we so thinke of it is one thing but faith to rest vpon Gods promises for the forgiuenes of sinne is another thing The first namely credulitie when men are light of beleefe is a sault and infirmitie of nature the second namely faith whereby all accusations are auoided all the fiery darts of the diuell are quenched is the vertue of the spirit and meerely the gift of God The Apostle Paul saith By grace yee are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Yea the same Apostle makes it a worke of no lesse power of God to bring a sinfull man vnto this sauing faith then it was to raise Iesus from the dead as appeareth by his words written to the Ephesians where hee praieth for the opening the eies of their vnderstading that they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power to vs which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead So that if any man be able to raise vp the dead quicken them if he lift then he is able to beleeue vnto saluation if hee lift and else not Surely faith vnto saluatiō is not in the power of man to take vnto himselfe at his pleasure when he lusteth But while I make faith not to bee in thine owne power I doe not thereby take from thee all possibility of obtaining it if it were wholly wanting For I haue shewed thee that it is the gift of God Hee that quickeneth the dead he it is that maketh sinners to beleeue and if thou wouldest beleeue and wile pray vnto him to giue thee a heart to beleeue God will heare thy prayer and grant thy desire and that without faile◅ if thou pray vnto him in his Sonnes name who saith vnto vs Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you And while thou praiest thy faith will grow and while thou beleeuest thou shalt haue more heart to praier and these two within thee Faith and praier will afford mutuall help either to other and they will grow together and thou shalt become strong in faith and feruent in praier Augustine hath an apt saying to this purpose Vt oremus credamus vt ipsa non deficiat sides qua oramu◅ oremus fides fundit orationem fu◅a oratio fidei impetrat firmitatem Let vs beleeue in God that wee may pray vnto him and let vs pray that the faith by which wee pray faile not faith powreth out praier vnto God and praier powred forth obtaineth strength of faith from God Pray therefore imboldened by the promise of the Lord Iesus And seeing the chiefest meanes whereby God worketh faith is his word euen the word of the Gospel which therefore the Apostle calleth the word of faith that is the word begetting faith the word in which and by which wee beleeue saying The word is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which wee preach Therefore giue thy selfe to the study of the word heare it reade it meditate in it there shalt thou finde the sweet promises of mercy there shalt thou find Iesus the Mediatour in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen there shalt thou finde assurance for thy soule to bring it to true rest For thy priuat reading and what thou shalt gaine thereby heare the saying of our blessed Sauiour Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternal life and they are they which testifie of mee There shall we find the true knowledge of Iesus Christ and eternall life And for the diligent hearing of the word preached and for the fruit thou shalt reape thereby Paul doth sufficiently informe thee when hee s◅ith Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God In which words he giues thee to vnderstand that that faith which is the condition that wee doe speake of if it were wanting is obtained by hearing the word of GOD as by that ordinarie meanes which God hath appoynted to bring the vnbeleeuing Gentiles thereby to the faith of Iesus Christ as somewhat more fully he shewed in the same place before saying How shall they that is the Gent◅les call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Here is the ordinary ◅ay described by which God calleth the ignorant and vnbeleeuing Gentiles to faith and sa◅uation First hee putteth the word of reconciliation into the mouth of some chosen Messenger and sendeth him to preach without which sending he could not goe then by his preaching these ignorāt vnbelieuing come to heare the word of faith saltion without which preaching they could not heare Thirdly by that hearing he worketh in them knowledge faith in the Redeemer without which hearing they could neither know nor beleeue Then lastly by that faith are they imboldened to pray vnto God without which faith they could haue no courage nor comfort to pray And vnto their praiers growing from that faith is saluation giuen according to a saying of the Prophet Ioel which the Apostle alledgeth Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued So that thy diligence in hearing the word of God with gladnesse of heart will helpe thee to faith and by faith to forgiuenesse of sinnes which is saluation of soule And for thy meditating in the word of God and what benefit thereby thou shalt obtaine the Prophet Dauid teacheth thee in the first Psalme where he pronounceth him to be a blessed man that hath his delight in the Law of God and in his Law meditateth day and night Diligent moditating in the Law of God maketh a man to be blessed but blessednes comprehendeth the forgiuenesse of sinnes that followeth faith the same Prophet saying Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie In one word to shew thee fully how auaileable to the obtaining increase of faith the studie of the Gospel wil be the reading hearing and meditating thereon consider the saying of Saint Paul writing to the Romans I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also the Grecian for by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed from faith vnto faith as it is written the iust shall liue by faith It is the doctrine of faith for Iew and Gentile it breedeth nourisheth and increaseth faith bringing it forward by degrees vnto full ripenesse it iustifieth the beleeuer and saueth the iustified man and effecteth these things powerfully as the instrument of God for hee calleth it
pleased either to shew mercie or to execute iudgement so shall euery man stand or fall escape or perish not as either he himselfe or any other shall iudge and pronounce of him Therefore this point of particular reprobation being exempted from mans iudgement for God sheweth mercie and giueth faith and repentance at his pleasure euen while the thiefe hangeth on the tree â—…ust exception lieth against this vnkind obiection Secondly if the matter were such as man might iudge and pronounce of yet I may without offence if I see reason for it deny to credit thy words because as all men are so art thou when thou art in best tune apt to be deceiued and prone to receiue imbrace and deliuer a liâ—… Dauid hath these words in one of the Psalmes I said in my feare all men are liers And what the Prophet spake in feare that the Apostle Saint Paul without feare and in a freer mind hath confirmed saying Let God be true and euerie man a liar as it is written And I am not bound to keepe silence to euerie word that comes from the mouth of a liar when I haue reason to think otherwise then he speaketh as I haue at this time to think otherwise then thou speakest Thirdly and lastly I haue at this time iust cause of exception against thy words because thy present disease thy disquietnes of mind thy feare that thou art in trouble both thy vnderstanding and speech that thou canst neither apprehend things as they are nor pronounce them as thou vnderstandest them And thou laborest vnder a temptation directly bent against thy faith perswading thee those things that are preiudiciall to thy soule And out of some violent fit of that temptation thou makest this vnkind obiection against thy selfe Thus in regard of thee that art the immediat speaker in mine eares I haue iust libertie to reply against this obiection But howsoeuer thou art in mine â—…are the immediate speaker yet in my vnderstanding the words of this obiection haue another a more remote and a more dangerous author The Spirit of GOD which is the Spirite of trueth and leadeth into all trueth is called in the Scripture a Comforter When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the spirit of truth which proceedeth of the Father he shall testifie of 〈◊〉 This spake the Lord Iesus calling 〈◊〉 Holy-ghost which is the spirit of trueth a comforter But the wordes of this obiection sound not like the words of a Comforter therefore I cannot iudge them to be the words of that spirit that is the spirit of trueth But there is another spirit that as the Lord Iesus saith abode not in the trueth because there is no truth in him when hee speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his owne for he is a liar and the father thereof To that spirit is the name of Satan giuen which signifieth an aduersarie because hee seeketh our hurt and in all things dealeth with vs as a sworne aduersarie of whom vnder the name of an aduersarie Saint Peter warnes vs to take heede saying Your aduersarie the diuell as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may denoure whom resist stedfast in the faith And the words of this obiection were neuer put into thy mouth by any friend And they plaiâ—…ly shew an aduersarie euen that aduersary to be their author and suggester who being himselfe eternally forsaken of God vtterly lost without hope of redemption and a reprobate Angell bound in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day would make thee beleeue that thou also art forsaken lost and reprobate in like manner as himselfe Now such an one a lier and an aduersarie being the prompter of these fearefull things vnto thine heart thou oughtest not to giue any the least credite vnto them much lesse to maintaine them against thy selfe He being a lying spirit pietie doth teach thee not to beleeue him and being an aduersarie wisedome if thou haueany persuades to distrust him And both froÌ„ thee the speaker and from him the author of this vngodly obiection I haue much confidence and am much imboldened to make replie And against thy vncharitable affirmation saying I am forsaken I am lost I am a reprobate I will oppose a more charitable negation and say thou art not forsaken thou art not lost thou art not a reprobate And I will see how I can maintaine my saying and ouerthrow thiâ—…e that thou maiest not be ouerthrowne First thou saiest thou art forsaken If by this speech thou meanest that now for the present God hauing laied trouble vpon thee withdraweth his assisting power and hand from thee and leaueth thee vnder the crosse to cry and grone and to take notice of thy infirmitie in this sense I grant thou maiest bee forsaken But this is a temporary forsaking it is not a finall forsaking And to them that aâ—…e so forsaken God after in his time returneth with saluation there is hope for them Hereof let this be an argument vnto thee that the best seruants of God are in this manner forsaken oft times and feele themselues so to be and complaine heauily for it and yet after obtaine helpe So was it with Dauid when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring If wee should say that these words were words of feare rather then of truth it might be with shew of reason maintained for God was not so far departed from hâ—…m as he feared but grant that they were words of truth and that God was indeed departed from Dauid and had forsaken him did not God returne againe vnto him and had not hee euen then hope of Gods returne did not God receiue him again into his protection and helpe him and had not hee euen then hope of such helpe from God that he had such hope of Gods returne to his helpe hee declareth by his praier vnto God continued in the same Psalme where he saith Be not thou far of O Lord my strength hasten to helpe me Hee that could thus pray wanted not hope of Gods returne to his helpe though hee were for the present forsaken And that God did returne vnto him and helpe him according to that hope of his hee also declareth in that Psalme speaking of himselfe though he vseth the third person as if hee had spoken of others Hee hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poore neither hath he hid his face from him but when he called vpon him he heard So that though he were forsaken it was but for a time when the Lord was pleased for the exercise of the Prophets faith to hide his face from him The Prophet by his praier quickly found him out where he was hidden and at the crie of that praier he heard and came forth to his succour I might heere adde the example
calmed hauing vented his griefe into the bosome of God and therfore from the beginning of the sixteenth verse he speketh in another temper partly professing his owne comfort and faith whereto euen the falshood of his enemies detestable before God gaue some strength and partly instructing others how in like assault of trouble they may grow vnto like comfort He professeth his owne recouered comfort in all these verses beginning with the sixteenth to the end of the Psalme my text excepted and he instructeth others in my text Those whom he instructeth are such as himselfe lately was namely men ouercharged with some heauy burthen The instruction that he giueth them is the same that he followed himselfe when he was burdened namely by faith and praier to turne the burden vpon the shoulders of God in these words Cast thy burden vpon the Lord. The successe that he promiseth them obseruing his instruction is the same that he found himselfe namely reliefe helpe and deliuerance from God in these words And he shal nourish thee he wil not suffer the righteous to fal for euer Some profitable obseruations may be drawen from the persons instructing and instructed and some from the instruction it selfe These things shall be handled in order CHAP. 2. THe person instructing declareth true charity seeking to further others in obtaining mercy as he before had been furthered himselfe according to a good rule of our blessed sauiour giuen in word to Peter but recorded in writing for all When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren That is when thou hast found fauour with God teach others the way how so to seeke that they also may find the same and in all things impart vnto others the good that hath been imparted to thee He that escaped a danger in the way will he not giue warning to his neighbour that is to trauell the same way and he that hath recouered health by any good meanes will he not in his neighbours sicknesse acquaint him with the meanes for his recouery certainly an honest man will This rule should be kept in al things but especially in the best things when thou hast learned the truth seeke to recouer thy brother out of error when thou hast obtained grace to amend thy waies seeke to recouer thy brother out of the bands of sinne and when thou hast won true comfort of heart vnto thy selfe helpe to settle the peace of thy brothers conscience Andrew hauing found Iesus brought his brother Simon to him Philip hauing found him brought Nathaniell to him And the woman of Sichar hauing found the Messias called her neighbours saying Come see a man that hath told me all things that euer I did is not he the Christi When thou hast found God yea rather hast bin found of God in any mercy shewed vnto thee teach thy brother how to goe foorth to seek the Lord that he also may find him and be found of him For no man receiueth any blessing of God for his sole priuate vse but that he should communicate the same to others It is a good saying of Chrysostome It belongeth to him that receiueth to communicate his good to others and hee prooueth it by the members of the body that communicate their faculties to the whole body and turne priuate possession into publike vse and by the professors of arts and sciences that communicate their skill and worke vnto others And he doubteth not to affirme that whosoeuer refuseth to communicate the skill and blessing whatsoeuer that he possesseth to the benefit of others hurteth yea destroieth both himselfe and others Study therefore to make commō the mercy shewed to thee This doth Dauid hauing found comfort by turning his griefe vpon God he teacheth others to doe the like Thus much of the person instructing CHAP. 3. THE person instructed is deciphered by his condition intimated in the name of burden when he saith Cast thy burden namely the man that in his soule is ouercharged with griefes and cares and feares as with a heauy burden such as the Lord speaketh vnto in the Gospell saying Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you If a burden be heauy it ladeth if it lie long vpon vs i◅ wearieth to men so laden and wearied the Lord Iesus offereth comfort And vnto the same men to preuent ouerlading and wearinesse as also to procure their ease that are ouerladen and wearied Dauid giueth this instruction Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee c. Of men so burdened here are wee taught to haue compassion and to labor by counsell and all good meanes to procure their comfort and ease Thereto pertaines that precept of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Speake comfortably to Ierusalem in the Hebrew it is speake to the heart of Ierusalem Which phrase S. Ierome thus interpreteth He that speaketh to him that mourneth and is vnto him a pleasing comforter he speaketh to his heart and crie vnto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath receiued of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes So that when God hath humbled his people by any crosse that for the correction of their sinnes he laid vpon them his compassion presently mooueth and he pittieth them as if they had borne twise more then they deserued and thenceforth he commandeth al men that regard his voice to comfort them with all good words and to assure them of his fauour Yea to speake vnto their heart that is all such words as may minister comfort to their hearts The Apostle Paul giueth a like charge vnto vs saying Comfort the feeble minded And most excellently in the Epistle to the Hebrews Remember them that are in bands as if yee were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye also were afflicted in the body We should esteem the afflictions of others as our own afflictions take vpon vs in compassion that which they sustaine in passion And both in our inward affection and outward diligence we should study and worke their releefe as we should study and worke our owne For we are all of the same kind condition and quality and nothing is befallen them that may not quickly fall vpon vs also we are should acknowledge our selues to be members of the same body whose property if they be neither dead nor diuided from the body is to feele the affliction of their fellow members and diligently to seeke their reliefe But especially finding God to be rich in mercy to vs and euen a father of consolation we should be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull and should study to comfort them whom the God of all consolation loueth It is the precious vse that God doth giue vs of good mens company in this life and it is the thing wherein good men doe prooue themselues to be such when they
of Hezekiah his father it is likly that he had been carefully taught and that his father did no more leaue him without counsell at his departure out of life then Dauid wheÌ„ he was ready to die did leaue his sonne Salomon When the dayes of Dauid drew neare that he should die he charged Salomon his sonne saying I goe the way of all the earth be strong therefore shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies c. Thus out of his care did he not cease while there was life and strength in himselfe to teach his sonne his dutie to God And of Hezekiah it is testified that hee did vprightly iâ—… 3. the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid bad done therefore it is not likely that either in the time of health or in the time of his sickenes hee neglected the instruction of his son that should succeed him It must needes bee therefore that Manasses sin was against knowledge euen in his childhood much more afterward Sure it was with full freedome of his will euen with a high hand of whom it is thus written He did euill in the sight of the Lord like the abhomination of the heathen whoÌ„ the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel for he went backe built the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken downe he set vp Alters for Baalim and made groues and worshiped all the hoast of Heauen and serued them Also he built Alters in the house of the Lord where of the Lord had said in Ierusulem shall my name be for euer And he built Alters for all the hoast of the heaueÌ„ in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the vallie of Benhinnom he gaue himselfe here was full sway of his owne will to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcery and he vsed them that had familiar spirits and soothsayers he did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him c. Here was a man violent headstrong yea mad and furious in his sinne and not in small but in the greatest sinnes not onely against the second table but much more against the commandements of the first table in all kindes of idolatry and all vngodly profanations and yet hee found fauour at the hands of God who first brought him to repentance by 〈◊〉 and then forgiuing his sinne restored him to peace The history wherof is thus recorded The Lord brought vpon him the captaines of the hoast of the King of Ashur which tooke Manasses and put him in fetters and bound him 〈◊〉 chaines and caried him to Baâ—…ell And when he was in tribulation he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his father and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome then Manasses know that the Lord was God Now after this he built a wall without the Citie of Dauid on the west side of Gihon in the valley euen at 〈◊〉 entry of the fish-gate and compassed about Ophet and raised it very high and put Captaines of war in all the strong Citties of Iudah And he tooke away the strange Gods and the image out of the house of the Lord all the Alters that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Ierusalem and cast them out of the Citie Also he prepared the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace offrings and of thankes and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel Consider seriously this example weigh therein on the one side the sinne of the man on the other side the mercy of God In Manasses thou shalt see the height of thy sinne equalled if not exceeded and in God thou shalt see mercy exceeding all sinne And where such mercy appeareth what should make the sinner doubt of finding fauour while he seeketh it with a true purpose of leauing his sinne and true faith and hearty praier I might ad herevnto the example of that theefe that was crucified at the same time with the Lord Iesus vpon his right hand to whom making his paier to Iesus in these words Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome The Lord again mâ—…de him this answere ful of most rich mercy this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice This man liuing among the people of Iudah could not be ignorant of the commandement of God forbidding theft therefore his sin was against knowledge And making a trade of theft thereby to maintaine himselfe there was no violence offred to his will but freely willingly and with choyce he followed that course and was euen a couenant seruant of sinne reaping with delight the wages of iniquitie in the spoile that he made of the inocent And yet he found fauour and had his sinne forgiuen him and entred into life Who shall then dispaire of the mercy of God Saint Ambrose calles the historie of this man â—…ulcherrimum affectandae conuersionis exemplum A most Godly example to moue men to turne to God And these examples let our afflicted sinner consider seriously They are writtâ—…n for our instruction in them hee shall espie an hole in the wall of hope which will proue a dore of mercy for him to enter if he dig by hearty paier And for the further confirmation of his hope Let our afflicted sinner know that there is only one kinde of sinne vnpardonable and he shall find the sin that he is charged withall not to be that sin therefore to be pardonable And this is no small incouragmeÌ„t to know his sin how great so euer yet to be pardonable when a sicke man vnderstandeth his disease that will be mortall to him if hee neglect it yet to be curable if he looke to it in time apply apt medicines vnto it hee will take much comfort in that knowledge thenceforth he will diligently seek for remedy And so must our afflicted sinner when he shal vnderstand his sinne to be such as may be forgiuen comfort his soule with that consideration and thenceforth diligently vse the meanes that God our Phisition prescribeth and the effect by the mercy of God wil be health peace saluation Now that sinne that is vnpardonable is called in the Scripture blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Whereof our Sauiour speaketh in these wordes saying Verily I say vnto you all sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphems against the Holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Which sinne if wee consider the circumstances of the place where the Pharises are charged with it especially as that matter is recorded by Saint Mathew in his twelst
not pertaine vnto thee because it was made with the house of Israel and thou art neither Israelite in the flesh nor by promise but takest thy selfe rather worthy to be esteemed an Egyptian a Cananite an Edomite And if thou wilt a Dog and what soeuer other name thou canst remember or deuise And yet I will shew and proue that this promise made with the house of Israel pertaineth vnto thee But first to begin withall let me here remember vnto thee an historie recorded in the Gospell A certaine woman of the seed of Canaan dwelling in the coastes of Tyrus and Sidon had at home at hir house a daughter that was possessed with a diuel shee came vnto Iesus crauing mercy at his hands for the healing of hir daughter saying vnto him Haue mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserablie vexed with a Diuel The Lord Iesus reiecteth her as a stranger from the common wealth of Israel and as some beast of wilde and fierce nature not fit to be folded vp among his milde sheepe saying vnto her I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Hee pronounced asmuch of her as thou pronouncest of thy selfe shee was no Israelite And when this answere which thou art so much afraid of comming but from thine owne mouth could not though it came from the mouth of Iesus checke that boldnes and confidence of spirit in which she came but that she still continued her sute hee dealt more roughly with her and signified vnto her inplaine words that he made no other account of her then of a Dog in comparison of the children of God to whom the bread of Gods mercy by the hands of the sauiour is to be broken saying vnto her It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes That is I were not fit to haue the gouernment of Gods house if the mercy which is the portion of his children I should cast away among Dogs such as thou art Tell me what thy heart can obiect against thy selfe to exclude thee from the common wealth and house of Israel and to cut thee off from being partner in that promise for forgiuenesse of sinnes or in any other promise of God what soeuer that is not here obiected by the Lord Iesus Christ against this Cananite to exclude her from all hope of obtaining any mercy at his hands He denies her to be of the house of Israel hee doeth not acknowledge her to bee a sheepe of his fold and in plaine termes to the vnderstanding of all that heare his wordes he placeth her among Dogs rather then among children And this is it that thou chargest thy selfe to be and therefore secluded from hauing any part in that promise But that poore woman would not be answered so but still she persisteth in praier and knowing beleeuing that Iesus the sonne of Dauid was able to infranchise her and make her a Citizen member of the common wealth of Israel and to change her and of a Dog to make her a sheepe of his folde yea a child of Gods familie shee intr◅ateth him to admit her to the portion of an allowed dog saying vnto him Trueth Lord yet in deed the whelpes eate of the crums which fall from their masters table And to maintaine in her such faith and such feruencie shee had no promise so particularly answering the euill that oppressed her heart as that promise doeth particularly and most aptly answere to the euill that lieth so heauily vpon thy conscience onely shee had heard that Iesus had helped others And this her inforced importunitie and as a man would thinke her vnreasonable and vnmannerly soliciting preuailed for her and she obtained all that mercy that her soule desired What shall I say then vnto thee that so foolishly vrgest against thy selfe the shadow of thine owne suspicion and thine owne fantasticall feare and refusest to call for that mercy that God hath alreadie promised to grant a Cananite and a dog neither Israelite nor sheepe nor child preuaileth and thou discouraged onely by thine owne conceit◅ darest not aduenture But it runneth in thy head that thou art no Israelite And according to the naturall signification of the name for a son of Iacobs loynes thou art none thou regardest not to be one because that manner of being an Israelite would nothing benefit thee But thou also thinkest that in the other significatiō of the name thou likewise art none affirmest him in that ◅ence to be an Israelite that is a child of promise an heire of grace a preuailer with God a citizen with saints of the houshold of God which thou art not Thy definition of a true Israelite is good and to be maintained But for thee to denie thy self to be such an one is not good nor to be maintained for art not thou descended of Christian parents and thereby a Cittizen with the Saints and a child borne within the houshold of faith And an holy one from the wombe the Apostle Paul speaking of the children of beleeuing parents hath these words Else were your children vncleane but now they are holy Wherein he doth pronounce them to be holy that is to haue a title to the couenāt of grace and to all the priuileges of the Church and therefore to be of the house of Israel And this is their birth-right their iust inheritance if either the father or the mother be a right beleeuer though the other parent bee an infidell but both thy parents made profession of the faith of Iesus Christ therefore this birth-right on both sides is confirmed to thee and who shal denie him to be a true Israelite that is borne holy being of that Holy nation and peculiar people that Saint Peter speakes of Also thy parents receiued the promises of Gods mercy not onely for themselues but also for thee as the Apostle Peter preached to his hearers saying The promise is made vnto you and to your children and to all that are a farre of euen so many as the Lord our God shall call And this affliction which now lieth so heauie vpon thy conscience is nothing else then the calling of God seeking by this trouble to bring thee home vnto himselfe that hast so long in in thy former securitie gone astray from him and therefore that promise of forgiuing iniquitie and not remembring sinne and all other promises of his mercy are made to thee and doe belong vnto thee as to a true Israelite thou being the child of such parents as did inherite the same promises before thee and thou being also by thy afflictiō called of God And say that thou wert a stranger and forrener and as hard-hearted as the stones in the streete that are nothing fit to receiue the forme of a seruiceable vessell Yet such is the power of the hand of God our Potter that he is able to
the power of God to saue that is the instrument by which hee powerfully saueth Though therefore thou hast not power to settle thine own hart by giuing saith vnto thy selfe yet thou hast no cause to be discomforted for by praier vnto God and by study in the word of GOD it is obtained at his hands These are the conditions betweene God and man which God requireth where he forgiueth sins three in number One that concerneth most directly thy selfe that is repentance renewing thy heart to hate sinne and to loue vertue and reforming thy life to slie sinne and practise vertue A second that concerneth most directly thy brother that is charitie and compassion to forgiue vnto him the wrongs done vnto thee to comfort him and to doe good to him as thou wouldest that God should forgiue vnto thee the wrongs that thou hast done vnto him that God should comfort thee and doe good vnto thee A third that concerneth most directly God himselfe reuealed vnto vs in his sinne Iesus Christ namely our faith that wee neither thinke basely of the mercy of God nor of the merite of Iesus Christ as if there were some person that it could not releeue and thy selfe that person and some sinne that it could not do away and thy sinne that sinne And now maiest thou vnderstand what it is that causeth so many to perish in their sinnes and how it commeth to passe that so few are saued when yet without exception of any sinne the Lord Iesus commandeth and by commandement giueth leaue to aske and hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne and likewise without exception of anie sinne God the â—…ather of our Lord Iesus Christ promiseth to forgiue sinne First they haue no caâ—…e of repentance to forsake sinne yea with delight they dwell in it liue in it and die in it and they will rather forsake God and renounce heauen then leaue their pleasant and gainfull sinnes Secondly they haue no care of charitie and compassion to their neighbour they regard not the rest the credit the prosperitie the peace and safetie of their neighbour and being full of pride of wrath and furie they prosecute the least wrong till they be reuenged Thirdly they regard not to know how ample the Lords mercie is and the death of Christ and doctrine of saluation are foolishnesse to them they pray not for faith and they stoppe their cares against the word of God And hereby it commeth to passe that they perish in their sinnes not that their sinnes are so great that they cannot bee pardoned or God so mercilesse that he will not pardon them or Iesus Christ so defectiue in his mediation that he hath not done and suffered enough to discharge them but themselues are so carelesse so prowd so contemptuous so desperate that they will not leaue to sinne they will not loue their neighbours they will not know God but they will goe on in their courses like them whom Ieremie complaineth of saying They are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels and they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they haue no courage for the trueth vppon the earth for they proceed from euill to worse they haue not known me saith the Lord. This is the cause why they perish And here maiest thou vnderstand how to reape the benefit of the leaue that Christ hath giuen thee by his commandement to aske forgiuenesse of thy sins how to reape the benefit of the promise that God hath giuen thee to grant forgiuenesse of sinnes First forsake the sinnes that haue been so chargeable vnto thee and hauing already found the reckoning to be so heauy vnto thee diet no more at the Ordinarie of fleshly lusts where the soule must pay for it in hell and the inheritance waste that God hath dearely bought for thee And finding how great need thou hast of mercie and forgiuenesse to keep thee from being eternally miserable Learne to bee tender hearted toward thy brother and afford him thy forgiuenesse that thou maist obtain the same measure of mercy at the hands of God And let it bee the chiefe of thy daily studies to vnderstand more cleerely then yet thou dost how infinite and boundlesse the mercie of God and the merit of Christ his bloud is In the word of God thou shalt finde these things And while thou are occupied with desire in these studies faith in the mercies of God will grow apace and in a short time bring thy conscience to that happy quietnesse that S. Paul speaketh of saying Being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus is thy feare growing from the multitude of them that perish and from the small number of them that are saued notwithstanding the commaundement of Christ giuing leaue to aske forgiuenes and the promise of GOD offering forgiuenesse shewed to bee an idle feare if thou wilt haue care of these conditions vpon which God granteth forgiuenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXII BVT heare againe the afflicted conscience breaketh out into grieuous complaintes and faith If these be the conditions required where sinnes are to be forgiuen I must neuer looke to grow vnto any agreement with God for the forgiuenes of mine for I haue not one of these three things in me For first I want repentance sinne aboundeth in me and whether I hate it or no I cannot tell though I know I haue no cause to loue it that proueth now so grieuous vnto me And secondly I hold my selfe to be void of loue to my neighbour I feare least I shall enuie other men their happy peace of conscience and their happy hope of saluation and that standeth not with loue And sure I am that I haue hurt them oft with the vniust act of my sinne and haue grieued and offended them with the vngodly example of my sinne And these things haue no agreement with loue And as for faith of all three it is furthest off If dispaire could obtaine forgiuenes of sinne I should soone speed for I am not far from that but if saluation must be apprehended by saith I am most far from it for I haue litle or no faith the present feare that I am in is directly opposite to faith This is the miserable condition of this burden that they which are pressed with it doe quickly apprehend and too well remember any thing that may increase their feare but they are dull too apprehend and doe soone forget any thing that might giue them comfort If this troubled sinner could but remember while the three conditions were spoken of what was said vnto him why hee should not be discomforted at the hearing of these conditions as if they or any one of them did breed impossibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes of sinnes he would not now make this fâ—…uolous obiection But let vs helpe his memorie that when God shall be pleased to looke gratiously vpon him his feare may be remoued for the ease
of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hanging vpon the crosse and being vnder the same temptation for other mens sins which thou art vnder for thine owne sinnes vsed the same words that Dauid did saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee I intreat this afflicted sinnet hearing the sonne of God complaine that he was forsaken of his father to tell mee his opinion whether he thinkes he was forsaken eternally or was forsaken onely for a time and whether after this forsaking God did not returne vnto him and deliuer him from all his feare If hee should answer that he thinkes hee was eternally forsaken and that God â—…turned not to deliuer him and that he was neuer deliuered from his feare it â—…ere an absurd answer For the history is plaine and cleare that though he were forsaken vnto the death and lest vnto the will of his enemies and sealed vp in his graue yet as the Prophet in his person had spoken to God before saying Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue â—…ither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption So God dealt with him hee was not left in the graue hee did not see corruption for on the third day God raised him vp again to life Forty daies after that hee ascended vp into heauen euen with his body and now in all fulnesse of glory and maiesty he sitteth at the right hand of God So that his folly would fully bewray it selfe if he should answer that Iesus was eternally forsaken and that God returned not to deliuer him from his feare And if hee answer as truth will compell him that he was forsaken onely for a time and after inioyed againe and still inioyeth the fauour of his father then it will follow by his owne confession that all that are forsaken are not eternally forsaken and some are onely left for a time to be tried exercised and humbled and after triall taken of their faith after patience perfected and true humility wrought in them hee that had forsaken them doth gather them againe into his lap he that had left them to themselues doth again receiue them into his charge And why then may not our sinner that crieth out thus that he is forsaken of God suppose himselfe to be onely forsaken for a time And if our sinner complayning that hee is forsaken thinketh otherwise as namely that God hath forsaken him for euer I answer him first that he speaketh foolishly and out of ignorant feare that being a matter of Gods secret counsel where of it is not possible that he should haue certaine knowledge that hath not so much knowledge as hee should of Gods reuealed will Let him goe first and make himselfe better acquainted with Gods reuealed will let him study to learne and know the promises the threatnings the precepts and rules contained in Gods word And as for the secret counsell of the Lord so much as concerneth him to vnderstand God â—…ill in time by his worke make knowen â—…nto him In the meane time let him learne to keepe silence that hath no certaine knowledge of the thing whereof he presumeth to pronounce Secondly I say vnto him that the â—…nner of his temptation argueth and concludeth against his owne saying that hee is not forsaken for euer For if God had purposed to forsake him for 〈◊〉 hee would not haue laied vpon him this temptation to make him thereby to see his sinne and the danger that his sinne bringeth him into for the sight of these things is a very ready way to repentance for it maketh a man to bee truly displeased with his sinne and it â—…aketh him restlesly carefull and desirous to winde himselfe out of the danger and it doth awake him with a witnesse out of his old security But rather if the Lord had intended his eternall reâ—…ection hee would haue rocked him asleep in his security with continual prosperity and much peace after the manner of the world that he might haue had no cause to feare sinne so long as the prodigall sonnes prosperity lasted hee neuer thought of returning home to his fathers house That surely is the way to scale vp sinners in their security and to keepe them from all thought or all desire or at least from all resolution with speede for to leaue sinne And so vseth God to deale with them whom hee forsaketh for euer As Iob obserued saying vnto God Wherfore doe the wicked liue and wax old and grow in wealth their seed is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies Marke in the next words what followeth Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them They are not troubled with any temptation like thine Their Bullocke gendereth and faileth not their Cow calueth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dance They take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly goe downe to the graue Thus for the most part God dealeth with them whom he meaneth to forsake for euer And this continuall prosperity most kindly locketh vp all the powers of their soule in security as in a dead sleepe that they neuer intend repentance but are confirmed in their sinne and in the contempt of God As Iob in the same place noteth in the very next words saying They say also vnto God depart from vs wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies who is the almighty that wee should serue him and what profit shall we haue if wee should pray vnto him Thus continuall prosperity shuttâ—…th vp the heart in security and bringâ—…th the wicked asleepe in sinne whereas no temptation that can come vnto a man doth so kindly waken the heart and open the eies of a sinner to see his sinne to hate his sinne to forsake his sinne to turne to God and to seeke pardon by repentance as doth this tentatiâ—… of thine Thinke rather that God is gâ—…thering thee to himselfe and laies this burden vpon thee to stay thee from râ—…nning still from him then that hee hath eternally forsaken thee But against this fearefull perswasion oâ—… finall forsaking the best of all arguments is the gracious maner of the Lords merciful dealing with his people whom yet hee dealeth withall no lesse sharply then he hath now dealt with thee The Prophet Esayâ—… sets downe that manner of the Lords dealing and deliuers it in the words of Gâ—…d himself saying For a litlâ—… while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redemer This is Gods manner these are his owne words Now let vs compare thy words with these words of God and see how neare thou comest to his truth I hou saist God hath forsaken
destruction What could thy enimy desire to doe more vnto thee then thou dost vnto thy selfe What could iustice by the hand of the Magistrate in â—…nishing What could violence by the hand of the cruel in reuenging do more â—…nto thee then thou dost vnto thy selfe Could the Philistims haue done anie more to Saul then kill him to escape their violence he killed himself seeking no other remedy of the mischiefe then by throwing himself into the mischiefe could Dauid preuailing against Absolom haue done any more to Achitophel then to take away his life and to escape the stroke of Dauids iustice he tooke away his owne life himselfe preuenting the iudgemeÌ„t of another that he feared by pronouncing executing the same iudgement himselfe vpon himselfe If wee iudge of the affections by the actions of men and guesse what the heart desired by that which the hand hath done and there is no surer rule for the Lord Iesus saith By their fruits yee shall know them yea may we say that where hatred made the Philistims enemies to Saul and Iustice gaue power to Dauid in all seueritie to take away Achitophels life neither hatred in the Philistims nor iustice in Dauid could make them to be greater enemies and more dangerous then Saul and Achitophel were vnto themselues for they made haste to doe the euill vnto themselues that the others came more slowly to doe for though the Philistims made hast to kill Saul yet Saul made more hast to doe it then the Philistims could and whereas Dauid perhaps in his mildenes might haue bin intreaded to spare Achitophels life Achitophel like a cruell iudge hating himselfe made hast by speedy execution to preuent all pardon whom loueth hee that loueth not himselfe whose friend can he be that in this manner and measure is his owne merciles enemie Goe then and be more cruell then euer was murdering theefe oppressing tyrant bloudy Cain or Senacheribs vngracious impes goe and be more cruel then any cruel beast that though it be an enemie to the life of other creatures yet is a resolut defender of it owne life if thou striue for the name and shame of most cruel yea more cruel then man or beast I will ad also or then diuel for the diuels studie not to doe themselues hurt then goe and doe that violence that thou intendest against thy selfe but if thou be willing to let the cruellest of men the fiercest of beastes yea the diuels themselues to goe before thee in merciles crueltie then preserue 〈◊〉 owne life if thou or any for thee say thou doest it out of loue to thy selfe intending thereby to preuent future euils The vanitie of this speech shall be shewed when we come to the last reason whereupon thou groundest thy godles resolution There is not onely merciles crueltie in this sinne of selfe murder But there is also totall want of those two cardinal ChristiaÌ„ vertues that belong to the time of affliction namely of patience faith the Lord Iesus requirs no more in vs for our aduantage at that time then these two remembring faith before patience and saying Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden take my yoke on you and learne of me that am meeke and lowly in heart Hee requireth faith in the first words come vnto me He would haue vs come Non pede sed fide Not with our foote but with our faith And nonpassus sed precibus not with our shifting steppes but with our constant praiers His meaning is not that wee should set our feete within his courtes but rather that we should with hope present our desires before the throne of his grace for this is the work of faith to draw neere to Gods mercy seate And he requires patience in the next words Take my yoake on you Let there be no murmuring nor grudging against the yoake that God offreth to lay vpon your shoulders spurne not against it but take it meekely vpon you learn to submit your selfe vnto it And Saint Paul requires no more in time of troubles but these vertues of patience faith remembring patience before faith saying Let your patiente minde be knowen vnto allmen the Lord is at hand and saith in the next words be nothing carefull but in althings let your request bee shewed vnto God in praier and supplication with giuing of thankes He requireth patience in the first words plainely Let your patient mind be knowen vnto all men and he requireth faith in the next words describing faith by her effects and saying Bee nothing carefull but let your requestes in all things be shewed vnto God in praier Vnto these vertues of patience and faith continued and practised in the time of trouble when we are wearied with our long and laden with our heauie burdens both Iesus the Lord and Paul his minister doe promise and assure all deliuerance and case The Lord Iesus in these words I will refresh you and yee shall find rest vnto your soules And the Apostle Paul his minister in these words The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus What canst thou require more in thy hottest conflictes then to be refreshed by Iesus Christ What canst thou desire in the greatest load of thy soule but to be eased of thy burden what canst thou wish and long for more then this in thy greatest vexation that the peace of God that passeth vnderstanding should preserue thy heart and mind in Iesus Christ and this is promised by Christ the trueth and by Paul the witnes of trueth to them that in their troubles doe suffer with patience pray in faith But thou in this thy desperate resolution hast lost all patience and cast away thy faith for if thou hadst patience thou wouldst not bee vnwilling to indure Gods visitation and to suffer his good pleasure and if thou hadst any faith in God thou wouldest trust to his helpe and with much comfort waite for the day of saluation Consider the qualitie of this sinne and thou shalt see that it doeth more spoile thee of thy helps and makes the more naked of all good couering if more may be then were our first parents spoiled and made naked by the fraud of the serpent in the Garden For patience and faith beeing the couering of the soule for such stormie times thou hast lost all this cloathing thou refusest to bee refreshed by Iesus Christ while thou refusest to hold the course wherein hee promiseth to refresh thee thou refusest to be eased by the help of his strong hand whilst thou refusest the course in which he promiseth â—…ase Thou â—…stest from thee that peace of God of inestimable price by which thy heart and mind should bee preserued in Iesus Christ while thou refusest the meanes by which that peace is to be obtained how â—…comely is it for the creature to be impatient at the worke of his Creator how disordered
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
fall into misery is of infinite variety no man can number the seuerall miseries and troubles that sinne hath made our life subiect vnto yet they may be reduced to two generall heads for either they are iudgements vpon the inward man inward miseries and afflictions vpon the soule or else they are outward iudgements vpon the outward man in outward things that touch not the peace of the soule The inward iudgements and miseries which follow the fall into sin and wherinto for sinne man falleth are either the blinding of our vnderstanding and the hardening of our heart often inflicted as punishments of foregoing sinnes and such was the iudgâ—…ment of God vpon Pharao whose heart God hardened and such a iudgement and misery the Apostle Paul telleth vs the Gentiles fell into as a punishment of precedent sins when he saith Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts vnto vncleannesse to deâ—…ile their owne bodies betweene themselues And in many more words he recordeth that iudgement or they are those feares and terrours of heart that cast vs downe from hope that empty our soules of comfort fill them with feares and make vs as it were to stagger shrinke and fall in our faith of this kind is that iudgement that God threaâ—…neth by Moses in these words the Lord shall simite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and astonishment of heart when a man is amased and confounded with his feares that hee knoweth not which way to turne him for comfort and helpe and deepe fallen into this miserie were they whom Esay speaketh of saying The sinnes in Sion are afraid a feare is come vpon the hipocrites who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings They conceiued no otherwise of God then of a consuming fire and therefore feare possessed altogither their hearts hope vanished faith had no abiding there And all these inward miseries falling immediately vpon the soule and the facultie thereof tend chiefely to this to ouerthrow our faith by decay of it to ouerthrow vs for faith is the firme standing of our soule grounded vpon the assurance of Gods mercy Therefore doeth the Apostle vse this phrase Watch you stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong Because he that hath the stronger faith standeth the more strong and steadfast and hee that hath the weaker faith standeth more weakely and loose and thoug the faith of the Saints of God once giuen vnto them neuer totally decaieth for as the Lord Iesus saith hee praied for the continuance and confirmation of Peters faith to whom he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not So he praied for all his chosen ones that beleeue in him when he said to his father I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorough their word Yet the faith of the Saintes suffereth sometimes an eclipse or deceasing at some other times an increasing whereby as in the increasing of their faith they stand fast and are full of comfort so in the deceasing of their faith their footing becommeth slipperie and they take many sore falles feele their hearts oppressed with feare as it was with Dauid when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring And when he complained at another time saying Mine heart trembleth within mee and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee feare and trembling are come upon mee and an horrible feare hath couered mee In this manner their faith at that time being in the wane the righteous oppressed with a weight of anguish and feare doe often fall through the shrinking of their faith and feele themselues sore bruised in their soules But yet such is the mercy of God that he doeth not suffer the righteous being fallen into these inward iudgements and miseries to fall for euer And if it be a blinded vnderstanding or a hardned heart that they are fallen into he raiseth them vp out from a blinded vnderstanding by sending the knowledge of the 〈◊〉 As the Lord Iesus sent Paul among the ignorant Gentiles with this commission I send thee to open their 〈◊〉 that they may turne from darkenes to light c. And he raiseth them vp from hardnes of heart by mollifying their hearts as hee promiseth by Ezekiel saying I will take away the stonâ—…e heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh And if they be fallen into any feare and terror of conscience he raiseth them vp by repairing their faith and by reuiuing their comfort To that end he bringeth to their remembrance the large promises of his grace the boundles measure of his mercy the riches of his free vnchangeable loue and then doeth hee make them remember that they haue a mediator that died for their sinnes and rose againe for their iustification and ascended into heauen to prepare a place for them and sitteth on the right hand of his father in highest fauour and greatest authoritie to make intercession for them continually vrging the vertue of his death and bloudshedding that hath taken away the sinne of the world who is the prince of peace that hath made their peace and is that beloued sonne in whom the father is well pleased making vs accepted in that his beloued To the same end doeth he spread the beames of his louing countenance and cause the light thereof to shine within their consciences sending downe the spirit of adoption into their hearts to beare witnes with their spirits that they are the sonnes of God so raking together the sparkes of their almost smothered faith from among the cold ashes of anguish and feare where it lay deepe couered giuing heate and life vnto it with the warming fire of his comfort so that they begin to lift vp their heads and to reioice their hearts and to shake of their their sorrow and feare and to glorie in God saying with the blessed virgin My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast tnrned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnes And that God doeth thus not suffring the righteous to fall and languish in these inward miseries for euer besides the experience of Gods elect daily renewed with light and grace and daily refreshed with comfort and peace the scriptures also doe testifie it to be the gracious manner of Gods dealing with his chosen The Prophet saith of him Hee healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their soares These words can be referred to no other worke of God for the more sure and full performance whereof God sent his sonne into the world who came to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke and saue them that