A Golden Chain, Dialogue 3
CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners.
Sinner.
GOod sir, I know aEsa. 50.4.the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned, to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie: therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie.
Minister.
Ah my good brother what is the matter with you? and what aile you?
Sinner.
I liued a long time, the Lord he knoweth it, after the manner of the world, in all the lusts of my filthie flesh, & then I was neuer troubled: but it hath plesed GOD of his merciemercy to touch my heart, and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ, to fetch me home to his owne fold, euen vponupon his own necke: and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled: my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone.
Minister.
Your case is a blessed case: for not to be troubled of Satan, is to be possessed of him: that is, to be held captiue vnderunder bColoss. 1.13the power of darkenes, and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan: for cLu. 11.24.as long as the strong man keepes the hold, all things are is peace. Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith, shall see dMath. 16. 18.the gates of hell, that is, the deuill and his angels in their full strength… to stand vp against him, and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion.
Sinner.
But this my trouble of mind, hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me, and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen.
Minister.
But there is no cause why it should so doe. For how should heauen bee your resting place, if on earth you were not troubled? how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen, if on earth you shead them not? You would be fre… from miseries, you looke for heauen vponupon earth. But if you will go to heauen, the right waie is to saile by hel.Bradford. If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome; you must bee with him in his temptations. You are as Gods corne, you must therefore goe vnderunder the f…aile, the fanne, the milstone, and the ouen, before you can be Gods bread. You are one of Christs Lambes, looke therefore to be fleeced, and to hauehave the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long. If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde, you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture: but you are for Gods owne occupying, therfore you must pasture on the bare common, abiding stormes, tempests, Sathans snatches, the worlds woundes, contempt of conscience, and frettes of the flesh. But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vntounto you, to helpe you to carrie your crosse, so be it you will reueale your mind vntounto me.
Christian.
I will doe it willingly: my temptations are either against my faith in Christ, or against repentance for my sinnes.
Minister.
What is your temptation as touching faith?
Christian.
Ah woe is me, I am much afraid least I hauehave no faith in Christ my Sauiour.
Minister.
What causeth this feare?
Christian.
Diuers things.
Minister.
What is one?
Christian.
I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation: and so it comes into my minde to thinke, that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God.
Minister.
But you must knowe this one thing, that he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued, and that hee which beleeueth in trueth, feeleth many doubtings and wauerings, euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases, which if he had not health he could not feele.
Christian.
But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation.
Minister.
What will you then say of the man that said, aMar. 9.24. Psal. 77. ver. 8.9. 10.Lord I beleeue, Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe? And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner: Is his mercy cleane gone for euer? Doth his promise faile for euermore? Hath God forgotten to be mercifull? Hath he shut vp his tender merciemercy in displeasure? Yea hee goeth on further, as a man in despaire. b11.And I said this is my death. Hereby it is manifest, that a man indued with true faith may hauehave not onelyonly assaults of doubting, but of desperation. This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place, cPsa. 24.…Why art thou cast downe my soule? Why art thou disquieted within me? Waite on God, for I will yet giuegive thankes, he is my present helpe and my God. And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but d2. The. 3.….vnreasonable men, that say they hauehave long beleeued in Christ without any doubting of their saluation.
Christian.
But Dauid had more in him then I hauehave, for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine, but rebellion against GOD, nothing but doubting of his merciemercy.
Minister.
Let me know but one thing of you: these doubtings which you feele, doe you like them? or doe you take any pleasure in them? and doe you cherish them?
Christian.
Nay, nay, they appeare very vile in mine eies, and I do abhorre them from my heart: and I would faine beleeue.
Minister.
Rom. 7.5.In man we must consider his estate by nature, and his estate by grace. In the first, hee and his flesh are all one, for they are as man & wife: therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other. When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth, that is in subiection to the flesh; yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth, beeing in this estate, with the flesh; a louing couple they are, they liue and die together. But in the estate of grace, though a man hauehave the flesh in him,Rom. 7.17. Rom. 8.1. yet hee and his flesh are diuorced asunder. This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh, and the euil fruits of it: this separation beeing made, they are no more one but twaine, and the one hath nothing to doe with the other. In this case though the flesh beget sin, & perish therefore, yet the Christian man shal not incurre damnation for it. To come more neere the matter; you say the flesh begets in you wauerings, doubtings, and distrustings: what then? it t…oubleth you, but feare not, remember your estate; you are diuourced from the flesh, and you are new married vntounto Christ: if these sins be laid at your doore, account them not as your children, but renounce them as Bastards: say with Paul, I doubt indeede, but I hate my doubtings, and I am no cause of these, but the flesh in me which shall perish when I shall be saued by Christ.
Christian.
This which you hauehave said doeth in part content mee: one thing more I pray you shew me concerning this point: namely how I may be able to ouercome these doubtings.
Minist.
For the suppressing of doubtings, you are to vse three meditations.
The first, that it is gods commandemēt that you should beleeue in Christ: So S. Iohn saith,1. Ioh. 3.23. This is his commandement that wee beleeue in the name of his Son Iesus Christ. Thou shalt not steale is Gods commandement, and you are loath to breake it, least you should displease God & pull his curse vponupon your head. This also is Gods commandement, thou shall beleeue in Christ, and therefore you must take head of the breach of it: least by doubting and wauering you bring the curse vponupon you. Secondly, you must consider that the promises of saluation in Christ are g…neral, or at the least indefinite excluding no particular man: as in one for all may appeare. God so loued the world that he gaue his only begoten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but hauehave euerlasting life. Now then, so often as you shall doubt of Gods merciemercy, you exclude your own selfe from the promise of God, wheras he excludeth you not. And as when a prince giues a pardon to all theeues, eueryevery one can apply the same vntounto himselfe, though his name be not set downe in the pardon: So the King of kings hath giuen a general pardon for free remission of sinnes, to them that will receiue it Beleeue therefore that God is true in his promise, doubt not of your owne saluation, chalenge the pardon to your selfe. Indeede your name is not set down, or written in the promise of grace; yet let not any illusion of Sathan, or the consideration of your owne vnworthines exclude you from this free mercy of God: which he also hath offred to you particularly, first in Baptisme, then after in the Lords supper: and therfore you are not to wauer in the applying of it to your selfe. Thirdly, you are to consider that by doubting and despairing you offend God as much almost as by any other sin. aRom. 4. 1….You do not aboue hope beleeue vnderunder hope … you should do. Secondly, you rob God of his glorie, in that you make his infinit mercy to be lesse then your sinns. Thirdly, you make him a lier, who hath made such a promise vntounto you. And to these three meditations adde this practise. When your heart is toyled with vnbeleefe and doubtings, then in all hast draw your selfe into some secret place, humble your selfe before God, poure out your heart before him: desire him of his endlesse merciemercy to worke faith, and to suppresse your vnbeleefe, and you shall see bRom. 1… …that the Lord ouer all is rich vntounto all that call vponupon his name.
Christian.
The Lord reward you for your kindnes: I will hereafter doe my endeuour to practise this your counsel. Now I wil make bold to shew another that makes me to feare least I hauehave no faith. And it is, because I doe not feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of my sinnes.
Minister.
Faith standeth not in the feeling of Gods mercy, but in the apprehending of it,Heb. 11.…. Rom. 1.2… which apprehending may be when there is no feeling; for faith is of inuisible things, and when a man once commeth to enioy the thing beleeued, then he ceaseth to beleeue. And this appeareth in Iobs example, when he saith, (Lo, though he sley me, yet will I trust in him, and I will reprooue my waies in his sight: he shall be my saluation also: for the hypocrite shall not come before him) he declareth his faith: yet when he saith presently afterward, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and takest me for thine enemie? he declareth the want of that feeling which you speake of.
Christian.
Yet eueryevery true beleeuer feeles the assurance of faith: otherwise Paul would not hauehave said, Prooue your selues whether you are in the faith or not.
Minister.
Indeede sometimes he doth, but at some other times he doth not: as namely at that same time when God first calleth him, and in the time of temptation.
Christian.
What a case am I in then? I neuer felt this assurance: onelyonly this I …eele that I am a most rebellious wretch, abounding euen with a whole sea of iniquities: me thinks I am more vgly in the sight of God, then any toad can be in my sight. O then what shal I doe? let me heare some word of comfort from thy mouth thou man of God.
Minister.
Tel me one thing plainly: you say you feele no assurance of Gods merciemercy?
Christian.
No indeede.
Minister.
But doe you desire with all your heart to feele it?
Christian.
I doe indeede.
Minister.
Then doubt not, you shall feele it.
Christian.
O blessed be the Lord, if this be true.
Minister.
Why, it is most true. For the man that would hauehave any grace of God tending to saluation, if he doe truly desire it, he shall hauehave it: for so Christ hath promised,The desire of grace, is gra… … self…. R…. ….…. I will giuegive to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely. Whereby I gather that if any want the water of life, hauing an appetite after it, he shall hauehave enough of it: and therefore feare you not; only vse the meanes which God hath appointed to attaine faith by, as earnest praier, reuerent hearing of Gods word, & receiuing of the Sacraments: and then you shal see this thing verified in your selfe.
Christian.
All this which you say I finde in my selfe by the merciemercy of God: my heart longeth after that grace of God which I want. I know I doe hunger after the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof: and further though I want the feeling of Gods merciemercy, yet I can pray for it from the very roote of my heart.
Minister.
Be carefull to giuegive honour to God for that you hauehave receiued alreadie. For these things are the motion… of the spirit of God dwelling in you. cPhil. 1.6.And I am perswaded of this same thing, that God which hath begun this good work in you will perfect the same vntounto the daie of Iesus Christ.
Christian.
The third thing that troubles me, is this: I hauehave long prayed for many graces of God, & yet I hauehave not receiued them, whereby it comes oft to my mind, that God loues me not, that I am none of his child, and therfore that I hauehave no faith.
Minister.
Psal. 69.4.You are in no other case then Dauid himself, who made the same complaint: I am weary of crying, my throat is drie, mine eies faile, whiles I waite for my God.
Christian.
But Dauid neuer praied so many yeares without receiuing an answer as I hauehave done.
Minister.
Good Zacharie waited longer on the Lord, before he granted his request,Luk. 1.7.13. then euer you did: it is like he praied for a child in his younger yeres, yet his praier was not heard before hee was olde. And further, you must note that the Lord may heare the praiers of his seruants, and yet they be altogither ignorant of it: For the maner that God vseth in granting their requests is not alwaies known; as may appeare in the example of our Sauiour Christ,Heb. 5.7. Who in the daies of his flesh, did offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying and teares, vntounto him that was able to saue him from death, and was also heard in that which he feared. And yet wee knowe that hee was not freed from that cursed death, but must needes suffer it. How then was he heard? On this manner: hee was strengthened to beare the death, he had an Angel to comfort him, he was afterward freed frō the sorrowes of death: And so it is with the rest of Christs bodie, as it was with the head. Some beeing in want pray for temporall blessings: God keepes them in this want, and yet he heares their prayers, in giuing them patience to abide that want. Some beeing in wealth and aboundance pray for the continuing of it, if it be the will of God. The Lord flings them into a perpetuall miserie, and yet he heares their praiers, by giuing them blessednes in the life to come. You pray for the increase of faith and repentance, and such like graces: you feele no increase after long praier: yet the mercifull God hath no doubt heard your praier, in that by delaying to performe your request, he hath stirred vp in you the spirit of praier, he hath humbled you, & made you feele your owne wants, the better to depend on his merciemercy: for the beginning and increasing of eueryevery spirituall grace.
Christian.
The fourth thing that troubles me, is that I cannot feele faith purifie my heart, and to worke by louelove in bringing forth liuely fruits.
Minister.
If this be so continually, that faith brings forth no fruite it is very dangerous and argueth a plaine want of faith, yet for a certaine time it may be so: faith hath not onelyonly a spring time and a summer season,Cant. 2.12. Esa. 42.2. but also a winter when it beareth no fruite. And there is many a true Christian like the bruised reed, that is ouerturned with eueryevery blast of wind: and like the flaxe that hath fire in it, which by reason of weakenes, giues neither heat nor light, but only a smoke.
Christian.
Thus much shall suffice for my first temptation, wherein I take my selfe satisfied: now if you please, I will be glad to rehearse the second.
Minister.
I am content, let vsus heare it.
Christian.
I am afraid least I hauehave not truely repented, and therefore that all my profession is onelyonly in hypocrisie.
Minister.
What mooueth you to thinke so?
Christian.
Two causes especially, the first is, they which repent leaue off to sinne: But I am a miserable sinner, I doe continually displease God by my euil thoughts, words, and deedes.
Minister.
You need not feare, aRom. 5.20For where sinne aboundeth (that is, the knowledge and feeling of sinne) there grace aboundeth much more.
Christian.
I find not this in my selfe.
Minist.
But yet you find thus much in your selfe: those corruptions which you feele, and those sinnes that you commit, you hate them, you are displeased with your selfe for them, and you endeauour your selfe to leaue them.
Christian.
Yea that I doe with all my heart.
Minister.
Then how miserable soeuer you feele your selfe by reason of the masse of your sin, yet you are not subiect to condemnation,Rom. 8.5. cum 8.1. but shall most certainly escape the same. Take this for a most certaine trueth, that the man that hates and dislikes his sinnes, both before and after he hath done them, shal neuer be damned for them.
Christian.
I am euen heart sicke of my manifold sinnes and infirmities, and these good words which you speake are as flaggons of wine, to refresh my weary, laden, and weltring soule.Cant. 2.5. I hauehave begun to flee sinne and to detest it long agoe. I hauehave beene oft displeased with mine infirmities and corruptions: when I offend God my heart is grieued, I desire to leaue sinne, I flee the occasions of sin: I would faine fashion my life to Gods word: & I pray vntounto God that hee would giuegive me grace so to doe: & yet (which is my griefe) by the strength of the flesh, by the sleights & power of Sathan I am often ouertaken, & fal maruellously, both by speech and by deede.
Minister.
HaueHave courage my good brother, for whereas you hauehave an affection to doe the things that are acceptable vntounto God, it argueth plainely that you are a member of Christ: according to that of Paul:Rom. 8.5. They which are of the spirit, sauour the the things of the spirit. Well then, if Sathan euer obiect any of your sins to you, make answer thus, that you hauehave forsaken the first husband the flesh, & hauehave espoused your selfe to Christ Iesus, who as your head & husband hath taken vponupon him to answer your debts, and therefore if he vrge you for thē, refer him ouer vntounto Christ. For there is no sute in law against the wife the husband liuing: yea, I adde further, if you be ouercarried with Satans tēptations, and so fall into any sinne, you shall not answer for it but Sathan, it shal surely be reckoned on his score at the daie of iudgemēt, for he was the author of it: if you fall by the frailtie of your flesh, it shal perish therefore: but you shal still hauehave Christ your aduocate.
Christian.
Indeede as you say I hauehave in me an affection to please God, but when I come to performe my obedience, there I faile.
Minister.
Therfore marke this further. As long as the children of god are i… this life, aGen. 12. 12 Mal. 3.17.God regardeth more the affection to obey, then the obediēce itself: And they shall be vntounto me saith the Lord of hosts, in that day I shall doe this, for a flocke, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own sonne that serueth him. The father when he shall set his child to doe any busines, though he doe it neuer so vntowardly, yet if he shewe his good will to doe the best he can, his father wil be pleased: and so it is with the Lord toward his children, you looke to hauehave some perfection in your selfe, but in this life you shall receiue no bRom. 8. 2.more but the first fruits of the spirit, which are but as a handfull of corne, in respect of the whole corne fielde: and as for the accomplishment of your redemption you must waite for it till after this life: you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth, but here in this worlde you must bee content, if you may with Marie Magdelen kisse his feete. For the perfection of a Christian mans life, standes in the feeling and confession of his imperfections. And as Ambrose saith,Ambrose. obedience due to God standes more cAffectu magis quam effectu.in the affection then in the worke.
Christian.
But why will God hauehave those whome hee hath sanctified labour still vnderunder their infirmities?
Minister.
The causes are diuers. First, hereby he teacheth his seruants, to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ, that they may more carefully seeke after it. Secondly, he subdueth the pride of mens heartes and humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they hauehave receiued, with the like measure of infirmities. Thirdly, by this meanes the godly are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne, and are daily occupied in purifying themselues.
Christian.
But to goe on forward in this matter: there is another cause that makes me feare, least I hauehave no true repentance.
Minister.
What is that?
Christian.
I oftentimes find my selfe like a very timberlog, voide of all grace and goodnes, froward and rebellious to any good worke, so that I… feare least Christ hauehave quite forsaken me.
Minist.
As it is in the strait seas, the water ebs and flowes, so is it in the godly: in them as long as they liue in this worlde according to their owne feeling, there is an accesse & recesse of the spirit. Otherwhiles they be troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart, as Dauid was, who praied to the Lord,Psa. 119.88. Psal. 119.5. to quicke… him according to his louing kindnes, that he may keepe the testimonies of his mouth: And in another place he saith, that Gods promises quickened him. Which could not be, vnles he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart. Againe, sometimes the spirit of God quite withdraweth is selfe to their feeling: as it was in Dauid.Psal. 77.2.3. 3.…. In the day of my trouble (saith he) I sought the Lord, and my soule refused comfort. I did think vponupon god and was troubled, I praied and my spirit was ful of anguish: Againe, Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer? and will he shewe no more fauour? hath God forgotten to be mercifull? &c. Cant. 3.1.The Church in the Canticles complaineth of this: In my bed I sought him by night whome my soule loued: I sought him, but I found him not. Ca. 5.4,5,6.And againe, My wellbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the doore, and my heart was affectioned towards him: I rose vp to open to my welbeloued, and my hands did drop down mirrhe, my fingers pure mirrhe vponupon the handles of the barre, I opened to my welbeloued: but my welbeloued was gone and past, mine heart was gone when he did speake; I …ought him, but I could not finde him, I called but he answered me not. Rom. 5.5.Contrariwise, God at some other times sheds abroad his louelove most aboundantly in the hearts of the faithfull;Cant. 1. 13. and Christ lieth betweene the breasts of his Church, as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell.
Christian.
But how can he bee a Christian that feeles no grace nor goodnes in himselfe?
Minister.
The child which as yet can vse no reason, is for all that a reasonable creature: and the man in a swowne feeles no power of life, and yet hee is not dead. The Christian man hath many quames come ouer his heart, and he fals into many a swown, that none almost would looke for any more of the life of Christ in him, yet for all that he may bee a true Christian. This was the state of Peter, when he denied our Sauiour Christ with cursing and banning,Luk. 22. 31. his faith onelyonly fainted for a time, it failed not.
Christian.
I hauehave now opened vntounto you the chiefe things that troubled me: and your comfortable answers hauehave much refreshed my troubled minde. The God of all merciemercy and consolation requite you accordingly.
Minister.
I hauehave spoken that which God out of his holy word hath opened vntounto me, if you find any helpe thereby, giuegive God the praise therfore, & carrie this with you for euer,Act. 24.…2. that by many afflictions both in the bodie and the minde you must enter into the kingdome of heauen. Raw flesh is noysome to the stomack, & is no good nourishment before it be …odden:Hooper. and vnmortified men and womē be no creatures fit for God: and therefore they are to be soaked and boyled in afflictions, that the fulsomnes and rankenes of their corruption may be delayed, and that they may hauehave in them some relish acceptable vntounto God. And to conclude, for the auoiding of all these temptations, vse this sweete praier following which that godly Saint Master Bradford made.
Oh Lord God and deere father, what shall I say that feele all things to bee (in manner) with me as in the wicked? Blind is my minde, crooked is my will, & peruerse concupiscēce is in me, as a spring of stinking puddle. O how faint is faith in me? how little is my louelove to thee or thy people? how great is my selfe louelove? how hard is my heart? by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnesse towards me, whether thou art my mercifull father, and whether I be thy child or no: indeed worthily might I doubt, if that the hauing of these were the cause, & not the fruit rather of thy children. The cause why thou art my father, is thy merciful goodnes… grace & trueth in Christ Iesus, which cannot but remaine for euer. In respect whereof thou hast borne me this good wil to bring me into thy Church by baptisme, and to accept me into the number of thy children, that I might be holy, faithfull, obedient and innocent: and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome: besides the innumerable other benefits alwaies hitherto powred vponupon me. All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne merciemercy barest to me in Christ before the world was made. The which thing as thou requirest straightly that I should beleeue without doubting, so wouldest thou that I in all my needs should come vntounto thee as to a father, & make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time, as most shall make to my comfort. Loe therefore to thee deare father I come through thy sonne our Lord, our Mediatour, and Aduocate Iesus Christ, who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me; I pray thee of thy great goodnes and merciemercy in Christ to be mercifull to me a sinner, that I may indeed feele thy sweet merciemercy as thy child: the time (oh deare father) I appoint not, but I pray thee that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe. I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me, so thou wilt come and visit me, and that in thy great merciemercy, whereof I hauehave great neede, by reason of my great miserie. Thou art wont for a little season in thine anger, to hide thy face from them whom thou louest: but surely (O Redeemer) in eternall mercies thou wilt shew thy compassions. For when thou leauest vsus, O Lord, thou doest not leaue vsus very long, neither doest thou leaue vsus to our losse, but to our lucre and aduantage: euen that thy holy spirit with bigger portion of thy power and vertue may lighten and cheere vsus: that the want of feeling of our sorrow may be recompenced plentifully with the liuely sent of hauing thee to our eternall ioy: and therefore thou swearest that in thine euerlasting merciemercy thou wilt hauehave compassion on vsus. Of which thing, to the end we might be most assured, thine oath is to be marked, for thou saiest: as I hauehave sworne, that I will neuer bring any more the waters to drowne the world: so hauehave I sworne that I wil neuer more be angrie with thee, nor reprooue thee. The mountaines shall remooue, and the hills shall fall downe, but thy louing kindnes shall not mooue, and the bond of thy peace shal not faile thee: thus saiest thou the Lord our mercifull redeemer. Deare father therefore, I pray thee remember euen for thine owne truth & mercies sake the promise & euerlasting couenant, which in thy good time I pray thee to write in my heart, that I may know thee to be the only true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent: that I may louelove thee with all my heart for euer: that I may louelove thy people for thy sake: that I may be holy in thy sight through Christ: that I may alwaies not onelyonly striue against sinne, but also ouercome the same daily more and more as thy children doe: aboue all things desiring the sanctification of thy name, the comming of thy kingdome, the doing of thy will on earth as it is in heauen, &c. through Iesus Christ our Redeemer, Mediatour, and Aduocate,
Amen.