Two Treatises Comforting an Afflicted Conscience, Treatise 1

Two Treatises Comforting an Afflicted Conscience · Treatise 1

p. 1A MOST SVVEET Comfort for an afflicted Conscience.

It is thus written, Prouerb…. 18.14.

The Spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie: But a wounded Spirite who can beare it?

THis Scripture is not onelyonly worthy to be grauen in steele with the penne of an Adamant, and to bee written in letters of golde; but also to be laide vp registred by the finger of God his spirit in the tables of our hearts. Which sentence briefly speaketh thus much vntounto vsus, that what trouble befalleth a man (his minde being vnappalled) hee will indifferentlie beare it out; but if the spirit p. 2of a man be once troubled and disma…ed, hee cannot tell how to be deliuered. And no maruell; for if the minde of man be the 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, when shall it bee helped? If the eye which is the light of the bodie be darkenesse, how great is that darkenesse? If the salt which …auoreth all thinges 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 wil first declare howe greate a punishment of God this wounde of conscience is: Secondly I will teach how this trouble of minde may be preuented and auoyded: Lastly I will set downe how Gods children faling in some measure into this affliction of …pirite, may bee recouered out of it.

For the first, the grieuousnesse of this malladie is seene, eyther by some due consideration of the persons that hauehave felt it; or by some wise comparison made betweene this griefe of minde, and other outward griefes incident vntounto a man.

The persons in whome we may consider this wounde of spirit, are eyther meerely naturall men, or such as bee renued by the spirit p. 3of God: The men meerely naturall are either the Heathen such as neuer knew God in Christ, or carnall professors, such as hauehave not professed Christianitie aright. If wee looke among the Hearhen, how many of them hauehave willingly gone vnderunder pouertie, and hauehave beene content to vnburden themselues of all worldly treasures? How hauehave some of them (whilest their mindes were vnappalled) suffered imprisonment, exile, and extreame tortures of bodie; rather than they would betray their Countries? Howe many of them hauehave deuoured many iniuries, and borne outwarde 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 the chiefest pointe of vertue to consist; and yee shall see, when once some great distresse of minde did wounde them, some would make an ende of it by preparing a Cup of deadly poyson; some would violentlye and voluntarily runne on the enemies pikes: some woulde throwe downe themselues from hie Mountaines; some woulde not sticke to stabbe most monstrously their owne bodies with Daggers, or such p. 4like instruments of death: all which men would seeme to hauehave great courage in sustaining many harmes, so long as their mindes were not ouermastred. But when their diuine and supreame Essence (which they accknowledged to be God) did by his power crosse & ouerturne their witty deuises and headstrong attempts, so as without hope of remedie they were hampered in pensiuenes and sorrow of minde: then not being able to turne themselues vnderunder so heauie a burthen, they shrunke downe, and by violent death would ridde themselues of that disquietnes & impatience of their troubled minds.

But let vsus come neerer; and whether wee behold the Papists, or the familie of louelove, or the common sort of Christians, wee shall see they will passe quietly through many afflictions, whether for that they hauehave a spirite of slumbering and numbnes cast vppon them; or whether because they hauehave brawned themselues through some sencelesse blockishnes as men hewen out of hard Oaks, or grauen out of marble stones I know not: But yet when the lord shal let loose the corde of their consciences, and shall set before their faces their sinnes committed; see what fearefull endes they hauehave, whilest some of them by hanging themselues, some by casting themselues into the water, some p. 5by cutting their own throats hauehave rid themselues out of these intollerable griefes. Now wherein is the difference that some die so sencelesly, and some dispatch themselues so violently? Surely the one feeling no sinne, depart like brutish swine; the other surcharged with sinne, die like barking Dogs.

But let vsus come to the children of God, who hauehave in some degree felt this wounde of minde; and it will appeare both in the members and in the heade, of all burthens to bee a thing most intollerable to sustaine a wounded conscience. And to beginne with, let vsus set in the first ranke Iob, Iob.that man of God commended vntounto vsus by the holy Ghost for a myrrour of patience; who although for his riches hee was the welthiest man in the land of Huz; for his authoritie, might hauehave made afraid a great multitude; and for his substance was the greatest of all the men in the East: Yet when the Shabeans came violently and tooke away his cattell; when the fier of God falling from heauen, burnt vp his sheepe and his seruants; when the Caldeans had taken away his Camels; when a greate winde smote downe his house vppon his children; although indeede hee rent his garmentes, which was not so much for impatience, as to shewe that he was not senceles in these p. 6euils: Yet it is saide that hee worshipping blessed the name of the Lorde, saying: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thither: The Lorde giueth and the Lorde taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lorde.

But beholde when at the strange conference of his comfortlesse friendes, his minde beganne to be agast, which was not so in all his former tryall, when his conscience began to be troubled, when he sawe the Lord fasten in him sharpe arrowes, and to set him vp as a Butte to shoote at; when hee thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth, this glorious patterne of patience coulde not beare his griefe: he was heauye, and nowe may commende, the Image of a wounded spirite, to all that come after. Dauid, Dauid.a man chosen according to the Lordes owne heart: Ezekiah, Ezekiah.a pure worshipper of God, and carefull restorer of true Religion; Ieremiah, Ieremiah.the Prophet of the Lorde, sanctified and ordained to that Office before hee was formed in his mothers wombe, were rare and singular in the graces and fauour of God: yet when they felt this wounde pearcing them with griefe of heart, they were as Sparrowes mourning, as Cranes chattering, as as pellicans casting out fearefull cries, they thought themselues as in the graue, they p. 7wished to hauehave dwelt solitary; they were as bottels parched in the smoke, they were as Doues mourning, not able without sighes and grones to vtter their wordes, their hearts cloue to the dust, and their tongues to the roofe of their mouthes.

But aboue all; (if these were not not sufficient to perswade vsus in this doctrine) there remaineth one example, whome we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted minde. This is the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Image of the father,Christ Iesus. the heade of the bodie, the myrrour of all graces, the wisedome, righteousnes, holines, and redemption of all the Saints, who sustained the Crosse euen from his youth vpward: and besides pouertie, basenes, hunger, did willingly goe vnderunder the greate trouble of contempt and reproch, and that among them where he should hauehave had a right deserued honour, in respect of the doctrine he taught them, and in regard of the manifolde myracles be wrought among them; as the healing of the sicke, the giuing sight to the blind, the restoring of life to the dead: This vnkindnes neuertheles, did not so much strike into him. But at what time hee was set as a Sacrifice for al, whē he was to beare our infirmities & carry our sorrowes, at what time hee was plagued & smitten of God, humbled & wounded p. 8for our transgressions, when hee should be broken for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was vponupon him; then he cried out; My soule is heauie euen vntounto the death: Then he prayeth, Lord if it he possible, let this Cup passe from mee: But howe praieth hee? euen with sweating; how sweateth hee? euen droppes of blood; how long praieth hee? Three times; when endes his agonie? not vntill he was dead; What said hee beeing readie to depart? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee.

Was this for his humane death, as some hauehave imagined? No no, wicked men hauehave died withthout complaint, whose patience then might seeme to exceede his; it was his suffering in his humane Spirite, which incountred with the wrath of God, his Godhead suppressing it selfe for a while: he suffered indeede many tormentes in bodie, but much more heuily 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 proceede to the comparing of this with other euils, which fal into the nature of man. There is no sicknes but Phisicke prouideth for it a remedy, there is no fore but Chirurgery wil afford it a salue; p. 9Friendship helpeth pouertie; There is noe imprisonment, but there is hope of libertie; Suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment; Authoritie and time weare away reproch: But what Phisicke 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 confederacy) cannot help this one distresse of a troubled minde; And yet this one comfort of a quiet minde doth wonderfully cure, and comfortably asswage al other griefes whatsoeuer. For if our assistance were as an host of armed soldiers; If our frinds where the Princes and the Gouernours of the earth; If our possessions were as large as betweene the East and the west; If our meate were as Manna from heauen; If our apparrell were as costly as the Ephod of Aaron; If eueryevery day were as glorious as the day of Christs resurrection; yet if our mindes bee appalled with the iudgements of God, these thinges would little comfort vsus. Let experience speake; If a troubled minde impareth not health, drieth not vp the blood, wasteth not the marrowe, pineth not away the flesh, consumeth not the bones, if it maketh not all pleasures painfull, and shortneth not the life; surely no wisdome can councell p. 10it, no counsell can aduise it, no aduise can aswage it, no asswagement can cure it, no eloquence can perswade it, no power can ouercome it, no Scepter wil affray it, nor inchaunter can charme it. And yet on the contrary, if a man languish in sicknes, so his hart be whole, and is perswaded of the health of his soule, his sicknes doth not grieue him: If a man bee reproched, so he be p…ecious in the sight of God and his Angels, what losse hath hee? If a man be banished, and yet doubteth not that heauen is his Country, and that hee is a Citizen among the Saints, it doth not appall him: If a man be in trouble, and findeth peace of conscience, hee will quietly digest his trouble. But if the minde be troubled, who dareth meete with the wrath of the Lorde of Hoasts? who can put to silence the voice of desperation? who will step out and make agreement with the hells to spare vsus; who dare make a couenant with the Diuell, that hee woulde not lay claime vntounto vsus? If then a good Conscience helpeth all euills, and all other benefits in this life, in themselues cannot help a troubled cō science; we se it true in proofe; which here is in prouerbe; The spirit of a man will susteine his infirmitie: But a wounded Spirit, Who can beare it?

Againe, in all other afflictions we may p. 11hauehave 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 cleare conscience; his owne heart telling him that there is noe speciall cause of these crosses in him, but that he may suffer them for the triall of his faith, or for righteousnes sake and well doing. But when the spirit is wounded, there is stil a guiltines of sin, and when a mans spirit is troubled, he suspecteth all his waies, he feareth al his sins, he knowes not what sinne to begin with; it breeds such hurly burlyes in him, that when it is day he wisheth for night; when itis night he would hauehave it day, his meat doth not norish him; his dreames are fearefull to him, his sleepe oftimes forsaketh him; If he speaketh, he is little eased; if he keepeth silence, hee boileth in disquietnes of heart; the light doth not cōfort him, the darkenes doth terify him.

To prosecute our comparisons; where al other euils are the more tolerable, because they be temporal, & 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 misery: the perswasion whereof made them (beeing in some misery) to make an ende of themselues, and hasten their p. 12owne death; as Sathan doth make many now a daies to doe, who are ignorant of the hell, which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this worlde whatsoeuer. Howebeit a tormented conscience, if before it was begun, is now continued; or if it was not before, now beginneth and neuer endeth world without ende. For though true it is, that sicknes, pouerty, imprisonmēt or banishmēt hauehave ended their term in death; yet a woūded hart which was tēporal in this life, is nowe eternall after this life: that which before death was in hope recouerable, is after death made vncurable & vnrecouerable. It is good therefore to consider, if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull; how much more grieuous it is to susteine it in hell, where that is infinite, which here is finit; where that is vnmesurable, which here is mesurable: where is the sea of sorow, wherof this is but a drop, where is the flame of that fire, wherof this is lesse then a sparke.

But to shut vp this argument: Some there hauehave beene who through out all their life time, hauehave been 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 knewe what outward trouble meant. As for example, some men there hauehave beene, who for sicknesse neuer knewe there headeach; p. 13for pouertie, neuer knewe what want meant; who for discredite, were neuer euill spoken of; who euer put farre from them the euill daye of the Lorde; who made a league with death as it were, & a couenant with hell; who thought they could crucifie eueryevery crosse, rather thā come vnderany 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 & repentance do 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 Ciuil Lawes, the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted; if a man hauehave committed some capitall offence, by flying his Country he may escape the Magistrates handes: but our consciences telling vsus that we hauehave sinned against God; what bribe shall we offer? or whether shall wee flie? whether shall wee goe from his spirit? or whether shall we goe from his presence? If we ascend into heauen, is not he there? If wee lie downe in hell is hee 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 arraunt to fetch vsus; there needes noe accuser to giuegive in against vsus: sinne will arrest vsus, and lieth at the Doore, our owne Conscience p. 14will impannell a Quest against vsus; our owne heartes will giuegive in sufficient Euidence, and our owne iniquitie will plead vsus to be guiltie to our owne faces.

Thus we se both by the experience of thē that hauehave suffered the wound of the spirit, and by the comparinge of it with other euils, what a waight most grieuous and burden intollerable it is to hauehave a tormented conscience.

Now let vsus shew how we may preuent; & by what meanes Gods children falling into some degrees of it,The secōde part of the first diuision. (for if it rage in extremity it is an euill vnrecouerable) may safely and quietly be deliuered from it. And here a iust complaint is to be taken vp, & it is a wonder to be marked (if we may wonder at Gods works) that we se many so carefull & watchfull to auoide o…her troubles, and so few or none take any paines to escape the trouble of minde which is so grieuous. We se men louing health and loathing sicknes, in diet temperat, in sleepe moderate, in Phisicke expert, skilful to purge, & to auoide such corrupt humors, which in time may breed (though presently they do not bring forth) some dāgerous sicknes: yet to auoid the diseases of the soule, no man abateth his sleep, no man abridgeth his diet, no man prepareth Phisicke for it; no man knoweth when to be ful, and when to p. 15be emptie; how to want and how to abound. Others carried away with the louelove of riches, & very …ly to fall into pouerty; will not sticke to rise early, to take sleep lately, to fare hardly, to teare & taw their flesh in labour by land & by water, in faire & foule wether, by rocks and by sands, from farre and from neare: and yet to fall into Spirituall decaies, to auoid the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines; as though saluation and peace of minde, were not a thing worthy the labouring for. Some ambitiously hunting after honor, & not easily digesting reproaches, behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepely; but are actiue in eueryevery attempt, by louelove & by counsell, by prudence & prowesse, by wit & by practise, by labor & learning by cūning, & diligence to become famous, & to shun a ciuill reproach: yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angelles, to fall before the heauens, and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of Conscience, we make none account, as they, who neyther vse any means to obtaine the one, nor auoide those occasions which may bring the other.

Others vnwilling to come within the reach and daunger of the Lawe, that they may escape imprisonment of bodye, or confiscation of goodes; will p. 16be painefull in penall statutes, skilfull in eueryevery branch of the ciuill law, and especially wil labour to keepe themselues from treasons, murthers, fellonies, and such like offences deseruing the punishment of death: yet whē the Lord God threatneth the seazure both of soule and body, the attaching of our spirits, the confiscating of our consciences, 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 Cōmaundements no man searcheth his eternall Lawe; noe man careth for the Gospell: neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorsement from the Lord, neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vsus.

And to reach our Complaint one degree father. Behold, the more we seek outward pleasures and to auoide the inward trouble of minde, the more we hast and runne into it; & suddainely plunge our selues in a wonded spirite ere we be aware. VVho posteth more to become rich who hopeth lesse to be come poore than the marchant man? who aduentureth great treasures, who hazardeth his goods, who putteth in ieoperdie his life; and yet sodenly he either rusheth vponupon the rocke of hardnesse of heart, or else is swallowed vp of the gulph of a desparing minde: p. 17from which afterwards he cannot be deliuered with a ship ful of golde. Woful profe hath confirmed, how some men (wholly set on pleasures, such as could not away to be sad, and 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 beene the most bitter and speedie hang-men of their fearefull and trembling consciences.

There be some of another sort, who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde, hauehave had their harts set on nothing but howe they might get some greate fame and renowme; and therefore hauehave slipt into such vaine glorious attempts, and foule flatteries, as they hauehave not only lost the peace of their Consciences, but also fallen most deepely into reprochfull shame, which they sought to shunne.

Now as the peace of conscience and ioye 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 they onelyonly knowe p. 18what 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.

Bet let vsus shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vsus from this wounde of the Spirit.How we may be preserued from the wound of Conscience. It is the vse of Phisicke, as to cure vsus of diseases when wee are falne into them; so to preserue vsus from sicknes before it hath taken holde of vsus: it is the power of the worde, 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 wisdome not to tarry for the vse of Phisicke vntill we bee deadly sicke; but to be acquainted with GODS mercifull preseruations to defend vsus from it; likewise it is a chiefe pollicie of a godly Christian, not onelyonly to seeke comfort when the agonie is vponupon him, but also to vse all good helpes to meet… with it before it comes. And wee condemne them of folly, who will not as well laboure to keepe themselues out of debt, as to pay the debt when they owe it: so it is a madnes not to bee as circumspect to auoide all occasions, which maye bringe trouble of minde vppon vsus; as wee woulde bee prouident to enter eueryevery good waye which may drawe vsus out of this p. 19trouble, when we hauehave once entred into it.

The remedies preseruatiue; are first the searching of our sinnes, & then the examining of our faith.

The serching of our sinnes, is either the due acknowledging of our sinnes, or the true sense and feeling of our sinnes. The acknowledging of our sinnes, is eyther of those that bee past, whether wee hauehave vnfeinedly repented vsus of them: or of those which bee present, whether wee be truelye greeued for them.

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

Concerning sinnes past, we must call to minde the sinnes done of old, in our youth, in our middle age, in our olde age; that we iudging our selues may not be iudged of the Lorde; that accusing of our selues, Sathan hauehave noe occasion to accuse vsus; and throwing downe our selues before the Lord, he may lift vsus vp. For many going quietly awaie, and sleeping in carnall securitie (not withstand-the sinnes of their youth) and neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long agoe; sodainely hauehave falne into such horrour o… minde, that (the violent remembrance of p. 20all their sinnes surcharging them) they hauehave beene ouerwhelmed.

This Examination dooth then rightly proceede, when it is reacheth to the errors of this life, & to the sinnes of our youth; because many men (euen from their childhood, by a ciuill righteous life) hauing escaped grose 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. the man of God) confesseth that the Lord writinge 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 wickednes in their youth? No, they knew they were subiect to youthfull wantonnes and vnstaiednes of their affections; which though it did not burst out, yet it made them lesse carefull to glorifie GOD; which loosenes the way to leaudnes; which weaknes, the waie 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 laide before their consciences, doth cause them to repent.

p. 21But here is a thing to be blushed at, which maketh mens eares to tingle when they heare it; that many men (farre noe doubt from this true repentance) can largely indeed discourse of the things done in their youth; but in such a brauerie, with such boastings, and pleasing of themselues in the remembrance of them; as besides that they prouoke others to sinne in the like, and set themselues a flatte Backe-byas against Repentance and this Christian examination; they seeme to renewe the decayed colours of their olde sinnes, with the fresh suite of their second pleasures therein. But alas what pleasure hauehave they in those things, whereof they hauehave noe profit? what profit hauehave they those thinges whereof they shoulde bee ashamed? Nether in this streine can wee forget the madnes of them, who may seeme to steppe one degree farther towardes 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 daily experience and the word of God doth sufficiently declame. Iosep…s brethren (Iacob his sonnes) who deuised euill against their brother, put him into the pit, and solde him vntounto strangers; did cease from this crueltie: but yet they are not read to hauehave remembered their sins p. 22with any remorce, vntill thirteene yeares after the sinne was committed; as wee 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 yeare; after which time (being admonished by the Prophet Nathan) 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 yeares agoe, yet because they repented not truely for them, they hauehave rebounded vp on them with terrible sights & feafull visions, to humble them, and to bring them to serious examination of them, being done and left long since. Examples whereof wee neede not fetch from farre, seeing so many preachers as are acquainted with fearefull spirits will giuegive witnes hereof. The fruite of which amazed mindes for sins alreadie left, is ours, to beware of sinnes which are to come: And that other mens harmes may teach vsus blessed wisdome, let vsus labour not onelyonly to leaue sinne, which one may doe for profite, for feare, for praise, or for werisomnes; but also to repent of it for conscience sake.

This Examination of our sinnes past, must bee partly of those that we committed beefore our calling, & partly of those which were p. 23done after our calling. EueryEvery man (especially hauing his reason reformed by the worde of God) will graunt an examination of the life, before our true knowledge of God in Christ, to be most needfull: But it may be some wil thinke that wee neede not be so precise in the searching of those sinnes, which were after our knowledge. But seeing of all other sins these bite sorest, and pierce deepest, for that they are agrauated with all the mercies of God going before, and Sinne is then most sinfull, when after we knowe the truth, after wee hauehave beene deliuered from sinne, after wee hauehave beene inlightened with the grace of God, wee hauehave falne into it: I thinke that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sinnes. Wherefore 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 sons of Iacob; so we hauehave a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid, who at the hearing of his sin was so troubled in his spirit, that he could not rest in the Prophets speach telling him his sin was forgiuē him, but still was disquieted, as one vtterly forsaken of God & could find no cōfort of Gods spirit in him. For as it fareth oftē with sores, it cōmeth to passe in sins we are loth to hauehave our woūds often grated vponupon, we cannot so wel away to p. 24hauehave our sores rifled, seared, and lanced; but fed with healing salues: so we are hardlye brought to hauehave our consciences grounde, or our sinnes ransacked, sifted, searched, & ripped vp; but would still hauehave them plaistered with sweete promises, and bathed in the mercies of God: whereas it is farre safer before incarnatiue and healing Medicines, to vse corrosiue and mundifying waters, without which though some sores may seeme to close and skinne vp a pace, yet they proue worse, and being rotten still at the coare; they hauehave aboue a thin skin, & vnderneath deade flesh. In like manner, wee woulde cloake, we would hide and couer our sinnes, as it weare with a Curtaine; but it is more sounde Chirurgery to pricke and pierce our Consciences with the burning yron of the Lawe, and to cleanse the wounde of the Soule by sharpe threatenings, least that a skinne pulled ouer the Conscience for a while, wee leaue the rottten corruption, vncured vnderneath; and so we bee constrained to crye out of our sinnes openly. As it is a folly then to disemble our soares whilest they bee curable, and after to make them knowen when they bee growen vncurable; so it is as greate folly to dissemble our sinnes p. 25whilest they may be remedied, and so after be constrained with shame to blaze them abroade when thy are remedilesse. But of this by the way, because wee 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 eyther hardnes of heart, or a troubled spirite; both which wee shall auoyde, if in trueth we be carefull to watch ouer our affections, and beware that after our deliuerie we fall not into sinne gaine.

Seuerall men subiect to seuerall sinnes, hauehave their seuerall checkes in their conciences: 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 afterwardes they say, it profiteth them nothing. Some are giuen to a continuall course of vanitie, who notwithstanding can say, that mans l…fe hath another ende, some slip deepely into worldlinesse, and yet they bee often wakened with most terrible checkes of conscience. VVell, blessed are they whose heartes be truely grieued; and let them beware that make …aliance with sinne: for either hardnesse of heart will ouertake them, or a troubled coscience will p. 26confound them. Wherfore 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 giftes, and mispent their time; or else, if they hauehave not this griefe, they fall into voluptuousnes & draw such a thicke skinne vponupon their heartes, as will cause the strongest denouncings of Gods iudgements to rebound, bee they driuen on neuer so hard. And sure it is the sinne of this worlde, that men beeing controled in their consciences, whilest they are a praying, and feele a secrete charge laid against them, to beware of guile in buying & selling; eyther hauehave these cheekes lesse and lesse, and so they grow to be prophane; or else afterward they are wonderfully wounded, that they hauehave beene so worldly, so greadely pursuing earthly things; so coldly procuring heauenly things. Thus euen our priuy thoughtes (not profited by) are breeders of farther trouble.

Now the remedie against this trouble is, willingly and wittingly not to cherish sin,Remedie. to wish that the minister should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes, to be glad priuately to be admonished, to profite by our enemies when they doe reproach vsus: and rather p. 27to desire (in such a case) to be humbled than to suffer our selues to be flattered. This trying of our selues must yet strech it selfe farther, not only to the committing of euill, but also to the omitting of good. As when (after some good working and feeling of the spirite,) we begin to fight and conflict with our own consciences saing; though I must pray, I must hauehave time also to prouide for my familie; if I goe so to heare the worde of God, surely I shall bee in danger to loose this profite; 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 heartes, not onelyonly in the carelesse not vsing of the meanes; but also in the negligent watching ouer the fruites of the meanes: saying to our selues in this manner; I hauehave heard a Sermon, but (alas) without anie feeling or working vponupon my affections; I hauehave beene praying, but with no power of the spirite; I hauehave receiued the Sacrament, but without those ioyes glorious and vnspeakeable, which I was woont to taste of. I saw the Discipline of the Church executed, but without anie feare of sinne at all in my selfe, or compassion to the member censured.

And heere I dare from my owne obseruation assuredlye affirme, that outward p. 28sinnes hauehave not beene at some times so grieuous to Gods children; as that they hauehave sometimes vsed the meanes with little reuerence and with lesse fruite. And no maruel, we shall see many men at some times, not so much grieued for their sicknesse it selfe, as for that that they hauehave either willingly neglected the meanes which might hauehave preserued their health, or that they hauehave abused the Phisicke that might hauehave restored their health to them againe: in like manner (I say) it fareth with them, who eyther vnreuerentlie hauehave refused the meanes, which shoulde keepe their soules from surfetting: or else vnthankfully hauehave abused those helpes, which might hauehave recouered them againe. From hence it commeth, 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 hee might hauehave done; as for heaping vp riches falselie, which hee ought not to hauehave done. And thus, many (hauing receiued good giftes and graces from the Lord) are seasoned and sanctified by afflictions; whereby they are taught to put their giftes in vre, and to offer their seruice to Christ: and others are forced to p. 29hide their giftes, which cannot bee 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 hande of the aduersarie to slaunder our darke and dumbe profession. All which thinges will in the ende bring terrour of minde: because if the Lord cannot worke vponupon vsus by taking away goods, friendes, credit, wife, children, or such like, to bring vsus to Repentance; he will surely whippe our naked consciences, he will enter euen into our very entrailes, and pierce our secret boweles.

As wee 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 needefull. For were it so, that our life and conuersation were such, as neither before not after our calling, man could iustly accuse it: Yet the hidden corruption of our nature, may threaten some haynous downefall in time to come. Which hath made men of very good report and conuersation to hang downe their heades, and feare their secret hypocrisie, as that which may breake foorth to the shame of all their former life, in time to come.

But because we forgatte to speake of them, that in the examining of their liues past, are p. 30much grieued for the want of sinceritie, and for priuie vaineglorie in themselues; let vsus before we go to the searching of our heartes in sinne to come, speake somewhat of this. Men troubled for this priuie pride are eyther touched, or not touched. If the veyle 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 most 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 long time well brought vp, and leading a ciuill life, the Diuell woulde perswade vsus of some inherent righteousnes 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 knowen vntounto vsus, that euen for our birth there was a secret seede of sinne in vsus, which (without the Lord watching ouer vsus) woulde surely hauehave broken forth to his dishonour.

As for them which hauehave had some woorking in them, and yet are often plunged with sore distresses this trouble commeth to them for two especiall causes, eyther for some hypocrisie, that they did more in showe than in truth; wherfore the Lord bringeth thē back againe to see their corrupt proceedinges, and that they may knowe all their religion p. 31to be but hypocrisie, & all their righteousnes to bee but vnrighteousnes: or for the abusing of their knowledge, in that they made it but a maske to iuggle in, & that they made their affections to fight with their own iudgements. We must remedy this, by not thinking of our selues aboue that which is meete, and by labouring to embrace the truth in trueth. And heere let vsus note, that many of Gods Childrē accuse themselues of hypocrisie, when indeed they offend not in it for the most righteous persons are their own greatest accusers. And yet the accusation doth iustlye arise from some fault on their partes: for though they hauehave done things in trueth, yet because with trueth they labored not to see their secret corruptions, in some other matters, they sustain this trouble of mind. So that there is nothing harder thā to sist & serch our harts to the bottom, whether we respect our sins past or our sins present, whether we looke to our priuy pride, hidden wants, or secret corruptions. And to returne from whence we digressed, to the examinatiō of our harts, in sins to come:Returne to sins to comes. let vsus obserue that in Gods children there is such a iealousy, as they trēble at the very first motions & quake at the least occasiō of sinne, although because vice wil sit in residence very neere vntounto vertue, there may be in them sometime too much scrupulousnes p. 32This feare causeth the dearest of the Saintes of God to reason on this sorte; O Lord, I see now manye excellent in gifts, and constant in profession for a longe time, whose end hath not answered their beginnings, whose deathes were not like to their liues. This is true, whether wee 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 knowe what we are; yet who can tell what may come vntounto him heereafter.

Oh that the serious meditation heereof would dwell long vponupon our consciences: that with an holy iealozie wee might preuent the sinne that is to come. But alas, there bee some venture some knights, which thinke it no masterie to offer themselues to masking, minstrelsie and dauncing, nor to runne into quarrells, braules and contentions, as though they had their eares, their eyes, their hands and their feete in their own power, and at commaundement to vse and gouerne as themselues list.

Howbeit, GODS Children better fenced with his grace, than those bold buxzards are afraide of these occasions: as knowing full well, that their eyes maye soone bee prouoked to lust, their eares may quickly listen p. 33vntounto vnchast delightes, their handes may sodainly strike a deadly blow, and their feete may easily be snared in carnall pleasures.

Beware O man, bee circum…pect O woman that thou prostitute not 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 bee ouer thy shoes in sinne, 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 hardy in sinne, or else he will cause thee to be too fearefull and superstititious; eyther hee 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; tush, the Preacher is but a man as I am, I am sure he hath infirmities as others hauehave; wee are no Angels, our nature is corrupt, 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 hee commeth to accuse: and then of a …lie he makes an Elephant, of the verie smallest pricke of p. 34a pin, a gloabe of the whole earth: of a moale hill a mountain…: and presseth silly soules with feares and terrours, that they knowe not how to winde out themselues. If hee cannot bring them to make no conscience where they should make conscience, hee 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 Epicurisme of the world, as Libertines in diet and apparrell; hee will make you so precise as to think it a hainous sinne, to eate one bit of meate, or to weare one ragge of cloath more than for necessitie. How needfull there…ore it is to saile which an euen course, we may coniecture by other thinges 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 calling 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 hower of their death.

Others plunged as deepely in a quite contrarie extremitie, are too fearfull when they doe but heare of the sickenesse; and p. 35for verie feare hauehave beene brought to deaths doore, onelyonly by imagining themselues to hauehave beene infected, when they hauehave beene most free, who ofteneimes hauehave euen died, and that without any naturall cause that euer coulde be knowen, but onelyonly through immoderate feare▪ and the iudgement of God comming vppon them for their infidelity and vnbeliefe. 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 bee ouercome, may bring sinne vppon 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 neyther decline on the right hand, nor on the left; but will guide them in the narrowe way, showing in euerie thinge what is the vertue, what is the vice; what is the meane, what is the extreame.

Among many Examples, let vsus consider of zeale,Zeale. a most precious vertue in Christianitie, so long as it is free from the extremities. Otherwise if we be colde in zeale, it is a sinne on the left hande: if wee bee zealous without knowledge, it is preposterous, and becommeth a sinne on the right hand.

p. 36But can wee not come to some perfection? No, if you vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes; albeit to that perfection which the Scripture taketh for soundnesse, trueth, and sinceritie of heart, which is voyde of carelesse remissnes, wee may come. Neither doth the Lord deale with vsus a…ter our sinnes, nor reward vsus after our iniquities: in whose eies the most glorious actions of men, are but as waters flowing purely from the Conduit, but defiled by passing through a filthy chanell: Wherefore although wee hauehave our imperfections, let vsus not seeke to be more righteous than we can be; saying for euerie errour 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 trueth of our heartes, and singlenes of our de…ires to serue God, because he is God; and so wee shall bee accepted of God.

I speake this to this ende, that poore soules might hauehave comfort, and knowe that is they abhorr sin as sin, if they examine thēselues 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 lawe, but will giuegive them the sweetnesse of his promises; they are no more vnderunder the p. 37…urse, but vnderunder grace.

But further to inforce our Exhortation, to auoyde too scrupulous a feare, which hindereth the true examination of our heartes: let vsus think that it happeneth in the spiritual conflict as in ciuill wars. Wee reade that manie Cities lying in great securitie, hauehave sodainely both beene assaulted and ouerthrowen; as also, how some Countries (too much negligen…e in the meanes) through an excessiue fearefullnes, hauehave incouraged their enemies with more greedie violence to pray vppon them. With which kinde of stratagems our aduersary the diuell beeing well acquainted; doth often practise this pollicie. If hee see vsus without all feare too quietly to rest in our selues, hee thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger, because our resistance is the weaker. Againe, if he discrieth in vsus a cowardly feare and fainting of heart, before wee once beginne to ioyne battaile with him; hee will set vponupon our immoderate feare, & as villainously as sodenly stab vsus to the heart, & make a present spoyle of vsus.

Common practise doth farther teach vsus, that when we can heare the word without all trembling at God his iudgements, when wee can pray without all feare before the Maiestie of God, when wee can come to the Discipline of the Church without p. 38all reuerence of the ordinance of the Lord; all is in vaine. Againe, let vsus heare with too much trembling, and wee shall learne nothing; let vsus pray with too seruile a feare, and our worshipping of God will be without all comfort and vnchearfull. Thus if we neither lessen sinne, that is sinne indeede; neyther make sinne of that which is not sinne in trueth, it is good to proceede to this threefolde examination and to lay the edge of this doctrine more neere our affections, because many will be found in this ripenes of knowledge and barrennes of conscience, to speake, dispute and declame of al these thinges verie 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 with, we must meditate deeplier of the Law and of the Gospell, together with the appurtenances of them both, that finding our selues farre from Gods blessings promised to the keepers of the law, and seeing our selues nere to the curses due to the breakers of the Law, we may raise vp some sense of sinne in our selues. Yet herein we must not stay our foote, but giuegive a farther 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: p. 39yet because they labored not to se their guiltinesse acquited by the remission of sinne in Christ, they plunged themselues into a bottomlesse sea of sorrowes. Others hauing passed these degrees, & hitherto made these steps to auoyd the wounde of Conscience; hauehave come also too short, and missed of the marke: when because besides the sence of sinnes 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 ioined the mortification of sin; they feared that there was no forgiunesse for them, but still 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 beene instructed, nor surely hauehave beene grounded in the doctrine of Christes death and resurrection; that is for that they sawe 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 and righteousnes therein: They hauehave lyne still bleeding at the heart, in such sort, as the wound of griefe coulde hardly or neuer bee staide and staunched. Wherefore let vsus strengthen our weake soules with this p. 40sixe-fold coarde of consolation, against these bitter assaultes. Let vsus first labour to know sinne, then to sorrow for sinne, after to feele 1our sinnes in Christ forgiuen, further to looke 23for power to crucifie the same, then to lay 4holde on iustification by his resurrection; 5and lastly, hope for strength to proceede 6from thence, to further vsus in sanctification and holinesse of life, euen vntounto the ende. And thus much briefly for the second thing which we matched in company with the examination of sinne, euen the triall of faith: both which rightly vsed, shall in some measure sauegard vsus from the trouble of an afflicted minde.

Now let vsus hasten to the third parte of our deuision;The third part of the first deuision. to shew howe Gods children beeing fallen into this wounde of spirite may be helped out of it: which (God willing) wee will also performe, after we hauehave answered a necessarie obiection; which (in the former part) might seeme to encounter against vsus. There is no man but will grant, that Dauid, Iob, and others of the Saintes of God, had a sight of their sins, 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 p. 41of these former things; or els they were rather afflicted for triall of their faith, than for punishing of sinne in them. And therefore be it alwaies prouided, that wee thinke not eueryevery conflict of Conscience, continuallye and chiefely to bee 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.

Whereuppon let all men be admonished, when they see good men thus humbled & throwne downe in minde, to lay their handes on their mouthes from saying; Surely these men are but hypocrites, doubtlesse these men be great sinners, the Lord hath founde out their hypocrisie. For good reason there is, that such silence should be vsed: for that the Lorde may as well make trial of their faith, as take punishment on their sins. For if such affliction should alwaies and chiefely be sent for sinne, then it should follow that all others as they exceeded them in sinne, should also exceede them in the punishment of sinne.

But now comming to the saluing of this soare,Salue of this sore. I shall seeme very strange in my cure: and so much the more bee wondered at, by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein. I am page missing p. 44to 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, vvho either neuer knew God, or else had but a generall knowledge of him: I answere, that as I denie not Phisicke to be ministered, if it in part proceede from a naturall cause; so I require the word especially to shewe the principall and originall cause to beginne in the soule. And this I doe the rather, because I would hauehave wisdome both in considering the state of the bodie if neede so require; and in looking chiefely to the …oule, which so fewe thinke of. If a man troubled in Conscience come to a Minister, it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing to the bodie; if hee come to a Phisition, hee onelyonly considereth of the bodie, and neglecteth the soule. For my part, I would neuer hauehave the Phisitions counsell seuered, nor the Ministers laboure neglected; because the soule and bodie dwelling together, it is conuenient, that as the soule should be cured by the word, by prayer, by fasting, by threatening, or by comforting; so the bodie also shoulde bee brought into some temperature, by Physicke, by purging, by dyet, by restoring, p. 45by musicke, and by such like meanes; prouiding alwaies that it bee done so in the feare of God, and wisdome of his spirite, as we thinke not by these ordinarie meanes to smoother or smoke out our troubles; but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues, wherby both our soules and bodies may be made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after.

As we require these thinges to bee the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie; so we woulde wishe the persons ministring to be men learned and of sounde iudgement, wise, and of Godly experience, meeke and of most louing spirites. For when the troubled patient shall be well perswaded of our knowledge and discretion, & there with all shall perceiue vsus to come in tender and louing affection, I thinke an enterance is made, and all preiudice is taken avvay, so as wee may the more freely worke vppon the Conscience; first bringing them to the sight of sinne, as to some cause of their trouble. Heerein wee must labour to put awaye all confusion and blindenesse of sorrrowe, endeuoring by wisdome to bring the parties wounded to some certaine obiect & matter of their trouble; and so draw out of them the confession of some seuerall especiall, and secret, sinne; I say seuerall & p. 46secret sinne, because I know, how many (through a palpable blindnes or disordered discerning of sinne) talke nothing so much as of sinne; and yet they eyther can not discry seuerall sinnes, or they will not be brought to acknowledge their secrete sinnes: wherof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the Lawe of God, and the other of selfe louelove, which maketh vsus loath euen in our trauell of minde▪ to shame our selues.

Now that the confession of particular sins is requisite, it may appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme,Psal. 32.Ps 32 wherein (beeing a Psalme of instruction, concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes) the Prophet (by his owne experience) teacheth vsus, that hee could finde no reliefe of his sicknes, vntill hee had remembred, and made confession of his sinnes.

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

Now if in this trouble the person humbled can not come to the perticular sight p. 47of sinne in themselues; it is good to vse the helpe of others vntounto whome they may offer their heartes to bee gaged and searched, and their liues to bee examined more deepely, by hearing the seuerall Articles of the lawe laide open before them; whereby they may trye the whole course of their actions. For (as we saide before) the grosest hypocrites will generally complaine of sinne; and yet deale with them in perticular pointes of the perticular precepts, and prooue them in the applying of thinges to bee doone or not doone to their owne consciences; and wee shall see many of these poore soules tossed too and fro, now floting in ioyes, now plunged in sorrowes, not able to distinguish one sin from another.

Now when wee shall see the wound of the spirit to arise of any certaine and known sinne, it is either for some sin alreadie cōmitted, wherein we lie; or els for some sin as yet not cōmitted, but whereunto we are tempted. For the former: It pleaseth God oftentimes to bring old sins to minde, when we had not thoroughly repented of them before; that so (as it were) represēting thē to vsus afresh, we might fal into a more misliking of thē. And yet herein is not all, to mislike our selues for some perticulars, although it bee good to bee occupied about some especiall p. 48sins: for as it is not sufficient for the auoiding of hypocrisie, to see sinne generally: so it is not enough to escheue the deceiueablenesse of the heart, euer to be poring busilie in one particuler, and to be forgetfull of our great and generall sinnes. But let vsus learne by the particulers to passe to the generalls. When any such one sinne then doth pursue thee, rest not onelyonly therein, but say thus rather to thy selfe; Oh Lord, is this one sinne so grieuous? and doth my God punish this one sinne so sorelie? Howe greate then should be my punishment, if thou shouldest (O Lord) so deale with mee 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 to superficially to generall, and not to particulars; or else too superstitiously obserue particulers and not the generals.

Concerning those sinnes whereunto we are tempted; as when a man is mooued to thinke blasphemously of God the father, o… to doubt wether there bee a Christ or no, or to imagine grosely of the holy Ghost, or to deny GOD, or to doubt of the Trinitie; or to be mooued to murther, aduouterie, p. 49or such like: in which temptations hee feeleth Gods spirit to cheke him for them, 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, sute he might fall into them, or at the least for that hee seeth not how to be deliuered from them: I suppose these motions are not so much to bee disputed with, as we by them are to be prouoked to more instant and extraordinary zeale of praier.

Surely these are daungerous temptations, and therefore are not to be kept close; which our nature will easily encline vntounto: but perticularly are to bee confessed of vsus. For the Diuell will come sometime to thee, to keepe thee still in a generall acknowledgeing of sin, and vrge thee on this manner; Surely thou must needes doe this sinne, thou seest thou canst hauehave no ease, 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 too, denie God, beleeue not his word: it is but a pollicie to keepe men in awe; Religion is no such matter as men make it. Thus for feare of yeelding on the one hand, and for shame of disclosing the tentations on the p. 50other hande; many men hauehave pined away, & 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 wickedst men in the worlde. Well for our instruction and consolation herein; Let vsus learne that these kindes of tentations, are either corrections for some sinnes past, or punishmēts for some sin present, or forwarners of some sin to come. We shal see many tempted to adultery, who (no doubt) cannot bee brought to commit it; & yet because in their youth they hauehave committed it, and not repented of it, it comes to them againe. The like may bee obserued in theft, in gluttony, and in other tentations, which are not so much sent vntounto vsus, presently to ouercome vsus, as to put vsus in minde, that some time heretofore we hauing bene ouer come with them, should now repent for them. Sōe time a man shall lie in some sinne, whereof when he will not bee admonished, neither by the publicke nor priuate meanes, and then some other strange tentation shall fall vponupon him, differing from that wherein hee presently lieth, to admonish him of that other sinne. As when a worldling shal be tēpted to adultery, a thing which he hath noe desire to doe; yet it is to make him looke to p. 51his worldlines, whereof he hath so strong & through a lyking: Whereat if then he will not bee awaked, he may sodainely fall into that too, and so by the punishment of GOD, in punishing one sinne with another, both his sinnes shall bee to his greate shame laide open, and one sinne shall make knowne another. Sometime also it commeth to passe, that one shall bee tempted with such a sinne, as neither heretofore, nor presently he hath giuen any liking or entertainement vntounto; and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him how he may fall into it hereafter, as also to shew that hee hath stoode al his former life, rather by the grace of God than by the strength of flesh and bloode. Wherefore when thou art moued to doubt of God, of Christ, of the word, or of iustification, do not so much stand wondring at these strange tentations, as thinke with thy selfe that it is the mercy of God by them, to cause thee better to discerne of those tentations 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 growth, how the spirit of God doth resist them, what bee the meanes best to preuaile against them. And p. 52thus if thou make thy profite by them, thou shalt so wonderfully search and descrie by seuerall veines, the body, age and sleight to of these tentations in others, by an holy experience which God hath taught thee in others, that besides that thou shalt lay forth mens secrete corruptions, as if thou wast in their bosomes; thou shalt be able also by the seede of sorrowe in thy selfe, to begette an vnspeakeable ioy in others, who in time may bee tempted as thou now art.

Thinke moreouer and besides, that such is the efficacie of sinne, that they who are now noe Papistes, Heretiques, Adulterers, or Theeues, may for their secure contemning and foolish passing ouer of these tentations sent vntounto them, sodainely, shortly after fall into them; because they woulde not seeke to make some vse of them, nor confesse before the Lord both their pronenesse & worthinesse to fall into them. But if wee will humble our selues in such tentations, and learne by them meekely to discerne the corruptions of our hearts, we shall not onelyonly persently deliuer our selues from perill, but bee also further enabled to assist others herafter, in the l…ke danger.

But some will oppose against these things which wee hauehave deliuered: Doe you thinke it a remedie to cast downe them that are already p. 53humbled? This is rather to bee a Butcher than a builder of a mans conscience. To whome I answeere, that I desire Preachers to bee Builders, and not Butchers; and it is one thinge generally to apply, and another perticularly 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 Lawe, and after to supple it with the oyle of the Gospel. Both which must bee done in wisedome, vsing them to some in greater, to some in lesser measure. For as some hauing nothing but a decay of nature, and no mortall humor, 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 Lawe, as the sweete promises of the Gospell. But if the bodie, through some extraordinarie repletion hath gotten some greate surfet, not so much to the weakening of nature, as to the threatning of imminent death, and therefore requireth rather some stronge purgation, than comfortable and cordiall medicines: then the soule brought almost to deathes doore with some extraordinary sinne, is rather to be boared and pierced with the denouncing of Gods iudgements than otherwise. But because p. 54we would deale more plainely & 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 and their sores curable: And after, that this visitation is not so much a signe of Gods wrath and anger, as a seale of his merciemercy and fauoure, in that it is not either blind or barren, but plentifull in good effects, and fruitefull in Godly issues. The former how needfull it is, the experience of so many almost as hauehave bin throwne downe, is a sufficient witnes; who hauehave had this as a tagge tyed to their tentations that neuer any were so plagued as they, none euer had the like temptations. The Lord will surelie make an end of thē in some strange and vnknowne tentation. Wherein they are notvnlike vntounto men fallen into some dangerous disease, who thinking to be without the fadome of the Phisitians skill, and not to be within the compasse of things recou… rable, 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, then the sorrowfull soules are not a little by hope refreshed and strengthned to loke for p. 55some ease, when they see none other tentation to hauehave ouertaken them, than such as hauing fallen into the nature of man, hauehave foūd merciemercy at the handes of God, that he might bee feared. This ground worke framed; it is good to build vp and repaire the decayed ioy of the minde, partly by the Law, to make a preparatiue for these ioyes; if the minde not truely humbled, is not fit truely to be comforted: and partly by the gospell, if the conscience kindly throwne downe, is become a fit subiect to aply the sweet promises of God in Iesus Christ vntounto it. And here again, to answere them that denie the law wholly, or at all to bee vsed, when we would breed comfort in one: I demand whether if it be necessary to maintaine the righteousnes of Christ, it be not also as necessary to preserue the righteousnes of the Law? Seing the righteousnes of the Law, of vsus not fulfilled, wil draw vsus vntounto the righteousnes of Christ to vsus imputed: And sith the righteousnes of Christ to vsus imputed, is neuer throughly & truly esteemed, vntill we se the righteousnes of the law of vsus to be vnperformed. Again if our Sauiour Christ did foreshew his Disciples, that the first work of the holy Ghost at his cōming, should be to conuict the world of sinne, to make men knowe, that without Iesus Christ their is nothing but sinne, and then, that he should p. 56rebuke the world of righteousnesse, that they might see how Christ dyed not for his owne sinne, but for the sinnes of others: I see not why it should not be verie conuenient, first to lay open the righteousnes of the lawe, that men may see their sinnes; and then the righteousnes of Christ; that men may see their sins discharged in him. Besids, where the Lord saith by his Prophet. At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent of his sins from the bottome of his heart, I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance: it may wel be gathered that there must be a soūd sorrow for sin goe before; and then true ioy of sinnes pardoned, may the more frely by vertue of his promise be both hoped for, & loked for afterward. Moreouer, seeing all the promises of God in the gospel are cōmended vntounto vsus vnderunder the title and tenor of restoring sight to the blinde, hearing to the deafe, strength to the Lame, health to the Sicke, and life to the Deade; it is manifest, not onlye that there is noe disease of the soule which Christ cannot heale: but also that wee must first finde our selues blinde, deafe, dumbe, lame, sicke and deade, before hee will meddle with vsus; because they that are whole neede not the Phisition, and hee came to call sinners, not the Righteous to repentance. Now, to p. 57doe this in wisedome, by neither pressing the conscience too seuerely, nor releasing the conscience more vnaduisedly, it shalbe 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 hee doth not wholly discourage him, because it may bee his sinne may be pardoned; neither yet too boldly incourage him, in that without repentance, he sheweth it altogether impossible to be pardoned.

And that we be not too preposterous in our consolations, let vsus bee warned by the blasphemous speech of that detestable Arian, who of late yeares was put to death at Norwich. This hellish heretique, a little before he should be executed,An Arian executed at Norwich. afforded a fewe whorish teares asking whether hee might bee saued in Christ or no? When one tolde him, that if he truely repented, he should surely not perish: he brake out most monstrously into this speech: Nay, is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeede, as you say? Then I defie him, and care not for him. Oh how good a thing had it beene not to hauehave cast this precious stone to this swine? Oh how safe had it beene to hauehave dealt more bitterlie, and to hauehave dwelt more vehementlie on the conscience of this caytife?

Now to attaine some discretion in curing p. 58this wounded spirite, wee must learne wisely to iudge, both of the person afflicted, and of the nature of his affliction. First, we may note whether it be a man or a woman, because we may vrge more fearfully the vse of the law to a man, as beeing the stronger vessell. And as Sathan knewe the woman to be most easie and frameable to be wrought vponupon, at his first temptation: so is hee not ignorant that shee is the weaker partye to sustaine any temptation nowe. Then let vsus consider, whether they that are thus humbled hauehave knowledge or no? Because, if they hauehave no knowledge they thinke trouble of minde to be so strange a thing, as neuer anie 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, howe strong or weake they are, that if they be sorely stricken we cease to humble thē any further, if they be not sufficiently wounded then to touch thē with some deeper sense of sin. Also we must be circumspect, to finde out whether by nature they are more fearful & melancholy or no: As also, whether they be vsuall sinners, or hauehave falne once of infirmity; that so vponupon their disposition & inclinatiō we may builde our speeches the better. To these it is p. 59good to adde the consideration of the persons age, estate & ability: as if the party be troubled for worldlines, whether he be not a great housholder: if he complaine of vncleannes, whether he be not a yoong man & vnmaried: if he be hūbled with couetousnes, whether he be not old: because diuers countries, callings, ages, conditions & estates of men, hauehave their diuers & peculiar sinnes, which we must rightly discerne. Howbeit of what sex soeuer they are men or women, of what complexion soeuer the are, of what knowledge to discerne sin, of what degree of commiting sinne; of what age, authority, wealth, estate, or condition soeuer they are, it is good to marke that there be many, who are more troubled for the vexation and disquietnes of their minde beeing distempered, then for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sinne committed; who are wounded more with the feare of shame, with the feare of beeing mad, or with the feare of running out of their wittes, than with the conscience of sinne. Which thing if we find in them, it is our part to trauell with them, that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame, & more conscience of the inward sinne. Neyther must we here forget to make a distinctiō between our speeches vsed to the hūbled in the very time of their extream agony & burning a gue of their trobles, & those speches which we p. 60vse to them the fit beeing past; because the one and former requireth more consolation and lesse exhortation, the other and latter would hauehave vsus more aboundant 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 coulde finde no power against it, did most grieue them, or strengthened in some special grace, the want wherof did also wound them.

But before we launch deeper into this sea of particular tentations, and beginne to founde the dangerous passages of naturall corruption, and originall sinne, the troublesome froath 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 woulde 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: p. 61A wounded Spirit who can beare? And surely our practise in other thinges, by the lawe of equitie, may vrge this at our handes. For if men by the light of reason can see it to bee a duetie conuenient, not furiously to controle, but meekely 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 censure the impatient speeches of him, who by reason of some parching Feuer of the spirit, is disquieted in all partes of his minde, and hath all the veynes of his heart (as it were in a spirituall agony) vexed. Wherfore both vnsauory for want of godly wisedome, and vncharitable for want of Christian louelove, are their murmuring obtrectations which say, what? Is this the godly man? Is this hee 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 fraile body, that thou must much more beare with a fraile minde. Consider O man that this his pettishnes doth more wound him to the heart, than any iniury thou couldest presse him with. And therefore seeing he afflicteth his owne soule for it, thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction, p. 62and to exasperate his grieuous smart. Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vsus of the estate of the needy, and that to rub a fresh wound, & to streine a bleeding sore, is nothing else, but with Iobs friends to bring a new torment, wher there is no need of it. If the wise father doth rather pittie than rebuke his childe, when by reason of sicknes the appetite is not easily pleased: euen so, if we purpose to doe any good with an afflicted minde, we must not be austere in reprehending eueryevery infirmity, but pitifull in considering of it tender frailtie. Neither do I speake this to nourish pettishnesse 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; Lorde, because there is merciemercy that thou maist be feared: I will waite vponupon thee, as the eye of the seruant waiteth vponupon the hand of his Master. I will condemne my selfe of folly, and say, Oh my soule, why art thou so heauy? Why art thou so cast downe within mee? Still trust in the Lorde, for he is thy health and thy saluation.

FINIS.