Propositions Containing Answers in Divers Spiritual Matters, Letter
A LETTER AGAINST hardnes of heart.
I Beseech God, the Father of Iesus Christ, to giuegive me his good spirit; in writing to giuegive advice, and you in reading to receiue it. Amen. Since the time that I receiued M. S. Letter, wherein he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate: I hauehave beene not a little grieued, because partly for want of a convenient messenger, and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrances, and other waightie affaires, I hauehave beene hindred from writing hitherto vntounto you. And albeit even still I be in the same cace, yet conscience towards God, & louelove and compassion towards you, forceth me to overcome letts, which hardlie I could otherwayes prevaile against. And albeit I cannot speake as I woulde, yet of that which I shall write, proceeding from the forenamed groundes; I looke for some blessing of God through Iesus Christ: If you will not toe much faint in faith, and yeeld to the Adversarie; yea if you will but hope so vvell of your selfe as (in the feare of God I write it) I hope of you. First, whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieved, because you tarryed not still at Cambridge, according to my advice; you must know, that I advised it not as a thing necessarie, but more convenient as I then supposed; but yet as I advised you to obey your Father, if his pleasure still continued to hauehave you home, wherevnto you yeelding, I cannot see howe you offended, it being your Fathers pleasure you should so doe. And who knoweth whether being heere, you might not asmuch hauehave beene troubled, there being no priviledge for persons and places in such cases. And who knoweth whether it be the Lords pleasure for the example and instruction, and I hope the consolation of others in the end. And albeit, you wish that heere you were neerer the more and stronger meanes, yet knowe you and be perswaded, that God can and doeth in such cases, worke by fewer and weaker meanes, according to his good pleasure: besides, it is in our corrupted nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot hauehave, and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vsus as wee should doe. I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ, humbly to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in merciemercy vntounto you, and to vse them in faith accordingly; and so God will blesse you by them: and then by such conference as you may hauehave from hence by Letters, wherein if I may stand you in any stead, rather for the good opinion you hauehave of me, than for any great matter I am able to performe: I shall be ready to offer my office of louelove vntounto you, as God shall enable me, and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate, by some letters sent frō you by convenient messengers: by which I presently perceiue by M. S. Letters, that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde, and hardnes of your heart, which cannot bee mooued, either with the promises of Gods mercies, or feare of his Iudgements; nor affected with louelove and delight of the things which bee good, or with hatred and loathing of the evil: great cause you hauehave of griefe I confesse, but no cause of dispaire doe I grant; because I am perswaded, that your perswasion is somwhat false; partly for want of a sounde iudgement in your estate, & partlie for some defect of faith, somewhat through your owne default. First therefore, know you for a certaintie, that this is noe other temptation, than such as divers of Gods children hauehave for a time beene humbled with, and afterwards hauehave had good issue thereout: and if it please God to mooue you to credit me, I my selfe hauehave knowne others as deepely this way plunged as you can be: Remember therefore, that God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare. 1. Cor. 10. 13. and yet further to confirme you heerein, the holy Scriptures do record, that this way God heeretofore hath humbled his owne people, in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentablie thus complaineth, 63. 15. O Lord, looke downe from Heaven, and beholde from the dwelling place of thy holines, and of thy glorye: where is thy zeale and thy strength? the multitude of thy mercies & of thy compassions are restrained from mee: And afterwards, O Lorde, why hast thou made vsus erre from thy waies, and hardened our heart from thy fear: And in the next Chapter, verse 6. We hauehave beene all as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes, and we all do fade like a leafe, and our iniquitie like the winde taketh vsus away, and there is none that calleth vponupon thy name, neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from vsus, and hast consumed vsus because of our iniquities. And in the 59. Chapter, verse 10. Wee grope for the wall like the blind, and wee grope as one without eyes, and we stumble in the noone day as in the twy-light, wee are in solitarie places like dead men, wee roare like Beares, and mourne like Doues. Soe complaines Hezechias in the bitternes of his soule 34. 14. of Esay. Like a Crane, or a swallowe, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a Doue. And Psal. 51. 10. where David cryeth, Create in mee, O God, a cleane heart, and renue in me a right spirite: restore to me the joye of my salvation, and stablish me with thy free spirite. Doth hee not declare, that his heart was vncleane, that his spirit was crooked, that the way of his saluation was lost, and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage: so that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption, hee could not crye Abba Father, nor hauehave any power against sinne. Thus you see howe Gods children may be blinded in mind, and hardned in hart for a time: so that they feele in themselues the graces of the holie spirit, to be as it were perished and dead. Further, to releeue the infirmitie of your iudgment in this part and point, (because I knowe it may much distresse you) you must vnderstand there be two kinds of hardnes of hart: the one which is not perceiued & felt, the other which is perceiued & felt: and of the former, that there be two sortes: the first, which is most fearefull, when any do purposely resist the motions of God his spirit, & willingly refuse the means of their salvation: of the which Zacharie speaketh, 7. 11. They refused to harken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they shuld not heare; yea they made their heart as an Adamant stone, lest they should heare the Lawe, and the wordes which the Lord of Hosts sent in his spirit by the ministery of his former Prophets. The outragious sinne of these men, the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes. 28. 15. Wee hauehave made a covenant with death, and we are at agrement with hell; though a scourge run over and passe through, yet it shall not come at vsus; for we hauehave made falshood our refuge, & vnderunder vanitie are we hid. This was a fearfull estate indeede: yet for all that, no man can say, but some of them hauing hardened their hearts, might be, and were afterwards converted: the other kind of hardnes of heart, which is not felt nor perceiued, or if perceiued, yet not felt, (which albeit is lesse fearefull, yet is dangerous enough) is in such, who although they wilfully resist not Gods spirit in good meanes, yet securely, carlesly, & willingly they ly in sin; and that without any remorse of it, or any tast of good things. Such was Davids state by the space of a yeare, before Nathan the Prophet came to reprooue him, and rouse him from his lulled sleepe: both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from; other wayes than in temptation, Sathan may sometimes mooue you thereunto. The other kind of hardnes of hart, which is perceived and felt, is of two sortes: the one in them who are desirous of meanes, whereby to be releeved; although they doe finde small or no grace in themselues for a time: In this kind the Prophet Esay, in the want of some of Gods people, complaineth. Esay 63. 15. And such was Davids state after Nathan had reprooved him, and Gods spirit began to work with him; yet cryeth he out as ye heard before, of the losse of Gods graces: and when hee saith, that God will accept of no sacrifices, be they neuer so many or pretious, without a contrite heart & broken spirit: he shewed, that for a time (even after the Prophet had reproued him) he wanted both. This is your cace, and therefore in the state of salvation: for David was in this cace even after he had confessed his sin (as my trust is you doe) and after he had receiued absolution and pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan, although he never felt any ioy thereof, nor true griefe for the other: yet because in truth of heart he confessed his sinne, as I hope you do; and was certainly perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy, as you must be if you will hauehave merciemercy (although he was farre of from feeling it, or applying it to his woefull conscience) his state was good and very well to be hoped of, and you must know, and be perswaded of Gods Saintes; namely, of David and Peter, & such others, that they are ensamples for vsus, if wee will stay our selues vponupon the word of God in the ministery of his servants, and wait vponupon the Lords good time, vntil he come neerer vntounto vsus by his spirite; neerer I say, for he was come already vntounto you (or it may be he never went from you) because to be grieued & humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart, to beleeue certainly the servāts of God which bring vntounto vsus glad tydings of salvation, and the truth of Gods promises in generall; and to long after comfort, vsing the meanes of the word, and praier; the Sacrament of the supper, & the company of Gods children, contrary to hope vnderunder hope; yea without any present feeling: all this is a certaine argument that Gods spirite is with such, and therefore vvith you. This estate though it be very grievous, yet it is never dangerous, much lesse is it fearfull, vnlesse any be so wilful, that they do perseuere and continue in desperate refusing of all good meanes. Vnlesse they persevere I say, for that through the subtill sleights of the spirituall adversarie & his forcible power, whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheat: they are so bewitched and intoxecated, that they are carried with violent force of temptation to waxe weary of it, or to refuse all kinde of comfort by fittes; yea almost to hauehave no desire at all vntounto them, yea sometimes even to speak evill of them: but all this is but in temptation, therfore God will be mercifull vntounto them for Christes sake. Thus Iob cursed the daye of his birth, and wished to bee strangled. Ieremiah almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord: both scarsely abslaind from blasphemy. David moued with the spirite of ambition, though dutifully admonished, yet wilfully went on in numbring the people. Peter also vaine-gloriouslie presuming of his owne strength, beeing most wisely & effectually praemonished of his weaknesse, even by our Lord Iesus: yet vvittinglie rusheth as an horse into the battell, and then very cowardly yeeldeth and doublie denieth, yea strengthneth his sinne with a threefolde corde, and fastneth it with banning and cursing; and yet all these obtained mercy bountifullie: for why, as Sathan had desired to winnowe them, so our Saviour Christ prayed for them; that their faith, although it was battered, yet it should not be destroyed; although it were sore oppressed, yet it should not bee extinguished. And heere be you fullie perswaded, that though Luke 22. the wordes seeme to runne as belonging to Peter (I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy faith should not faile) yet that hee prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles, yea for all the faithfull: for first hee saith not, Simon, Sathan hath desired to winnowe thee, but you: why then saith hee, I hauehave prayed for thee? Verely, because he shuld more grievouslie offend than the rest (althogh their offence was very great) therefore his and our most blessed Saviour applied to him the promise, but did not appropriate it to him onelye and restraine it from the rest: and compare with this place, Iohn 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth, that hee prayed not onelyonly for the Apostles, but for all those that should beleeue through their worde: Yea further, our Lorde Iesus Christ was yester day, and to day, and shall be for ever. And as the Fore-fathers were baptised into him, and did eat his fleshe and drink his blood; so vvas his prayer effectuall, even to them vnderunder the Lawe, much more vntounto vsus vnderunder grace: and vvhen you can finde testimonie of your heart, that when you would do well, yet evil is present with you, and that you do the evill you woulde not: then doe not you it, but sinne in you, when it leadeth you captiue. Rom. 7. Much more then, when Sathan worketh with all, buffeting you, assure your selfe that God hath pittie on you, and that the vertue of his power shall bee perfect in your weaknes. 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you beleeue, according to your faith be it vntounto you; but you will say, you cannot beleeue, that this vile and crooked hardnes of heart, can bee remitted and renewed. And this was the second point, within the former part of my Letter, I gaue you to vnderstand, what was the cause of your excessiue distresse. I besech you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you will not willingly lye, nor offer iniury to Gods spirit, nor to your selfe, who hauehave receiued it: tell me what is the reason why you thinke you hauehave no faith? verely because you hauehave no feeling nor noe other fruites thereof as you think: vvell, first then agree with mee herein (as you must if you will not disagree with the trueth) that feeling is but an effect & a fruite of faith: and therefore there may be faith without feeling, as the cause may bee without the effect, and the tree without any appearance of fruite, yea of sap for a season. And as a man sore wounded or diseased, may for a season be depriued almost of al operations of the naturall life to the outwarde shewe, and his owne iudgement and feeling: so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Sathan, and be diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions; specially, in that the life of the spirit ts not in him. Thus Peters holie faile (as you hauehave hearde) or else the prayer of our Saviour prevailed not. Thus when David Psalm. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane, and his spirit crooked and vnstable: and verse 14. that hee had lost the ioye of his salvation, and the spirit of liberty or adoption: yea vers. 13. hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him: therefore he was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification. Heere seemeth repugnance, but there is none: he was depriued for a season of the graces of the sanctifying spirit, but not of the holy Ghost, wherewith he was sanctified: which graces as God restored vntounto him, so I am perswaded that he will vntounto you: yea I doubt whether you are deprived of them; but onelyonly that partlie melancholie, and partly Sathan working therewith, makes you do iniury to your selfe, & to the graces of the spirit in you, which I beseech you take heede of. But the Messenger cannot stay, I therefore cannot write as I wold, either of this, or of the remedies you shuld vse: which hereafter I will, if God shall enable mee. And I praye you, let mee vnderstand as I requested in the beginning, of your estate in particular somewhat more, & that by this bearer if you can: because he is of your acquaintance, and will bring it vntounto me faithfullie. OnelyOnly I adde nowe vntounto that which I hauehave written of hardnesse of heart at large, that you must diligently obserue the word Create, which Dauid vseth, Psal. 51. declaring howe he had no feeling of his heart. To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the persone of God. 57. 3. I create the fruite of the lippes to be peace, as well to him that is far off, as to him that is neere. Therefore, in Faith you may as well pray with the hope to obtaine, as did David: therefore saye vvith him often, and vvith Gods people, Esay 64. 12. O Lord, thou art our Father, wee indeede are clay; but thou art our maker and wee are the work of thine handes, &c. Know you, that God can cause Wolues, Lyons, & Leopards, &c. wallowing with lambs, calues, and kyne. Esay 11. 6. And that vvhichwhich is vnpossible vntounto men, is possible vntounto God, euen to cause a cable rope to go through a needels eye: that is, to change the heart of the vnbeleeuing, covetous, and vvretched man; much more yours: yea, knowe you, that all things are possible to him that beleeueth: Crye then, I beleeue, oh Lord help mine vnbeliefe: and I do promise you in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ, that you shall hauehave your desire in goodnesse. Thus abruptlye I must make an end, I commend you vntounto God, and the vvorde of his grace vvhichwhich is able for to builde you vppe, and to giuegive you the right of inheritance amongst them vvhichwhich are sanctified. And the very God of Peace, sanctifie you throughout, that your vvhole spirit, soule, and body, may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ: Faithfull is hee vvhichwhich hath called you, and vvill do it. I pray you pray for me, and I trust as I hauehave, so I shall pray for you and much more.
Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede R. GREENHAM.
End of the text · Richard Greenham, Propositions Containing Answers in Divers Spiritual Matters (1597)