want of all grace and thus the godly faint not 2. Another arising from the weaknesse of grace by the opposition of temptation and corruption And thus the godly may faint in part but they shall come to a recovery of themselves againe it is with the godly in their sinkings under afflictions as with a man that is skilfull to swimme at the first when hee is cast into the water he is over head and eares and the whole body is covered but by and by hee riseth up againe and swimmes upon the water commanding the water under him whereas it is with a meere naturall and carnall man in his sinkings under afflictions as it is with a stone cast into the deepe there is a great noise made but he sinketh lower and lower and never riseth up againe Vse 2 To examine the strength and sufficiency of our spirits to our enabling under the crosses wee suffer tell me not so much of the greatnesse and grievousnesse of your crosses which you are quick enough to doe but answer me what is the spirit within you and how doth it serve and helpe you can it and doth it sustaine you rightly bearing the burden for you I yeeld 1 That some mens spirits can do sleight crosses and seemingly they make nothing of them but with the Leviathan they laugh at the shaking of the speare but this is an argument of an evill and naughty spirit not to be sensible of Gods hand and rod. 2 That men carnall and formall to outward seeming are marveilous hardie in temper and stout in spirit and have without flinching or fainting passed thorough many afflictions and endured extreame torments when alas they have brawned themselves or a spirit of slumbering and benummednesse is cast upon them and for some selfe aimes they have onely restrained passion in the meane time they doe remaine destitute of all positive joy peace and confidence and want the assurance of the goodnesse of their spirits in bearing the crosse befalling them Quest How may a man know that by a sound and good spirit he beareth the crosse and calamity which God layeth upon him Three signes of a sound spirit upholding man under the crosse Answ By these Signes 1. When the cause of suffering is good a good spirit cannot beare up in an ill cause when a man suffers as a murderer â— A good cause or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters as it is written 1 Pet. 4. 15. Now conscience cannot uphold but when a man suffers as a Christian and is reproached for the name of Christ conscience can and doth uphold as you may reade in the 14. and 16. verses of the same Chapter we see the stoutnesse of the Apostles enduring the lash and the prison was grounded on this that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Acts 5. 41. 2. When the carriage under 2. A good carriage the crosse is becomming a good spirit which carrieth a man under Six waies of the spirits carrying a man under the crosse the crosse 1. With silence stopping inward frettings and outward murmurings against the Lord making a man to say yet my soule be silent unto the Lord it layeth the mouth in the dust and dares not open the mouth against the Lord to charge him foolishly 1 Sam. 3. 28 29. Psal 39. 9. 62. 5. 2. With submission and subjection the soule is low and very humble poore and exceeding empty the man is cast downe under Gods hand and will saying it is the Lord let him doe as it seemeth good unto him 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2. Sam. 15. 25. 3. With thankefullnesse the man can kisse the rod and blesse the rod and say with Iob the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord Iob 1. 21 22. 4. With religion making God as lovely and good and worthy to be praised prayed unto under calamity as at any other time of prosperity a man under the power of a sound spirit doth loose much of his sinne nothing of his godlinesse I dare say he is more quick and hearty in his devotion then at other times the soule doth now settle it selfe upon spirituall imployment and is taken up with God Is any man afflicted let him pray Iames 5. 13. 5. With humiliation now a man shall finde the guilts of his sinne and doth consider the deserts of his sins he can and doth weepe more for the sinfullnesse of sinne then for all the evills he doth sustaine and endure he well knoweth that man suffereth for his sinne and that sinne deserveth more evill then God inflicts upon his children and that the evill of sinne being the greatest of evills can never be sufficiently bewailed 6. With hope waiting upon Gods time and pleasure for deliverance out of trouble expecting that great good shall happily befall him in and by all the troubles which he endureth he considers that as the Bee hath his sting so hee hath his honey and crosses have their comforts in the latter end as well as bitternesse in the beginning Note I say such men doe put themselves into the covenant and promise and will keep themselves there they doe see the Covenant going along with them in their trialls and troubles and doe beleeve that a little assured good is above a great deale of sensible evill and this is the moderation of their spirit in and under the rod. 3. When their comming out 3. A good issue of trouble is glorious and gratious a sound spirit doth beare afflictions with power unto profit and carrieth all painefull evills with soveraigne good unto it selfe so that when a Christian is at the end of his trouble and tossings he shall set downe with great cost and recompence having the great fruit of his patience even blessed is he that endureth and the Spirit of God and glory shall rest upon him he shall say with David before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Psal 119. 67. And it is good for me that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes verse 71. Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. if we can finde any good by afflictions that our proud hearts are humbled that our corruptions are weakned and wasted that our graces are quickned and enlarged and that we are in any degree made more holy and heavenly this is an argument unto us that we have borne all our afflictions by the strength of a sound spirit Vse 3 Labour that there may bee found within you a good and a sound spirit to beare you up under your troubles we know not to what times of tryall God hath reserved us wee may meete with the crosse and calamity may be our portion wee know not how soone and then strength to beare will doe well but know that there is nothing
THE BEARING And BVRDEN OF the SPIRIT Wherein the sicknesse and soundnesse of the soule is opened and eight Cases of conscience cleared and resolved for the setling and comforting of perplexed consciences By JOHN SEDGVVICK Batchelor in Divinity and Preacher of GODS Word in London LONDON Printed by G. M for R. Harford and are to be sold by H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornehill 1639. TO THE WORSHIPEVLL Captaine SAMVEL CARLETON and his vertuous Wife Mrs MARTHA CARLETON Grace and Peace from Jesus Christ Beloved Friends IT is well knowne unto you at whose request these Sermons now presented joyntly to you both came to bee preached and for whose sake they are thus printed if any good come to any by either next unto God the thankes is due unto you I cannot denie to doe that service which commeth within the compasse of my calling and power which may either profit your selves or satisfie any of your Noble friends my onely sorrow is that I have so long delayed my promise and your expectations you now see long look for commeth at length and my earnest desire is that it may answer the expectation of the Noble Lady and my thankfull mind whose requitals to you and yours for many undeserved favours lay in no other way then the furthering of your spirituall good and comfort God you see gaineth glory to himselfe by weake meanes and many times derided Sermons by braine-sick and full men doe proove relishing and healing to wounded consciences I wish from my heart unto you both and all yours the peace and purity of conscience the integrity and sincerity of holy walking together with the addition of all graces and comforts belonging unto Christians and that a spurre may be found in these Sermons to prick you on to a holy care of conscience which will proove your best friend or worst enemy beleeve me friends the man is as his conscience is if that bee good in constitution and in execution all things will answer to it in life and death you enjoying its goodnesse shall not faile of its strength and boldnesse make much of it and cherish it therefore as your best lewell and in so doing I shall account my paines plentifully recompenced and be further encouraged to bee yours in what I am able when you shall bee pleased to command me in meane time I take leave and rest Yours in the Lord Iesus IOHN SEDGVVICK Soper-lane London August 21. 1638. To the Reader I Wish thee conscience and care in reading and following what is contained in the ensuing Sermons which are now more large in the Presse then they were in the Pulpit and may receive a farther addition of certaine cases if leasure shall permit in meane time let this that is done profit thee and helpe him with thy prayers who is thine in the best bond and ready to doe thee good JO SEDGVVICK THE BEARING of the burden by the SPIRIT PROV 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare SAlomon in his Proverbs is the great Master of the Sentences all his Parables are master Sentences whose matter exceed their words and whose words excell not themselves each sentence is pithy and compleate and so absolute that most an end especially from the beginning of the tenth Chapter it shineth in its owne native brightnesse and therefore at this time it spares us the searching after any coherence This present Proverb presents us with two observables 1. The power of a sound spirit against all externall calamity uttered in these words The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie 2. The impotencie of a mans spirit against inward perplexities a wounded spirit who can beare Concerning the first part I shall enquire into these things First what is meant by the infirmity of man Secondly what is that spirit of a man which doth and will beare this infirmity of a man To the knowledge of the firstenquiry know that the infirmity of man is double Note 1. One sinfull What are all those slips frailties imperfections unwilling risings and actions befalling the godly in their progresse of Sanctification are they not infirmities and it cannot be denied but that in reference to such kinde of infirmities the spirit of a Christian is and will be sustaining So long as a man alloweth not himselfe in evill or evill in himselfe but can and doth thoroughly judge himselfe unto the bewailing and loathing and leaving of all knowne evill in this case conscience will be his comfort and his stay upholding him in the assurance of a good estate with God against all those troubling arguments and distressing feares where withall hee is daily followed 2. Another is sorrowfull humane calamity is humane infirmity take all those miseries and crosses which divine providence doth inflict either immediately or mediately upon men suppose them to lie in the goods names bodies children or friends of men And this is the infirmity of man spoken of in this Text it s no new thing for the Holy Ghost to call crosses and afflictions befalling men by the name of infirmity or weaknesse and that because of that naturall imbecillity which is found in man to free himselfe from them or to stand under them a state of calamity is a weakning estate and none are more weake then men under the crosse and rod these things doe make men feeble and infirme as sicknesse is the weakenesse of the body so crosses reproaches and afflictions are the weakenesse of man Concerning our second enquirie you must note that there is a double Spirit sustaining humane infirmity 1. One above man and yet A twofold Spirit given unto man and that is the Spirit of God who is a Spirit of power and doth helpe to beare up the burden of all our calamities likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities saith Paul Rom. 8. 26. when a Christian doth finde a weaknesse in himselfe both to doe and to suffer the Spirit of God is assistant unto him and doth make the burden easie and supportable and what we are never able to beare of our selves by his strength we can and shall beare it as the Apostle she weth saying I can do all things through him that strengthneth me Phil. 4. 13. 2. Another in man which maketh man to be man which in some places is The spirit of man diversly taken taken largely for the whole soule of man but in this place more narrowly and strictly for the conscience of man its usuall for the Hebrewes to expresse conscience under the name of the spirit or the heart of man and in the New Testament it is called in one place our spirit Rom. 8. 16. and in another place the spirit of man for what man knoweth the things of a man saving the spirit of a man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. and surely if we doe Conscience called a spirit and vvhy looke unto the originall and being and manner of working of
good ends doth suffer Ends of doubtings in the godly foure doubtings in his as 1. To free them from many sins of pride presumption negligence and the like 2. To force them to their divine helps that now they may the more enquire and seeke resolution and setling from Heaven 3. To make them more firme and certaine Simile at the last a tree in shaking gets Nil tam certum quà m quod ex dubio certum fixednesse a scholler by enquiry gets satisfaction and a Christian by his doubtings commeth to be more resolved all our doubtings end in resolution God will give unto his at the last full satisfaction of soule and conscience 5. In the Elect all doubtings are curable and recoverable they are possible of cure and shall actually be cured in Gods time by Gods meanes the Lord doth mercifully heale his of all the tossings and turnings of their minds that at length they come to rest upon the mountaine of his truth goodnesse unto them in Christ there is an excellent temper toward Note healing wrought in Gods children they have a bent unto determination and will not give up their case as desperate what though they cannot quit themselves of all uncertainties and attaine unto positive fixing yet they will with Noahs Dove hover over the Arke which is Christ and the Promises the onely and able grounds of stedfastnesse and setling unto Christians The doubtings of wicked men are possible of curing if wee consider what God by his power can doe but yet they remaine uncured by the justice of God lying upon them and doe goe on increasing doubtings unto their owne damnation so that in the one doubtings are miserable but in the other damnable Seventhly beware of maintaining and cherishing doubtings within your owne soules it is for Christians to labour after the cure of this disease of doubting and to close up this spirituall distemper within their soules considering Motives to cure doubtings are three 1. That doubting is an ill quality in the soule that breeds unto much discomfort depriving of all true staiednesse and contentment 2. It is that which is very hindersome to a progresse in Christianity keeping Christians at a stay and standing and 3. There is nothing which is more injurious to God in his Attributes who must not bee questioned in his promised Power Truth Love and Goodnesse and yet wee finde this to bee a common failing in doubting Christians to cherish and nourish doubtings within themselves yea and many times to study and follow the way of doubting a great and cruell evill most gratefull unto Meanes against cherishing doubts Satan and displeasing to God my counsell therefore is unto you 1. To make and maintaine no argument within you against the full and gratious promises of God delight not in that childish and unreasonable kinde of disputation which may hurry the soule with feares and doubtings helping doubts against faith if men will thrust away the promises from themselves and say that though there be an absolute truth and goodnesse in them yet their truth and goodnesse doth not belong unto them how can the soule possibly settle and be quiet can Simile the anchor fixe if it want ground or the bird rest whilst its in the aire no more can a Christian resolve and settle if it pleade against the promises 2. Beleeve no testimonie of Satan concerning your conditions I know Satan will take upon him to judge of Christians sinnes and services and temper and state and as he hath an art to colour over the true condition of sinnefull bondage so hee hath a delusion in hiding from the eyes of Christians the true powers of gratious sincerity and safe standing now if wee looke upon things in the divells glasse beleeving that all things are in us and with us as hee doth tell us how shall wee bee tossed too and fro and what can abide us but daily doubtings for Satan will alwaies bee deciding and determining against a Christians comfort and happinesse he being their utter enemie it doth well become us to wave the erroneous judgement of Satan 1. By making our appeales The testimony of Satan put by tvvo vvaies unto God the Just and Supreame Judge to whom immediately and onely the decisive power doth appertaine I say none but God can decide the triall of a mans eternall estate 2. By resting in the testimony of Gods Word wee must learne the skill of beating of Satan by the Word setting up the judgement of the Word against the judgement of Satan and if wee can finde from the Word a good estate let Satan goe and whistle wee need in nothing bee troubled by him 3. Be not apt to give way unto needlesse and causelesse feares this is a great fault in Christians and very injurious unto setling you shall seldome finde but that an overfearing nature is a doubting nature and if we will give way unto the creating and multiplying of our feares wee shall feed and nourish scruples and doubtings exceedingly consider it in experience if that a childe be hurt or any undesired newes brought unto us of the sicknesse or calamity of a neare and deare friend the heart is presently grieving and fearing and when feares prevaile and command within then the minde is full of questionings sure the wound is mortall and my friend is dead or in farre worse condition then is reported unto mee and alas what will bee the issue the party is extreamely cruciated in his minde and just so is it in the case in hand if that men will still feare their estate how can they but still continue under doubtings and bee as it were at their wits end not knowing what to doe or what shall become of themselves 4. Doe not disregard motions and motives unto setlednesse there are many who come to Gods Word and Ministers with their doubtings and with many teares and bitter complaints they vent themselves of them now when the Minister hath judicially shewed unto them not onely the causes but the cures of those their doubtings and hath given unto them curing comfort and counsell they set up their reasons against all that is said and conceive the man to be mistaken in them or else they forget the consolation not applying themselves to the way prescribed and surely long may such continue under a doubting condition who reject all directions given unto them Eighthly affect not a life of sense this will expose us to infinite doubtings it is open unto all windes and hath no constant bottome to settle upon observe the uncertainty of this life of sense in Thomas the man would not beleeve that Christ was risen except he should see in his hands the print of the nailes and thrust his hand into his side Ioh. 20. 21. Say now that Christ had for ever withdrawne his bodily presence from Thomas where had beene all those sweet comforts which he might have enjoyed in and by the resurrection of Christ certainely hee had