Works — Richard Greenham

Works · Richard Greenham

THE FIRST TREATISE FOR AN AFFLICTED CONSCIENCE VPONUPON THIS SCRIPTVRE.

PROVERBS 18. 14.

The spirite of a man will sustaine his infirmitie: but a wounded spirit who can beare it?

THis Scripture is not onelyonly worthie to be grauen in steele with the pen of an Adamāt, & to be writtē in letters of gold: but also to be laid vp and registred by the finger of Gods spirit in the tables of our hearts. Which sentence brieflie speaketh thus much vntounto vsus, that what trouble befaleth a man (his minde being vnappalled) hee will indifferently beare it out: but if the spirite of a man bee once troubled and dismayed, hee cannot tell how to be deliuered. And no maruell: for if the minde of man bee theThe minde cast downe, what shall comfort vsus? fountaine of consolation, which ministreth comfort vntounto him in all other troubles; if that become comfortlesse, what shall comfort it? If it be voyde of helpe, how shall it be holpen? If the eye which is the light of the bodie be darkenesse, how great is that darkenesse? If the salt which sauoureth all things be vnsauorie, for what is it good? If the minde which sustaineth all troubles be troubled, how intollerable is that trouble? To shew this the better, I will first declare how great a punishment of God this wound of conscience is. Secondly, I will teach how this trouble of minde may be preuented and auoided. Lastly, I will set downe how Gods children falling in some measure into this affliction of spirit, may be recouered out of it.

For the first, the grieuousnes of this maladie is seene, either by some due considerationParts to be considered. of the persons that hauehave felt it, or by some wise comparison made betweene this griefe of minde, and other outward griefes incident vntounto man.

The persons in whom we may consider this wound of spirit, are either meerly naturallPersons afflicted in minde men, or such as be renued by the spirit of God. The men meerly naturall, are either the Heathen, such as neuer knew God in Christ, or carnall professors, such as hauehave not professed Christianitie aright. If we looke among the Heathen, how many of them hauehave willingly gone vnderunder all pouertie, & hauehave been content to vnburthen themselues of all worldly treasures? How some of them (whilest their mindes were not dejected) hauehave suffered imprisonment, exile, & extreme tortures of bodie, rather then they would betray their countries? How many of them hauehave deuoured many iniuries, and borne outward troubles, with some ease, and with no resistance, whilest their mindes were at libertie? And yet looke not into the meanest, but the best and most excellent men among them, euen their wise Philosophers, sweete Orators, and exquisite Poets, who in bearing and forbearing, thought theThe courage of heathens not disquieted in minde. chiefest point of vertue to consist; and yee shall see when once some great distresse of minde did wound them, some would make an end of it by preparing a cup of deadly poyson: some would violently and voluntarily run on the enemies pikes: some would throw downe themselues from high Mountaines: some would not sticke to stabbe most monstrously their owne bodies with daggers, or such like instruments of death: all which men would seeme to hauehave great courage in sustaining man…e harmes, so long as their mindes were not ouer-mastered. But when the diuine and supreme Essence (which they acknowledged to be God) did by his power crosse and ouerturne their wittie deu…ses and head-stron… attempts, so as without hope of remedy they were hampered in pensiuenesse and sorrowe of minde: Then not being …ble to turne themselues vnderunder so hea…ie a burthen shrunke downe, and by violent death would …d themselues of that disquietnesse and impatience of their troubled mindes.

But let vsus come neerer; and whether wee behold the Papists, or the Familie of LoueLove, or the common …rt of Christians, wee shall see they will passe quietly through manie afflictions, whether for that they hauehave a spirite of slum bring and nu…ess… cast vponupon them, or whether because they hauehave brawned themselues through some senslesse blockishnesse, as men hewen ou… of harde O…kes, or grauen out of marble stones … knowe not: But yetPapists disquieted in mind…. when the Lord shall let loose the co…rd of their consciences, and sh…ll set before their faces their sinnes committed; see what fearefull e…des they hauehave, whilest some of them by hanging themselues, some by casting thēselues into the water▪ some by cutting their owne throates, hauehave ridde themselues out of these intolerable gr…s. Now wherein is the difference that some die so senslesly, and some dispatch themselues so violen…lie? Surely the one feeling no sinne, depart like brutish Swine; the other surcharged with sinne, die like harking dogges.

But let vsus come to the children of God, who hauehave in some degree felt this wound of minde; and it will appeare both in the members and in the head, of all burthens to be a thing most intolerable, to sustaine a wounded conscience. And to beg…e, let vsus set in the first ranke I…b, that man of God commended vntounto vsus by the hol… Ghost, for a mirrour of patience: who although for h…s riches hee was the wealthiest man in the land ofIob. H…z; for his authoritie, might hauehave made afraide a great multitude; and for his substance, was the greatest of all the men in the East: yet when the S…be…ns came violently and tooke away his Catt…ll; when the fire of God falling from heauen, burnt vp his sheepe and his Seruants: when the Chalde…ns had taken away his Camels, when a great winde smo…e downe his house vponupon his children, although indeed he rent his garments, which was not so much for impatiencie, as to shew that hee was not senseles in these euills: yet it is saide that he worshipping, blessed the Name of the Lord, saying: N…ked came I out of my mothers wombe and …ed shall I returne againe: The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed …ee the Name of the Lorde. But beholde, when at the strange conference of his comfortlesse friends, his mind began to be agast, which was not so in all his former triall; when his conscience began to be troubled, when hee saw the Lord fasten in him sharpe arrowes, and to set him vp as a B…te to shoote at; when he thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth: this glorious patterne of patience could not beare his griefe; he was heauy, and now …ani… commend the image of a wounded spirit, to all that come after. Dauid, Dauid. Hezekiah. Ieremiah.a man chosen according to the Lords owne heart: Eze…h, a pure worshipper of God, and carefull restoret of true religion: Ieremiah, the Prophet of the Lorde, sanctified and ordained to that office, before he was formed in his mothers wombe, were rate and singular in the graces and fauour of God: yet when they sel… this wound, pearcing them with gri…fe of heart, they were as Sparrowes mourning, as Cranes chattering, as Pellicans casting out fearfull cries, they thought themselues as in the g…aue, they wished to hauehave dwelt solitarie, they were as bottles parched in the smoke, they were as Doues mourning, not able without sighes and groanes to vtter their words, their harts claue to the dust, and their tongues to the roo…e of their mouthes.

But aboue all, (if these were not sufficient to perswade vsus in this doctrine) there remainethChrist Ies…s, an example most comfortable for all afflicted conciences. one example, whom we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted minde. This is the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ, the image of the Father, the head of the body, the mirrour-of all graces, the wisedome, righteousnes, holinesse, and redemption of all the Saints, who sustained the crosse euen from his youth vpward: and besides pouertie, basenesse, hunger, did willingly goe vnderunder the great trouble of contempt and reproach, and that among them, where he should hauehave had a right deserued honour, in respect of the doctrine he taught them, & in regard of the manifold miracles he wrought among them; as the healing of the sicke, the giuing of sight to the blinde, the restoring of life to the dead: this vnkindnesse neuerthelesse did not so much strike into him. But at what time he was set as a sacrifice for all, when he was to beare our infirmities, and carie our sorrowes, at what time he was plagued and smitten of God, humbled and wounded for our transgressions, when he should be broken for our iniquities, and the chasticement of our peace was vponupon him; then he cryed out, My soule is heauie euen vntounto the death: Then he prayeth, Lord if it be possible, let this cuppe passe from me. But how prayeth he? euen with sweating: how sweateth h…? euen droppes of bloud: How long prayeth he? three times: When endes his agonie? not vntill hee was dead: What saide hee being readie to departe? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Was this for his humane death, as some hauehave imagined? No, no, wicked men hauehave dyed without complaint, whose patience then might seeme to exceede his; it was his suffering in his humane spirit, which incountred with the wrath of God, his God-head suppressing it selfe for a while: he suffered indeed many torments in bodie, but much more heauily did the wrath of God lie vponupon his soule.

If this consideration of an afflicted spirit in these examples doe not sufficiently shew, what a grieuous thing it is to sustaine a wounded conscience: let vsus proceed to the comparing of this with other euils which fall into the nature of man. There is no sicknesse, but Physicke prouideth for it a remedie; there is no sore, but Chirurgerie will affoord it a salue; friendship helpeth pouertie; there is no imprisonment, but there is hope of libertie; Suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment: authoritie and time weare away reproch. But what Physicke cureth? what Chirurgerie salueth? what riches ransometh what countenance beareth out? what authoritie asswageth? what fauour relieueth a troubled conscience? all these banded together in league (though they would conspire a confederacie)True p…ace of minde how comfortable attained. cannot helpe this one distresse of a troubled minde: and yet this one comfort of a quiet minde doth wonderfully cure, and comfortably asswage all other griefes whatsoeuer. For if our assistance were as an host of armed souldiers; if our friends were the Princes and the Gouernours of the earth; …f our possessions were as large as betweene the East and the West; if our meate were as Manna from heauen; if our apparell were as costly as the Ephod of Aaron; if eueryevery day were as glorious as the day of Christs resurrection: yet if our mindes be appalled with the iudgements of God, these things would little comfort vsus. Let experience speake: If a troubled minde impaireth not health, drieth not vp the blood, wasteth not the marrow, pineth not away the flesh, consumeth not the bones, if it maketh not all pleasures painefull, and shortneth not this life: sure no wisedome can counsell it, no counsell can aduise it, no aduice can asswage it, no asswagement can cure it, no eloquence can perswade it, no power can ouercome it, no scepter will affray it, no inchanter can harme it. And yet on the contrary, if a man languish in sicknesse, so his heart be whole, and is perswaded of the health of his soule, his sicknesse doth not grieue him: If a man be reproched, so he be precious in the sight of God and his Angels, what losse hath he? If a man be banished, and yet doubteth not that heauen is his countrie, and thatNothing can more disquiet vsus if we be at peace with God through Iesus Christ: and contrarily, &c. he is a cittizen among the Saints, it doth not appall him: If a man be in trouble, and findeth peace of conscience, he will quietly digest his trouble. But if the minde be troubled, who dare meete with the wrath of the Lord of hostes? who can put to silence the voyce of desperation? who will steppe out and make agreement with the helles to spare vsus? who dare make a couenant with the diuell, that hee would lay no claime vntounto vsus? if then a good conscience helpeth all euils, and all other benefites in this life, in themselues cannot helpe a troubled conscience; we see it true in proofe, which here is in prouerbe, The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity: but a wounded spirit who can beare it?

Againe, in all other afflictions we may hauehave some comfort against sinne; this is euer accompanied with the accusation of sinne. A man may be sicke, reproched, impouerished, imprisoned, and banished; and yet in all these hauehave a cleere conscience; his owne heart telling him that there is no special cause of these cro…es in him, but that he may …uffer them for the tryall of his faith, or for righteousnesse sake and well doing. But when the spirit is wounded, there is still a guiltinesse of sinne, and when a mans spirit is trou…led, he suspecteth all his waies, he feareth all his sinnes, he knowes not what sinne to begin with; it breedes such hurlyburlies in him, that when it is day he wisheth for night; when it is night he would hauehave it day: his meate doth not nourish him, his dreames are fearefull to him, his sleepe oft times forsaketh him: if he speaketh, he is little eased: if he keepeth silence, he boyleth in disquietnesse of heart; the light doth not comfort him, the darknesse doth terrifie him.

To prosecute our comparisons: where all other euils are the more tolerable, because they be temporall, and pursue vsus but to death: this not being cured, endeth not in death but becommeth eternall. For euen the heathen men thought that death was the end of all miserie: the perswas…ion whereof made them (being in some miserie) to make an ende of themselues, and hasten their owne death; as Sathan doth make many now adaies to doe, who are ignorant of the hels, which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this world whatsoeuer: for a tormented conscience, if before it was begun, is now continued; or i… it was not before, now beginneth, and neuer endeth world without ende. For though true it is, that sicknesse, pouertie, imprisonment or banishment hauehave ended their tearme in death; yet a wounded heart which was temporall in this life, is now eternallVnbeleeuers by violent deaths do not ende, but begin their torments. after this life; that which before death was in hope recouerable, is after death made vncurable and vnrecouerable. It is good therefore to consider, if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull; how much more grieuous is it to sustaine it in hell, where that is infinite, which here is finite: where that is vnmeasurable, which here is measurable; where is the sea of sorrow, whereof this is but a drop; where is the flame of that fire, whereof this is lesse than a sparke?

But to shut vp this argument: Some there hauehave beene who throughout all their life time, hauehave beene free from all other troubles, so as either they felt them not at all, or else in very small measure, and by that meanes neuer knew what outward trouble meant. As for example, some men there hauehave beene, who for sicknesse neuer knew the head-ach, for pouertie, neuer knew what want meant; who for discredit, were neuer euill spoken of; who euer put farre from them the euill day of the Lord; who made a league with death as it were, and a couenant with hell; who though they could crucifie eueryevery crosse, rather than come vnderunder any crosse: yet they could neuer escape a wounded conscience, either in this life, or in the life to come. True it is, that Gods children by faith and repentance doe often escape it, but the wicked, and such as are borne vntounto it, as to their sure inheritance, the more they flie from it, the more it pursueth them. If we hauehave transgressed the Ciuill Iawes, the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted; if a man hauehave committed some capitallA tormented conscience cannot flie from God. offence, by flying his Countrie he may escape the Magistrates hands: but our consciences telling vsus that we hauehave sinned against God, what bribe shall we offer? or whither shall we flie? whither shall we goe from his spirit? or whither shall we goe from his presence? If we ascend into heauen, is not he there? If we lie downe in hell, is he not there? If we flie to the vtmost parts of the sea, is he not there also? There needeth no apparitor to summon vsus, there needes no Bayly arrant to fetch vsus, there needes no accuser to giuegive in against vsus; sin will arrest vsus, and lyeth at the doore, our owne consciences will impannall a Quest against vsus, our owne hearts will giuegive in sufficient euidence, and our owne iniquities will pleade guiltie to our owne faces. Thus we see both by the experience of them that hauehave suffered the wound of the spirit, and by the comparing of it with other euils, what a weight most grieuous, and burthen intolerable it is to hauehave a tormented conscience.

Now let vsus shew how we may preuent, and by what meanes Gods children falling intoThe second part of the first diuision. some degrees of it (for if it rage in extremitie, it is an euill most dangerous) may safely and quietly be deliuered from it. And here a iust complaint is to be taken vp, and it is a wonder to be marked that we see many so carefull and watchfull to auoyd other troubles, and so few or none take any paines to escape the trouble of minde which is so grieuous. We see men louing health and loathing sicknes, in diet temperate, in sleepe moderate, in Physicke expert, skilfull to purge, and to auoid such corrupt humors, which in time may breede (though presently they doe not bring forth) some dangerous sicknes: yet to auoyd the diseases of the soule, no man abateth his sleepe, no man abridgeth his diet, no man prepareth Physicke for it, no man knoweth when to be full, and when to be emptie, how to want and how to abound. Others caried away with the louelove of riches, and very*Or verieshie, that is, warie. How wise many be to preuent many euils, and how few labour to preuent afflictions of minde. slie to fall into pouertie, will not sticke to rise early, and take sleepe lately, to fare hardly, to teare and taw their flesh in labour by land and by water, in faire and foule weather, by rockes and by sands, from farre and from neere: and yet to fall into spirituall decaies, to auoide the pouertie of conscience, no man taketh such paines; as though saluation and peace of minde, were not a thing worthie the labouring for. Some ambitiously hunting after honour, and not easily digesting reproches, behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepily; but are actiue in eueryevery attempt, by*Or by law. louelove and by counsell, by prudence and prowesse, by wit and by practise, by labour and learning, by cunning and diligence to become famous, and to shun a ciuill reproch: yet to be glorious in the sight of God and his Angels, to fall before the heauens, & in the presence of the Almightie to be couered with shame and confusion of conscience, we make none account, as they, who neither vse any meanes to obtaine the one, nor auoid those occasions which may bring the other.

Others vnwilling to come within the reach and danger of the law, that they may escape imprisonment of body, or confiscation of goods, will be painefull in penall Satutes, skilfull in eueryevery branch of the ciuill law, and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons, murthers, felonies, and such like offences deseruing the punishment of death: yet when the Lord God threatneth the seizure both of soule and body, the attaching of our spirits, the confiscating of our cōsciences, the banishing of vsus from heauen, the hanging of vsus in hell, the suspending of our saluation, the adiudging of vsus to condemnation for the breach of his commandements, no man searcheth his eternall law, no man careth for the Gospell, neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorcement from the Lord, neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vsus.

And to reach our complaint one degree further. Behold, the more we seeke outward pleasures and to auoid the inward trouble of minde, the more we haste and runne into it, and suddenly plunge our selues in a wounded spirit ere we be aware. Who posteth moreIn seeking so greedily for earth and so faintly for heauen, we thinke we labour for our peace, but we hasten this way into many griefes & sorrowes. 1. Tim. 6. 7. 8. 9. Ambitious. to become rich, who hopeth lesse to become poore, than the marchant man? who aduentureth great treasures, who hazardeth his goods, who putteth in ieopardie his life; and yet suddenly he either rusheth vponupon the rocke of hardnesse of heart, or else is swallowed vp of the gulph of a despairing minde: from which afterwards he cannot be deliuered with a ship full of golde. Wofull proofe hath confirmed, how some men (wholy set on pleasures, such as could not away to be sad, and to be hedged vp alwaies of godly sorrow) hauehave had their tables made snares, and euen their excesse of pleasures hath brought excesse of sorrowes, and whilest they laboured to put the euill day farre from them, they hauehave vsed such follies, as hauehave bred them most bitter and terrible torments of their fearefull and trembling consciences.

There be some of another sorte, who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde, hauehave had their hearts set on nothing, but how they might get some great fame and renowne: and therefore hauehave slipt into such vaine-glorious attempts, and foule flatteries, as they hauehave not onelyonly lost the peace of their consciences, but also fallen most deepely into reprochful shame, which they sought to shun. Now as the peace of conscience & ioy of minde is such a treasure, as the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, nor the tongue expressed, but passeth all vnderstanding: so the wounded spirit is such as the eye hath not seene it, the eare hath not heard it, nor the tongue vttered; but passeth all vnderstanding. And as theyHow we may be preserued from the wound of conscience. onelyonly know what the peace of minde meaneth, that feele it: so they alone can in trueth speake of a troubled minde, that hauehave tasted of it by experience.

But let vsus shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vsus from this wound of the spirit. It is the vse of Physicke, as to cure vsus of diseases when we are fallen into them; so to preserue vsus from sicknesse before it hath taken hold of vsus: it is the power of the word, as to asswage the trouble of conscience, when it doth once presse vsus; so to preuent it before it hath ouertaken vsus. It is a chiefe point of worldly wisedome not to tarie for the vse of Physicke vntill we be deadly sicke; but to be acquainted with Gods mercifull preseruations to defend vsus from it: likewise it is a chiefe policie of a godly Christian, not onelyonly to seeke comfort when the agonie is vpō him, but also to vse all good helps to meet with it before it comes.Simile. And we condemne them of follie, who will not as well labour to keepe themselues out of debt, as to pay the debt when they owe it: so it is a madnesse not to be as circumspect to auoid all occasions, which may bring trouble of minde vponupon vsus, as we would be prouident to enter eueryevery good way which may draw vsus out of this trouble, when we hauehave once entred into it.

The remedies preseruatiue, are first the searching of our sinnes, and then the examiningPreseruatiues against afflictions of mind. of our faith.

The searching of our sinnes, is the way to the due acknowledging of our sinnes, and to the true sense and feeling of our sinnes. The acknowledging of our sinnes, is either of those that be past, whether we hauehave vnfainedly repented vsus of them: or of those which be present, whether we be truely grieued for them.

Thirdly, of those secret corruptions, which in the course of our life are likely to come, whether we are reuerently afraide of them, and resolue to suppresse them with all our endeuour.

Concerning sinnes past, we must call to minde the sinnes done of old, in our youth, inPsal. 25. 1. Cor. 11. 29. our middle age, in our old age; that we iudging our selues, may not be iudged of the Lord: that accusing of our selues, Sathan hauehave no occasion to accuse vsus; and throwing downe our selues before the Lord, he may lift vsus vp. For many going quietly away, and sleeping in carnall securitie (notwithstanding the sinnes of their youth) and neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long agoe; suddenly hauehave fallen into such horror of minde, that (the violent remembrance of all their sinnes surcharging them) they hauehave beene ouerwhelmed.

This examination doth then rightly proceed, when it reacheth to the errors of this life, and to the sinnes of our youth; because many men (euen from their childhood, by a ciuill righteous life) hauing escaped grosse sinnes, wherewith the world could neuer charge them, hauehave notwithstanding caried the burthen of their secret sinnes done in their youth, Dauid (Psal. 25. 7.) prayeth the Lord, not to remember the sinnes of his youth: Iob (23. 6.Sinnes of youth. the man of God) confesseth that the Lord writing bitter things against him, made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth. What, shall we thinke, that Dauid or Iob were giuen to notorious wickednesse in their youth? No, they knew they were subiect to youthfull wantonnesse and vnstayednesse of their affections; which though it did not burst out, yet it made them lesse carefull to glorifice God; which loosenesse, the way to leudnesse; which weakenesse, the way to strange vanities; which wantonnesse, the way to open wickednes, is euen in the best of Gods children in the daies of their youth: which being afterwards in the time of their regeneration, brought (as it were) to iudgement, and laid before their consciences, doth cause them to repent.

But here is a thing to be blushed at, which maketh mens eares to tingle when they heare it; that many men (farre no doubt from this true repentance) can largely indeed discourse of the things done in their youth: but with such a brauerie, with such boastings, andTo glorie in sins of youth. pleasing of themselues in the remembrance of them, as besides that they prouoke others to sin in the like, and set themselues a flat back▪ byas against repentance, and this christian examination; they seeme to renue the decayed colours of their old sinnes, with the fresh suite of their second pleasures therein. But alas, what pleasure hauehave they in those things, whereof they hauehave no profit? what profit hauehave they of those things whereof they should be ashamed? Neither in this streine can we forget the madnesse of them, who may seemeRom. 6. 22. to steppe one degree farther towards this examination of sinne than did the former; by thinking that the leauing of sinne, and repenting of sinne is all one. Against these both dayly experience and the word of God doth sufficiently decline. Ioseph▪ brethren (Iacob his sonnes) who deuised euill against their brother, put him into the pit, and sold him vntounto strangers; did cease from this crueltie: but yet they are not read to hauehave remembredThe leauing of sinne, is not the repenting of sinne. their sinnes with any remorse, vntill thirteene yeeres after the sinne was committed; as we may see in the processe of the historie. Dauid had left his sinnes of murther and adulterie (as thinking all quiet and well) the space of a whole yeere; after which time (being admonished by the Prophet …athan) he repented of it. And experience hath tried in many, that hauehave had some working of God in them, that though they left their sinnes many yeeres agoe, yet because they repented not truely for them, they hauehave rebounded vponupon them with terrible sights and fearefull visions, to humble them, and to bring them to a serious examination of them, being done and left long since. Examples whereof we neede not fetch from farre, seeing so many preachers as are acqauinted with fearefull spirits, will giuegive witnesse hereof. The fruite of which amazed mindes for sinnes alreadie left, is ours, to beware of sinnes which are to come. And that other mens harmes may teach vsus blessed wisedome, let vsus labour not onelyonly to leaue sin, which one may doe for profit, for feare, for praise, For what causes many leaue sinne.or for weariso…nesse: but also to repent of it for conscience sake.

This examination of our sins past, must be partly of those that we committed before our calling, & partly of those which were done after our calling. EueryEvery man (especially hauing his reason reformed by the word of God) will graunt an examination of the life, beforeExamination of sinnes after our calling. our true knowledge of God in Christ, to be most needfull. But it may be, some will thinke that we neede not to be so precise in the searching of those sinnes, which were after our knowledge. But seeing of all other sinnes these bite forest, and pierce deepest, for that they are aggrauated with all the mercies of God going before, and sinne is then most sinfull, when after we know the trueth, after we hauehave beene deliuered from sinne, after we hauehave beene inlightened with the grace of God, we hauehave fallen into it: I thinke that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sinnes. Wherfore to iterate our former examples in a new matter, as we may see the former kinde of examining of our sinnes before our calling, in the sonnes of Iacob: so we hauehave a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid, who at the hearing of his sinnes was so troubled in his spirit, that he could not rest in the Prophets speech, telling him that his sinne was forgiuen him, but still was disquieted, as one vtterly forsaken of God, and could finde no comfort of Gods spirit in him. For as it fareth often with sores, it commeth to passe in sinnes, we are loathSinnes like sore…. to hauehave our wounds often grated vponupon, we cannot so well away to hauehave our sores rifled, feared, and lanced; but fedde with healing salues: so we are hardly brought to hauehave our consciences ground, or our sinnes ransacked, sifted, searched, and ripped vp; but would still hauehave them plaistered with sweet promises, and bathed in the mercies of God: whereas it is farre safer before incarnatiue and healing medicines, to vse corrosiue and mundifyingSimile. waters, without which though some sores may seeme to close and skin vp apace, yet they proue worse, and being rotten still at the core; they hauehave aboue a thin skin, and vnderneath dead flesh. In like manner, we would cloake, we would hide and couer our sinnes, as it were with a curtaine: but it is more sound Chirurgerie to pricke & pearce our consciences with the burning iron of the Law, and to cleanse the wound of the soule by sharpe threatnings, least that a skin pulled ouer the conscience for a while, we leaue the rotten corruption vncured vnderneath, and so we be constrained to cry out of our sinnes openly. As it is a folly then to dissemble our sores whilest they be curable, and after toCouer not thy sinne. make them known when they be growne vncurable: so it is as great folly to dissemble our sinnes whilest they may be remedied, & so after be constrained with shame to blaze them abroad, when thou maist think them remediles. But of this by the way, because we shall more largely touch it in the last part to come.

It is sufficient to commit sinne before knowledge, but after some good light of the spirit to sinne breedeth either hardnesse of heart, or a troubled spirit; both which we shall auoidSinnes after knowledge. if in trueth we be carefull to watch ouer our affections, and beware that after our deliuerie we fall not into sinne againe.

Seuerall men, subiect to seuerall sinnes, hauehave their seuerall checkes in their consciences: some are ouercome with wrath, and yet after the moodie fit they can tell that the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God: some are subiect to lust, and afterwards they say, it profiteth them nothing: some are giuen to a continuall course of vanitie,A blessed thing to be awaked and grieued by checkes of conscience. who notwithstanding can say, that mans life hath another ende: some slippe deepely into worldlinesse, & yet they be often weakened with most terrible checks of conscience. Well, blessed are they, whose hearts be truely grieued; and let them beware that make daliance with sinne: for either hardnesse of heart will ouertake them, or a troubled conscience will confound them. Wherefore it comes to passe, that many spending their bodies on lust, lament that euer they so abused their strength: many giuen too much to the pleasure of this life, had griefe come vponupon them, to remember how they hauehave spent Gods graces, lauished his good gifts, and mispent their time; or else, if they hauehave not this griefe, they fall into voluptuousnesse, and draw such a thicke skin vponupon their hearts, as will cause the strongest denouncings of Gods iudgements to rebound, be they driuen on neuer so hard. And sure, it is the sinne of this world, that men being controlled in their consciences, whilest they are a praying, and feele a secret charge laide against them, to beware of guile in buying and selling; either hauehave these checks lesse and lesse, and so they grow to be prophane; or else afterward they are wonderfully wounded, that they hauehave beene …o worldly, so greedily pursuing earthly things; so coldly procuring heauenly things. Thus euen our priuie thoughts (not profited by) are breeders of farther trouble.

Now the remedie against this trouble is, willingly and wi…tingly not to cherish sinne,Remedie. to wish that the Minister should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes, to be glad priuatly to be admonished, to profit by our enemies when they do reproch vsus: and rather to desire (in such a case) to be humbled, than to suffer our selues to be flattered. This trying ofSinnes of omission. ourselues must yet stretch it selfe further, not onelyonly to the committing of euill, but also to the omitting of good. As when (after some good working and feeling of the spirit) we begin to fight and conflict with our owne consciences, saying: though I must pray, I must hauehave time also to prouide for my familie: if I goe to heare the word of God, surely I shall be in danger to loose this profit: if I thus attend vponupon the exercises of religion, I shall be cut short in the vse of my pleasures. Wherefore it shall be good to search our harts, not onelyonly in the carelesse not vsing of the meanes; but also in the negligent watching ouer the fruites of the meanes: saying to ourselues in this maner: I hauehave heard a Sermon, but (alas) without any feeling or working vponupon my affections; I hauehave beene praying, but with no power of the spirit; I hauehave receiued the sacrament, but without those ioyes glorious and vnspeakable, which I was wont to taste of; I saw the discipline of the Church executed, but without any feare of sinne at all in my selfe, or compassion to the member censured.

And here I dare for my owne obseruation assuredly affirme, that outward sinnes hauehave not beene at sometime so grieuous to Gods children, as that they hauehave some times vsedNote. the meanes with little reuerence and with lesse fruite. And no maruell, we shall see many men at some times, not so much grieued for their sicknesse it selfe, as for that they hauehave either willingly neglected the means which might hauehave preserued their health, or that theyThe negligent vse of the meanes of saluation. hauehave abused the Physicke that might hauehave restored their health to them againe. In like manner (I say) it fareth with them, who either vnreuerently hauehave refused the meanes, which should keepe their soules from surfetting: or else vnthankefully hauehave abused those helpes, which might hauehave recouered them againe. From hence it cōmeth, that some men are as much grieued for not vsing their good giftes to the benefit of Gods Church, as others are troubled for pestering the Church with vnprofitable corruptions: or as we shall see a rich man sometimes as much humbled for not giuing money to the poore, which he might hauehave done, as for heaping vp riches falsely, which he ought not to hauehave done. And thus many (hauing receiued good gifts and graces from the Lord) are *Or wakened and quickened.seasoned & sanctified by afflictions; whereby they are taught to put their gifts in vre, and to offer their seruice to Christ, and others are forced to hide their gifts, which cannot be without some decay of Gods glory, without offence to the weake, without the losse of many soules, which otherwise might be wonne to the Gospell, and without strengthening the hand of the aduersarie to slander our darke and dumbe profession. All which things will in the ende bring terror of minde; because if the Lord cannot worke vponupon vsus by taking away goods, friends, credit, wife, children, or such like, to bring vsus to repentance; he will surely whip our naked consciences, he will enter euen into our very entrailes, and pierce our secret bowels. As we must examine our selues thus for sinnes of time past, and present, so must we vse this practise in sinne to come▪ and this is very needfull. For were it so, that our life and conuersation were such, as neither before nor after our calling, man could iustly accuse it: yet the hidden corruption of our nature, may threaten some hainous downfall inSecret corruption. time to come, which hath made men of very good report & conuersation to hang downe their heads, and feare their secret hypocrisie, as that which may breake forth to the shame of all their former life, in time to come.

But because we forget to speake of them, that in the examining of their liues past, are much grieued for the want of sinceritie, and for priuie vaine-glorie in themselues; let vsus before we goe to the searching of our hearts in sinne to come, speake somewhat of this. Men troubled for this priuie pride are either touched, or not touched. If the veile of sinne was so great in them, that it hid Christ from them; it is the good will of God, that by this sight of their secret sinnes they should come to see the righteousnes that is in Christ Iesus, and so they shall the better be kept from being iusticiarie Pharises. For when being a longIusticiarie Pharisies. time well brought vp, and leading a ciuill life, the diuell would perswade vsus of some inherent righteousnesse in vsus; it is the wisedome of our God to touch vsus with the conscience of most hidden corruptions, as also to certifie and make knowne vntounto vsus, that euen from our birth there was a secret seede of sinne in vsus, which (without the Lord watching ouer vsus) would surely hauehave broken forth to his dishonour. As for them which hauehave had some working in them, and yet are often plunged with sore distresses, this trouble commeth to them for two especiall causes, either for some hypocrisie, that they did more in shew than in truth: wherefore the Lord bringeth them backe againe to see their corrupt proceedings,Affections fighting against iudgement. and that they may know all their religion to be but hypocrisie, and all their righteousnesse to be but vnrighteousnesse: or for the abusing of their knowledge, in that they made it but a maske to iuggle in, and that they made their affections to fight with their owne iudgements. We must remedie this, by not thinking of our selues aboue that which is meete, and by labouring to imbrace the truth in truth. And here let vsus note, that many of Gods children accuse themselues of hypocrisie, when indeed they offend not in it, (for the most righteous persons are their owne greatest accusers) and yet the accusation doth iustly arise from some fault on their parts: for though they hauehave done things in truth, yet because with truth they laboured not to see their secret corruptiōs, in some other matters, they sustaine this trouble of minde. So that there is nothing harder than to si…t and searchExamination hard. our hearts to the bottome, whether we respect our sinnes past, or our sinnes present, whether we looke to our priuie pride, hidden wants, or secret corruptions.

And to returne from whence we digressed, to the examination of our hearts, in sinneReturne to sins to come. to come: let vsus obserue that in Gods children there is such a iealousie, as they tremble at the very first motions, and quake at the least occasion of sinne, although because vice will sit in *Or in resemblance The godly iealousie of Gods children.residēce very neere vntounto vertue, there may be in them sometime too much scrupulousnes. This feare causeth the dearest of the Saints of God to reason on this sort: O Lord, I see how many excellent in gifts, and constant in profession for a long time, whose ende hath not answered their beginnings, whose deaths were not like to their liues. This is true, whether we looke into the word or into the world: and it is a thing that may much humble vsus. For though we may remember what we hauehave beene, and know what we are; yet who can tell what may come vntounto him hereafter.

Oh that the serious meditation hereof would dwell long vponupon our consciences: that with an holy iealousie we might preuent the sinne that is to come. But alas, there be some venturous knights, which think it no masterie to offer themselues to masking, minstrelsie and dauncing, nor to runne into quarrels, braules and contentions, as though they had their eares, their eyes, their hands, and their feete in their owne power, and at commandement to vse and gouerne as themselues list. Howbeit, Gods children better fenced with his grace, than those bold bayards, are afraid of these occasions: as knowing full well, that their eyes may soone be prouoked to lust, their eares may quickly listen vntounto vnchast delights, their hands may suddenly strike a deadly blow, and their feete may easily be s…ared in carnall pleasures. Beware O man, be circumspect O woman, that thou prostitute notTake heede to our libertie. thy selfe to too much libertie: for although in comming to such lasciuious and contentious places thou diddest purpose none euill: yet for thy ventring without warrant, thou maist be ouer thy shoes in sin, and plunged in some wicked attempt ouer head and eares, ere thou beest aware. And because vice is so confine vntounto vertue, beware also of superstition: for still the enemie laboureth either to make thee too hardie in sinne, or else he will cause thee to be too fearefull and superstitious; either he will puffe thee vp with presumption, or assault thee with desperation. To these tentations our nature is very pliable: first to presumption, as may appeare by our common speech; …ush, the preacher is but a man as I am, I am sure he hath infirmities as others hauehave; we are no Angels, our nature is corrupt,The diuell tempting. The diuell accusing. we are but flesh, I am sure you would not hauehave vsus Gods. Thus the diuell commeth to tempt; but he apparrelleth himselfe in another sute when he commeth to accuse, and then of a flye he makes an Elephant; of the very smallest pricke of a pinne, a globe of the whole earth; of a molehill a mountaine: and presseth sillie soules with feares and terrors, that they know not how to winde out themselues. If he cannot bring them to make no conscience, where they should make conscience, he will labour to bring them to make conscience where they neede make no conscience. He careth not whether thou wilt be remisse or superstitious, so thou be one of them. If he cannot get you to follow the EpicurismeNote. of the world, as Libertines in diet and apparell; he will make you so precise, as to thinke it a hainous sinne, to eate one bit of meate, or to weare one rag of cloath more than for necessitie. How needfull therefore it is to saile with an euen course, we may coniecture by other things which will bewray the corruption of our nature.

In the time of a plague we shall see some will be so bold, that without any lawfull callingBoldnes in plague. or godly warrant, they will rush into places infected; and then falling sicke, their conscience prickes them for their tempting of God by an vnaduised boldnes, in the houre of their death.

Others plunged as deepely in a quite contrarie extremitie, are too fearefull when they doe but heare of the sicknesse; and for very feare hauehave beene brought to deaths doore, only by imagining thēselues to hauehave been infected, when they hauehave been most free, who oftentimes hauehave euen died, and that without any naturall cause that euer could be knowne, but onelyonly through immoderate feare, and the iudgement of God comming vponupon them for their infidelitie and vnbeleefe. Thus it is with vsus in Christianitie, in that as well the oppressing our selues with too much feare to be ouercome, as the carnall securitie, in not fearing to be ouercome, may bring sinne vponupon vsus: God his children must labour for a measure, and that must be sought for in the word, which will teach them how they shall neither decline on the right hand, nor on the left; but will guide them in the narrow way, shewing in eueryevery thing what is vertue, what is vice; what is the meane, what is the extreame.Zeale.

Among many examples, let vsus consider of zeale, a most precious vertue in Christianity, so long as it is free from the extremities. Otherwise if we be cold in zeale, it is a sinne on the left hand: if we be zealous without knowledge, it is preposterous, and becommeth a sinne on the right hand.What perfection we hauehave in this life.

But can we not come to some perfection? No, if you vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes; albeit to that perfection which the Scripture taketh for soundnes, trueth, and sinceritie of heart, which is voide of carelesse remisnes, we may come. Neither doth the Lord deale with vsus after our sinnes, nor reward vsus after our iniquities: in whose eyes the most glorious actions of men, are but as waters flowing purely from the Conduit, but defiled by passing through a filthy chanell. Wherfore hauing these imperfections, let vsus not seeke to be more righteous than we can be, saying for eueryevery error of this life; Oh, I am none of God his sonnes, I am none of his daughters: for I cannot finde that perfection in me which is to be required. But let vsus comfort our selues in the truth of our hearts, and singlenes of our desires to serue God, because he is God; and so we shall be accepted of God.

I speake this to this end, that poore soules might hauehave comfort, and know that if they abhorre sinne as sinne, if they examine themselues for it, if they grone vnderunder it, if they mislike themselues for it, if they feare to fall into it; the Lord will not pursue them with the rigor of his law, but will giuegive them the sweetnes of his promises; they are no more vnderunder the curse, but vnderunder grace.

But further to inforce our exhortation, to auoyde too scrupulous a feare, which hinderethA scrupulous feare. the true examination of our hearts: let vsus thinke that it happeneth in the spirituall conflict as in ciuill warres. We reade that many cities lying in great securitie, hauehave suddenly both beene assaulted and ouerthrowne; as also how some Countries (too much negligent in the meanes) through an excessiue fearefulnes, hauehave incouraged their enemies with more greedy violence to pray vponupon them. With which kinde of stratagems our aduersarie me diuell being well acquainted, doth often practise this policie. If he see vsus without all feare too quietly to rest in our selues, he thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger, because our resistance is the weaker. Againe, if he descrieth in vsus a cowardly feare and fainting of heart, before we once begin to ioyne battell with him; he will set vponupon our immoderate feare, and as villainously as suddenly stab vsus to the heart, and make a present spoyle of vsus.

Common practise doth further teach vsus, that when we can heare the word without all trembling at God his iudgements, when we can pray without all feare before the Maiestie of God, when we can come to the discipline of the Church without all reuerence of the ordinance of the Lord; all is in vaine. Againe, let vsus heare with too much trembling, and we shall learne nothing; let vsus pray with too seruile a feare, and our worshipping of God will be without all comfort and vncheerefull. Thus if we neither lessen sinne, that is sinne indeede, neither make sinne of that which is not sin in truth, it is good to proceed to this three-fold examination, & to lay the edge of this doctrine more neere our affections, because many will be sound in this ripenes of knowledge and barrennes of conscience, to speake, dispute and declaime of all these things very skilfully, which flickring in the circumference of the braine, and not sitting at the ground of the heart, doe seale vp a more iust sentence of condemnation against them. To helpe this euill, we must meditate deeply of the Law and of the Gospel, together with the appurtenances of them both, that finding ourselues farre from Gods blessings promised to the keepers of the law, and seeing our selues neere to the curses due to the breakers of the law, we may raise vp some sense of sin in our selues. Yet herein we must not stay our foote, but giuegive a further stride: for whereas many by a diligent view of the law, hauehave come to the sense of sinne in themselues, and saw plainly their owne condemnation: yet because they laboured not to see the guiltinesse acquited by the remission of sinne in Christ, they plunged themselues into a bottomlesseRemission of sinne and mortification of sinne goe together. sea of sorrowes. Others hauing passed these degrees, and hitherto made these steps to auoyde the wound of conscience, hauehave come also too short, and missed of the marke: when because besides the sense of sinne pardoned by the death of Christ, they felt not also the vertue of his passion crucifying sinne in them, but saw that with the remission of sinne was not ioyned the mortification of sin; they feared that there was no forgiuenesse for them, but stil languishing with sorrow, they thought themselues to stand charged with their former guiltines. Yea, and which is more, for that such men hauehave not truely been instructed, nor surely hauehave been grounded in the doctrine of Christs death and resurrection, that is, for that they saw not as well power flowing from his death to slay sinne in them, as vertue to pardon sinne in them▪ for that they felt not as well strength to sanctification, streaming from the rising againe of Christ, as they were perswaded of iustification & righteousnesse therein: they hauehave lien still bleeding at the heart, in such sort, as the wound of griefe couldSixe points which must be knit together. hardly or neuer be stayed and stanched. Wherefore let vsus strengthen our weake soules with this sixe-fold corde of consolation, against these bitter assaults▪ Let vsus first labour to know sinne, then to sorrow for sinne, after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiuen, further to looke for power to crucifie the same, then to lay hold on iustification by his resurrection:1 and lastly, hope for strength to proceed from thence, to further vsus in sanctification and2 3 holines of life, euen vntounto the end. And thus much briefly for the second thing which we4 matched in company with the examination of sinne, euen the triall of faith: both which5 rightly vsed, shall in some measure sauegard vsus from the trouble of an afflicted minde.6

Now let vsus hasten to the third part of our diuision, to shew how Gods children beingThe third part of the first diuision. fallen into this wound of spirit, may be helped out of it: which (God willing) we will also performe, after we hauehave answered a necessarie obiection, which (in the former part) might seeme to incounter against vsus. There is no man but will graunt, that Dauid, Iob, and others of the Saints of God, had a sight of their sinnes, a sorrow for their sinnes, and a taste of the remission of their sinnes: how then commeth it to passe, that these men were so troubled in minde? To this I answere, that their trouble so befell them, either for failing in some of these former things; or else they were rather afflicted for triall of their faith, than for punishing of sinne in them. And therefore be it alwaies prouided, that we thinke not eueryevery conflict of conscience, continually and chiefly to be for the pursuing of our sinnes: but sometimes and principally, that it commeth for the triall of our faith: and yet secondarily, or lesse principally, for the scourging of sinne, as we may see in Iob. Whereupon let allThe godly afflicted. men be admonished, when they see good men thus humbled & throwne downe in minde, to lay their hands on their mouthes from saying; Surely these men are but hypocrites, doubtlesse these men be great sinners, the Lord hath found out their hypocrisie. For good reason there is, that such silence should be vsed: for that the Lord may as well make triall of their faith, as take punishment on their sinnes. For if such affliction should alwaies and chiefly be sent for sinne, then it should follow that all others as they exceeded them in sinne, should also exceed them in the punishment of sinne.

But now comming to the saluing of this sore, I shall seeme very strange in my cure: andSalue of this sore.. so much the more be wondred at, by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein, I am not ignorant, that many visiting afflicted consciences,How to proceede in comforting the afflicted. cry still; Oh comfort them, oh speake ioyfull things vntounto them. Yea, there be some, and those of the most learned, who in such cases are full of these and such like speeches. Why are you so heauie my brother? why are you so cast downe my sister? Be of good cheere: take it not so grieuously. What is there that you should feare? God is mercifull, Christ is a Sauiour. These be speeches of louelove indeed: but they often doe the poore soules as much good herein, as if they should powre cold water into their bosomes; when as without further searching of their sores, they may as well minister a maladie as a medicine. For as nutritiue and cordiall medicines are not good for eueryevery sicke person, especially when the body needeth rather a strong purgation, than a matter restoratiue; and as incarnatiue medicines may for the time allay the paine of the patient, but after the griefe becōmeth more grieuous: so the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for eueryevery one that is humbled, especially when their soules are rather further to be cast downe, than as yet to be raised vp: so those s…gred consolations may for a while ouer-heale the conscience, and abate some present griefe; but so as afterwards the smart may be the sorer, and the griefe may grow the greater: hereof insueth this effect, that comfort seemeth to cure for a while, but for want of wisedome in the right discerning of the cause, men minister one medicine for another; and so for want of skill, the latter fit grindeth them sorer than the former. Some there be, who without all precept and practise will be their owne Physitions: and these, so soone as the fit commeth vponupon them, thinke it the best to chastiseThe vaine …ifts of some in afflictions of minde. and to chase away their sorrow, by drinking at tauernes, by minstrelsie, in merie companie, by purging melancholie in taking Physicke: all which may seeme to weare away the paine for a while, but yet after it biteth more deeply, when the burning feuer of their spirits shaketh them with a second recourse: and for that before they were not truely searched, purged, …eared and launced, it commeth to passe, that the second relapse is more dangerous than the first impression.

To come to our purpose, we must know that all griefes are either confused or distinct: and sure it is, that the minde is appalled either for some cause knowne to vsus as certaine▪ o… for some thing vnknowne to vsus and vncertaine. To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes, whereof they can see no reason, as often it happeneth to Gods children in secret prouidence, who either neuer knew God, or else had but a generall knowledge of him: I answere, that as I denie not Physicke to be ministred, if it in part proceed from a naturall cause: so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule▪ And this I doe the rather, because I would hauehave wisedome both in considering the state of the body if neede so require; & in looking chiefly to the soule, whichNote well. so few thinke of. If a man troubled in cōscience come to a Minister, it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing to the body: if he come to a Physition, he only considereth of the body and neglecteth the soule. For my part, I would neuer hauehave the Physitions counsell seuered, nor the Ministers labour neglected; because the soule and body dwelling together, it is conuenient, that as the soule should be cured by the word, by prayer, by fasting, by threatning, or by comforting; so the body also should be brought into some temperature by Physicke, by purging, by diet, by restoring, by musicke, and by such like meanes; prouiding alwaies that it be done so in the seare of God, and wisedome of his spirit, as we thinke not by these ordinary meanes to smoother or smoke out our troubles; but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues, whereby both our soules and bodies may be made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after.

As we require these things to be the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie: so we would wish the persons ministring to be men learned and of sound iudgement, wise, andMeete comforters. of godly experience, meeke and of most iouing spirits. For when the troubled patient shall be wel perswaded of our knowledge and discretion, and there withall shall perceiue vsus to come in tender and louing affection, I thinke an entrance is made, and all preiudice is taken away, so as we may the more freely worke vponupon the conscience; first bringing them to the sight of sinne, as to some cause of their trouble. Herein we must labour to put away all confusion and blindnesse of sorrow, endeuouring by wisedome to bring the parties wounded to some certaine obiect and matter of their trouble; and so draw out of them the confession of some seuerall, especiall, & secret sinne; I say seuerall and secret sinne, because I know, how many (through a palpable blindnesse or disordered discerning of sinne) talke of nothing so much as of sinne; and yet they either cannot des…ry (seuerall sinnes, or they will not be brought to acknowledge their secret sinnes: whereof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the law of God, and the other of selfe-louelove, which maketh vsus l…t…e euen in our trauell of minde, to shame our selues.

Now that the confession of particular sinnes is requisite, it may appeare by the two andP…. … ▪ thirtieth Psalme, wherein (being a Psalme of instruction, concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes) the Prophet (by his owne experience) teacheth vsus, that he could finde no reliefe of his sicknesse, vntill he had remembred, and made confession of his sinnes.

What? shall we thinke that the Prophet of God (taught so wonderfully by the word and by the spirit) did not see his sinnes before? Be it farre from vsus. Rather let vsus know thatConfession … speciall sins. he had not seuerally & particularly ripped vp his sinnes before the Lord, in a seuerall confession of them. Which though the Lord knoweth farre better than we our selues: yet such kinde of sacrifice is most acceptable vntounto him.

Now if in this trouble the persons humbled cannot come to the particular sight of sinne in themselues; it is good to vse the helpe of others, vntounto whom they may offer their harts to be gaged and searched, and their liues to be examined more deepely, by hearing the seuerall Articles of the Law laid open before them; whereby they may trie the whole course of their actions. For (as we said before) the grossest hypocrites will generally complaine of sinne; and yet deale with them in particular pointes of the particular precepts, and prooue them in the applying of things to be done or not done to their owne consciences; and we shall see many of these poore soules tossed to and fro, now floting in ioyes, now plunged in sorrowes, not able to distinguish one sinne from another.

Now when we shall see the wound of the spirit to arise of any certaine and knowne sin, it is either for some sin alreadie cōmit…ed, wherein we lie; or else for some sin as yet not committed, but whereunto we are tempted. For the former; it pleaseth God oftētimes to bring old sins to minde, when we had not throughly repented of them before; that so (as it were) representing them to vsus afresh, we might fall into a more misliking of them. And yet herein is not all, to mislike our selues for some particulars, although it be good to be occupied about some speciall sinnes: for as it is not sufficient for the auoyding of hypocrisie, to see sinne generally: so it is not enough to eschue the deceiueablenes of the heart, euer to be poring busily in one particular, and to be forgetfull of our great and generall sinnes. ButNot to eye one sinne onelyonly, and to forget the rest. let vsus learne by the particulars to passe to the generals. When any such one sin then doth pursue thee, rest not onelyonly therein, but say thus rather to thy selfe; Oh Lord, is this one sin so grieuous? and doth my God punish this one sinne so sorely? How great then should be my punishment, if thou shouldest (O Lord) so deale with me for all my other sinnes. Let vsus labour to hauehave a sense both of generall and of particular sinnes, least in time our griefe passe away without fruite, whilest that not being displeased as well with one sinne, as with another, we either looke too superficially to generals, and not to particulars; or else too superstitiously obserue particulars, and not the generals.

Concerning those sinnes whereunto we are tempted, as when a man is moued to thinke blasphemously of God the father, or to doubt whether there be a Christ or no, or to imagine grossely of the holy Ghost, or to deny God, or to doubt of the Trinitie, or to be moued to murther, adulterie, or such like: in which temptations he feeleth Gods spirit to checke him for thē, so as he knoweth not in this case what to doe: for that on the one side he dares not listen willingly to these fearefull and monstrous temptations; and on the other side, he feareth least in time by long suite, he might fall into them; or at the least for that he se…th not how to be deliuered from them: I suppose these motions are not so much to be disputed with, a… we by them are to be prouoked to more instant and extraordinarie zeale of prayer.

Surely these are dangerous temptations, and therefore are not to be kept close, which our nature will easily incline vntounto: but particularly are to be confessed of vsus. For the diuell will come sometime to thee, to keepe thee still in a generall acknowledging of sinne, and vrge thee on this manner: Surely thou must needes doe this sinne, thou seest thou canst hauehave no …ase, vntill thou hast consented, thou art ordained to it: the reason why thou art thus incessantly tempted, is because thou doest not thus take thy pleasure. Goe to denieSecret motiones vntounto sinnes. God, beleeue not his word: it is but a policie to keepe men in aw…; Religion is no such matter as men take it. Thus for feare of yeelding on the one hand, and for shame of disclosing the temptations on the other hand, many men hauehave pined away, and almost hauehave beene ouercome by them. If we should disclose this (say these men) what would people say of vsus? They would count vsus Atheists, they would thinke vsus the wickedest men in the world. Well, for our instruction and consolation herein, let vsus learne that these kindes of temptations, are either corrections for some sinnes past, or punishments for some sinne present, or forewarners of some sinne to come. We shall see many tempted to adulterie, who (no doubt) cannot be brought to commit it; and yet because in their youth they hauehave committed it, and not repented of it, it comes to them againe. The like may be obserued in theft, in gluttonie, and in other temptations, which are not so much sent vntounto vsus, presently to ouercome vsus, as to put vsus in minde, that sometime heretofore we hauing bin ouercome with them, should now repent for them. Sometime a man shall lie in some sinne, whereof when he will not be admonished, neither by the publike nor priuate meanes, then some other strange temptation shall fall vponupon him, differing from that wherein he presently lieth, to admonish him of that other sinne. As when a worldling shall be tempted to adulterie, a thing which he hath no desire to doe; yet it is to make him looke to his worldlines, whereof he hath so strong and thorough a liking: wherewith if then he will not be awaked, he may suddenly fall into that too, and so by the punishment of God, in punishing one sinne with another, both his sinnes shal be to his great shame layd open, and one sinne shall make knowne another. Sometime also it commeth to passe, that one shall be tempted with such a sinne, as neither heretofore, nor presently he hath giuen any liking or entertainment vntounto; and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him how he may fall into it hereafter, as also to shew that he hath stood all his former life, rather by the grace of God, than by the strength of flesh and blood. Wherefore when thou art moued to doubt of God, of Christ, of the word, or of iustification, doe not so much stand wondring at theseDoubts. strange temptations, as thinke with thy selfe that it is the merciemercy of God by them, to cause thee better to discerne of those temptations in others: when thou shalt hauehave obserued with feare and trembling how they make their first entrie into a mans heart, how they gather strength, how they agree with our corrupt nature, in what degrees they come to some groweth, how the spirit of God doth resist thē, what be the meanes best to preuaile against them. And thus if thou make thy profit by them, thou shalt so wonderfully search and descrie by seuerall veines, the bodie, age and *Or strēgth.…leight of these temptations in others, by an holy experience which God hath taught thee in thy selfe, that besides that thou shalt lay forth mens secret corruptions, as if thou werst in their bosomes; thou shalt be able also by the seede of sorrow in thy selfe, to beget an vnspeakable ioy in others, who in time may be tempted as thou now art.

Thinke moreouer and besides, that such is the efficacie of sinne, that they who are nowNote. no Papists, Heretikes, Adulterers, or Theeues, may for their secure contemning & foolish passing ouer of these temptations sent vntounto them, suddenly, shortly after fall into them; because they would not seeke to make some vse of them, nor confesse before the Lord both their pronenesse and worthinesse to fall into them. But if we will humble our selues in such temptations, & learne by them meekely to discerne the corruptions of our harts, we shall not onelyonly presently deliuer our selues from perill, but be also further enabled to assist others hereafter, in the like danger.

But some will oppose against these things which we hauehave deliuered: Doe you thinke it a remedie to cast downe them that are alreadie humbled? This is rather to be a butcher than a builder of a mans conscience. To whom I answere, that I desire preachers to be builders, and not butchers; and it is one thing generally to applie, and another particularly to lay the medicine vntounto the wound. It is good to begin with searching first, and to purge the sore by the vineger of the Law, & after to supple it with the oyle of the Gospell. Both which must be done in wisedome, vsing them to some in greater, to some in lesser measure. For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature, & no mortall humour, neede rather restoratiue, than purging medicines: so some rather troubled for some spirituall wants, than for grosser sinnes, neede not so much the sharpe threatnings of the Law, as the sweete promises of the Gospell. As the body, through some extraordinarie repletion, hauing gotten some great surfet, not so much to the weakening of nature, as to the threatning of imminent death, and therefore requireth rather some strong purgation, than comfortable and cordiall medicines: euen so the soule brought almost to deaths doore with some extraordinary sinne, is rather to be bored and pearced with the denouncing of Gods iudgements than otherwise. But because we would deale more plainly and lesse confusedly, it is good in our accesse to afflicted consciences, to lay these two grounds. First, we must perswade the persons humbled, that their sins are pardonable, & their sores curable. AndTwo groūds to be remembred in the cures of soules afflicted. after, that this visitation is not so much a signe of Gods wrath and anger, as a seale of his merciemercy and fauour, in that it is not either blind or barren, but plentifull in good effects, and fruitfull in godly issues. The former how needfull it is, the experience of so many almost as hauehave been throwne downe, is a sufficient witnes: who hauehave had this as a tagge tied to their temptations, that neuer any were so plagued as they, none euer had the like temptations, the Lord will surely make an end of them in some strange and vnknowne temptation. Wherein they are not vnlike vntounto men fallen into some dangerous disease, who thinking them selues to be without the fadome of the Physitions skill, & not to be within the compasse of things recouerable, adde a second and sorer griefe vntounto their former.

Wherefore as these men seeme to be halfe healed, when any man of knowledge can be brought, who by experience hath cured the like maladie in like degrees in others: so these sorrowfull soules are not a little by hope refreshed & strengthened to looke for some ease, when they see none other temptation to hauehave ouertaken them, than such as hauing fallen into the nature of man, hauehave found mercy at the hands of God, that he might be feared. This ground worke framed, it is good (to build vp & repaire the decayed ioy of the mind) partly by the law, to make a preparatiue for these ioyes, if the mind not truly humbled, be not fit to be truly comforted: & partly by the Gospell, if the conscience kindly throwne downe, is become a fit subiect to apply the sweete promises of God in Iesus Christ vntounto it. And here againe to answere them that denie the law wholy or at all to be vsed, when we would breed comfort in one: I demaund whether if it be necessarie to maintaine the righteousnes of Christ, it be not also as necessarie to preserue the righteousnes of the law? Seeing the righteousnes of the law, of vsus not fulfilled, will draw vsus vntounto the righteousnes of Christ to vsus imputed: & sith the righteousnes of Christ to vsus imputed, is neuer throughly and truly esteemed, vntill we see the righteousnes of the law of vsus to be vnperformed. Againe, if our Sauiour Christ did foreshew his Disciples, that the first work of the holy Ghost at his comming, should be to conuict the world of sinne, to make men know, that without Iesus Christ there is nothing but sinne, & then, that he should rebuke the world of righteousnes, that they might see how Christ died not for his own sins, but for the sins of others: I see not why it should not be very cōuenient, first to lay open the righteousnes of the lawHow to begin with the la…, incuring consciences afflicted. that men may see their sinnes; and then the righteousnes of Christ, that men may see their sins discharged in him. Besides, where the Lord saith by his Prophet: At what time soeu…r a sinner doth repent of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart, I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance: it may well be gathered, that there must be first a sound sorrow for sinne; and then a true ioy of sins pardoned, may more freely by vertue of his promise be both hoped for, and looked for afterward. Moreouer, seeing all the promises of God in the Gospell are commended vntounto vsus vnderunder the title & tenour of restoring sight to the blinde, hearing to the deafe, strength to the lame, health to the sicke, and life to the dead; it is manifest, not onelyonly that there is no disease of the soule which Christ cannot heale▪ but also that we must first finde our selues blind, deafe, dumbe, lame, sick & dead, before he will meddle with vsus; because they that are whole neede not the Physition, and he came to call sinners, not the righteous to repentance. Now, to doe this in wisedome, by neither pressing the conscience too seuerely, nor releasing the conscience more vnaduisedly, it shall be a safe way, to vse the well tempered speech of the Apostle to the sorcerer: Repent, that if it be possible, thy sinne may be forgiuen thee. Where he doth not wholy discourage him, because it may be his sinne may be pardoned; neither yet too boldly incourage him, in that without repentance, he sheweth it to be altogether impossible to be pardoned.

And that we be not too preposterous in our consolation, let vsus be warned by the blasphemous speech of that detestable Arriā, who of late yeeres was put to death at Norwich. This hellish heretike, a little before he should be executed, affoorded a few whorish teares,An Arian executed at Norwich. asking whether he might be saued in Christ or no? When one told him, that if he truly repented, he should surely not perish: he brake out most monstrously into this speech: Nay, is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeed, as you say? then I defie him, and care not for him. Oh how good a thing had it bin not to hauehave cast this precious stone to this swine? Oh how safe had it been to hauehave dealt more bitterly, and to hauehave dwelt more vehemently on the conscience of this cai…ife?

Now to attaine some discretion in curing this wounded spirit, we must learne wisely to1 iudge, both of the person afflicted, and of the nature of his affliction. First, we may noteGood considerations in vrging the law to some afflicted. whether it be a man or a woman, because we may vrge more fearfully the vse of the law to a man, as being the stronger vessell. And as Sathan knew the woman to be most easie and framable to be wrought vponupon, at his first temptation: so is he not ignorant that she is the weaker partie to sustaine any temptation now. Then let vsus consider, whether they that are thus humbled hauehave knowledge or no? Because, if they hauehave no knowledge, they thinke2 trouble of minde to be so strange a thing, as neuer any before had it: if they hauehave knowledge, then Sathan is readie to accuse them of the sinne against the holy Ghost, as though eueryevery sinne done against knowledge, were a sinne of presumption. Further, we are to enquire, how strong or weake they are, that if they be sorely striken, we cease to humble them any further: if they be not sufficiently wounded, then to touch them with some deeper sense of sinne. Also we must be circumspect, to finde out whether by nature they are fearefull and melancholike or no: as also, whether they be vsuall sinners, or hauehave fallen once of infirmitie; that so vponupon their disposition and inclination, we may build our speeches the better. To these it is good to adde the consideration of the persons age, estate and abilitie: as if the partie be troubled for worldlines, whether he be not a great house holder: if he complaine of vncleannes, whether he be not a yong man & vnmaried: if he be humbled with couetousnes, whether he be not old: because diuers coūtries, callings, ages, conditions and estates of men, hauehave their diuers and peculiar sinnes, which we must rightly discerne. Howbeit, of what sex soeuer they are men or women, of what complexion soeuer they are, of what knowledge to discerne sin, of what degree of committing sin; of what age, authoritie, wealth, estate, or cōdition soeuer they are, it is good to marke that there be many who are more troubled for the vexation and disquietnes of their minde being distempered, than for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sin cōmitted; who are wounded more with the feare of shame, with the feare of being mad, or with the feare of running out of their wits, than with the conscience of sinne. Which thing if we finde in them, it is our part to trauell with them, that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame, and more conscience of the inward sinne. Neither must we here forget to make a distinction betweene our speeches vsed to the humbled, in the very time of their extreme agony & burning ague of their troubles, and those speeches which we vse to them the fit being past; because the one and former requireth more consolation and lesse exhortation; the other and latter would hauehave vsus more abundant in admonishing, and more sparing in comforting, when we may wisely admonish them to beware of sinne, which so procured their owne woe. In this breathing time, it is also expedient to exhort them, that for some season vntill they shall finde greater power of regeneration, they would tye themselues to some holy orders, and godly vowes, whereby they may either be furthered in mortifying some speciall sinne; which for that they could finde no power against it, did most grieue them, or strengthened in some speciall grace, the want where of did also wound them.

But before we launch deeper into this sea of particular temptations, and begin to sound the dangerous passages of naturall corruption, and originall sinne, the troublesome froth whereof doth almost ouerwhelme many poore pilgrims, it shall be good to giuegive this caution, that both in these and in the former troubles, men would be still againe admonished, patiently to beare with a wounded spirit, albeit it fall out so, that they be somewhat pettish, seeing the holy Ghost speaketh so fauourably of them, saying: A wounded spirit who can beare? And surely our practise in other things, by the law of equitie, may vrge this at our hands. For if men by the light of reason can see it to be a dutie conuenient, not furiously to controll, but meekly to suffer, and wisely to put vp the vnaduised speeches of a man distempered in braine, by reason of some burning ague, or such like violent and vehement sicknes: we may easily gather euen by the same rule of reason, not so seuerely to cēsure the impatiēt speeches of him, who by reason of some parching feuer of the spirit, is disquieted in all parts of his mind, & hath all the veines of his heart (as it were in a spirituall agonie) vexed. Wherefore both vnsauourie for want of godly wisedome, & vncharitable for want of Christian louelove, are their murmuring obtrectations which say, what? Is this the godly man? Is this he that is so troubled for his sinnes? Why, see how pettish he is, nothing can please him, no bodie can satisfie him. Consider, O man, if thou canst beare with a …raile bodie, that thou must much more beare with a fraile mind. Consider, O man, that this his pettishnes doth more wound him to the hart, than any iniurie thou couldest presse him with. And therfore seeing he afflicteth his owne soule for it, thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction, and to exasperate his grieuous smart. Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vsus of the estate of the needie, and that to rub a fresh wound, and to straine a bleeding sore, is nothing else, but with Iobs friends to bring a new torment, where there is no need of it. As the wise father doth rather pitie thā rebuke his child, whēby reason of sicknes the appetite is not easily pleased: so, if we purpose to doe any good with an afflicted minde, we must not be austere in reprehēding eueryevery infirmitie, but p…tiful in considering of the tender frailtie of it. Neither doe I speake this to nourish pe…shnes in any, but would hauehave them to labour for patience, and to seeke for peace: which though they finde not at the first, yet by prayer they must waite on the Lord, and say: Lord because there is mercy that thou maist be feared, I will waite vponupon thee, as the eye of the seruant wai… … vponupon the hand of his maister. I will condemne my selfe of folly, and say, Oh my soule, why art tho…o so h…a…e? Why art thou so cast downe within me? Still trust in the Lord, for he is thy health and thy saluation.

FINIS.

Works, Part 2 · Treatise 1

p. 95THE FIRST TREATISE FOR AN AFFLICTED CONSCIENCE VPONUPON THIS SCRIPTVRE.

THE FIRST TREATISE FOR AN AFFLICTED CONSCIENCE VPONUPON THIS SCRIPTVRE.