Two Treatises Comforting an Afflicted Conscience, Letter 1
A letter from M. Richard Greeneham to a friend of his, M. M. against hardnes of heart.
I Beseech God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ giuegive mee his holy spirit in writing to giuegive aduice, and you in reading to receiue it, Amen. Since the time I receiued M. S. his letter, wherein hee declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate, I hauehave beene not a litle grieued because, partly for want of a conuenient messenger, & partly because of my manifould distractions with the like occurrances & other waighty affairs, I hauehave beene hindred hitherto from wrighting vntounto you. And albeit euen still I am in the same case, yet conscience towards God, compassion & louelove towards you, forceth mee to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwise preuaile against. And albeit I cannot write as I would, yet of that which I shall write proceeding frō the forenamed groundes 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 your selfe, as (in the feare of GOD I doe write it) I hope of you. First, whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued, becaus you tarried not still at Cambridge according to mine aduise, you must knowe I aduised it not as a thing necessary, but more conuenient, as I thē supposed, but I aduised you to obey your father, if his pleasure still continued to hauehave you home; whereunto you yeelding, I cannot see …owe you offended, it beeing your Fathers pleasure you shoulde so doe. And who knoweth whether beeing there you might not hauehave beene as much troubled, there beeing no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases: And who knoweth whether it be the Lordes pleasure, for the exsample and instruction (and I hope the consolation) of others in the ende. And albeit you will nowe thinke that heere you were nearer the moe and stronger meanes, yet knowe you and bee pers…aded, that God can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker, according to his good pleasure: Besides, it is in our corrupt 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, humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercy 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 steede, rather for the good opinion you hauehave of me, then for any greate matter I am able to performe, I shalbe ready to offer any office of louelove vntounto you as God shall inable mee, and so farre forth as I shall bee at any time instructed in your perticular estate in some letters sente from you by conuenient messengers. That which I perceiue presently by M. S. letter is, that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your mind; and hardnes of your heart, which cannot be moued either with the promises of Gods mercies, or feare of his iudgements; nor affected with the louelove & delight of the things which bee good, nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill. Great cause you hauehave of griefe I confesse, but no cause of dispaire dare I grant, because I am perswaded that your perswation is somewhat false, partly for wante of a sounde iudgement of your estate, and partly for some defect of faith, somewhat through your owne default. First therefore know you for a certaintie, that this is no other tentation, than such as diuers of Gods children hauehave beene humbled with, and afterwarde hauehave had a good issue out of it: and if it please God to moue ye to credit me, I my selfe hauehave knowen others, as deepely this way plunged, as you can be. Remember therfore, that God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare. And yet farther to confirme you heerein,1. Cor. 10.13 the holy scriptures do recorde, that this way God heeretofore hath humbled his owne people: in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth.Esa. 63, 15. O Lord looke down from heauen, behold from thy 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 afterwardes; O Lord why hast thou made vsus to erre from thy waies, and hardened our heartes from thy feare? And in the next chapt.vers. … Wee hauehave beene alas an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes: and we all doe fade as a leafe, and our iniquities as the winde doth take vsus away: and there is none that calleth vponupon thy name, neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold on thee, for thou hast hid thy face from vsus, and hast consumed vsus, because of our iniquities. And before.Esa. 59.10 Wee grope for the wall like the blinde, and we grope as one without eies, we rore like beares, and mourne like doues. So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule;Esa. 38.14 Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter, I did mourne as a doue:Psal. 51.10 And when Dauid crieth, Create in me O God a cleane heart, renue in me a right spirit. Restore to me the ioy of my saluation, establish me with thy free spirit: doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane, his spirit cr…ked, the ioy of his saluation lost, and himselfe subiect to …he sp…rit of bondage? so that wanting the spirit of liberty or adoption, he could n…yther cry Abba Father, nor hauehave any power against sinne. T…us you see how Gods children may be blinded in minde, and hardened in heart for a time, so that they feele in themselues the grace of the holy spirite to be as it were perished and dead. Fa…ther to releeue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case, because I know it may much distresse you, you must vnderstand that there bee two kindes of hardnes of heart, the one which is not felt nor perceiued; The other which is perceiued & felt; and of the former that there be two sortes, the first (which is most fearefull) when any doe purposely resist the motions of Gods spirite, and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation; of which the Prophet Zachary speaketh. 7.11. They refused to harken, and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare: yea, they made their heartes as an Adamant stone, least they should heare the law, and the wordes which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministery of the former Prophets. The outragious sinne of these men, the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull termes,Esay. 28.15 we hauehave made a couenant with death, and with hell, we are at a…reement: though a scourge runne ouer and passe through, it shall not come at vsus: for we hauehave made falshoode our refuge, and vnderunder vanitie are we hidden. This was a fearefull estat… indeede; yet for all that no man can say, but some of those hauing hardened their …eartes, might bee, and were af…erward conuerted. The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt not perceiued, or if perc…iued, y…t not felt; (which albeit it is lesse fearefull, yet it is dangerous enough) is in such, as although they wilfully resist not God… spirite in good meanes; yet securely, car…lesly and willingly they lie in sinne, without any …emorse of i…, or true tast of good thinges. Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet ame to reproue him, and rouse him from his lulled sleepe. Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from, otherwise than in temptation. Sathan may sometimes mooue yee thereunto. The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt, is of two sortes; the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be releeued, although they do finde small or no ease at all in themselues for a time.
Of this kinde the Prophet Esay (in the name of some of gods people) complained.Esay, 63 And such was Dauids state. Af…er that Nathan had reproued him, and gods spirit began to to worke wi…h him, yet he crieth out as ye heard before, of the losse of gods graces: and when he saith, that God will accept of no sacrifices be they neuer so many nor precious, without a contrite heart and broken spirit; he sheweth that for a time (euen a…ter the proph…t 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 and pardon from God, by the ministerie of Nathan, although he neuer felt ioy thereof, nor true griefe for the other: yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his finne (as my trust is you doe) and was certainlie perswaded of the pardonablenesse of i… by gods merciemercy, (athough he was farre off from the feeling it, or applying it to his wofu…l conscience) his state was good, & verie well to be hoped of. And you must know & be perswaded that those things which are written of gods saints, & namelie of Dauid & Peter, & such others, are examples for vsus, if we will stay our selues vponupon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants, & wait vponupon the Lords good time, till he come neerer vntounto vsus by his spirit: neerer I saie, for he is come alreadie vntounto you: or it may be he neuer went from you; because to be grieued & humbled with blindnesse of minde & hardnes of heart, to beleue certainly the trueth of God his promises in generall, and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after the comfortes, vsing the meanes of the word and praier, the Sacrament of the supper, and the companie of gods children, contrarie to hope, vnderunder hope, yea without anie present feeling: all this is a certaine argument, that gods spirit is with such, & therefore with you. This estate although it bee verie grieuous, yet it is neuer dangerous, much lesse is it fearefull; vnlesse any be so wilfull, that they perseuere & continue in desperate refusing al good meanes: vnlesse they perseuere I say, for that through the spirituall aduersarie, & his forceable power, wherby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate, they are so be witched and intoxicated, that they are carried by violent force of tēptation, to waxe wearie of, or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fittes: yea, almost to hauehave no desire at all vntounto them: yea, sometimes to speake veie euill of them: But all this is but temptation, and therefore GOD will bee mercifull vntounto them for Christ his sake.
Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth, and wished to be strangled; Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord: both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie. Dauid moued with the spirit of ambi…ion (though dutifully admonished) wilfully w…nt onin numbring the people; Peter also vain gloriously presuming of his own strength, being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus, yet wittingly rusheth as a horse into the battell and then very cowardly yeeldeth, yea doubly denieth, yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold coard, and fasteneth it with banning and cursings: and yet all these obtained mercy most bountifully. For why? as Sathan had desired to winnow them, so our Lord Iesus praied for them, that their faith, though it was vehemently assaulted, yet shoulde not be ouercome; although it was battered, yet that it should not be destroyed▪ and though it was oppressed, yet that it should not be extinguished. And heere bee you fully perswaded, that albeit Luke. 22.31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter, Vz. I hauehave praide for thee that thy fai…h should not faile; yet he praied 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 hee, I hauehave praied for thee? Verelie because he should more grieuously offend than the rest: although their offence was verie great; therfore his and our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise, but did not appropriate it vntounto him only, and restrained it from the rest. Compare with this place. Iohn. 17.20. and you shall see that the heauenly verity affirmeth; that he praied not onelie for the Apostles, but for all those that should beleeue through their word: yea farther, Our lord Iesus Christ was yesterdaie, is to day, & shalbe for euer. And as the forefathers were baptised into him,Hebr. 13. and did eate his flesh, and did drinke his blood; so was his praier effectuall euen to them vnderunder the law; much more to vsus vnderunder grace. And when you can finde testimonie in your heart, that when you would doe well, euill is present with you, and that you do the euill you would not; then do not you it, but sin in you, when it leadeth you captiue. Much more when sathan works with all buffeting you,Rom. …. assure your selfe that God hath pittie on you, that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weaknes. If you beleeue,2. Co. 12.9 according to your faith it shalbe done vntounto you. But you will say, you cannot beleeue, that this vile & crooked hardnes of your heart can be remitted & renued: & euen this was the seconde pointe which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse. I beseech you, & I charge you in the name of our lord Iesus Christ, that you wil not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to gods spirit, nor to your selfe who hath receiued it. Tel me, what is the reasō why you thinke you hauehave no faith? Verely because you hauehave no feeling, nor any other fruites thereof, as you thinke. Wel… ▪ first then agree with me heerein (as you must if you will not disagree with the truth) that feeling is but an effect and fruite of faith; and therefor theremay be faith without feeling, as wel as thecause may be without the effect, & the tree without any appearance of fruit, yea, of sap for a season. And as a man sore wounded and diseased, may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew, and to his owne iudgement and feeling; so may a spirituall man be…ore wounded by sa…han, and diseased by the present feeling of his sinful corruptions, specially in temptations; that he may thinke, yea appeare to others, that the life of the spirit is not in him. Thus, Peters faith did not wholly faile, (as you hauehave heard) or else the praier of our Sauiour preuailed not. Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane,Psal 5.12. and his spirit crooked or vnstable;vers. 14. and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation,vers. 13. and the spirite of libertie, or adoption: yet hee praieth, that God woulde not take his holy spirite from him: therefore hee was not depriued of the spirite of sanctification.
Heere seemeth to bee repugnance, but there is not anie: hee was depriued indeede for a time of the graces of the sanctifying spirite, but not of the holy Ghost where with hee was sanctified: which graces, as God restored vntounto him, so I am perswaded he will do vntounto you: Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them; but onelyonly that partlie Melancholy, partly Sathan working therewith, make you doe iniurie to your selfe, and to the graces of the spirite in you; which I beseech you to take heede of.
But the messenger cannot stay, and therefore I cannot write as I would, eyther of this, or of the remedie which you should vse; which heere after I will, as God shall enable me: and I pray you let me vnderstand (as I requested in the beginning) of your estate in perticular somewhat more, and that by this Bearer if you can; because he is of your acquaintance, and will bring it to me faithfully. Onelie I adde nowe vntounto that I hauehave written of hardnesse of heart at large, that you must diligently obserue the worde Create, which Dauid vseth,Psal. 51. declaring that hee had no feeling of heart. To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of GOD. I create the fruite of the lippes to be peace, peace as well to him that is farre off, as to him that is neere. Therefore in faith you may as well pray, with hope to obtaine,Esa 64.12 as did Dauid: therfore say with him often, and with Gods people. O Lord, thou art our Father: wee indeed are clay, but thou art our maker, and wee are the worke of thy handes &c. Know also, God can cause wolues lions,Esay. 11.6. leopards, &c. to dwell louingly with lambes, calues and kids, &c. & that which is vnpossible to men, is possible with God, euen to cause a cable rope to go through a needles eye; that is, to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man; much more yours: yea know you that all things are possible to him which beleeueth. Cry then, I beleeue, O Lord helpe my vnbeliefe: and I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you shall hauehave your hearts hesire in goodnes. Thus abruptly I must ende, I cōmend you to God & the word of his grace, which is able to builde you vp, and giuegive you the right of inheritance among them that are sanctified. And the very God of peace sanctify you throughout, that your whole spirit & soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is hee which hath called you, which will do it. Amen. I pray you pray for me, & I trust as I hauehave, so I shall pray for you, and much more.
Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in any neede. R. G.