Works, Part 1 · Spiritual counsels 1 · Counsel 1 – Counsel 9
Affections.
HE vsed this triall of his affections; as of anger, griefe, ioy, or such like, in this manner: If by them he was made lesse fit to pray; more vnable to do the good he should, lesse carefull to auoid sin; then he thoughtTriall of affections. his affection carnall and euill, and not of God: but when his anger, louelove, grief, and other affectiōs prouoked him more to pray, and made him fitter to do good, then he thought his affections to be sent from God, as a blessing vntounto him.
2 God sheweth vsus often in our affections, what we may doe in our outward actions.
3 Some labour more for knowledge, lesse for affection: some more for affection, lesseHow to labour for knowledge and affection. for knowledge: some busie themselues in Church-discipline, and are slender sighted in their priuie corruptions: some be diligent to espie things in others abroad, and negligent to trie themselues at home: but it is good to match both together.
4 Rare good things are pleasant, but by vse they are lesse esteemed: and rare euill things are fearefull, but by vse they become lesse grieuous. This comes to passe, because we rather bring with vsus naturall affections, of ioy, and sorrow, and feare, than spirituallNaturall affections. meditations, which are onelyonly of the true ioy and sorrow.
5 We must euer learne to suspect our owne opinion and affection, when the case anyWhen to suspect affectiō. See more in the title of iudgement, sect. 1. thing concerneth vsus.
6 He said, that when for some causes naturall affection deceiued him: yet the ordinance of God caused him to doe duties.
7 He thought it not good at table to be extraordinarie either in ioy or sorrow, vnlesse it were for some special cause: but rather it were conuenient, priuately to a godly friend or before the Lord to powre out our hearts, and after the example of Ioseph to make our affections knowne as little in companie as may be.
Afflictions.
1 HE thought all afflictions, to be puttings of him to God from slothfulnes.Slothfulnes.
2 It is a most certaine thing in Gods children, that the more their afflictions grow, the more their faith groweth: the more Sathan striueth to draw them from God, the more they draw neer to God: although indeed in feeling they cānot see somuch.Feeling.
3 Many can speak faire things in the eares of God, so long as they be in affliction: but afterwards they will speake euill things in the eares of heauen and earth.
4 He said to one complaining of sudden gripes and nips in the bodie, Of sudden …earesOf sudden gripes and nips in the bodie, and feares in the minde. in the minde, that we should make our vse of them: and though it were hard to search the particular cause of them, it was both easie and sure to attribute it to our failing in religion, in not doing some good which God required at our hands: or if we did it, because we were too ceremoniall, and rested in the thing wrought. If we hauehave failed in not doing, it may be the Lord calleth vsus to some thing to be done. Againe, by these sudden feares and griefes, the Lord will sometime prepare a way to come vntounto vsus, not much vnlike to a Prince, who before his comming hath a peale of gunnes as a warning peece, and then we are to meete the Lord with prayer: for now is the time, now is the fit oportunitie of praying, because the Lord will shortly passe by vsus, and therefore we must stirre vp our selues. And hauing prayed▪ it is good to make an holy pursuite after him, as laying a godly claime to the promises of God, not in particular, but in generall: for who knoweth, but the Lord, what is good in particular for our saluation. Here he shewed by his owne example, to commend the vse of prayer, how he being once feared with deceiuable and grieuous visions, called to minde (being alone in the darke night) the vnbeliefe of the Disciples on the Seas, where our Sauiour Christ was asleepe: then he asked his owne soule whether he had prayed or no; or whether in prayer, he made not some haste out of it, as being desirous toPrayer. be rid of it. Then cōsidering that he gaue himselfe to God, who was the Lord of the night as well as of the day; of darknes, as well as of the light, he prayed againe, & to the praise of God he spake it, he slept more quietly than before, after he did so striue in faithfull prayer.
5 In afflictions we must search the cause: first by ascending to God, then by descendingIn afflictions to descend into our selues, and to ascend to God. Deut. 30. 1. 2. 3 4. Simile. into our selues. First, we must ascend to God, pleading guiltie, crauing merciemercy, and not stand quarrelling with the malice of men, or hatred of the diuell against vsus: for as it were no good wisedome for a man, condemned to die, to make any long suite to the Iaylor, or to the executioner, (for they be but vnderunder officers, & can do nothing) but he must labour to the Iudge, who can either reprieue or release him: so it is no good policy to stand about Sathan in our temptations, who doth all by constraint & restraint vnderunder the Lord: but we must goe to the principall, that is God, in whose hands are both the entrance, the continuance, and the issues of our sufferings. Secondly, we must search our selues, how farre either reason is vnreformed, or affections vnrenewed: knowing that the diuell himselfeThe diuell cannot hurt vsus, till we hauehave hurt our selues. can neuer hurt vsus, vntill we hauehave hurt our selues. And looke in what measure our reason is corrupt, or our affections disordered, in that measure are we weake, and easier to be ouerthrowne of men, or of Sathan: and in what measure our reason is sound, and our affections sincere, in that measure we remaine inuincible. Before, and in all we must pray that the spirit may be giuen vsus, that we neither adde nor detract, that we goe not too farre, nor come too short.
6 If God bestow good gifts on a man, it were good to feele some crosse to seale and seasonThe crosse doth seale and season Gods graces in vsus. them in vsus. If God giuegive vsus foode and raiment, it were good to be exercised with some crosse.
7 He that will hauehave comfort in his triall and trauels, must hauehave a good conscience, a sound cause, and must be sure that he hath vsed and doth vse sound, discreete, and louingThree things in all trials. meanes.
8 We must not like fooles stumble at the crosse, but profit by the grace offered to vsus in it, by repenting our former state past, and by giuing thankes for our state present, and fearing our state to come.
9 It is a great corruption in men, to be more grieued when the crosse priuatly touchethPublike calamities must affect vsus most. themselues, than when publikely it concerneth the whole Church and common-wealth.
10 Being in great paines and crosses which he suffered, hee said, Blessed be God that I suffer no more: for the Lord that in merciemercy laieth this affliction vponupon me, might iustly punish me in my soule and bodie, and cast me into hell, and as soone hauehave taken away the life of my soule and bodie, as this thing.
11 To one complaining that his afflictions were extraordinarie, he answered: It isExtraordinarie affliction in appearance. not so, for your afflictions are farre inferiour to your sinnes: and therefore howsoeuer it seemeth to you to be an extraordinarie affliction, yet with God it is but ordinarie, or lesse than ordinarie. Besides, this is a dangerous temptation: for it will bring you to this conceit, that you shall reason thus in your selfe, that an extraordinarie crosse must hauehave an extraordinarie comfort, and therefore you must looke for some wonderfull and strange consolation, whereby Sathan will moue you to contemne, or at least not so to regard ordinarie consolations, which hauehave helped others, and may helpe you, & by this meanes breed in you such vnthankfulnes, that before you are aware, an extraordinarie affliction shall be sent indeed.
12 He that will suffer great things in persecution, must suffer small things in peace, and they that will suffer of Papists, must suffer of Protestants.
Anger.
1 THis is a good triall, whether our anger be spirituall or carnall; if our anger hindersSee Affections pag. 1. not some other holy action, but stirres vsus vp to good workes; if it hinder vsus not to pray with libertie of minde; if it interrupt not our meditations; if we doe not omit the doing of any dutie to the partie offending vsus; if we can deale with others without peeuishnes, then our anger is spirituall, and will comfort our consciences.
2 He was euer most grieued and angrie, yet in louelove with them whom he tendred most in the Lord, and who had giuen him most credit, by submitting themselues wholie to his ministerie.
Angels.
1 TO one, asking how the Angels of God watch ouer vsus, he answered: we are ratherPsal. 91. Heb. 1. to pray for the experience of their ministerie vntounto vsus, than either to describe it, or prescribe it. This is sure, if we be Gods children and walke in his waies; the Angels of God do watch ouer vsus, and yet all see it not, and when they see it, it is by the effect of their ministerie: for though their ministerie be certaine, yet the manifestation of it is extraordinarie.
Atheisme.
1 A Certaine man being a Papist, though not so grounded as he desired to be, tooke a view of the life of Papists, if it were as glorious in truth as they pretended; which when he found not, he turned himselfe to the Protestants, and looking into their conuersation, he found himselfe not contented, vntill in the end he met with Familists, in whom he so staied himselfe, that he grew into familiaritie with their doctrine. The first principle that they taught him, was, that there was no God: This boyled much in him, so that he began to adde conclusions to this precept on this sort: If there be a God, he is not so iust and mercifull▪ as they say: if there be no God, there is neither heauen, nor hell; or if there be any, the ioyes are not so eternall, nor the paines so continuall, as some hauehave taught: Why then doe I sell my certaine pleasures in this world, for vncertaine pleasuresA Papist became a …amii…st and so an Atheist; and his end. in the world to come? This diuellish illusion so farre preuailed, that he stole an horse, for which he was apprehended, imprisoned, arraigned, & condemned: but, by the prouidence of God, he conferring with a godly Minister, confessed himselfe an Atheist: whereupon suite was made and granted for his reprieuing vntill the next Assise, in hope of his conuersion, in which time, he would willingly graunt all generall truths taught him, with liking of his teachers, but could not by any thing be brought from his Atheisme. The Assise following drew neere, he is to be executed, the place is assigned, the person needs must be executed, who when he should be turned from the ladder, cried thus, For Christs sake stay my life: whereupon he spake these or the like words: Well, let the world say what they will; doubtlesse, there is a God, and the same God is iust for euer to his enemies, and euerlastingly keepeth his mercies with his children; now turne me ouer: and so he made an end of his speech, and of his daies.
2 He feared rather Atheisme than Papisme in the Realme: for many hauing escapedFeare of Atheisme to increase rather than Papisme. out of the gulfe of superstition, are now too farre plunged and swallowed vp of prophanenesse, thinking either that there is no God, or else that he is not so fearefull and mercifull, as his threatnings and promises commend him to be.
Calling.
1 A Certaine man afflicted in minde, began, through the temptation ofThe mistiking of our ordinary callings how dangerous. Sathan, to mislike his calling, and chaunged it, afterward he thought this calling & that calling to be vnlawfull, and so was almost brought to mislike all. He felt on a time a great paine in his legge, and being desirous to goe from his bed to his table for a booke, he could not, his legge remaining sore: Then remembring that it was said in the Scripture, If thy foote offend thee, cut it off; he straight way laying his le…ge on a blocke, and taking a hatchet in his hand, stroake off his legge, not feeling paine, the veynes being so torne, he could not but bleed to death, how be it he dyed very penitently: so dangerous a policie, & so perilous a temptation is it, to leaue our callings as things vnlawfull.Meditations in labour.
2 A godly Gentlewoman said, that euen in her ordinarie labour, she tasted oft of as heauenly meditations, as if all things ordinarie laid aside she had giuen her whole minde to attend vponupon the spirit of God, in quietnes of studie. She also said, that we are like children, who need not once to be bid to aske things necessarie, but twice to be thankfull for mercies receiued.
3 As in mariage, though the parties met in the flesh without any sanctified meanes, toMariage. assure themselues to be ioyned of the Lord: yet if God afterward giuegive them grace to liue holily in their meeting, he sheweth that not onelyonly their corrupt meeting is pardoned, but that now their meeting is blessed: so if entring into a calling for want of gifts and affections, we hauehave no assurance at the first, of a warrantable calling: yet if God afterwards furnishEntring into a calling without gifts to discharge it. vsus with able gifts, and sanctifie vsus with pure minds, he doth not onelyonly shew vsus that our former sinne is pardoned, but also that he is well pleased with our calling whereunto he hath so blessed vsus.
4 No trouble should hinder vsus in our calling, vnlesse it be in a case of meere vngodlines: for if for eueryevery trouble, or for many troubles, a man may forsake his calling, he should be out of all, for eueryevery calling hath both lets and troubles.
5 To one that asked his aduice, whether he might auoid the doing of a thing wherevnto he was called, because he felt corruption in himselfe, he said: In auoiding societie you should couer, but not cure your infirmities, and though you depart from men, yet you cannot goe out of your selfe.
6 VntoUnto one that was willing to change his feate for the corruption of the place whereChange of places. he dwelt, he said: Wheresoeuer he purposed to liue as a Christian, the crosse would follow him, because that Christ would follow him, and because on the earth are some good men, and some euill: but when we come to heauen, all would be good, and therefore there shall be no trouble.
7 He said he neuer looked for a better estate than that wherein he was, but often prepared himselfe for a worse.
8 Whensoeuer we are out of our place and calling, Sathan hath a fit occasion of temptation.
Care.
1 VVHere there is an immoderate care of outward things, there commonly isImmoderate or distracting cares. Matth. 6. little care of inward good things: for if one hauehave inward good things, they so content the persons that hauehave them, that they labour not much for outward things: if they want them and desire them, the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godly neglect of outward things, 1. Cor. 7. 30. 31.
Censures.
1 IT is a marueilous thing that many will make more of a small infirmitie in another,How blinde many be in themselues. although that they see, that the whole course of their life is truely to please God; than they make of grosse sinnes in themselues, notwithstanding they take no course at all in their life to please God.
Conference.
1 BEing desirous to speake to the profit of others, he said, that he obserued such a silence in men, as none could well breake into it, & often such a libertie of speech, asA dead silence in meetings. none can take hold of, to turne it to good; he obserued the cause of such silence, to be some great griefe, or some deepe meditation occupying the mind, or some deadnes of spirit, or some worldly shame, or some desire to speake, and the Lord staying the speech, or the carelesnes in them that should heare it, in that they doe not desire it: The remedie against this is either in humilitie to aske some question, or to speake somewhat, and not to giuegive place to such deadnes.
2 In the most abrupt and disordered speeches of men, he thought God disposed them for his profit, & though presently reason could prompt no reason, why they should speak so, yet long after it would. He was much affected with the fact of Iosias, who would not be moued with the *Iosias hearkened not to the words of Necho, which were of the mouth of God. 2▪ Chro. 35. 22.speech of wicked Pharaoh, but entring battell was slaine: whereupon he would say, that no man was so good, but the Lord would sometime let him fall into some euill, for his further humbling; and no man so euill, but the Lord did conuey goodnes into him at sometimes, to make his condemnation the greater.