. I take it that thâ—i place of Iohn is not to be understood of judging or condemning the person For God in his finall judgement doth not judge according to what a mans weaâ— and erroneous conscience judgeth for so it cannot choose buâ— be more or lesse in this life making it the square of his judgement to condemne or absolve any For many a man in his presumption iustifieth himselfe iâ— this life when yet God will condemne him in the world to comâ— and many a distressed soule liâ—â— the Prodigall and humble Puâ—â— liâ—an coÌ„demneth himselfe wheâ— yet God will absolve him For a man may have peace with God yet God for reasons best known to his wisedome doth not presently speake peace to his conscience as it was with David in which case man doth judge otherwise of his estate than God doth This place is to be understood of iudging of particular actions namely whether a man love his brother not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth according to the exhortation ver 18. Which if his Conscience could testifie for him then it might assure his heart before God and give it boldnesse to pray unto him in confidence to receive whatsoever hee did aske according to his will But if his owne conscience could condemne him of not loving his brother in deed and truth then God who is greater thaÌ„ his hart but wherein greater greater in knowing mans heart and the truth of his love knowing all things must needs condemn him therein much more Even as Peter in the question whether hee loveth Christ or no he appeales to Christs omniscience whereby he proveth his love towards him saying Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This is the full scope of the place Yet this I must needs say that the holy Ghost hath instanced in such an act namely of hearty loving the brethren which is an infallible signe of being in state of grace whereby except in case of extreame melancholy or phrensie and in the brunt of a violent temptation a man may judge whether at that present he be translated from death to life yea or â—o If any shall think the place to be understood of judging the person he must distinguish between that judgement which the heart doth give rightly and de iure and that which it giveth erroneously But suppose that you trying your selves by this your hearts doe condemne you of not loving the brethren can you conclude hence that you shall be finally damned God forbid All that you can inferre is this you cannot have boldnesse to pray unto him untill you love them nor can you assure your selves that you shal have your petitioÌ„s granted And the worst you can conclude is that now for the present you are not in state of grace or at the least you want proofe of being in state of grace You must then use all Gods meanes of being ingrafted into Christ and must love the children of GOD that you may have proofe thereof Did Paul love
but desire he should carry you away out of this vale of misery that mortality might be swallowed up of life If you would doe all this in earnest you would be so farre from feare of death that you would if you were put to your choice with the Apostle choose to hee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of all and so farre from fearing the day of Iudgement that you would love and long for Christs appearing waiting with patience and chearfulnesse when your change shall be Indevour to follow these directions then suppose that you cannot keepe downe these fears and conquer them as you would yet be not discouraged for fears and doubts in this kinde doe flow many times from strength of temptation rather than from weakenesse of Faith Moreover what if you cannot attaine to so high a pitch in your Faith as S. Paul had are you so ambitious that no other degrees of Faith shall satisfie you Orare you so foolish as thence to conclude that you have no Faith Thirdly Whereas you say you are without feeling therefore you feare you have no faith I acknowledge that want of feeling and want of sense of Gods favour is that which doth more trouble GODS tender-hearted Children and make them more doubt of Gods love and of their iustification than any thing else whereas I know nothing that giveth them losse cause For first What meane you by feeling If you meane the enioyment of the things promised and hoped for by inward sense This is to overthrow the nature and to put an end to the use of faith and hope For Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene And the Apostle faith Hope that is seene is not hope Indeede faith giveth a present being of the thing promised to the beleever but it is a being not in sense but in hope and assured expectation of the thing promised Wherefore the Apostle speaking of our spirituall conversation on earth saith We walke by faith not by sight These two faith and feeling are opposite one to the other in this sense For when wee shall live by sight and feeling then we shall cease to live by faith Secondly If by feeling you meane a ioyous and comfortable assurance that you are in Gods savour and that you shall be saved and therefore because you want this joyous assurance you think you have no Faith you must know this conclusion will not follow For Faith whereby you are saved and set into state of grace and this comfortable assurance that you are in state of grace and shall be saved doe differ and are not the same It is true Assurance is an effect of faith in al that have this assurance yet it is not such a proper and necessary effect which is inseparable from the very being of faith in man at all times For you may have saving Faith yet at sometime be without the comfortable assurance of Salvation To beleeve in Christ to Salvation is one thing and to know assuredly that you shall be saved is another For Faith is a direct act of the reasonable soule receiving Christ and Salvation offered by God with him Assurance riseth from a reflect act of the soule namely when the soule by discourse returneth upon it selfe and can witnesse that it hath the afore-mentioned grace of faith whereby a man can say I know that I beleeve that Christ Iesus is mine and I know that I beleeve that the promises of the Gospell belong unto mee The holy Scriptures are written for both these ends that first Faith and then assurance of faith and hope should be wrought in men These things are written saith S. Iohn in his Gospell that you may beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeving you might have life through his name Againe these things have I written saith the same Apostle in his Epistles to you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of GOD that yee may know that you have eternall life and that you may beleeve that is continue to beleeve and increase in beleeving on the name of the Sonne of God A man is saved by faith but hath comfort in hope of Salvation by Assurance So that the being of spirituall life in respect of us doth subsist in Faith not in Assurance Feeling And that is the strongest and most approved faith which cleaveth to Christ and to his promises and which holdeth his owne without the helpe of feeling For albeit Assurance giveth unto us a more evident certainety of our good estate yet faith even without this will hold us certaine in this good estate whether we be assured or not Wherefore some Divines have well conceived of a double certaintie of things apprehended by mans judgment The first is Certaintie of Adherence and cleaving fast to the thing it beleeveth causing a man from the bare assent and consent to the truth and goodnesse of the promise and from the Commandement of God in his Word which bids him beleeve and rest on his promise for to cleave to the promise and to relie on it and to obey that Commandement which commādeth him to beleeve in Christ Iesus yea though this truth bee not otherwise so evident and cleare to the understanding as to satisfie mans natural reason For though Faith in its minority cannot alwayes comprehend to the full how and by what meanes or why in reason the thing promised should be fulfilled yet because it conceiveth thus much that the things of God are not fully comprehended by humane reason and that the truths of God are infallible whether it comprehend them or not will first beleeve and rest on the promise and then afterward consider how it may be so farre as is fit to be understood by reason Hence it is that albeit reason as it is now corrupt will still be obiecting and will be satisfied with nothing but what it may know by sense and by demonstration from Artificiall Arguments yet Faith even above and against sense and all naturall reasoning will give credit unto and rest upon the bare naked divine witnesse of the Word of truth for his sake that doth speake it Secondly there is a certaintie of Evidence namely when the thing beleeved is not onely said to be true and good but a man doth finde it so to be by sense and experience and is so evident to mans reason convincing it by force of Argument taken from the Causes Effects Properties Signes Contraries and the like that it hath nothing to object against the thing propounded to be beleeved The certaintie of Adherence is the certaintie of Faith The certaintie of Evidence is the certaintie of Assurance The certainty of Assurance and evidence is of excellent use for it maketh a man fruitfull in good workes and doth fill him ful of joy and comfort therefore it must by all meanes be gotten yet it
them runne not long and in time may quite be dryed up But the saving graces of the regenerate receive their light warmth and life from the Sunne of righteousnesse therefore can never be totally or finally Eclipsed And they doe rise from that Well and Spring of living water which cannot be drawn dry orâ—o dammed up or stopt but that it will runne more or lesse unto eternall life As the regenetate man doth not sinne in such sort as the unregenerate with all his heart so neither is hee when he hath sinned in the same state and condition which the unregenerate is in Hee is in the Condition of a Sonne who notwithstanding his failings abideth in the house for ever but not as the other who being no sonne but a servant is for his misdemeanor turned out and abideth not in the house for ever Although the regenerate as well as the unregenerate doe draw upon themselves by their sinnes the simple guilt of eternall death yet this guilt is not accounted neither doth it redound to the person of the truly regenerate as it doth to the other because Christ Iesus hath so satisfied and doth make intercession for his owne that his death is made effectuall for them but not for the other Their Iustification and Adoption by Christ remaine unaltered although many benefits flowing from thence are for a while justly suspended they remaine children still though under their Fathers anger as Absolom remained a sonne uncast off not dis-inherited by David when yet his Father would not let him come into his presence This spirituall Leprosie of sinne into which Gods Children fall may cause them to bee suspended from the use and comfortable possession of the Kingdome of God and from the enjoyment of the privileges thereof untill they bee cleansed of their sinne by renewed faith and repentance Yet as the Leoper in the Law had still right to his house and goods albeit he was shut out of the City for his Leprosie so the truly regenerate never loose their right to the Kingdome of heaven by their sinnes For every true member of Christ is knit unto Christ by such everlasting bonds whether we respect the relative union of Christ with his members by faith to Iustification which after it is once made by the spirit of Adoption admitteth of no breach or alteration by any meanes oâ— whether we respect the reall union of the Spirit whence floweth Sanctification which though it may suffer decay and admitteth of some alteration of degrees being not so strong at one time as at another yet can never quite be broken off as hath beene proved these bands â— say are so strong and lasting that all the powers of sinne Satan and Hell it selfe cannot sever the weakest true member from Christ or from his love oâ— from Gods love towards him in Christ This strength of grace that keepeth men from falling totally or finally from CHRIST doth not depend upon the strength or will of him that standeth but on the Election and determination of him that calleth And whereas it may bee demanded why a man being at his highest degree of holinesse that ever he attained at which time hee had most strength did yet fall backe more than halfe way may not as well or rather fall quite away I answer It is not in respect of the nature of inherent holinesse in him for Adam had holinesse in perfection yet fell quite from it There is nothing in the nature of this grace and holinesse excepting onely in the root whence it springeth but that a man may now also fall wholly from it But it is because grace is now setled in man upon better termes For the little strength we receive in regeneration is in point of perseverance stronger then the great strength which the first Adam received in his Creation Adam was perfectly but changeably holy Gods children inregeneration are made imperfectly but unchangeably holy This stability of grace now consisteth in this for that all that by faith and by the holy Spirit are ingrafted and incorporated into Christ the second Adam have the spring and root of their grace founded in him and not in themselves as the first Adam had They are stablished with their brethren in Christ Wherefore all that are actuall members of CHRIST cannot fal from grace altogether For as Christ dyed to sinne once and being raised from the dead dyeth no more so every true member of Christ having part with him in the first resurrection dye no more but live for ever with Christ For all that are once begotten againe unto a lively faith and hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible are kept not by their owne power unto Salvation but by the power of God through faith in Christ Iesus Now that a man effectually called can never fall wholly or for ever from state of grace I in few words reason thus If Gods Counsell on which mans Salvation is founded be sure and unchangeable and if his calling be without repentance If Gods love be unchangeable and altereth not but whom God once loveth actually him he loveth to the end If Christs office of Prophet Priest and King in his teaching satisfying and making intercession for and in his governing his people bee after the order of Melchisedecke unchangeable and everlasting he everliving to make intercession for them and if his undertaking in all these respects with his Father not to lose any whom he giveth him cannot be frustrate If the Seale and earnest of the Spirit be a constant Seale which cannot be razed but sealeth all in whom it dwelleth unto the day of Redemption If the Word of truth wherewith the regenerate are begotten be an immortall seed which when once it hath taken a conception and hath taken roote doth live for ever If God be constant and faithfull in his promise and omnipotent in his power to make good this his word and promise saying I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from my people and children to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Then from all and from each of these propositions I conclude that a man once indeede a member of Christ and indeede in state of grace shall never totally or finally fall away The patrons of the doctrine of falling from grace when they cannot answer the invincible arguments which are brought to prove the certainetie of a mans standing in state of Salvation they make a loud cry in casting in certaine popular obiections such as are very apt to take with simple and unstable people They first come with suppositions and aske this and like questiona If David and Peter had dyed in the act of their grosse sinnes whether should they have beene saved
men against the assaults of our spirituall enemies Is it any other than the common case of all Gods Children Was not Christ himselfe teÌ„pted that he might succor those that are tempted Have you not a promise not to bee tempted above that you are able It is but resisting and enduring a while yet a little while Is there any temptation out of which God will not give a good issue Hath not Christ prayed that your faith faile not Let us therefore keepe peace in our selves that the whole man may be at agreement and let us keepe peace one with another fighting against the common enemy And the God of peace shall tread Satan and all enemies under-foot shortly and then through Christ you shall be more than Conquerours you shall not onely hold what you have kept from losing but shall possesse all that Christ hath wonne for you And the more battels you have fought and in them through Christ have overcome the greater triumph you shall have in glory Now as a surplussage to all that hath beene said against groundlesse feares which deprive poore soules of heavenly comfort If any yet cannot be satisfied but feare still that GOD is not at peace with them I will propound a few Questions to which if any soule can answer affirmatively he may be assured of Gods peace and love and of his owne Salvation whatsoever his feares or feelings may happen for to be 1. How stand you affected to sinne Are you afraid to offend God thereby Is it so that you dare not wittingly sinne Is it your griefe and burden that you cannot abstaine from sinne nor get out of it so soone as you would when you are fallen into it 2. How stand you affected towards holinesse and goodnesse and unto the power of godlinesse Is it your heartie desire to know Gods will that you may doe it Doe you desire to feare him and please him in all things And is it your griefe and trouble when you faile in well-doing And is it any joy to you to doe well in any true measure 3. Thirdly How stand you affected to the Church and Religion of God Are you glad when things goe well in the Church though it goe ill with you in your owne particular And are you grieved when things goe ill in the Church when it may happen to be with you as it was with good Nehemiah or Ichabodâ— mother that all things goe very well or at least tolerably well for your owne particular 4. Fourthly How stand you affected to men Is it so that you cannot delight in wicked men because of their wickednesse but dislike them Whereas otherwise their parts and conditions are such that you could much desire their company Doe you love those that feare the Lord and that delight in goodnesse therefore because you thinke they are good and are beloved of God 5. Fifthly Can you endure to have your soule ript up and your beloved sinne smitten at and let out by a searching Ministery approving that Ministery and liking that Minister the rather And doe you with David desire that the righteous should reproove you And would you have an obedient eare to a wise Reprover 6. Lastly Though you cannot alwayes have that feeling proofe of your good estate which is the certainty of Evidence Nay say you have it but seldome or it may be you can scarce tell whether you have it at all Doe you yet resolve or is it your desire and will you as you are able resolve to cleave to God and hang upon Christ and upon Gods mercifull promises made to you in him seeking salvation in Christ by faith and by none other nor by any other meanes If you can answer yea to all or to any one of these you may assure your selves that you are in Gods favor and in state of grace What though you cannot feele in your selves that you have this so sure as you would by a full certaintie of Evidence but it is your fault that you have it not so yet you have it sure by the best certainety namely by a true certainety of Adâ—erence and cleaving unto God For when you are resolved not to sinne wittingly and allowedly against GOD and not to depart from him whatsoever become of you and it is your longing desire to please him When I say you stand thus resolved and thus affected as hath beene said then certainely God and you are knit together by an inseparable bond When you hate what God hateth and love what God loveth and will what God willeth are not God and you at one and at peace Are you not neerely and firmely linked one to another What though this bond be some what secret and unseene to your selves yet it is certaine God knoweth you to be actually his and will for this owne you when you seeme to doubt of it and will alwayes hold you by your right hand whether you feele it or no. But why should you thinke that you are without Evidence when you cannot but feele that in truth you cleave thus to GOD and stand thus affected to him from hence if you were not wanting to your selves you might gaine a most peaceable and ioyous assurance that you are in Gods favour and shall be saved Thus much of removing of impediments to true peace CHAP. XVII Touching furtherances and meanes of peace of God IT yet remaineth that I should shew furtherances meanes to get and keepe this true peace of God which passeth all understanding Men doe erre in judging of their owne estates and in like manner in concluding that they have true peace or not from two causes Either by erring in the Proposition which they lay down as a rule to judge by Or else by erring in the Assumption and Application of their actions or persons to the rule propounded Now if you erre either in the Proposition or in the Assumption and application you of necessitie will erre in your Conclusion Wherefore if you would judge rightly of your actions and person take heed first that you doe not faile in your Proposition and Rule which that you may not doe you must know what is necessary to the very being of a Christian what not and this is to be learned onely by the onely Canon of truth to us the word of GOD. For many erre herein because they thinke that such and such things are necessary to the being in state of grace which are not and that such and such things are sufficient to the being of a Christian which are not Now you shall finde that it is truth of faith and other saving graces not the great degree and quantitie of them that maketh a Christian And that it is not the most forward profession and forme of godlinesse without this power and truth therefore that will doe it Secondly Take heed that you faile not in your assumption and application of your selfe and of
it is but you have conceits other wise you have no feeling of comfort and in your sense to you it is otherwise then either the Scripture or the Ministers speake Now when you will preferre your owne opinion and sense such as it is before the iudgement of Gods word of truth and before the iudgement of Gods Ministers iudging according to this word Are you not highly conceited of your owne opinion And are you not strangely proud though it may be you thought otherwise Wherefore if you understand things aright you must have a meane conceit of your owne understanding of your owne opinion and of your owne sense For as you must deny your goodnesse and be poore in respect of conceit of any goodnesse in you if you would ever looke to have any goodnesse from Christ so you must deny your owne opinion knowledge sense and wisedome if you would know spirituall things aright and would become wise through Christ And that it may appeare now that you are not too well conceited of your owne opinion touching your estate make use in this case of Experienced Christians but especially of iudicious and godly Ministers Let not feare either of troubling them nor yet of shaming your selfe hinder you But do it according to these directions First Acquaint such a one with your case betimes keepe it not to your selfe too long For then like a bone long out of joynt and a festred wound it will not be so well nor so easily cured beside the vexation in the meane time Secondly deale plainely truely and fully in setting downe the cause of your trouble not doing as many telling one part of your griefe and not another which hath beene the cause that they have gone away without comfort Either tell all or none in this case If you thinke him not faithfull reveale nothing thereof to him If you judge him a fit man then shew all as you will doe your bodily maladies and diseases to a Surgeon or Physician if you would have them cured Thirdly Beleeve them rather than your selves in this case hearken to them and make use of their judgement and experience and bee not presumptuous of your owne understanding and feeling In times of your feares and doubts be not rash and sudden in judging your selves The Devill is a jugler and your eyes be dazeled and of all men you are the most unfit and incompetent to iudge of your selves in this case For when groundlesse suspition and causelesse feares have like a head-strong Colt got a head and hath caught the bit in his teeth it will like to other passions carry you head long whither it listeth contrary to al right reason and understanding In such suspicion feare of your estate you are like a iealous woman in the fit of her jealousie and feare of her husbands unfaithfulnesse she will picke matter out of every thing he doth though he study to give her no occasion of suspition to increase her suspition of him If hee be somewhat strange and austere then she saith he loveth her not but others better If he be kinde to her then she thinkes that this is but to dazel blind her eyes that hee may without suspition give himselfe to other women Deale now ingenuously and answer whether it is not or whether it hath not beene so with you I pray marke your absurd and contrary reasonings When you prosper thence you inferre sure God doth not love mee for whom he loveth he correcteth When God whips you well for this and doth cast you into grievous afflictions thence you conclude sure God is wroth with mee and doth not love mee If you bee troubled in Conscience Oh then GOD writes bitter things against you you can have no peace And when he giveth you quiet of minde Oh then you feare all riseth from presumption your case is naught and it wasbetter with you when you had trouble in minde Is it not thus Are you not ashamed that you have beene thus senselesse and absurd in your owne reasonings and yet this understanding reason and sense of yours must be harkned unto before the truth of Gods Word and before the iudgement of all men though never so judicious Will any body that is wise trust such a judgement If an excellent Physitian for others is seldome found to be the best Physitian for himselfe in a dangerous sicknesse but will make use of one it may be inferiour in judgement in Physicke to himselfe for his owne wits be not so well his owne in his owne case then me thinkes it should be your wisedome to make use of the judgement of others and not follow your owne sense But you will say shall I thinke otherwise of my selfe than I feele I answer I in some cases or else you will bee counted a wilfull foole as in the case of an Ague you feele your drinke to be of an odde rellish before you had your ague you knew it was well rellished and those which bring it tell you it is the same standers by taste it for you and say it is the same and that it is excellently well relished I hope you are wiser in such a case as this then to conclude according to your feeling and taste every one seeth that the fault was in your palate not in the drinke Even so it is with you when the palate of your understanding is distempered with a shaking fit of groundlesse and faithlesse feare wherefore in this state deny your owne sense and trust not your owne iudgement but hearken unto thâ— judgement of other men And the rather because GOD doth therefore comfort men and give them experience of his consolations that they may comfort other in like case Also hee hath given commandement â—o his more understanding more confirmed children that they should comfort you giving you to understand how it is with you in the matter of yous â—onk better than you can know of your selves Nay more God hath given to his Ministers â—he tongue of the learned to speake a word in due season to the soule that is wearie Should not the judgements of these be regarded But which is most of all God hath not onely given to Ministers skill to discerne your state better than your selves but hath given power and authority when they shall see cause in his name to absolve you and to assure you that if it bee with you according as you doe thus and thus relate your state to be you are in Gods favour and in state of grace I meane not that you should hang your faith upon any mans or any mens judgement but when that men judicious being in better case to judge of you then you are to judge of your selves shall by the Word of God and by authoritie from him give you hope and comforts you ought to comfort your selves by these meanes Thus much I have said that your judgement might be fitted to
also in praying much for peace unto him who is the God of peace the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation then shall you have peace and much good shall be unto you For it is GOD that speaketh peace to his people wherefore assuredly his answer to him that asketh peace will be an answer of peace even this peace which passeth all understanding GOD shall give you peace and with it glory even a glorious peace Thus having directed my Pen not onely to you in particular in this tract of peace but sith it is judged fit to be publike both in this and the other directions to a daily walke unto all other that need and desire it you may see the excellency of peace together with the impediments furtherances and meanes of peace Shâ—nne the Impediments improve the furtherances and I dare assure you that albeit in this life you may still feele a conflict betweene faith and doubting betweene hope and feare and betweene peace and trouble of minde yet in the end you shall have perfect peace and in the meane time though I cannot promise you to have alwaies that peace which will afford you sense of ioy yet God hath promised that you shal have that which shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ And what would you have more Thus I have endevoured to satisfie your godly desire I have of purpose written much in as few words as the points in hand would well beare I did it the rather not onely because writing is tedious to mee but because I know that you are established already in these truths wherefore these may be sufficient to helpe you unto distinct notions of the most necessarie things that belong to a Christian life and to put you in remembrance I have omitted many allegations of Scriptures and have forborne to write out most that are alleaged It was partly for haste partly for mine owne ease and partly because it would have made this Booke to be too big for a vade mecum to carry about with you but I considered that you are much conversant and well read in the Scriptures and you may turne to the places both in the line and in the marâ—ent for you will finde that for the most part the life of each point in hand lyeth hid in the Text of the Scripture alledged I thanke God I have reaped much benefit to my self in studying and Penning these directions I pray God that â—ou may reap much good in reading of them Now the God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving And the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheepe by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen A Table of the chiefe things observable in this BOOKE A DOubts of Gods love because of grievous Afflictions removed 554 In what cases God usually doth not Afflict his children 559 The ends why God doth grievously Afflict his children 563 A Caution in becomming All things to all men 215 How to walke with God Alone 184 Fit meditations when we Apparell our selves 21 Rules how to Apparell our selves 22 Cautious to the directions about Arising and apparelling 27 How to Awake with God 19 Fit meditations when wee Awake and arise 21 22 B Fit meditations at going to Bed before sleepe 180 When a man loveth Brotherly 234 Benefits of Brotherly love 233 How Brotherly love is expressed 235 Meanes to live and love Brotherly 239 Motives to Brotherly love and communion of Saints 242 C How a man should carry himselfe as before God in his particular Calling 55 Difference betweene Care and Carefulnesse 384 Adescription of lawfull Care ib. A description of Carefulnesse ib. True properties of provident care whereby it is differenced from Carefulnesse 387 c. When Cares of this life are inordinate 393 Gods children should not take thought or be carefull about any thing 396 Disswasives from carefulnesse 399 Why no man should be Carefull about earthly things ibid Why no man must care about successe in any thing 401 The evill effects of Caring about successe in any thing 405 Meanes to be free from Carefulnesse 409 The condition of a true Christian even when he hath sinned differeth from that of a formal Christian when he sinneth 688 How a man should be have himselfe in all Company 213 How a man should make good use to himselfe by all Company 218 Meanes of good speech and carriage in all Company 225 Rules wherby a man may well order himselfe in evil Company 228 How to be kept from infection of sin by bad Company 231 How to demeane a mans selfe in good Company 234 What is to be done after a man hath beene in Company 244 Motives to Brotherly love and Communion of Saints 242 How a man may know that he hath beene sufficiently humbled and prepared for Conversion 630 None can know that the time of his Conversion is past 542 None must bee troubled though they know not when nor by whom they were Converted 631 What grace God giveth in the first Conversion 686 What Conversion and true repentance is 474 Men over-gone with trouble of Conscience are most unfit to iudge of their owne estate 767 An excellent helpe to peace of Conscience in the former câ—se 765 c. When the Conscience is troubled it is good to lay it open to some faithfull and skilfull Christian ibid Rules touching opening a mans state to others when the Conscience is troubled ibid How to keepe the Conscience tender 480. 679 How to walke as in Gods sight under Crosses in all adversity 273 Rules how to passe by or beare lighter Crosses 274 Rules how to beare all Crosses 275 Of bearing Crosses thankefully 313 Of bearing Crosses fruitfully ib D How to begin the Day well 28 29 How to walke in the sequell of the Day after it is well begun 53 How to end the Day well 179 Reasons why naturally all are unwilling to Dye 585 Reasons why some are more fearefull to Die than others ibid Causes why Christians are too unwilling to Dye 587 Helpes against feare of Death 588 Difference betweene the sinning of the regenerate and unregenerate 688 E Rules for Eating and drinking 64 In what order a man should ascend to the knowledge of his Election 518 Whence it is that the Elect may backeslide aud how farre 685 The Elect never fall from the first infused grace 688 Some thinke they Endevour to doe well yet doe not 324 What Endevour is in generall ibid Some thinke they Endevour not when yet they doe 326 What is true Endevour ibid A mans Endevour in some caseâ— may be as true when yet he cannot performe it as in some other cases when he can performe it to the full 327 The
questioning the truth of his being and of his Word denying his Providence Power or some other of his Divine Attributes Have I not been ignorant of God and of his will and erroneous and mis-beleeving if not hereticall in my conceits concerning God the Father Sonne or holy Ghost Have I not beene over-curious in prying into the nature and secret counsels of God beyond the rule of the revealed wil of God Have I not set up false Deities or put my selfe or any other creature in the place of God through pride preferring and resting upon mine owne way and will before Gods or by making my selfe mine utmost end professing God and his Religion onely to serve mine owne ends or by seeking to the creature as to Angell Saint Devill or Witch instead of the Creator Have I not beene forgetfull of God and of his will Is not my Conscience impure blinde deluded or seared and my will perverse obstinate impatient and murmuring against God and ful of dissimulation Have I not set mine affections upon the World rather than upon God loving that which is evill hating that which is good yea God himselfe if not directly yet in his Holines shining in his Ordinances and in his children or as hee is a severe inflicter of punishment Fearing man more than God trusting in the Creature making something besides God my chiefe joy Have I not presumed when I had cause to despaire and despaired after that I had cause to hope Have I not â—empted God many wayes And have I not in the matters of God beene either cold lukewarme or blindely or preposterously zealous Hath there not beene a pronenesse in my whole outward man to rebell against God The second Commandement concerneth all such lawfull worships of God which he onely hath appointed whereby he communicateth himselfe to man and man againe maketh profession of him forbidding under one kinde all such as are not by him ordained Thinke thus Have I worshipped God in spirit and truth in all the kindes and parts of his Worship publike or private ordinary or extraordinary as by hearing reading and meditating of his Word by praying praising and giving thankes to him by a right use of his Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and by Religious Fasting Religious Feasting and making of vowes according as I have had speciall occasion And have I done what did belong to me for the setting forth and maintaining of Gods true Worship and have I according to my place executed aright or submitted unto the government and discipline of the Church Or besides the omission of the former duties Am I not guilty some way or other of Idoll-worship conceiving of GOD in my mind or representing him to my sense in the likenes of any creture Have I not added to or detracted from any part of Gods Worship Have I not run into the appearances and occasions of Idolatry as by presence at Idoll-service by marriage and needlesse â—amiliarity with Idolatrous persons by reserving undefaced monuments of Idolatry At least is â—ot my heart guilty of not hating but rather lingering after Idolatrous worship Have I not been guilty of superstition or Will-worship c. The third Commandement concerneth the glory of Gods holy Name shining forth in his Titles Attributes Religion Word Ordinances People or any thing that hath in it any print of his holinesse or excellency forbidding the taking of it in vaine and that in all actions religious or common Have I glorified God by answering my holy profession with an holy and unblameable conversation by performing all holy duties with due preparation knowledge and devotion also by thinking and speaking of the Names and holy things of God with holy reverence and in particular by fearing an Oath Or have I not caused the Name Religion and People of God to be ill thought of and dishonoured by my evill course of living or at least by committing some grosse sinâ— Am I not guilty of rash unprepared heedlesse forgetfull and fruitlesse reading hearing receiving the Sacraments or performance of any other the worships of God Have I not thought or spoken blasphemously or contempiuously of God or of any the things of God Have I not used the Name of God needlesly rashly wickedly or falsly in swearing or lightly in my Salutations Admirations or otherwise in my ordinary communication Have I not abused the Name of God his Scriptures his Ordinances and Creatures using them for other purposes then hee alloweth as for sports spels charms or any sorcery luxury or the like Have I not passed by the great workes of Gods power mercy and judgements without due observation and acknowledgement of God therein The fourth Commandement concerneth the ordinary solemne time of the service and worship of God requiring that the seventh day now our Lords day be kept with an holy rest Have I upon the six dayes Remembred the Lords day that I might dispatch all my worldly businesse and prepare my heart that when it came I might keep an holy Sabbath to the Lord according to the Commandement Did I according as my health would permit rise early on that day Have I performed my daily both morning and evening exercises of Religion alone and with my family that day in private Have I caused all under my authority according to my power to rest from all manner of workes and worldly sports also my selfe not onely from the labour of my body but of my mind in all worldly businesse except about the things that concerne common honestie and comelinesse workes of mercy and such workes of necessitie as could not be done before or stay to be done afterwards Have I alwayes prepared my heart before I went into the house and presence of God by meditation of Gods Word and Workes and in particular by examination and reformation of my wayes also by prayer thankesgiving and holy resolution to carry my selfe as in Gods presence and to heare and obey whatsoever I should bee taught out of the Word of God Have I caused my family to goe with me to the Church And did I with them come in due time and being there did stay the whole time of prayer reading and preaching of the Word singing of Psalmes receiving and administring the Sacraments even that of Baptisme when others are Baptised and did attend diligently and joyne with the Minister and the rest of the Congregation in all those holy exercises Did I spend the day after the Morning and Evening Prayers Sermons or Catechisings in meditation and as I had opportunitie in conference and repetition of what I had heard also in visiting the sicke and other workes of mercy and so from the beginning to the end of the day have beene imployed in holy thoughts words and deeds and all this with spirituall delight Or Am I not guiltie of forgetting it before it came and of neglecting and prophaning it when it came as by meere idlenesse or by taking opportunity of leisure from busines of my calling to be