Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 2 · Chapter 7 · Part 1

Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites · Religious tract 2 · Chapter 7 · Part 1

p. 368A recaptulation of all the former heads in a briefe and perſpicuous table, for the further impreſſion of Chriſtian comfort in the memories of the faithfull.

Comfort in affliction,

donation of grace,

informing,

the action,

preſent,

patience,

working, v. 4.

perfecting, v. 4.

wifedom,

giuen freely and liberally.

receiued by praier & faith.

future, true contentation in all things, v. 9

the ende of the action, bleſſednes in the crowne of life, v. 12.

ſanctifying,

cauſes,

principall, the will of God, v. 18.

inſtrumentall, the word of truth, v. 18.

effect, firſt fruits a holy kind of offering taken out of the reſidue of men, v. 18.

true application

in the qualification,

manifeſted, v. 19.

prooued:

in clearing the point, v. 20.

in concluding, v. 21.

in the practiſe,

honeſt and good hearing and doing, v. 22.

diſhoneſt and vnprofitable

illuſtrated, 23. 24. by

tearms,

ſpots & a glaſſe

ſin and the law

qualitie,

beholding.

forgetting.

applyed

firſt, in the preſcript, v. 25.

in the vſe

vnlawfull, v. 26.

lawfull, v. 27.

p. 369Seeing then that this is the courſe that the Lord will take, let no man think to be Diues all his life time in this world, and Lazarus after death: If God promiſe riches, the way thereunto is pouertie; before louelove, correction; before exaltation, deiection; whom he ſaueth, firſt he damneth; he bringeth not to heauen, but by hell; if he promiſe life, hee ſlaieth firſt. Ioſeph ſawe the ſunne, moone, and ſtarres, worſhipping him, neuertheles yet that could come to paſſe, God laid him where he could ſee neither ſunne, nor moone, nor any ſtarre of the skie, and all that many yeares, and alſo vndeſerued: yet all this while to nurture him vp againſt the time of honour: God promiſed Iſrael a land of milke and honie, yet for the ſpace of forty yeeres they went through a land, not only where there were no riuers of milke and honey, but not ſo much as a droppe of water to refreſh them withall: yet all this was done of God to doe them good at the latter end: God promiſed Dauid a kingdom, yet immediatly he ſtirred vp Saul againſt him to hunt him, and ferret him out of eueryevery hole, and that many years. Thus he that will weare the crowne of glory, muſt weare the crowne of thornes: he that will hauehave all teares wiped from his eyes, muſt firſt ſhed them: Reu. 15.3. the children of God before they can ſing the ſong of Moſes the ſeruant of God, and the ſong of the lambe Chriſt Ieſus, muſt firſt ſwim through the glaſſie ſea, mingled with fire and brimſtone. It is not the way to heauen, to liue in this world in perpetual eaſe, reſt, & quietnes in body, ſoule, goods, and good name: therefore as the end of all afflictions is full of ioy and comfort, ſo is the way, ſeeing it is appointed of the Lord moſt comfortable, becauſe eueryevery ſteppe brings vsus towards Gods kingdome: and I may tearme afflictions, markes in the way, to tell vsus we are to keepe on that way they lead vsus. A man inquiring his way, and is told he hath no plaine way but by deſolate woods, hills, and mountaines, very ſtony and troublſome to paſſe by: when the trauailer ſeeeth theſe marks, he ſaies, vndoubtedly I am right; but if he find all to be plaine, preſently ſtands ſtill, lookes about and ſaies, I ſee neuer a one of my directiōs; therfore I am aſſuredly wrong, this way will neuer bring me to the end of my iourney. So the p. 370Lord hath told vsus that this is the way to heauen, to paſſe by many croſſes; we run a long and find no ſuch matter, well may we ſuſpect that we are out of the way: and then aſſuredly that our pleaſant way did not affoard vsus ſo much comfort, but the want of the ſignes will as much diſcomfort vsus: and therefore affliction may more comfort vsus, then all worldly pleaſure, becauſe the Lord hath made the one a ſigne we are going toward heauen, Heb. 12.6.Heb 12:6but the other none at all, ſaue onelyonly of our iourneying toward hell. But you may obiect, that euerie croſſe is not a marke: for firſt, the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt is a mark of reprobation: ſecondly, impenitencie: and therfore when he hath theſe ſinnes in the eies of his conſcience, how ſhall he be perſwaded, that he can euer be brought into the way to heauen? For the anſwer of this point, let vsus conſider a threefold fountaine of this perſwaſion. Firſt, for that open and wilfull apoſtaſie from God, is a voluntary willingnes & malitious hatred againſt the profeſſion of a knowne truth: now the fruits will iudge the cauſe: Is there in you the renouncing of Gods truth, which before you hauehave profeſſed & heartily embraced? perceiue you this malice proſecuting this miſchiefe? what perſecution doe you remember in word or deede you euer raiſed againſt the truth? what ſword hauehave you euer drawn againſt it? or what volumes hauehave you either written or approued againſt found doctrine, with purpoſed oppoſition againſt your owne conſcience, neither that of frailty, but of meere will, and obſtinacie? of this, examples are rare, as Iulianus the Emperour called Apoſtata. Of the ſecond, impenitencie, there is the ſame fountaine, but not in the ſame degree; and that is extremitie of hardneſſe of heart: of which kind was Cain, Eſau, Saul, Iudas, & many of the prophane people of the world, that know not Chriſt: and ſuch as knowe him onelyonly in vaine profeſſion outwardly, and ſo continue, are partners of the ſinne, and ſhal be examples of Gods vengeance. This fountaine cannot be in them that ſinne onelyonly againſt their conſcience: for then ſhould euerie man be guiltie of it: when the ſinne was committed, we may remember that the illumination of our vnderſtanding, & the regeneration of our wills did oppoſe it; but both beeing p. 371weake and imperfect, we were drawn vntounto the euill. And here before I come to the ſecond fountaine, I propound a briefe diſtinction of temptations; ſome touch our faith, whether we beleeue or not; otherſome the fruits of faith, either of profeſſion of the truth, or els of obedience ſutable and kindly to our profeſſion: the former is tryed by perſecutions, feare, fauour, &c. the ſecond concerning perſons, poſſeſſions, and good name, is knowne by charitie in keeping of the ſecond table. Now theſe are not the things that exclude Chriſts propitiatorie ſacrifice, except incredulitie, bringing forth impenitencie, and vtter renunciation of the faith, be ioyned with them. But here we often heare the cries of Gods children; alas, I beleeue not, & therfore draw vponupon me the paine due to the vnfaithfull. Here I would intreat eueryevery one to waigh with circumſpection, and due conſideration, his owne eſtate in ſo waightie a point as this. And therefore let him be aduiſed, that there be other two fountaines that may ſcare our ſoules with theſe feares. The firſt, is corporall infirmitie, deluding the heart and braine, whereby ſtrange imaginations are wrought in our heads, and dolefull paſſions in our hearts: theſe things alwaies vrge terror and diſtruſt, and deludeth vsus with opinion of want of that, whereof we hauehave no lacke: as others often are caried with opinion and confidence of thoſe things whereof they hauehave no part. Aetius reporteth that Phylotimus was faine to put a cap of lead vponupon a Melancholickes head, that could not be perſwaded he had any head at all, vntill at the length feeling the waight to oppreſſe him cryed out, my head akes: why thē ſaies his freinds, you hauehave a head. Artemidorus the Grammarian, did imagine that he wanted both an hand and a legge, when eueryevery man els could iudge it was but a fancie, from which he could not be recalled to his dying day. So often deales the deuill with vsus, by deluding of our phancies, that we want both head and heart to God-ward, and that we hauehave diſpoſed both to him-ward. But many a bleeding ſoule may go further: what tell you me of melancholie, it is a diſeaſe that I am free from? well, let that be granted (yet rare it is to finde perſons without it, that are touched with this kinde of griefe,) yet we finde a p. 372third fountaine, that may without all deluſion ſtreame this water of bitternes, as the ſenſe of our ſinnes may pricke vsus, eſpecially ſuch as moſt hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe, and are poore in ſpirit, and broken in heart: yet this is an infallible token of grace, that they long after the liuing God, and their ſoules pant for him: Oh when ſhall I enter into his preſence? Oh men of God, what ſhall I doe to be faued? The reſt of the world (except ſome vengeance of God lay hold vponupon them, or ſome horrible fact gnaw their wounded conſciences) paſſe their time in blind ſecuritie, careleſſe of God, and empty of all ſenſe & hope of a better life: theſe paſſe their daies, and finiſh their courſes, as the calfe paſſeth to the ſhambles, not kowing his ende to be ſlaughter by the butchers knife. You therfore that truly grone vnderunder the burden of your ſinne, conſider the groūd of your error: you iudge your faith by inward feeling, and your actions proceeding therefrom, by your thirſt of righteouſneſſe and preſence of your wants. Here you iudge by the quantitie of faith, and not by his vertue; when a very graine of muſtard ſeed, a little ſmoking flax, or a broken reed may ſuffice with God to bring forth a tree, a burning fire, and a ſtable plant of righteouſneſſe: for both the ſenſe of faith, the ſincerity of the fruits, and increaſe of the meaſure, are all the gifts and graces of God diſpenſed vntounto vsus, according to his owne wiſedome, making moſt for his glory and our good. If we conſider but the extemity of our miſery, the leſt ſparke of faith may giuegive vsus a world of comfort; and the ſmalleſt worke of obedience performed in ſincerity, though not in perfection, may perſwade vsus of the ſame louelove of God, as though we were as ſtrong as our father Abraham, or any reſolue martyr that hath ſealed his religion with his blood.

But the Chriſtian ſaies, I hauehave no feeling of Gods grace, and therefore no faith: I anſwer, true faith may bee without feeling, and therefore it is dangerous to iudge the want of faith, Faith without feeling.by the want of feeling. That this is the truth, let theſe be the grounds of it: Firſt, a man may reſt vponupon God, and yet want the feeling of the louelove of God; as Iob. Dauid, the woman of Canaan, &c. Iob: 13.15. God is mine enemie, the arrowes of p. 373the Almightie drinke vp my blood, he makes me as a butte to ſhoote at: here Iob hath none of the feeling of Gods louelove towards himſelfe, but he hath not loſt his louelove and fath toward God: for he ſaith, though the Lord ſhould kil me, yet would I truſt in him. Dauid, Pſal. 22. Oh my God, I crie by day, but thou heareſt not; by night, but thou giueſt no audience: neither night nor day had he any feeling that God did heare his prayers, or graunted his requeſts; but yet he was not without faith, for he made this praier in faith, and that with ſpeciall application (my God.) The Canaanitiſh woman had fowre repulſes; 1. ſilence. 2. deniall; I am not come but vntounto the loſt ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael. 3. the Apoſtles to ſpeake againſt her, ſend her away, for ſhe crieth after vsus. 4. a wofull remembrance of her miſerable eſtate, Woman, it is not good to take the childrens bread, and caſt it vntounto dogges: in all theſe, Chriſt ſhewes her ſmall comfort, yet ſhee hath not loſt the feeling of her ſaith: for ſtill ſhee cries, Truth Lord, yet the dogges may eate the crummes that fall from their maſters table. And ſurely all that can thus hang on the breaſts of Gods mercies, are children of hope that neuer miſcarrie; but at length after many ſcourges, ſhall heare the admirable voyce of commendation, I hauehave not found ſuch faith in any, goe away in peace, and be it to eueryevery one of you according to your faith.

Reaſ. 2. Hee that will reſt vponupon the meanes of his ſaluation, though he finde not any ſweetnes in the performance of them, is a true beleeuer, though hee feele not his wiſhed ioy. Wilt thou goe to beare Gods word, and frequent the places of his worſhip? wilt thou pray, read, conferre, meditate, &c. and performe all theſe in obedience vntounto God, though thou feele no ſweetneſſe in them? then aſſure thy ſelfe, that reſting vponupon Gods meanes for comfort, thou haſt true faith, and that cannot but at length make thy ioy to breake forth.

Reaſ. 3. He that with all his heart can wiſh the ſaluation of any member of Chriſt, is a true member of Chriſt, and ingrafted into Chriſt by a liuely faith; now theſe diffreſſed ſoules can wiſh with all their hearts the ſaluation of others; and therfore it cannot be, but they ſhould be of Chriſts bodie, and hauehave in them the true life of that bodie for a member of the world p. 374can neuer in vpright ſinceritie, wiſh the wel-fare of Chriſts bodie.

Reaſ. 4. They that moſt complaine of their corruption from the true ſenſe and feeling thereof, are ſanctified by the ſpirit of grace: for corruption cannot complaine of corruption, neither one ſinne become an enemie to another; but grace alone complaines of corruption; and the law of the ſpirit, oppoſeth the law of the fleſh: nowe it is prooued by experience, that none complaine more of ſinne, then the poore Chriſtian afflicted in conſcience: neither is this their complaint that of the wicked; for they crie out of the ſenſe and feeling of the pupuniſhment, but theſe for that they ſhould ſo diſpleaſe God: O therefore lift vp your hearts, and cry with Dauid, Pſal. 51. Lord reſtore vntounto vsus the ioy of thy ſaluation.

Againe, let vsus conſider with whom we fight, and for what crowne, and how both heauen and earth mooued at our redemption; and the ſame power concurred thereto as in our firſt creation; and therefore the worke beeing ſo great, no maruell if we vndergo many an heauie burthen, be put to many a dangerous lift, yet the foundation is ſo ſurely laid, that it muſt vp in ſpight of all oppoſing power: For as the great and mighty oakes are ſlower in attaining their full growth, then the ſhrubs and weedes; whoſe enduring is for many yeares, and for time out of mind, (as we ſay,) when the other in ſhort time wither and fade away; ſo muſt Chriſtians eſteeme their increaſe of heauenly graces, ſlowe, but ſure, and euerlaſting as immortalitie, that they may bee as a beame, or a pillar in the temple of God for euer and euer: for the life of grace is no naturall life, but ſpirituall, therefore no way corruptible: for if it were ſo, contradictions would be true, that ſpirituall life ſhould bee naturall life, incoruptible corruptible, and immortal mortall. Neither here let vsus be deceiued in iudging according to our ſenſe, or meere ſhewes of things; for then the moſt fruitfull trees, in winter ſhall be taken for barren, and the luſtie ſoyle, dry and vnfruitfull, while it is ſhut vp with the hard froſt: but reaſon and experience prooues the contrarie; faith the spirituall ſheild in this our ſpirituall war-fare, endureth much battering, and p. 375many brunts, and receiueth the forefront of the encounter, & oftentimes fareth as if it were peirced through, and worne vnfit for battell, whereupon we lay it aſide: yet euen for all this it proues inuincible, and repelleth whatſoeuer engine the enemie inforceth againſt vsus, and ſtandeth firme rooted, whatſoeuer ſtorme Sathan raiſeth for the diſplacing thereof: therefore when the ſenſe of faith is dulled in vsus, and the fruits miniſter diſcontentment; remember that the graces and mercies of God are without repentance, and Chriſt Ieſus whom he loueth he loueth vntounto the ende. Suppoſe that fire were extraordinarily fixed in the cold water, ſo that you would ſay there can be no coldneſſe at all in the water; yet conſider that cold is ſo naturall to the water, that ſecretly he will driue out the heate, and make it apparent that the fire had no place there but by vſurpation: ſo faith in the ſoule of man aſſiſted by patience, when man in the verie fire of affliction, will by little and little bring out ſinne, and with ſinne the puniſhment of the ſame: ſo that it ſhal clearly appeare that faith doth but eſteeme of them both, as tenants at will.

Oh conſider this, that our goodnes did not mooue God to beſtowe his merciemercy vponupon vsus, neither ſhall our ſinne cauſe him to remooue it: for he ſaw them before be gaue vsus his merciemercy: why did he not then withhold his merciemercy? ſurely as he knew vsus when we were ſtrangers from him, and loued vsus when we hated him, and had nothing which might prouoke his merciemercy but our miſerie: ſo is his goodnes continued vponupon vsus ſtill for his owne ſake, and not at all for our deſeruing, but for that righteouſnes ſake which is in his Sonne, and that oblation of his offered vp; not for himſelfe, but for others: and therefore with whome he was well pleaſed for that ſacrifice, with them ſhall he ſtill be well pleaſed: otherwiſe both theſe abſurdities ſhould follow, that this ſacrifice might be in vaine, and this wel-pleaſing might be changed: from whoſe righteouſneſſe ſo much is detracted, as we attribute either vntounto chāge, or vntounto our ſelues, or thinke to attaine vntounto, in reſpect of our owne ſatisfying: and againe, ſo much of Gods merciemercy is impaired, as we ſhall reſt vponupon any power or vertue in our ſelues, whereby p. 376to auoid his vengeance & iuſtice. Election is onelyonly the Lords, therefore committed to no hazard: if on vsus, who are like the wind in vnconſtancie, and as fraile as the tender hearbs, how ſoone ſhould all become nothing, therfore Gods decree being laid the firſt corner ſtone, we may aſſure our ſelues that the building ſhall ſtand for euer: therefore eueryevery one in his conflicts with the deuill, hath full aſſurance of the conqueſt: for this roote is laid in him, whoſe fruit and branches ſtormy tempeſts may nippe and ſhake, yet the ſappe ſhal neuer be dried vp in the roote, neither ſhal any euil wind of Satan ſo blaſt, that the immortall ſeede bee at any time quite withered: yea, though all fierie darts bend thereto, with all might and maine employed: yet the ſtorme beeing blowne ouer by the ſpirit of grace, and the comfortable ſunne of conſolation ſhining vponupon our gloomy hearts, it will budde forth againe, into bloſſome, fruit, and branch, as a most beautifull tree in the paradiſe of God.

Let the compariſon of bodily ſickeneſſe, and the conſideration of the kind of frailtie mooue vsus: we hauehave experience how diuers times the diſeaſe preuaileth ouer the ſicke perſons, that actions faile, and the faculties ſeeme quite to be ſpent; neither hand nor foote is able to doe their duties; the eie is dimme, the hearing dul, the taſt altered, and the tongue diſtaſteth all things, euen of moſt pleaſant reliſh; and the weake and feeble patient, ſeemeth to attend the time of diſſolution, when as yet notwithſtanding there remaineth a ſecret power of nature, and a forcible ſparke of life, that ouercometh all theſe infirmities, and conſumeth them like droſſe, and rendreth to the body a greater purity, and firmeneſſe of health, then before the ſicknes it did enioy: euen ſo ought euerie one to eſteeme of the ſpirituall caſe, and conſider that their ſoule is ſicke but not dead, faith aſſailed but not ouercome: therefore let patience attend the finiſhing of this ſecret worke: and ſo ſhall they ſee theſe burning ſeauers of temptations, to be ſlaked and cooled by the merciemercy and grace of Chriſt, and that ſparke of faith which did he hid, & ouerwhelmed with heaps of temptations, to breake forth againe, conſume the cauſes of p. 377the diſeaſe. And as nature after a perfect criſe diſchargeth her ſelfe either by ſtoole, vomite, ſweat, bleeding, or ſuch like euacuations, to the recouery of the former health: euen ſo ſhall the faithful ſoule find in himſelfe ſtrange eaſe after theſe temptations, by reaſon they hauehave cauſed diuers euacations of the filthines of ſinne, and therefore greater puritie muſt needs be in the ſoule. Thus the Lord preſerues the verie garments of his Saints, that he ſuffereth them not to take any ſmell of the flame, or the verie ſweat of afflictions to ſticke vponupon them: Pſal. 68.22. The Lord hath ſaid I will bring my people againe from Baſhan: I will bring them againe from the depths of the ſea: Og the Gyant, and all his fat bulls may puſh at the godly, but their ſtrength ſhall not preuaile againſt the ſtrong one of Iſrael: but euen the foote of his faithfull ones ſhal be dipped in blood, and the tongues of the dogges of Iſrael may drawe out the verie heart blood of all theſe bulls: So that after the conqueſt, the triumph beeing giuen to the Lord, they may truly celebrate it, ſetting the ſingers before, the players of inſtruments after: ſo that the praiſe of God may be heard in his aſſemblies, euen from all them that are deriued from the fountaine of Iſrael: ſo that this knot betwixt God & the faithfull ſoule, more ſurely knit then that of Gordius, can neuer be looſed by the deuill, broken by his forces, diſanulled by his ſtratagemes, or euer found out by his policies. Therfore as Chriſt cried out, O my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? it is impoſſible that Chriſt ſhould be forſaken, therefore it is a voice more for the inſtruction of his children, then to ſhew his owne diſcomforts: if he cried out, why may not we crie out? yet as Chriſt was heard, and freed from his feare; ſo ſhall eueryevery faithfull ſoule be ſure to ſpeede with his God, and ſhall againe (as Dauid was) be reſtored to thoſe wonted ioyes, which they ſometimes felt in the ſweet mercies of the Lord.

Theſe aſſaults are at the firſt heauie and bitter; if they come in great meaſure, they may cauſe impatience, Iob 3.1. if they continue, then may the ſoule beginne to iudge them nothing but Gods wrath: Iob 6.2, 3. The arrowes of the Almightie are in me, and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my ſpirit, and the terrors of God are againſt me: it brings afreſh his old ſinnes into p. 378remembrance, to trouble him in his ſleepe; viſions, dreames, and anxietie of ſpirit. Yet in this miſerie God ſupports his faith; he feeling this, gets experience, Rom. 5.4. hence hope, that grace ſhall neuer be wanting, Iob 42.5, 6, Heb. 12.11. Let Pharaoh feele but a little of this, and he preſently rebells: yet the faithfull, though they hauehave more feeling of their rebellious hearts, and the deuill more ſtrongly aſſailes them then any other, yea God ſeemes to be their enemie; yet, Iob 13.15. Though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him. Dauid, Pſal. 22.1. O my God, I crie by day, but thou heareſt not; by night, but I hauehave no audience: words almoſt of deſperation, and as a man without faith: yet then he ſaith, My God; a plaine argument of faith: for Gods children can not forget their language.

Hence a man may in a manner, ſee contrarie affections in their prayers: for fleſh and ſpirit ſtruggle together: Gen. 32.18. Iaakobs wraſtling is a type of the conflicts of the faithfull with Chriſt: he aſſailes them with the one hand, and vpholds them with the other: hence Iaakob is called Iſrael, a preuailer with God. The Church hath both his names, Pſal. 130. and Pſal. 121. Mark. 15.22. to 27. we ſee a ſtrange conflict betwixt the woman of Samaria and our Sauiour Chriſt: foure notable repulſes are giuen her; 1. ſilence, 2. haiſh ſpeeches of the Diſciples, Send her away; 3. cold comfort, I am come for the houſe of Iſrael, of which thou art none; 4. extraordinarie reproch, Thou art but as a dogge; therefore muſt thou hauehave none of the childrens bread: yet we finde her to be more inſtant at eueryevery repulſe, and when the moſt dangerous repulſe was giuen her, to bring an inuincible argument of her faith, True Lord, I yeild all; if my place and deſeruings muſt be conſidered, then no merciemercy for me; but, Lord, yet account of me as thou haſt ſaide, let me thy dogge but taſt of the crummes of thy merciemercy, and it ſhall ſuffice the hunger of my ſoule. Thus Gods children ouerwhelmed with ſinne, turmoiled with Sathans conflicts, and amazed with Gods anger, can then lift vp their eye lids, and giuegive a glimps to the braſen ſerpent Chriſt Ieſus, and fling themſelues into his armes, catch hold on Gods hand buffetting them, and kiſſe it.

p. 379There be three grounds of temptation. Firſt, our naturall weakeneſſe, prooued by Sathan and the world. Secondly, the continuall buds of our originall ſinne; in vnderſtanding, will, affections, and all their inſtruments: our vnderſtanding is turned into blindnes of error, our will embraceth not onelyonly thoſe things which corrupt iudgement directeth vntounto, but euen where vnderſtanding ſtandeth ſound; there will bendeth to affection, and neglecteth the light of reaſon: our affections are both rebellious to right iudgement and will; in that they rage when they ſhould not, and where iuſt cauſe is giuen, are quiet and at reſt. Thus from theſe principles in the ſoule, the bodily members become weapons and inſtruments of all impietie and iniuſtice, euen to the ouerturning of Church and Common-wealth, except the Lord ſhould reſtraine them: in ſo much that the very pillars of the world would ſhatter in ſunder, and the vault of heauen would fall, & all things would turne to their former Chaos, & be conſumed with the terrible fire of Gods vengeance, and periſh in his heauie diſpleaſure. Thirdly, God puts on his children armour of proofe, but they are negligent in the buckling of it on them; and therefore the deuill often takes aduantage by that to doe vsus hurt: euen the gifts and graces of God are made grounds of the deuils temptations: and therefore no maruaile though Sathan and the world preuaile againſt vsus, except the Lord ſtretch forth his hand and vphold vsus. Therefore becauſe I ſee the point in hand waightie, and that which troubles the whole world to lie euen vponupon this foundation; and the reſolution whereof cannot but adminiſter excellent comfort to eueryevery Chriſtian, I wil be bold to inlarge my meditations: and the more willingly, becauſe it is ſo direct with my text, not as grounded from it, but as miſapplied of the weak Chriſtian, taking eueryevery ſight of his ſin, for this fearefull ſetting of them before the eies of his conſcience: when the Lord onelyonly threatneth the hypocrits and wicked of this world, which will not but by conſtraint of law and iudgement, meddle with their ſinnes: nay on the contrarie, it is their nature to make God alwaies a friend vntounto them, as before we declared. Therefore for the godlies ſake, will I p. 380not keepe ſilence in proceeding for their cōfort. The grounds of all temptations beeing laid both inward and outward, eſſentiall and accidentall; we will come to the difficultie of difficulties, to ſee how the deuill aimes at theſe grounds.

For diſtinction, he doth it two waies, either mediately or immediately: mediately either by ſingle means, or by ioyning two together: all theſe kinds will I manifeſt in the following diſcourſe. And firſt, for his immediate working; the experience of it is more lamentable and infallible, then the manner howe eaſie to finde out: yet ſomething dare we boldly affirme, and for methods ſake, we bring it to two heads. It is either corporall poſſeſſion, or ſpirituall: for the firſt, hee may eaſily bring it about without any meanes; becauſe he is a moſt ſubtile nature, and ful of ſtrength; by his ſubtiltie he may eaſily enter the bodie; and by his ſtrength, he may carrie it at his pleaſure; he may poſſeſſe the whole bodie, & as Maſter command all that houſe; but ſurely, hee can not hauehave ſuch acceſſe vntounto the ſoule; yet from his nature beeing by creation a ſpirit, and therefore of the ſame kind of eſſence with our ſoules, and indued with the ſame qualities of vnderſtanding and will, is able by agreement of nature, and excellencie of qualitie to ouer-reach man, beeing in the ſelfe ſame kind his inferiour: For the nature of Angels is more excellent then mans: and therefore hath hee a power ouer them; for in nature eueryevery inferiour power is ſubiected to the ſuperiour, yet both of them limited of God. Therfore I doubt not, but God permitting, the deuill is able to meddle with our ſpirits, without all corporall meanes; euen as we ſee corporall creatures with bodily and corporall force, to annoy one another; and as men hauehave fellowſhip one with other by corporall preſence, and are delighted or diſpleaſed with the qualities of the mind, according as they like or diſlike, vttered by ſpeach and talke: ſo it is moſt like that ſpirits hauehave their ſocietie maintained by a ſpirituall conference, whereby their wils and purpoſes are intercommunicated one to another, without corporall ſound, whereof both the ſpirits want the inſtrument, and the voice nothing affecteth the mind. Daily experience maketh this manifeſt in ſuch as are poſſeſſed; whoſe p. 381diſcourſes are often rare and admirable, whoſe ſpeach and phraſe is often ſuch as they neuer learned. Now the deuill muſt needs be the ſchoolemaſter; and ſurely he informes them not by voice, but by ſpirituall communication; and ſo they receiue a cleare notion, of many a point they were alwaies ignorant of, and are able to expreſſe it in all varietie of languages, and that in the phraſe of eloquence: Nay, in a leſſer degree then all this, the falſe ſpirit perſwades Ahab by all his falſe and lying Prophets, that he ſhould goe vp and proſper: ſurely this ſpirit informed their ſpirits. Thus entred Satan into Iudas, not by corporall poſſeſſion, but ſpirituall; and perſwaded him to betray Chriſt: thus Ananias, Acts 5. had his heart filled: and Epheſ. 2. the deuill is called the ſpirit that worketh in the children of diſobedience: and that once they walked according to the conduct of that ſpirit. Theſe muſt needs bee reall operations, carrying a force in them, more then obiects do vntounto any facultie that is conuerſant about it: for ſuppoſe the deuill ſhould hold any art before the eies of an ignorant man, could he poſſibly become a good Grammarian, Rhetorician, Logician; whereby hee would talke with a Grecian, though he were a Barbarian; plead with Cicero, though he were one of the common ſort; and diſpute with Ariſtotle and Plato, though he had neuer been in their ſchooles, but had followed the plough all his life? I ſhould from reaſon thinke it impoſſible: therefore he communicates his knowledg with theſe ignorant perſons. But you will ſay, this is ſtrange, why ſhould we then not perceiue it? I anſwer, the bodie in which the ſoule is, is as a vayle, to hide his manner of communication from vsus: yet it is no hinderance for him to enter within the vaile, and ſpeake vntounto vsus more angelico: yet we peceiue it not, ſaue in the effects; becauſe for the time of this life, we exerciſe all actions through the body: yet I am perſwaded, that if the ſoule were out of the body, we ſhould perceiue it moſt plainely: if the curtain were drawn we ſhould ſee the deuill lying with vsus in our boſomes: for the ſoules among themſelues, and with the angels in heauen, hauehave ſweet communication, and therefore I feare not, but the damned ſoules and deuils in hell, hauehave their wofull ſocietie.

p. 382Againe, for the better conceiuing of this point, wee ſtand not only ſubiect to Sathans annoyance, through the ſubtilnes of his nature, being a ſpirit; but through that long experience and practiſe about our miſerie, from age to age, is able to work more powerfully, the Lord permitting him for a time. Thus more perfectly he knows our minds, and gathers much by the inclination of our affections, and will, and marking the obiect on which we dwell. But you will obiect, the Lord hath reſerued this propertie vntounto himſelfe to know the heart. Anſ. It is true; but the communication of the heart, may be betwixt man and man, and man and angels: therefore the Lord directly knowes the heart, and all the corners of it; ſo that wee can bring no fallacian out of it to deceiue God; but the deuill may be deceiued, as ſurely often he is in the diſcourſes of the godly. Experience hath prooued, that the conſultations of wicked kings, hauehave been reuealed to the godly, 2. kin. 6.11. Will ye not ſhewe me, which of vsus bewrayeth our counſell to the King of Iſrael? one of his ſeruants makes anſwer, It is Eliſha the Prophet that telleth the King of Iſrael, euen the words that thou ſpeakeſt in thy priuy chamber: Eliſha heard not theſe words, yet they are communicated vntounto him after a ſpirituall manner, ſuch as are the viſions of God: and thus Paul, depriued of all bodily inſtruments, ſawe things inutterable. Yea, the deuill beeing Gods ape, hath detected one wicked mans counſell to an other: but he hath alwaies bin deceiued in the conſultations of the godly, and neuer was able to reueale them. To proceede: From this experience he can conclude not onelyonly from our ſpeeches, and geſtures, to conceiue of our intents, and purpoſes; but out of our vniuerſall corruption, whereof hee hath continuall proofe, much matter of argument to diſcouer the vanitie of our minds, the ſecret thoughts of our hearts, and the verie inclinations of the ſame. Now theſe beeing found out, hee will proceed to ſuggeſtion, as he ſeeth occaſion, and our greateſt inclination, and ſo by inſtigation vntounto ſinne, make vsus diſobey God, and all his holy commandements. Againe, that he doth not all by ſuggeſtion vntounto the ſoule inclining it, is plaine, whē our natures ſeem not to incline vntounto them, in any ſpeciall conſideration, p. 383or louelove it before other wickedneſſe; neither the world alluring or inforcing vsus; eſpecially Gods children abhorring the very leaſt conceit of ſuch ſinnes, as blaſphemies, and laying violent hands on themſelues, or others, without all hate or malice, or any occaſion of reuenge. And ſurely of the ſame nature, is deſpaire and diſtruſt of Gods mercies, loſſe of the ſeede of Gods word, when we hauehave no inclination vntounto them at all, but rather contrarily affected: and theſe the deuill puts vntounto vsus in regard of our generall corruption, without any further conſideration of ſpeciall inclination; and therfore he neuer ceaſeth in theſe temptations, becauſe he hath hope to preuaile in them; and therefore ſhall we neuer be rid of the deuil, vntill God hauehave wholly deliuered vsus from our ſtaines. Truely Gods children often admire how euer ſuch a thought ſhould riſe in their head, when they hate the very appearance of it.

Now I come to the ſecond head, which is done by meanes, firſt ſingle, and then mixt: but before I enter this, let vsus conſider the deuill as a fowler, whoſe nature is to be a friend in ſhew, but a foe in heart. Secondly, looke vponupon his ſnares, which all of them hauehave three properties, ſweet, dangerous, ſecret. Thirdly, conſider the waies of his laying: the deuills way is ſuggeſtion, reall operation, and both together: the way wherein he layes them, is inward or outward; inward, iudgements and luſts; outward actions, graces, things indifferent, and euill company as the ſtale: the hold that he hath, is very ſtrong, for vntill grace hauehave turned him out, he holds men at his will: a moſt beaſtly captiuitie: nay worſe then beaſtly, becauſe beaſts hauing once bin ſnared, wil come there no more; but a man is neuer wel but when he is in the ſnares of the deuil. Secondly, it is a voluntarie captiuitie, and therefore like to be for euer, except the Lord hauehave mercy to change his mind, and draw him againſt his wil. Thirdly, it is moſt baſe: for Iſrael in Egypt may be accounted kings in regard of the ſlaues of the deuill. Laſtly, it is moſt treacherous, becauſe they renounce their couenant with God, and ſtrike hands with the deuill; and therefore from theſe things cōſidered, we may make full account that the deuil hath many p. 384meanes to helpe him: the firſt is ſuggeſtiō on the ſoule, accompanied with all the baits he can imagine: the ſecond reall operation on the bodie, affecting humour and ſpirit, and ſo making them aſſiſt him as meanes to worke our woe. Humor diſtempered, cauſeth diſeaſes to the bodie, and the bodie diſeaſed, changeth our manners and courſe of liuing: hinc mores ſequuntur humores. Againe, he dulls the ſpirits, and ſo cauſeth drouſineſſe in the worſhip of God, and euerie good calling: againe, he refreſheth them in euill, and therefore keepes vsus long waking vntounto it.

For the mixing of both together, both ſuggeſtion and real operation, the deuill can play his part moſt dangerouſly: for he can worke the humours of our bodies, to make notable way for ſuggeſtion vponupon our ſoules. If a man bee of a melancholie conſtitution, whoſe humour is drie and cold, the deuill will make it notably affect a man in all his members; eſpecially in his heart and braine, the two of the principall parts of man, and where the ſoule hath moſt reſidence: in the heart he will affect him with ſudden feares, ſtrange diſtruſts, ſuſpition of infinit euills; whereby he will mooue the ſoule in iudgement, will, and affection, to ſet about the inuenting, willing, and effecting of ſome ſtrange exploits, to eaſe himſelfe of his paines: hence often either murder of himſelfe, or of ſome other, which he falſly ſuſpects an inſtrument of his woe. Againe, the braine, by altering all the ſenſes, working ſtrange imaginations, by which it is almoſt impoſſible, but that the mind of man ſhould be ſet a working: and theſe being falſe grounds, hardly ſhal the iudgement eſcape vncorrupted: nay alas, whatſoeuer they conceit vponupon theſe grounds, ſhall not be remoued out of their iudgement. They that thinke themſelues to be made of glaſſe, wil not ſuffer their verie freinds to come neere them: he that thought himſelfe to be a cocke, would neuer giuegive ouer the ſpreading of his armes, in imitation of the cocke clapping his wings, and then would endeuour to imitate the cockes crow: he that conceited himſelfe to be Atlas, could neuer be brought to ſit down, leſt his head that vnderpropped heauē being remoued, ſhould ſuffer heauen to fall vponupon him: he that thought a certaine p. 385tyrant had cut off his head, could neuer be perſwaded to the contrary, vntill his head aked, the phyſitian hauing put a cap of lead on it. The woman that imagined that ſhe had ſwallowed a Serpent, could neuer be at reſt vntill ſhe ſawe one priuily conueied into her ſtoole, which ſhe imagined to hauehave beene brought downe by the phyſitians purgation. Another thinking himſelfe dead would eat no meat, becauſe it was not vſuall for dead men to eate, vntill he ſawe one come out of a ſheete and at the table before him fall vntounto his meat. Now as it fares with the bodie, ſo may the deuill cauſe it fal out with the ſoule; make men cōceit ſtrange things either by preſumption, as theſe hypocrites, that they were like God, that all was well with them; or by deſpaire to diſcourage themſelues, that they are out of the louelove and fauour of God, and therefore neuer hope for any merciemercy; therefore good to make a ſudden diſpatch of themſelues by death: and therefore Serapio calls this humour, the very ſeate of the deuill: and our common ſpeech is, that melancholy is the deuils blacke horſe.

Againe, if a man be of a cholerick complexion, hote and drie, it makes him fit for anger, contention, and brawling; the deuill will augement it, and make him forget all reaſon & humanity, and like beaſts kill one another: if a man be of a ſanguine conſtitution, hote and moiſt, then naturally they are merry and Iovially diſpoſed: therefore he ſtirres theſe perſons to wantonnes, & vncleannes: if of a phlegmaticke conſtitution, which is cold and moiſt, then they are heauie and ſleepie, and theſe the deuill wil notably aſſaile with all manner of idleneſſe, the begetter of all manner of vices. Againe, he can play his part with the ſpirits of the body, which are moſt excellent, and the verie bonds of our ſoule and bodie. Firſt, with the natural ſpirits, he can helpe forward to great vices: gluttonie and drunkenneſſe, make men paſſe all bonds of ſobrietie, therefore by the naturall ſpirits he will notably increaſe the deſire of all drunkards and gluttonous liuers. It is an admirable thing to conſider, what many witches wil deuoure, & yet ſay they hauehave eaten nothing. By this meanes the deuill keeps men from all good callings, and diſpoſeth them vntounto all euill. Secondly, for the vitall ſpirits; p. 386he can make men liuely, quicke, & nimble to runne about his matters; and againe make them dead hearted when they would goe about the workes God requires: and therefore no maruell why men are ſo chearefull at playes, beare-baitings, laſciuious dauncing, and many wicked recreations; when at ſermons, and works of their callings, they thinke eueryevery houre a day, and euerie day a yeare. Thirdly, for the animall ſpirits: he makes what he lift of our outward ſenſes: he hath the eye at command to behold vanitie; the eare at his becke to liſten vntounto lies; the tongue at will to blaſpheme God; the hand at libertie to ſhed blood; and the feete vnfettered to runne into all exceſſe of riot: he hath the ſmell to wind a commoditie, though it muſt be gotten by oppreſſion; he hath the touch moſt exquiſite to finger other mens goods, but as tender as butter to receiue any iniury. For the inward ſenſes, he hath the common-ſenſe, the very ſinke and puddle where all the outward ſenſes center themſelues, that a ſpeedie conueyance may be made to the phanſie, and ſo to the iudgement, will, and affections, that ſinne may euen hauehave entertainment without all intreatie, & quicke diſpatch in his buſines without all controlment or contradiction: the memorie in good caſe, to become a ſtore houſe for all villanie; and the phanſie night nor day to be at reſt, vntill they hauehave found out a tabernacle for the deuill with all his inſtruments to dwell in. Theſe ſpirits helpe forward all motions, and ſurely the deuill hee will driue the cart and horſes: and therefore no maruell if we ruſh into ſinne as the horſe doth into the battell: for he goes faſt enough whome the deuill driueth: and therefore ſeeing that the deuill hath ſo many waies to deale with vsus, no extraordinarie matter to be troubled with him: and as he driues vsus vntounto ſinne, ſo would he likewiſe driue vsus into ſetting ſinnes before our eyes, eſpecially when the hand of God is vponupon body or ſoule, to deſpaire of his merciemercy, and leaue off all our confidence, and cry nothing but reprobation: let vsus a litle ſee this cheife aduerſarie of our ſoule, that we may the better oppoſe him.