Works, Part 4 · Letter 1 – Letter 2
A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART.
I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST giuegive me his good Spirit in writing to giuegive aduice, and you in reading to receiue it, Amen. Since the time that I receiued Master S. letter, wherin he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate: I hauehave been not a little grieued, because, partly for want of a conuenient messenger, and partly because of my manifolde distractions, with the like occurrences, and other weightie affaires, I hauehave bene hindered from writing hitherto vntounto you. And albeit euen still I am in the same case; yet conscience towards God, and compassion, and louelove towards you forceth me to ouercome lets, which hardly I could otherwaies preuaile against. And albeit I cannot write as I would, yet of that which I shall write, proceeding from the forenamed grounds, I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ, if you will not too much faint in faith, and yeeld to the aduersarie: yea, if you will but hope so well of yourselfe, as (in the feare of God I write it) I hope of you. First, whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued, because you taryed not still at Cambridge, according to my aduice: you must know that I aduised it not as a thing necessary, but more conuenient (as I then supposed:) but yet that I aduised you to obey your father, if his pleasure still continued to hauehave you home: whereunto you yeelding, I cannot see how you offended: it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe. And who knowes whether being heere, you might not hauehave bene as much troubled, there being no priuiledge for persons and places, in such cases? And who knowes whether it be the Lords pleasure, for the ensample and instruction, and I hope the consolation of others in the end? And albeit you wil now thinke, that here you were neerer the more and stronger meanes: yet know you and hee perswaded, that GOD can, and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker, according to his good pleasure. Besides, it is in our corrupted nature, to make much of such meanes as we cannot hauehave, and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vsus, as we should. I beseech you therefore in the Name of Iesus Christ, humblie to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in merciemercy vntounto you, and to vse them in faith accordingly: and so God shall blesse you by them; and then by such conference as you may hauehave from hence by letters. Wherein if I may stand you in any stead (rather for the good opinion you hauehave of me, then for any great matter I am able to performe) I shall be readie to offer any office of louelove vntounto you, as God shall enable mee, and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate, by some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers. That which I presently perceiue by M. S. letters, is, that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde, and hardnes of your heart, which cannot be moued either with the promises of God his mercies, or feare of his iudgements; nor affected with louelove and delight of the things which bee good, or with hatred and lothing of the euill. Great cause you hauehave of griefe I confesse; but no cause of dispaire dare I graunt, because I am perswaded, that your perswasion is somewhat false, partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate, and partly for some defect of faith, somwhat through your owne default. First therefore know you for a certaintie, that this is no other temptation, than such as diuers of Gods children hauehave for a time bin humbled with, & afterwards hauehave had good issue out of. And if it please God to moue you to credit me, I myselfe hauehave knowne others as deeply this way plunged, as you can be. Remember therefore that God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And yet further to confirme you herein, the holy Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people: In whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably thus complained, chap. 63. vers. 15. O Lord looke downe from heauen, and behol… from the dwelling place of thy holines, and of thy glorie. Where is thy zeale, and thy strength, the multitude of thy mercies, and of thy compassions▪ they are restrained from me. And afterwards: O Lord, why hast thou made vsus to erre from thy waies, and hardened our heart from thy feare? And in the next chapter, vers. 6. We hauehave beene all as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes, and we all doe fade like a leafe, and our iniquitie like the winde doth take vsus away; and there is none that calleth vponupon thy name, neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from vsus, and hast consumed vsus, because of our iniquities. And afore in the 59. chapter, vers. 10. We grope for the wall like the blinde, and we grope as one without eyes: we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight: we are in solitarie places like dead men: we roare like beares and mourne like doues. So complaines Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule: Esay. 38 14 Like a cr…ne or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a doue. And Psal. 51. 10. &c. when Dauid crieth, Create in me, O God, a cleane heart, renue in me a right spirit, restore to me the ioy of thy saluation, establish me with thy free spirit: doth he not declare, that his heart was vncleane, his spirit crooked, the ioy of his saluation lost, and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage; so that wanting the spirit of libertie, or adoption, he could neither crie Abba father, nor …ue any power against sinne? Thus you see how God his children may be blinded in minde, and hardened in hart for a time, so that they feele in themselues the graces of the holy spirit to be as it were perished and dead. Further, to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this point (because I know it may much distresse you) you must vnderstand that there be two kindes of hardnes of heart: the one, which is not felt nor perceiued: the other, which is perceiued and felt: and of the former, that there be two sorts: the first, which is most fearefull, when any doe purposely resist the motions of God his spirit, and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation. Of the which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh, chap. 7. vers. 11 &c. They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares that they should not heare: yea they made their heart as an Adamant stone, least they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets. The outragious sinne of these men, the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes, chap. 28. 15. We hauehave made a couenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement: though a scourge runne ouer, and passe through, it shall not come at vsus: for we hauehave made falsehood our refuge, and vnderunder vanitie are we hid. This was a fearefull estate indeede: yet for all that, no man can say, but some of those hauing so hardened their hearts, might be, and were afterwards conuerted. The other kinde of hardnes of heart, which is not felt nor perceiued, or if perceiued, yet not felt (which albeit it is lesse fearefull, yet it is dangerous enough) is in such, as, although they wilfully resist not God his spirit in good means, yet securely, carelesly & willingly they lie in sinne without any remorse of it, or true taste of good things. Such was Dauids state, by the space of a yeere, before Nathan the Prophet came to proue him, and rouse him from his lulled sleepe. Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from, otherwaies than in temptation Sathan may sometimes moue you thereunto. The other kinde and hardnes of heart, which is perceiued and felt, is of two sorts; the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued, although they do finde small or no ease in themselues for a time. Of this kinde the Prophet Esay, in the name of some of God his people complained, Esay. 63. 15. And such was Dauids state after that Nathan had reprooued him, and God his spirit began … worke with him: yet crieth he out (as you heard before) of the losse of God his graces: and when he saith that God will accept of no sacrifices, be they neuer so many or pretious, without a contrite heart and broken spirit; he sheweth that for a time (euen after the Prophet had reproued him) he wanted both. This is your case, and therefore you are in the state of saluation: for Dauid was in this case, euen after he had confessed his sinne, and had receiued absolution & pardon from God, by the ministerie of Nathan, although he neither felt ioy thereof, nor true griefe for the other: yet because in truth of heart he confessed his sinne (as my trust is you doe) and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes: of it by God his merciemercy, as you must be if you will hauehave merciemercy (although he was far off from feeling it, or applying it to his wofull conscience) his state was good and very well to bee hoped of. And you must knowe and bee perswaded; that those things which are written of God his Saints; and namely of Dauid, and Peter, and such others, are ensamples for vsus, if wee will stay our selues vponupon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants; and waite vponupon the Lords good time, vntill he come neerer vntounto vsus by his spirite: neerer, I say, for he is come already vntounto you (or it may be he neuer went from you) because to be grieued and humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart, to belieue certainely the truth of God his promises in generall, and to reuerence the seruants of God, which bring the glad tidings of saluation, and to long after comfort, vsing the meanes of the Word and Prayer, the Sacrament of the Supper, and the company of God his children, contrarie to hope vnderunder hope, yea, without any present feeling; all this is a certaine argument that God his spirit is with such, and therefore with you. This estate though it may be very grieuous, yet it is neuer dangerous, much lesse is it fearfull, vnlesse any be so wilfull that they doe perseuere and continue in desperate refusing all good meanes: vnlesse they perseuere, I say, for that through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie, and his forcible power, whereby God suffereth him sometimes for a season to winnowe them as Wheate, they are so bewitched and intoxicated, that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of, or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits: yea almost to hauehave no desire at all vntounto them: yea sometimes, euen to speake euill of them. But all this is but in temptation, and therefore God will be mercifull vntounto them for Christ his sake. Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth, and wished to be strangled: Ieremie also repented that euer he preached in the Name of the Lord: both scarcely abstained from blasphemy. Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition, thogh dutifully admonished, wilfully went on in numbring the people. Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength, being most wisely and effectually premonished of his weaknes euen by our Lord Iesus, yet wittingly rusheth, as an horse into the battell, and then very cowardly yeeldeth, yea, doubly denieth, yea, strengtheneth his sinne, with a threefold corde, and fasteneth it with banning and cursing. And yet all these obtained merciemercy most bountifully. For why? as Sat…ā had desired to winnow them; so our Lord IESVS CHRIST prayed for them, that their Faith thogh it were vehemētly assaulted, yet should not be ouercome, although it was battered, yet that it should not be destroyed, and though it were sore oppressed, that it should not be extinguished. And heere be you fully perswaded, that though (Luk. 22. 32.) the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter, (viz. I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy Faith should not faile) yet that hee prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles, yea, for all the faithfull. For first he saith not, Simon, Sathan hath desired to winnow thee, but you. Why then (saith he) I hauehave prayed for thee? Verily, because he should more grieuously offend then the rest (although their offence was very great) therefore his and our most blessed Sauiour applyed to him the promise, but did not impropriate it to him onelyonly, and restraine it from the rest. Compare with this place, Ioh. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth, that he prayed not only for the Apostles, but for all those which should belieue through their word. Yea further, our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday; is to day, and shall be for euer. And as the fore-fathers were baptized into him, and did eate his Flesh and drinke his bloud, so was his prayer effectuall euen vntounto them vnderunder the law, much more vntounto vsus vnderunder grace. And whē you can finde testimony of your heart, that when you would doe well, euill is present with you, and that when you do the euill you would not, then do you not it, but sinne in you, when it leadeth you captiue, Rom. 7. much more then whē Sathan worketh withall, buffeting you, assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you, that the vertue of his power shalbe perfect in your weaknes, 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you belieue, according to your faith it shall be done vntounto you. But you will say, you cannot belieue that this vile and crooked hardnes of your heart, can bee remitted and renewed: and euen this was the second point, which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand, was the cause of your excessiue distresse. I beseech you, and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you will not willingly lie, nor offer iniurie to God his spirit, nor to your selfe who hauehave receiued it: tell me, what is the reason why you think you hauehave no faith? Verily because you hauehave no feeling, nor no other fruites thereof, as you thinke. Well, first then agree with me herein (as you must, if you will not disagree with the truth) that feeling is but an effect, and a fruite of faith. And therefore there may be faith without feeling, as well as the cause may be without the effect, and the tree without any appearance of fruite, yea of sappe for a season. And as a man sore wounded, or diseased; may for a season be depriued, almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew, and his owne iudgement and feeling: so may a spirituall man be so sore wounded by Sathan, and diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions, specially in temptation, that he may thinke, yea and may appeare to others, that the life of the spirit is not in him. Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile (as you hauehave heard) or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not. Thus when Dauid, Psal. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane, and his spirit crooked or vnstable, and vers. 14. that he had lost the ioy of his saluation, and the spirit of libertie or adoption: yet vers. 13. he prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him, therefore hee was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification. Here seemeth repugnance, but there is none. He was depriued for a season of the graces of the fanctifying spirit; but none of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified Which graces as God restored vntounto him: so I am perswaded he will vntounto you: yea I doubt whether you are depriued of them, but onelyonly, that partly melancholy, and partly Satan worketh therewith, make you doe iniurie to your selfe, and to the graces of the spirit in you, which I beseech you take heede of. But the messenger cannot stay; and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this, or of the remedies you should vse, which hereafter I will, as God shall inable me. And I pray you let me vnderstand (as I requested in the beginning) of your estate iu particular somewhat more: and that by this bearer if you can, because hee is of your acquaintance, and will bring it vntounto me faithfully.
OnelyOnly I adde now, vntounto that I hauehave written of hardnes of heart at large, that you must diligently obserue the word, Create, which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring how hee had no feeling of his heart. To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God, chap. 57. 23. I create the fruite of the lips to be peace, peace as well to him that is fare off, as to him that is neere. Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine, as did Dauid Therefore say with him often, and with God his people, Esay 64 12. O Lord thou art our father: we indeede are clay but thou art our maker, and we are the worke of thy hand. &c. Know you that God can cause Wolues, Lions, Leopards, &c. dwell louingly with Lambes, Calues, Kine, Esay 11. 6. &c, and that which is vnpossible vntounto men, is possible vntounto God; euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye; that is, to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man; much more yours. Yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth: crie then, I beleeue, O Lord helpe my vnbeleefe. And I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you shal hauehave your harts desire in goodnes. Thus abruptly I must make an end. I commend you vntounto God, and the word of his grace, which is able to build you vp, and giuegive you the right of inheritance among them which are sanctified. And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout, that your whole spirit, and soule, and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ: faithfull is he which hath called you, which will doe it. Amen. I pray you pray for me; and I trust, as I hauehave, so I shall pray for you, and much more.
Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede.
A LETTER CONSOLATORIE TO Mistris Mary Whitehead.
THe Lord Iesus Christ by whose blood you are iustified, stay and strengthen you now and for euer, Amen.
Seeing we be so miserable, blessed bee God that wee bee also mortall: seeing wee be subiect to sinne, praised bee God that wee are also subiect to corruption. It would now grieue vsus to bee mortall, because wee sinne, and by sinne purchase miserie: it is sufficient that we shall then neuer die, when we shall neuer sinne, and then wee shall no more taste of corruption, when wee shall no more so much as feare condemnation. In regard whereof (good Mistris) looke not so much to your griefe for the death of your sonne (which you see to be the cōmon lot of al, and the happie lot of the godly) as vponupon his freedome from misery, his libertie from sinne, and his holy change to eternall felicitie.
And albeit he was young in yeares, yet was hee come to sufficient yeares to goe to God, that hee that hitherto did grow in Christ, should now bee gathered and reaped vp to the kingdome of Christ: so that we cannot thinke him to die in his flowers, whose perfection groweth to so blessed a maturitie before the Lord. If then you reioyced in him as he was the interest of the Lord: you are not much to sorrow, that the Lord hath his right. Which (if your louelove to him was right) you know did euer appertaine vntounto him. Hee must not of you his earthly parents be deemed to be lost, which of his heauenly father is so surely preserued. And without all question his very growing in godlines, vnderunder so manifold afflictions in this life, could not hauehave been so profitable to him, and comfortable vntounto you; as the losse of a few and faint pleasures, recompenced with so infinite and vnspeakable ioyes in the life to come, are I hope, and must be vntounto you.
Be not then so grieued for that you hauehave lost that which Christ hath found: but bee thankfull if by hope you can reioyce that Christ hath found that which you hauehave lost. Whose losse of yours, and gaine of Christs, as it was by the will of God, you must yeeld to of necessitie: as it was the wisedome of God, and merciemercy of God, so to hauehave it, you must resigne him willingly. The Lord God who gaue your sonne as a pledge of his goodnes, and who hath receiued your son as a pledge of your obedience, so ouer reach your griese of nature, by hope aboue nature, that you may fulfill that remnant of repentance which yet is lent you to the great praise of his holy name and endles peace of your own soule for his Christs sake.
Amen.