Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (4 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (4 of 11)

p. 153Heare how ppAbsit ut dicamus vobis: vivite ut vultis, securi estote, Deus neminem perdit, tantummodo sidem Christianam tenete: non perdet ille quod redemit, non perdet pro quibus sanguinem suum sudit: Et si spectaculis volucritis oblectare animos vestros, ite: quid mali est? Et festa ipsa, quae celebrantur per universas civitates in laetitia convivantium, & publicis mensis seipsos, ut putant, jucundantium, reverà magis perdentium, ite, celebr…te, magna est Dei misericordia, quae totum ignoscat. Coronate vos rosis antequam marcescant. Impleamini cibo, et vino, c… vestris. Ad hoc enim date est ista creatura, ut …â per…ruamini.— Haec si dixerimus, fortè congregabimus turbas ampliores: & si sint quidam, qui nos sentiant hoc dicentes, non rectè sapere paucos offendimus, sed multitudinem conciliamus. Quod si secerimus, non verba Dei, non verba Christi dicentes, sed nostra, erimus Pastores nosmetipsos pascentes, non oves. Lib. de Pastoribus, Tom. 9. pag. 1333.Austin describes some of these Selfe-seeking, and Soule-murthering Dawbers in His Daies; Farre be it from us, saith Hee, that we should say unto you: live as you list, doe not trouble your selves, God will cast away none; onelyonly hold the Christian Faith: Hee will not destroy that which He hath redeemed, He will not destroy those for whom He hath shed His blood; And if you please, to recreate your selves at Plaies, you may go; what hurt is there in it? And you may go to those Feasts, which are kept in all Townes, by joviall companions, making themselues merry as they suppose at these publike meetings & comessations, but indeed rather making themselves most miserable, I say you may go, and be jovial, Gods mercy is great, and may pardon all. Crowne your selves with Roses before they wither.—You may fill your selves with good cheere and wine, amongst your good-fellow companions: For the creature is giuen unto us for that purpose that wee may enjoy it.— If wee say these things, peradventure wee shall h…ve greater multitudes applaude and adhere unto our Doctrine. And if there bee some, which thinke, that speaking these things, wee are not well advisde, wee offend but a few, and those precise Ones, But wee winn… thereby a world of people. But if wee shall thus doe speaking not the words of God, not the words of Christ, but our owne; wee shalbee Pastours feeding our Selves, not our flocke.

The Authour of the imperfect commentary in Chrysostome sorted by qqNon sunt Homiliae, sed nescio quis ità dissecuit opus ▪ Erasm.some Body into Homilies upon Matthew, seemes to intimate, that the cause of the overflowing and rankenesse of iniquity, is the basenesse of these Self-preaching men-pleasers. rrTolle hoc vitium de clero, ne velint hominibus placere, & sine labore omnia vitia resecantur. Ex hoc vitio nascitur ut ne velint inter se meliorem habere, sicut Iudaei Christum. Hom. 43. Ex cap. 23. In haec verba. Omnia autem opera sua saciunt, ut ab hominibus videantur.] I am perswaded, it was no small Motive to enrage the Scribes and Pharises against Christ, because Hee taught with power to the astonishment of His heaver …. Luk. 4.32. but their teaching was heartlesse, cold, frozen, and formall. Neque enim dubium est, summo vigore, summaque veritat…s …, Christi sermones suisse praedi…or; quum interim Scribarum, & …harisaeorum doctrina …orpida esset, …lumb…, & frigida. Apud Matlorat. in Mat. cap. 23.29.Exod 23Luke 4:32Matt 23:29Tolle hoc vitium de Clero, p. 154saith Hee; Take this fault from the Clergy, to wit, that they bee not ssIt seemes by this word, …, …dhuc, in Pharisa…mo videlicet adhuc perseveran…. Galat. 1.10. That Paul was tainted with this fault, while Hee was yet a Pharise, and serued the times: But when Hee was converted, Hee turned His Dawbing into downe-right Dealing. foreign.Gal 1:10men-pleasers, and all sinnes are easily cut down. But if they blunt & rebate the edge of the Sword of the Spirit with dawbing, slattery, temporizing; or strike with it in a scabberd garishly and gaudily embroiderd with variety of humane learning, tricks of wit, frier-like conceits, &c. it cannot possibly cut to any purpose; it kills the Soule, but not the sinne. They are the onelyonly men howsoever worldly wisedome raue, and unsanctified learning bee besides it selfe, to beate downe sinne, batter the Bulwarks of the Deuill, and build vp the Kingdome of Christ; who setting aside all private ends and by-respects, all vaine glorious, covetous and ambitious aimes; all serving the times, proiects for preferment, hope of rising, feare of the face of Man, &c. addresse themselves, with faithfulnesse and Zeale to the worke of the Lord, seeking sincerely to glorify Him in converting mens Soules, 1. Cor. 1.21.1 Cor 1:21by the foolishnesse of that Preaching which God hath sanctified, to save them that beleeve: In a word, who labour to imitate their Lord and Master Iesus Christ, and His blessed Apostles, in teaching uuMat. 7.29.Matt 7:29as men having 1. Cor. 2 4.1 Cor 2:4authority; in **Hic autem significat authoritatem, & potestatem Spiritus, corda penetrantis; quae communis est Christo, & ve… Ministris, … non equals mensur…, nam unicuique distribuitur pro mens…. Buc.demonstration of the Spirit, and power; And not as the Scribes. By embroidered Scabberd; I meane the very same, which King Iames not long before His Death, did most truly out of His deepe, and excellent wisedome, conceive to bee the Bane of this Kingdome: To wit, A light, affected and unprofitable kinde of preaching, which hath been of late yeeres taken up in Court, Vniversity, City and Country. Heare something more largely what reason led His royall iudgement to this resolution; and desire of reformation:

yyThe reasons of the Kings Directions for Preaching and Preachers, as I received them from the Hand of a publike Register.His Maiesty beeing much troubled and grieved at the heart to heare every day of so many defections from our religion Both to Popery, and Anabaptisme, or other p. 155Points of separation in some parts of this Kingdome; And considering with much admiration, what might bee the cause thereof, especially in the Raigne of such a King, who doth so constantly professe Himselfe an open adversary to the superstition of the One and madnesse of the other; His Princely wisedome could fall upon no One greater probability, then the lightnesse, affectednesse, and vnprofitablenesse of that kind of preaching, which hath been of late yeares too much taken up in Court, Vniversity, Citty, and Country. The usuall scope of very many Preachers is noted, to bee a soaring vp in Points of Divinity too deepe for the capacity of the people; or a mustring vp of much reading; or a displaying of their own wits, &c. Now the people bred up with this kinde of teaching, and never instructed in the catechisme, and fundamentall grounds of religion, are for all this aiery nourishment no better then abrasae Tabulae, meere Table Bookes ready to bee filled up, either with the Manualls, and Catechismes of the Popish Preists or the Papers and Pamphlets of Anabaptists, &c.

In another place, hee resembles with admirable fitnesse the vnprofitable pompe, and painting of such Selfe-seeking discourses, patched together and stuft with a vaineglorious variety of humane allegations, to the redde and blew flowers, that pester the corne, when it stands in the fields; where they are more noysome to the growing crop, then beautifull to the beholding eye. They are King Iames his owne zzIn the Preface to his Rem…nstrance against an Oration of the Cardinall of Perron.words. Whereupon, a little after, hee tells the Cardinall; That it was no decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles, in his mouth, but with the sacred Name of God: Nor should his Lordship, Saith his Maiesty, have marshalled the passage of a Royall Prophet, and aaQuid saceret cum psalterio Horatius? Cum Evangelijs Maro? Cum Apostolis Cicero? Hieron.Poet, after the example of an heathen Oratour:

These things being So; how pestilent is the Art of Spirituall Dawbing? What miserable men are Menpleasers, who being appointed to helpe mens Soules out of hell, carry them headlong, and hoodwinkt by p. 156their vnfaithfulnesse and flatteries towards euerlasting miseries? Oh, how much better were it, and comfortable for every man that enters upon, and undertakes that most waighty and dreadfull charge of the ministery, a bbOn…, vel Angelorum humeris formidandum. Neque enim nobis hic res est, de ducendit militibus aut de regno … bernando sed de sunctione Angelicae virtu tis indigente. Chrys. de Sacerdotio, Lib. 6.burden, as Some of the Ancients elegantly amplify it, able to make the shoulders of the most mighty Angell in heaven to shrinke under it, to tread in the steps of blessed cc1. Thes. 2.5.6. 2. Tim. 4.2. Matth. 7.29. 1. Cor. 2.4. Acts. 20.20.16. 1. Thes. 2.19.20.1 Thess 2:51 Thess 2:62 Tim 4:2Matt 7:291 Cor 2:4Acts 20:20Acts 20:161 Thess 2:191 Thess 2:20Paul; by vsing no flattering words nor a cloake of covetousnesse, nor seeking glory of men; but preaching in season, and out of season; not as the Scribes, but in the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; Keeping nothing backe that is profitable, declaring unto their hearers all the counsell of God; holding the Spirituall children which God hath given them, their glory, ioy, and crowne of reioycing ▪ still watching for the Soules of their flocks as they that must giuegive account. Heb. 13.17. (The terrour of which place, ddParete us qui prasunt …bi…, & concedite: Nam illi …igilant pro animabus vest…s. —Huius Commina…ioni… terror animum mihi concu…i…. Ibid.Chrysostome professeth, made his heart to tremble) I say by such holy and heavenly behaviour, as this, in their ministery; To be able at least to say with him in sincerity, not without vnspeakeable comfort: eeAct. 10.26.Acts 10:26I take you to record this Day that I am pure from the blood of all men! Let us bee moved to this course and frighted from the contrary; by consideration of the different effects and consequents of plaine dealing, and dawbing, in respect of comfort or confusion: Faithfulnesse this way:

1. Begets those which belong unto God to grace and new obedience: See Peters piercing Sermon; Act. 2.23.37.

2. Recovers those Christians, which are fallen, by remorse and repentance, to their former forwardnesse, and first louelove; See Nathans downe-right dealing with David ▪ 2. Sam. 12.7.13.

3. Makes those which will not be reformed, inexcusable. See Pauls Sermon to Foelix: Act 24.26. How strangely will this fellow be confounded, & more then vtterly without all excuse, when hee shall meet Paul at p. 157that great Day, before the highest Iudge?

4. It is right pleasing and profitable to vpright hearted men, and all such as happily hold on in a constant and comfortable course of Christianity. Doe not my words do good to him that walketh vprightly? Micah: 2.7. It makes them still more humble, zealous, watchfull, heavenly minded, &c.

5. Hardens the rebellious and contumacious. See ffPronunciat sore, ut populus ratione, & intelligentiâ destitut us, pe…eat, nec ullus sit ampli…s remedio locus: & tamen simul admonet, operā prophetae, quamvis exi…ialis sit, ac mortisera Iudaeis, sibi gratam fore sacrificium. Calv. in Isa. cap. 6. Est quidem hoc dic…u aspe… Divinitus prophetam mitti, qui aures obturet, oculos ob…inat, & cor populi obstinet: quia videntur haec minimè competere in Dei naturam, ade…que aliena esseé ab ejus verbo. Sed absurdum videri non debet, si Deus populi malitiam ultimâ ex…ecatione u… ciscitur. —Talis excoecatio atque induratio non proficiscitur ex naturâ verbi, sed accidentali… est, solique hominum pravitati tribuenda. Ibid. Nec deus, nec verbum, nec prophetae, per se quenquam exc…cant: De prophetâ tamen & verbo hic d citur. Imm… & de… su Deo. Ioh. 12.40. Causa; quia verbum, quod per prophetas concionatus est Deus, quibusdam ex accidente sit odor mortifer. Lusci…fus clarissi…à sac… sibi oppositâ magis caetu…i…: Canora vex laede… aures debiliores: Cal…. assus â frigidá ess… ves…et. …eul in …undem locum.Isa 6John 12:40Isa. cap. 6. In which faithfull ministers are also unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2. Cor. 2.15.

6. And the Man of God himselfe shall hereafter blessedly ggDan. 12.3.Dan 12:3shine as the brightnes of the firmament, and as the Starres for ever and ever. And all those happy Ones which hee hath puld out of Hell by his downe-right dealing, shall hhEt hoc attendite sr…es, qui… … carnales medici, quoties ad eos qui in corpore aegrot are videntur, ven…unt, omnia quae eis defectabilia esse vide bantur abse…dunt: & quod dulce est, ad integrum interdieunt. Al…quoties etiam frigidam accipere non permittunt, interdum & amarissi… aspotiones hibere cogunt, & asperrimis serramentis vulnera frequenter incidunt. Hoc ergo quod pro sanitate corporum carnales … diti faciunt, pro animarum salute spiritales medici caercere contendunt. Ha… ergo cogitan… fratres charissimi & tam pro meâ quam pro v…strâ salute rationem ni… reddit…m esse ante tribunal … ignorans, eligo aspera quide…, sed salubria vobis medicamenta ing…ere, ut vobiscum posse… in Angelorum consortio perpetuâ merear incolumitate gaudere. [See afterward, in what sense merear is here to be taken. It makes nothing at all for the Popish …otten Tenent of Merit.] August, de Temp. Serm. 67.raigne and reioyce with Him in unknowne and vnspeakeable Bliste through all eternity.

But now on the otherside the Effects of Dawbing and men-pleasing are most accursed and pestilent; in many respects.

1. In respect of Gods word and messages: first, not p. 158dividing it and dispensing them aright. Secondly, Dishonouring the Majesty, and weakening the power of them many times, with the vnprofitable mixture of humane allegations, ostentations of wit, fine frier-like conceits digged with much adoe out of Popish postills, &c. Even as wee may see at haruest time a land of good corne quite choaked up with red, blew and yellow flowers. As King Iames doth excellently allude in the forecited iiIn the Preface of his Remonstrāce against Cardinall Perron.place. Thirdly, Fearefull prophaning them by mis-application against Gods will: kkEzech. 13.22.Ezek 13:22Making the heart of the righteous Sad, whom God would not have made Sad; and strengthening the hands of the wicked, that hee should not returne from his wicked way, by promising him life. Fourthly, Villanous perverting and abusing them to their owne advantage, applause, rising, revenge, and such other private ends:

2. In respect of the flattering, and unfaithfull Ministers themselves. First, Extreme vilenesse, Isa. 9.15. Secondly,llSanguinem ejus Do…inus de manu speculatoris requirit, quia ipse hunc occidit, qui cum tacendo morti prodidit. Guiltinesse of spirituall bloudshed. Ezech. 3.18. Thirdly, Liablenesse to the fierce wrath of God, in the Day of visitation. Ier. 14.15. 1. King. 22.25.

3. In respect of their hearers, who delight in their lies, in their smooth and silken sermons; Suddaine, horrible, and unavoidable confusion. Isa. 30.13.14.

Quibꝰ omne cōsiliū Dei annunciare siu …uit, ab eorum sanguine mundus suit. In quá voce nos convenimur, nos constringimur, nos rei esse ostendimur. —Qui supra ea mala, quae propriae habemus alienas quo ne mortes addimus: quia tot occidimus, quot ad mortem ire quotidiè tepidi & …acentes videmus. Gregor. in Ezech. 16. 1. Hom. 11.Ezek 16:14. mmEt qui sollicitus esse non studuit, in praedicatione, factus est particeps in damnatione. Idem, Ibid. Benè nostis fratres charissimi, me vobis frequenter suppl…cas…e, & paternâ sollicitudine common…isse, pariter, & contestatumesse, ut illas sacrilegas Paganorum consuetudines observare minimè debe…etis. Sed quantùm a…me multorum relatione pervenit, apud aliquos parum profecit admonitio mea, quia si vobis ego non dixero; & pro me, & pro vobis malam sum redditurus rationem in dic judic…; & vobiscum mihi erit necesse aeterna supplicia sustinere. Ego me apud Deum absolvo, dum iterum at que iterum admonco pariter & con…es…or, Aug de temp. Ser. 241.Burning both together in hell for euer, without timely and true repentance; banning there each other continually, and crying with mutuall hideous yellings: p. 159O thou bloody Butcher of our Soules, hadst thou bin faithfull in thy Ministery, wee had escaped these eternall flames! O miserable man that I am; Woe is mee, that ever I was Minister; for now besides the horrour due unto the guiltinesse of mine owne damned Soule, I have drawen vponupon mee, by my unfaithfull dealing, the cry of the bloud of all those soules, who have perished under my Ministery, to the everlasting enraging of my already intollerable torment!

Give mee leave to conclude this point, with that patheticall, and zealous passage of reuerend and learned Greenham against negligent pastors, amongst whom I may justly ranke and reckon also all Dawbers (for as well never a whit, as never the better) & Men-pleasers; For selfe preachers are, for the most part, nn…or the painefulnes of that unprofitable way of preaching, wherein there is ordinarily so much affectation on the one side, and expectation on the other, of such a deale of curiosity, variety of extraordinary conceits, tricks of wit, ostentation of reading, &c. that it puts the Pen-man to a great deale of paines, and tortures his wit extremely: Then, afterwards, the irkesome tediousnesse of committing it so punctually and precisely to memory; The fearefulnesse in delivery, and danger of being out; Vaine-glorious, doubting that they shall not bee app…ded, as they were wont: Feare, lest the next time should less…n their former reputation of wit, reading, &c. I say, such considerations as these, are many times notable …, to keepe them from appearing too often in the Pulpit.seldom-preachers. Heare ooIn His Godly Observations, concerning divers Arguments, and Common Places in Religion. Cap. 13.His words:

Were there any love of God from their hearts in those, who in stead of feeding to salvation, starve many thousands to Destruction: I dare Say, and say it boldly that for all the promotions under Heaven, they would not offer that iniury to one Soule, that now they offer to many hundred Soules. But, Lord, how doe they thinke to give up their pp… quotidiè nobiscum rationes, quas cum nostro judice habebimus. —… q…od lucrum Deosicimus nos, qui accepto talento abeo ad negotium missisumus. … dicit: Negotiamini dum venio. Ecce jam v…nit, ecce de nostro negocio lucrum requir…. Quale e… da…marum lucrum de nostra negotiatione monstrabimus? Quot ejus conspectuian … m…nipulos de praedicationis no…rae segete illaturi sumus? Ponamus ante oc…los nostros illum tantae distinctionis diem quo judex veniet, & rationem, cum seruis quibus talenta credidit, pon…t. Ecce in majestate terribili, inter angelorum atque archangelorum choros videbitur. In illo tanto examine, electorum omnium & reproborum multitudo dedu…etur, & unusquisque quid sit operatus ostendetur. Ibi Petrus cum Iudaea conversa, quam post se traxit apparebit. Ibi Paulus converum, ut ita dixerim, mundum ducens. Ibi Andreas post se Achaiam, ibe Joannes Asiam, Thomas I…diam, in conspectum sut judicis conversam ducet: Ibi omnes dominici gregisarietes cum animarum lucr… apparebunt, quisanctis praedicationibus Deo post se subditum gregem trahunt. Cum igitur tot p…stores cum gregibus suts ante aeterni pastoris oculos venerim, nos miseri quid … sumus, qui ad Dominum nostrum post negotium vacui redimus, qui pastorum, n…men habuimus, & oves quas ex nutrimento nostra debeamus ostender…, non habemus? Hic pastores vocati samus, & ibi g…egem non ducimus. Gregor. in Evangel. Hom 17.reckoning to thee, who in most strict account will p. 160take the answere of every Soule committed unto them▪ one by one? Or with what eares doe they often heare that vehem…nt speech of our Saviour Christ, Feede, Feede, Feede? with what eyes doe they so often read… that piercing speech of the Apostle, Feede the slocke committed unto you? But if none of these will move them then the Lord open their eyes to heare the grievous groanes of many Soules lying under the griefly altars of destruction, and complaining against them; O Lord the revenger of blood, behold these men, whom thou hast set over us to give us the bread of life; but they have not given it us: Our tongues, and the tongues of our children have stucke to the roofe of our mouths for calling and crying, and they would not take pitty on vsus: Wee have given them the tenths which thou appointedst us, but they have not given us thy truth; which thou hast commanded them: Reward them. O Lord, as they have rewarded us; Let the bread betweene their teeth turne to rottennesse in their bowells. Let them be clothed with shame, and confusion of face, as with a garment: Let their wealth as the Dung from the earth, bee swept away by their executours; And upon their gold & silver, which they have falsely treasured up, let continually bee written, the price of blood, the price of blood: For it is the value of our blood, O Lord. If thou didst heare the blood of Abel, being but one man, forget not the blood of many, when thou goest into judgement.

I now returne to rectify and tender a remedy against the first aberration. Which I told you was this: When mercy, Christ, the promises, salvation, heaven & all are applied hand overhead and falsely appropriated to vnhumbled sinners: whose Soules were never rightly illightened with sight of sinne, and waight of Gods wrath; nor afflicted to any purpose with any legall wound, or hearty compunction by the Spirit of bondage: In whose hearts, qqFo sumus omnes ingenio, ut nunquā velimus quaerere Christum, nisi impulsi sensu aliquo miseriae, ac indigentiae nostrae. Qui valent, non egent medico, sed male affecti, inquit Christus; Venite ad me omnes, qui fatigati & onerati estis, & ego faciam ut requiescatis. Quotquot igitur Christum praedicant, Christi exemplo hoc discant, nempo, quo tempore alliciunt homines ad fidem, propositâ illâ suavitate, quae est in Christo, codem tempore extimulandos esse ipsos peccati ac miseriae suae sensu ad Christum amplectendum: Nam hae duae partes doctrinae semper conjungendae sunt, Doctrina miseriae, & Doctrina misericordiae in Christo Iesu. Rolloc. in Ioan. c. 4.John 4sense of their spirituall misery, and want, hath not yet raised a restlesse and kindly p. 161thirst after Iesus Christ?

In this case mine advise is; that all those who deale with others about their Spirituall states, and undertake to direct in that high and waighty affaire of mens Salvation, either publikly or privatly in their ministry, visitations of the sicke, or otherwise; that they would follow that course of which I largely discoursed a little before taken by God himselfe, his Prophets, his Sonne, the Apostles, and all those men of rrLet none speak against the preaching of the Law, for it is the wholesome way that God Himselfe, and His Servants in all Ages have taken. Hee did reprove, convince, and curse Adam and Eve, and after Hee preached, the Seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head. —So Iohn Baptist dealt with His hearers. And our Saviour Christ saith, Hee came to seeke, and to save the lost. Peter, Act. 2.37. first preached the Law, and after the Gospell. So Paul and Silas, Act. 16. The contrary, is the way to make people curse us hereafter, tho it please them for the present; As if one should heale a sore on the top, and not corrasive it, to draw and eate out the core, it would within a while breake out againe, with farre greater danger: So shall wee find it in this case. Rogers of Dedham in His Doctrine of Faith, pag. 97.98.Acts 2:37Acts 16God in all ages, who have set themselves, with Sincerity, faithfulnesse, and all good Conscience, to seeke Gods glory in the salvation of mens Soules; to discharge aright their dreadfull charge, and to keepe themselues pure from the blood of all men; To wit, That they labour might and maine, in the first Place, by the knowledge, power, and application of the Law, ssThe Law first humbles, then the Gospell comforts. The Law hath three works: First, it inlighteneth a miserable sinner, in whom God hath a meaning to worke Faith, with a cleare, and particular sight of His misery, and wofull estate Hee stands in by sinne. Secondly, it doth also by the working of the Spirit, convince the Party, that that is particularly true of Him, which before Hee used to poste over His head, as pertaining to others, not to Him: But now God makes Him take this to Himselfe, and to apply and appropriate it, as if the Minister spoke to Him alone by Name; and to thinke the Minister knowes all His heart, looketh on Him, and speakes directly to Him; Though it may bee the Minister knew Him nor, or not His case, but God makes Him so to thinke. Thirdly, upon these two, it raiseth terrour, and puts this sinner out of His old, secure, and peaceable course of impenitency, that He went on in. Whether it bee the prophane that went on boldly in His sinne; or the civill man trusting in His owne righteousnesse. —And makes Him as one shot into flesh with a crosse, or bearded arrow, which He cannot shake out, nor abide the smart, but stampes as one s…ng with an Add…r, … cannot stand His ground, but is wholly possessed with fear… Ibid pag. 68. &c.to illighten, convince, and terrify those that they have to doe with, concerning conversion, with a sensible particular apprehension, and acknowledgement p. 162of their wretchednesse, and miserable estate, by reason of their sinfulnesse and cursednesse: To breake their hearts, bruise their Spirits, humble their Soules, wound and awake their Consciences, &c. To bring them by all meanes to that Legall astonishment, trouble of minde, and melting temper, which the Ministry of Iohn Baptist, Paul and Peter wrought upon the Hearts of their hearers. Luk. 3.10.12.14. Act. 16.30. And 2.37. That they may come crying feelingly and from the heart, to those Men of God who happily fastened those keene arrows of compunction and remorse in the sides of their Consciences and say; Men and Brethren, what shall wee do? Sirs, what must wee doe to bee saved? &c. As if they should have said: Alas! wee see now, wee have bin in Hell all this while; and if wee had gone on a litle longer, wee had most certainely lien for ever in the fiery Lake; The Devill and our owne lusts were carrying us hood-winkt, and headlong towards endlesse perdition. Who would have thought wee had bin such abominable beasts, and abhorred Creatures as your Ministry hath made us; and in so forlorne & wofull estate? Now you blessed Men of God, helpe us out of this gulfe of spirituall confusion, or wee are lost everlastingly. By your discovery of our present sinfull and cursed estate, wee …eele our hearts torne in **foreign …. Act. 2 37.Acts 2:37pieces with extreme, and restles anguish, as tho many fiery Scorpions stings stuck fast in them; Either lead us to the sight of that blessed Anti-type of the Brazen Serpent to coole and allay the boyling rage of our guilty wounds, or we are vtterly undone: Either bring us to the Blood of that just and holy One, which with execrable villany wee have spilt as water upon the ground, that it may bind up our broken hearts, or they will presently burst with despaire, and bleed to eternall death. Give us to drinke of that soueraigne Fountaine,Isai. 55.1. Ioh 7.37.Isa 55 opened by the hand of mercy, for all thirsty Soules or else wee dye. There is nothing you can prescribe, and appoint, but wee will most willingly p. 163doe.Matth. 5.29.30.Matt 5:29Matt 5:30 Wee will with all our hearts, pluck… out our right eyes, cut off our right hands; We meane; part with our beloved lusts, and dearest sinfull pleasures; abominate, and abandon them all for ever, from the heart root to the Pit of Hell: If wee can bee rid of the Devills sette… welcome shall bee Christs sweete and easy yoke: In a word, wee will ssMatth. 13.44. By that a man hath, is meant sinne, and by selling it, the renouncing and disclaiming of sinne.—Now to sell this, is (as the nature of selling wee know requires) to part with the right, and title, and interest, that a Man hath unto it▪ the secret and inward louelove to it, and the outward and common practise of it. He that would enioy this heavenly treasure, which the Lord doth so freely and graciously tender unto us, by the preaching of the Gospell, must resolve to make a through sale, and to forsake not some, but every sinne, every corruption, every breach of the will of God, whatsoever. Hieron. in his third Sermon upon Matth. 13 44. What must the sinner sell? All that Hee hath. What is that? His Goods, Lands, Children? No, These bee none of His owne, God hath but lent him these to use; and some that would hauehave Christ, and shall, have no goods to sell: What then is our owne? Our sinnes and nothing else. Hee that will have part in Christ, must part with his sinnes; Hee cannot have Christ, and keepe any One of them. Rogers in his Doctrine of Faith. p. 171. &c. Qui volit pro dignitate suâ astimare donum ho… quod ossert Christus, quantum sit; necesse est jam primum de peccatis suis, & miseriâ cogitet; sic enim si…t, ut pluris …aciat Christum; quam uni…ersum … mundum; eumque avide ad se cripia…, ad justificationem, & Salutem suam aeternam. Rolloc. in Ioan. cap. 6. pag. 376.Matt 13:44John 6sell all, even all our Sinnes to the last …ilthy ragge of our heretofore doted vponupon minion delight, So that wee may injoy our blessed Iesus, whom, you have told us, and wee now beleeve, God hath made both Lord and Christ: &c.

Now when wee shall see, and find in some measure the hearts of our Hearers, and spirituall Patients thus prepared; both by legall dejections and terrours from the spirit of bondage; ttThough a Man dares not apply the promise to One, onelyonly terrified by the Law, yet to One truly thus humbled by the Gospell, and contrite hearted, wee doe no other. Rogers, Ibid pag. 141.and also possessed with such melting and eager affections, wrought by the light of the Gospell, and Offer of Christ: When their Soules once begin to feele all sins, even their best beloved One, heauy and burdensome; to prize Iesus Christ far before all the world, to thirst for Him infinitely more, then for riches, pleasures, honours, or any earthly thing; to resolue to take him as their husband, and to **Heb. 5.9.Heb 5:9obey Him as their Lord for ever, and all this in truth: I say then, and in this case, wee may hauehave comfort to minister comfort. Then, upon good ground wee may goe about our Masters command. Isa. 40.1. (which man-pleasers p. 164many times pittifully abuse) Comfort yee, Comfort yee my people; (uuH…c ad exilium Babilonicum restringenda non esse dixi; quia patent latissimè, et doct…inam Evangelij comprehendunt; In qua p…ecipuè est vis i…a co…solandi. Ejus enim …st, er…g…re …fflictos & prostiatos, …ctios, & serè mortuos recreare: maes…os … tristitià. Calvin. Quia Captivitas & liberatio illa corporalis … captivitatis, & liberationis spirit…is, non in liter… haerendum nobis, sed ad …pli…itatis spiritualis sub peccati …ugo, & aetern…e mortis metu, itemque redemptionis sempiternae per Christum factae cogitationem assargendum erit. Scult. I meane in respect of spirituall bondage)— Speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem, and cry unto Her, that Her warre is accomplished, that Her iniquity is pardoned. Wee may tell them, with what a compassionate Pang, and deare compellation, God Himselfe labours to refresh them. Isa. 54.11. Oh thou afflicted, and tossed with tempest, that hast no comfort; behold, I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay xxDe spirituali Ierosolymâ loquitur, cujus fundamentum, Christus. 1. Cor. 3 11. Scult. in locum.1 Cor 3:11thy foundations with Saphirs, &c. Wee may assure them in the word of life and Truth, that Iesus Christ is theirs, and they are His: And compell them, as it were, by an holy violence, not without a great deale of just indignation against their lothnesse to beleeue, and holding off in this case to take his Person, His merit, His blood, all His Spirituall riches, priviledges, excellencies: And with Him possession of all things, even of the most glorious **In that sense as I teach in my Exposition of the last article of the beliefe. Faith in the first act, maketh us Christs, reconciles us to him, makes us one with him, and by Him with God the Father. D.D.Deity it selfe, blessed for ever: See 1. Cor. 3.21.22.23. Ioh. 17.21.

But now in the meane time, untill sense of Spirituall misery and poverty raise an hunger and thirst after Iesus Christ; before such like preparations, and precedent affections, as have been spoke of, be wrought in the hearts of men, by pressing the Law, and proclaiming the Gospell; and that in Sincerity; (for the degree and measure, wee leave it to God, as a most free Agent, in some they may bee stronger, in some weaker) the preaching or promising of mercy, as already belonging unto them is farre more unseasonable, and unseemely, then Snow in Summer, raine in harvest, or honour for a foole. It is upon the matter, the very Sealing them up with the Spirit of delusion, that they may never so much as thinke of taking the right course to bee converted. What sottish and sacrilegious audaciousnesse then is it in any Dawber to thrust his prophane hand into the treasury of Gods mercy, and there hand over head, without any allowance p. 165from his highest Lord to scatter His dearest, and most orient pearles amongst Swine? To warrant salvaon to any unhumbled Sinner? To strengthen the hands of the wicked, who never yet tooke sinne to heart to any purpose, and thirst farre more (such true Gadarens are they) after gold, satisfying their owne lusts, and perking above their brethren, then for the blood of Christ, by promising them life? To assure meere civill men, and Pharises who are so farre from the sense of any spirituall poverty, that they are already swolne as full as the skin will hold, with a selfe-conceit of their owne rotten righteousnesse, that they shall bee saved as well as the most puling precisian? Especially, sith there is such a cloud of witnesses to the contrary, as you have heard before. Besides all which, upon this occasion, take two or three moe. Heare a most faithfull and fruitfull workman in the Lords harvest, of great skill, experience and successe in the most glorious Art of converting Soules, which makes mee more willing to vrge his authority, and esteeme His judgement in Points of this nature. None, yyRogers of Dedham in his Doctrine of Faith, pag. 63.saith hee, can prove or shew president, that faith was wrought in an instant at first, without any preparation going before: Nor can it bee conceived how a man should beleeve in Christ for salvation, that felt not himselfe before in a miserable estate, and wearied with it, and desired to get out of it into a better. As the needle goes before to pierce the cloth and makes way for the threed to sew it: So is it in this case. Afterward Hee tells us how and in what manner & order, these predispositions, and preparative Acts, required for the plantation of faith, and so securing us of the right season, and a comfortable calling to assure men of Spirituall safety, are wrought in such, as God is drawing unto Iesus Christ. Hee requires from the law, First, Illumination: Secondly, Conviction: Thirdly, Legall terrour. From the Gospell by the helpe of the Spirit; First, Revealing the remedy: Secondly, Beliefe of it in generall: Thirdly, Support in p. 166the meane time from sinking under the burthen, and falling into despaire. Fourthly,zzHee makes contrition to fo…low Legall terrour, and precede that repentāce which is the Daughter of Faith, and in order of nature followes after it. See ibid. pag. 121.122 123.124. See also Master Hookers Preface to His Booke, added in the second Edition. Contrition; Which is attended, with some kind of, First, Desire. Secondly, request. Thirdly, Care. Fourthly,aaIf any bee troubled, because hee talkes of hope, joy, &c. before Faith, let Him seeke satisfaction. Ibid pag. 161.162. and weigh well His distinction of the Gifts of God, pag. 125.126. where Hee tells us of three kinds of them: First, some common to El…ct, and Reprobate; as knowledge in Scripture, Prophecy, Tongues, Miracles, and such like. Secondly, some speciall belonging to the Elect onelyonly, as Faith, by which wee are justified, a renewed heart, a good conscience, the feare of God, and such like graces. Thirdly, some middle ones, wrought in the heart of those, that bee not yet actually the children of God; yet certainely shall bee; And which whosoever have wrought in them, shall surely have Faith, and cannot goe long without it; Such is this contrition, and such dispositions as bee in men before Faith, which yet are wrought by the Gospell. These are better then common Gifts, yet not actuall Graces, and yet gracious inclinations to Faith, which are in those that are to bee justified; and which (if wee speake properly) cannot bee wrought in any that shall perish. See Master Hooker in the Preface to the same Booke. Hope. Fiftly, Ioy. Sixthly, Hungring and thirsting after mercy and after Christ. Seventhly, Resolution to sell all, to wit, all sins, not to leave an hoofe behind, &c. And thus (saith hee) God brings along the man, that Hee purposeth to make His. And when he is at this passe, God seales it up to him, & inables him to beleeue; And saith: Sith thou wilt hauehave no Nay; Bee it unto thee according to thy desire: And God seales him up by the Spirit of promise, as surely as any writing is made sure by sealing of it. Then he beleeves the word of God, and rests, and casts himselfe vponupon it. And thus hee finds himselfe discharged of all woe, made partaker of all good, at peace in himselfe, and fitted, and in tune to doe God some service. This is to some sooner, to some later; according to the helpes and meanes they hauehave, and wise handling they meet withall, and as God gives power.— It is hard to say, at what instant faith is wrought, whether not till a man feeles that hee apprehends the promises, or even in his earnest desires, hungring and thirsting; For even these are pronounced blessed.

But here (for I desire and endevour as much as I can possibly, in every passage to prevent all matter, both of scruple in the upright hearted, and of cavill in the contrary minded) let no truly humbled sinner bee discouraged, because Hee cannot finde in himselfe these severall workings, or other graces, p. 167in that degree and height, which Hee desires and hath perhaps, seene, heard, or read of in some others: If hee have them in bbAs a great Divine saith of Faith: Non ex gradu, aut mensur… fidei dependet justificatio, sed ex ver…a…e: Iustificatiō depends not upon the degree, but the truth of Faith. Davenantius in Expos. epist. ad Coloss. pag. 21. So may wee say proportionably of other graces, in respect of comfort frō them; and yet that of Austin is most true; Si dixisti, sufficit, perijsti: If any say, hee hath grace enough, hee hath just none. Minimè certè bonus est, qui melior esse non vult. Bernard.truth, and truly thirsts and labours for their increase, hee may goe on with comfort. Neither let any bee disheartened, though Hee did not observe so distinctly the order of the precedent acts, nor could discerne so punctually their severall operations in His Soule: yet if in substance and effect they have been wrought in Him, and made way for Iesus Christ, Hee needs not complaine.

As this man of God in experimentall divinity, so our renowned and invincible ccSunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem sive regenerationem praevia, quae virtute verbi, spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur; qualia sunt, notitia voluntatis divinae. Sensus peccati, timor poenae, cogitatio de liberatione, spes aliqua veniae. Ad statum justificationis, in quo pacem habemus apud Deum per D.N. Iesum Christum, non solet gratia divina homines perducere per subitum Enthusiasm…, sed multis praevijs actionibus, ministerio verbi subactos, & preparatos. Hoc videre licet, in illis, qui audi…á Petri Concione, peccati …nus sentiunt, timent, dolent, liberationem desiderant, spem aliquam ventae concipiunt; quae omnia exillis verbis colligi possunt: Act. 2.37. Quùm haec audivissent, compuncti sunt corde suo; & dixerunt ad Petrum, & reliquos Apostolos; Virisratres, quid saciemus? Hoc ipsa rei natura requirit; Nam sicuti in generatione hominis naturali, multae sunt praeviae dispositiones, quae formae inductionem praecedunt; ita & in spirituali per multas antecedaneas gratiae actiones ad spiritualem Nativitatem pervenitur. Hoc denique apparet ex instrumentis, quibus utitur Deus ad homines regenerandos. Vtiturenim ministerio hominum & instrumento verbi. 1. Cor. 4.15. Per Evangelium ego vos genui. Quod si Deus immediatè vellet hominem impium regenerare, & justificare, nullà cognitione, nullo dolore, nullo desiderio, nullâ veniae spe praeparatum, nec hominum ministerio, nec verbo praedicato hanc ad remopus esset; nec ministris verbum Dei rectè secantibus, cura incumberet, apte, prudenterque auditorum conscientias primò legis terroribus sauciandi, Deinde Evangelicis promissis erigendi, ac eosdem hartandi ad poenitentiam, fidemqu… à Deo per preces & lachrymas petendam. Suffrag. Colleg. Theologorum Magnae Britanniae, de quinque controversis remonstrantium Articulis, de antecedaneis ad conversionem. Thes. 2.Acts 2:371 Cor 4:15Champions in their Polemicall discourses upon other occasion, speake to the same purpose, telling us also of some antecedent Acts humbling and preparing the soule for conversion. There are say they; certaine internall effects going before conversion or regeneration, which by vertue of the word and Spirit, are wrought in the hearts of those which are not yet iustified: Such as: Illumination of the mind and conscience p. 168with the knowledge of the word and will of God, for that purpose, Sense of sin, feare of punishment or legall terror; advising and casting about for enlargement from such a miserable estate, some hope of pardon: &c. Let mee but adde one other, and Hee also of excellent learning; And then I have done; Such is the nature of man, Saith ddYates in his Modell of Divinity, lib. 2. ca. 26hee; that before hee can receiue a true justifying faith, hee must as it were bee broken in pieces by the law: Ier. 23.29.— Wee are to bee led from the feare of slaves, through the feare of Penitents, to the feare of sonnes: And indeed, one of these makes way for another, and the perfect love thrusts out feare; yet must feare bring in that perfect love, as a needle or Bristle drawes in the threed after it; or as the potion brings health. In the preparation and fitting us for our being in Christ, hee requireth two things: First, The cutting of us off as it were from the wild Olive-tree. By which hee meaneth two things. First, A violent pulling of us out of the corruption of nature, or a cutting, as it were by the knife of the law, of an unregenerate man from His security, &c. Secondly, A violent atraction to Christ for ease; man at the first plainely refusing it. The hunted beast flies to his den, the pursued malefactor to the hornes of the altar, or city of refuge. Pauls misery Rom. 7.24. Drives him to Gods mercy. The Israelites are driven into their chambers by the destroying Angell; Balaam is made to leane backe by the naked Sword; Agur to runne to Ihiel and Veall, that is Christ: Pro. 30.1.2.3; When he is confounded with his owne brutishnesse. God must let loose his Law, Sinne, Conscience, and Satan to baite us, and kindle hell fire in our Soules, before wee will bee driven to seeke to Christ. Secondly. A paring and trimming of us, for our putting into Christ by our humiliation for sin, which is thus wrought: God giveth the sinner to see, by the law, his Sinne, and the punishment of it: The detection whereof drives Him to compunction, and a pricking of heart, which is greater, or lesser, and carries with it divers Symptomes, and sensible passions of griefe. p. 169—And workes a Sequestration from his former courses, and makes Him loath Himselfe, &c.

And yet by the way, & once for all, take this Caveat, and forewarning: If any should think of these precedent Acts, ccNeither let any dreame, that these are any Productions of free will; I heartily abhorre Popery, Pelagianisme, and all enemies to the Grace of God: But know, that they are the Effects of the Word and Spirit. Sunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem, sive regenerationem praevia, quae virtute verbi, Spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur; qualia sunt notitia voluntatis divinae, sensus peccati, timor poenae, cogitatio deliberatione, spes aliquâ veniae. Suffrag. Colleg. Theologorum Mag. Britan. &c. De anticedan…is ad conversionem. Thesi. 2.these preparative workings of the Law, and Gospell, which make way for the infusion of faith, as any meritorious meanes to draw on Christ; it were a most false, rotten, foolish, execrable, popish, absurd, Luciferian misconceit; and might justly merit never to obtaine mercy at Gods bountifull hands, nor part in the merits of Christ: I speake thus to fright every one for ever, from any such abhorred thought. God the father offers His Sonne most freely. God so loved the world, that hee gave His onelyonly begotten Sonne, that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Ioh. 3.16. VntoUnto us a child is borne, unto us a Sonne is given. Isa. 9.6. If thou knewest the gift of God, saith Christ unto the woman of Samaria, and who it is, that saith to Thee, Give mee to drinke. Ioh. 4.10. Much more they, which receive abundance of grace, and of the Gift of righteousnesse, &c. Rom. 5.17. Christ calleth Himselfe, a Gift; And it is called, the Gift of righteousnesse. And nothing so free as **Quod nam sit hoc donum ipse exponit verbis sequentibus, & quis sit qui dicit tibi: Donum igitur est ipse Christus silius, quem dedit nobis Pater. Rolloc. in Iohan. pag. 196.Gift. And therefore those Divines speake not unfitly, who say, It is given unto us, as fathers give Lands and Inheritance to their children; as kings grant pardons, to their subjects, having merited death: They give them, because they will, out of the freenesse of their minds. All those who would come unto Christ and desire to take him as their wisedome, righteousnesse, Sanctification, and redemption, must bee utterly unbottomed of themselves, and built onelyonly on the rich and free mercy of God revealed in the Gospell. They must bee emptied, First, Of all conceit of any righteousnesse or worth in themselves at all: Secondly, Of all hope of any ability or possibility to helpe themselves. Nay filled, thirdly, with sense of their owne unworthinesse, naughtinesse, nothingnesse: Fourthly, and p. 170with such a thirst after that water of life, Ioh. 4.14. that they are most willing to sell all for it, and cry heartily, GiueGive mee drinke, or else I die. And then when they are thus most nothing in themselves, doe so long for the rivers of living water, they are certainely most welcome unto Iesus Christ; and may take Him most freely; Heare how sweetly Hee calls them; Ho, every one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters; and hee that hath no mony, Come yee, buy, and eat; yea come, buy wine and milk, without mony, and without price. Isa. 55.1. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Iesus stood, and cryed saying; If any man thirst let him come unto mee, and drinke, Hee that beleeveth on mee, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; Ioh. 7.37.38. It is done; I am Alpha, and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give unto him, that is a thirst, of the Fountaine of the water of life freely. Revelat. Chap. 21. Vers. 6. And let him that is a thirst come, & whosoever will let him take the water of life freely, Rom. 22.17. Wee must therefore by no meanes conceive of the forenamed preparatiue humiliations and precedent workes of the Law and Gospell, as of any meritorious qualifications to draw on Christ (for hee is given most freely) but as of needfull predispositions, to drive us unto Christ. For a Man must feele Himselfe in misery, before Hee will goe about to find a remedy; bee sicke before Hee will seeke the Physition; bee in Prison before Hee will sue for a pardon; bee wounded before Hee will prize a Plaster, and pretious balsam. A sinner must bee weary of His former wicked wayes, and tired with legall terrour, before Hee will hauehave recourse to Iesus Christ for refreshing, and lay downe His bleeding Soule in his blessed Bosome; Hee must bee sensible of His Spirituall poverty, beggery, and slavery under the Deuill, before Hee thirst kindly for heavenly righteousnesse, and willingly take up Christs sweet and easy yoke. Hee must bee cast downe, confounded, condemned, p. 171a cast away, and lost in Himselfe, before Hee will looke about for a Saviour; Hee must cry heartily; I am uncleane, I am uncleane; before Hee will long, and labour to wash in that most soveraigne, and Soule-saving Fountaine, Zach. 13.1.Zech 13:1opened to the house of David, and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin, and for uncleannesse; he must sell all, before hee will be willing and eager to buy the Treasure hid in the field.

Now thus to prepare, wound, afflict, and humble the Soule, that it may bee fitted for Iesus Christ, and so for comfort upon good ground, let ministers, or whosoever meddle in matters of this nature, publickely or privatly, vse all warrantable meanes, ffVidisti ulcus? vidisti morbum insanabilem non unius, non duorum, non decem, sed mille? Quidergo dicit posthaec, Lavamini, mundi estote? Num peccatum putas habet? Ipse Deus dicit, non audiam vos: & dicit, Lavamini; Quorum vtrumque utilitèr ingeritur, id, ut terream, hoc, ut alliciam; sed cos non audis, spem poenitentiae non habent. Quòd si non habent poenitentiae spem, quomodò dicit, Lavamini? &c. Chrysost. tom 5. de Poenitentiâ, Homil. 3.faire, and foule, as they say, let them presse the law, promise mercy, propose Christ, &c. Doe what they will seasonably and wisely; Let them improve all their learning, wisedome, discretion, mercifullnesse, experience, wit, eloquence, Sanctified unto them for that purpose; So that the worke bee done.

ggBesides many other large Commentaries, and Expositions, Downam, and Whately are excellent for a more punctuall, cleare, and compendious Opening of the Law, and ranking in order, and distinct representing of the severall sinnes against it. Make use of the twenty considerations before, pag. 63. &c. and of the three wayes of examining the Conscience in my Treatise of the Lords Supper, to helpe to make a Man Miserable and vile in His owne eyes; sensible of His sinfull, and cursed state, that thereupon He may be stirred to goe out of Himselfe, and make towards Christ.In pressing the law, besides other dexterities and directions for managing their ministry in this Point succesfully by Gods Blessing, let them take notice of this Particular, which may prove very availeable to begin this Legall worke; It is a Principle, attended upon with many a Probatum est:

Pressing upon Mens consciences with a zealous, discreet powerfullnesse, their speciall, principall, fresh-bleeding Sins, is a notable meanes to breake their hearts, and bring them to remorse. That most hainous and bloudy sinne of killing Iesus Christ, in which they had newly imbrued their hands, pressed upon the Consciences of Peters hearers, breakes and teares their hearts in pieces. p. 172Act. 2.23.36.37. So Adultery, secretly, intimated by Christs words, unto the woman of Samaria, Ioh. 4.18. Seemes to have strucke her to the heart, vers. 19. So the Iewes having Idolatry pressed upon their consciences by Samuel, 1. Sam. 7.6. The sin of asking a king; ibid. 12.19. Vsury by Nehemiah, 5.12. Strange wives by Ezra, cap. 10.9. were therevpon mightily moved, and much mollified in their hearts, as appeares in the cited Places. Consider for this purpose, that worke upon Davids heart, by Nathans Ministry, And Felix trembling, when Paul strucke Him on the right veine.

The reasons, why this more particular discovery, and denouncing of judgement against a Mans principall sinne, is like, God assisting with the Spirit of bondage, to put such life into the worke of the Law, are such as these.

1. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, being welded by the hand of the holy Ghost; and edged as it were, with the speciall power of Gods blessing, for the cutting asunder of the iron-Sinewes of a stubborne and stony heart, doth crush and conquer, strike through and breake in pieces, with an unresistable puissance, proportioned to the insolency, or easinesse of resistance. My meaning is this; As Philosophers say of the Lightning; that by reason of the easinesse of the passage, weakenesse of resistance, porosity of the parts, it pierceth through the Purse, Scabberd, and Barke without any such scorching and visible hurt; but melts the mony, the sword, rents and shivers the tree, because their substance and solidity, doth more exercise, and improve its activenes and ability: So this Spirituall Sword, tho it strike at every sinne, and passeth thorow, even to the diuiding asunder of Soule and Spirit, and of the joynts, and marrow; yet the hairy pate of the maine corruption, and Master sinne, it wounds with a witnesse; it there tortures and teares in pieces with extraordinary anguish and smart, Searching and sence: for that opposeth with p. 173the most flinty iron-Sinew, to blunt and rebate its edge, if it were possible.

2. In Consciences regularly, and rightly wounded, and awaked, sinnes are wont to bite, and sting proportionably to their hainousnesse, and the exorbitancy of their former sensuall impressions. Some like a Mastife, some like a Scorpion, some like a Wolfe in the Evening: (But vnderstand, that spirituall anguish surpasseth immeasurably any corporall paine; therefore conceiue of them with a vast dis-proportion) Now the Minion delight or Captaine sinne frighting the heart with greatest horrour, and stinging with extremity proportionable to its former vastation of Conscience, doth by an accidentall power, (God blessing the businesse) give a great stroke, to drive a man to deepest detestation of Himselfe, to throw Him downe to the lowest step of penitent dejection, to eneager His thirsty greedinesse after pardon and grace, and at length to fire Him out of His naturall estate.

3. A Mans principall, and most prevailing sinne is Sathans strongest Hold. When Hee is in danger to be dislodged, and driven by the power of the word out of the other parts of the Soule, as it were, and from Possession of a Man by all other sinnes; Hee retires Hither as to His Castle, and most impregnable Fort. And therefore if this bee soundly beaten upon by the Hammer, and Horrour of the Law, and battered about His eares, hee will bee quickly enforced to quit the Place quite.

It may bee good counsell then, and often seasonable to say unto those Men of God, who desire to drive the Devill out of Others, in some sort, as the King of Syria said to his Captaines, Fight neither with small nor great, save onelyonly with the King of Israel. My meaning is; Let them addresse the sharpest edge of their spirituall Sword, yet as well with an holy charitable discretion, as with resolute, downeright dealing against those sinnes, which beare greatest sway in them, they have to deale p. 174with. Bee it their covetousnesse, ambition, Lust, drunkennesse, Lukewarmenesse, monstrousnesse of the fashion, sacriledge, oppression, vsury, Back-sliding, murder, luxury, Opposition to the good way, Hatred of the Saints, or what other sinne soever they discover in them, to minister greatest advantage to Satan, to keepe them fastest in his clutches. No sinne must bee spared, but let the raigning sin be paid home especially.

For opening of the most rich and Orient Mines of all those sweetest mercies folded vp within the Bowells of Gods dearest compassions,foreign. Colos. 1.13.Col 1:13 and of the Mysterie of his free grace and love through the Sonne of his lous; vponupon purpose to invite, and allure those that are without, to come in, and to stirre vp our Hearers, hhThe wisedome of the blessed Spirit Himselfe teacheth us to make use of Gods mercies, to preach mercy for this purpose. See Isai. 55.7.8.9 …oel 2.13. Rebels will farre more willingly come in upon Pro…lamation promising mercy, and assuring them of pardon, if they will humble themselves, and returne to obedience; If there bee no hope of being received to grace, there will bee no desire to returne into the state of grace. …a est conscientia peccati & irae Dei adversus peccatum, ut nisi allecti suavi aliquo misericordiae de…n Christo sensa, nunquam velimus credere in cum, aut ad cum consugere. Roll…c. in Iohan cap. 5. vers. 20 pag. 270.Isa 55:7Isa 55:8Isa 55:9to bring broken hearts, bruised Spirits, bleeding Soules unto the Throne of grace, upon the same ground, but infinitely more gracious, that incouraged the Seruants of Benhadad, to addresse themselves towards the King of Israel; **1. Kings 20.31.1 Kgs 20:31And his Servants said unto Him; Behold now, wee have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel, are mercifull Kings; Let vsus, I pray thee, put Sackecloth upon our loines, and ropes upon our heads, and goe out to the King of Israel, peradventure, hee will save thy life. The most desperate Rebels heretofore, upon present true remorse for their former rage in sinne, resolving sincerely to stand on Gods side for ever hereafter, may safely and upon good ground thus reason within themselves; Alas! wee have done very villanously, we have served Satan a long time; we walk up & downe as condemned men, ripe for destruction long agoe; Hell it selfe even groanes for us, wee may justly look every moment for a Mittimus, to cast us headlong into the dungeō of Brimstone, and fire: and yet we will trie; we will goe and throw downe our selves before the Throne of grace in dust and ashes, and cry as the Publican did unto the great God of heaven▪ for Hee is a mercifull God, gracious, long suffering, abundant in goodnesse, and truth, keeping p. 175mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sinne. And then, not onelyonly peradventure; but most certainely, they shall bee received to mercy, and hee will save the life of their Soules; I say for this Point, of Preaching mercy onelyonly to hearten Men to come in, and to nourish in them a hope of pardon, in Case of penitency, &c. See my discourse of true happines. p. 173. And I will only adde and advise at this time this one thing of great importance in the Point: That after a plentifull magnifying and amplifying the mercy of God, by its infinitenesse, eternity, freenesse, and imcomparable excellency every way, onelyonly upon purpose to assure the greatest sinners of most certaine acceptation, and pardon, if they will presently turne with truth of heart, from Sathan to the living God, from all sinne to his holy Seruice; I say that wee then take heed and make sure, as much as in us lies, that no impenitent unbelieving wretch, none that goes on in his trespasses, or lies willingly, and delightfully in any one sinne, receive any comfort by any such discourse, as though, as yet, Hee had any part or interest at all in any one drop of all that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of mercy (that were a meanes to naile Him fast to His naturall estate for ever;) But onelyonly thence conceive, that if Hee will presently lay downe armes against the Majesty of Heaven, and come in with a truly penitent humbled soule, thirsting heartily for Iesus Christ, and resolve vnfainedly to take His yoke vponupon Him, there is no number or notoriousnesse of sinne, that can possibly hinder his gracious entertainement at Gods mercy-Seate. For this end let vsus tell all such that though the mercies of God be infinite, yet they are dispensed according to His iiVerba, quae di…i, scripta sunt, & divinis authoritatibus continentur; quia misericors, & miserator dominus, longanimis, & multùm misericors, & verax; multùm delectat omnes peccatores, & amatores hujus saeculi, quia misericors, & miserator Dominus, quia longanimus & multùm misericors. Sed siamas tam multa mitia, time, ibi & ultimum quod ait, & Verax. Si enim nihil …liud diceret, nisi misericors, & miserator Dominus, longanimis, & multum misericors, quasi jam converteres te ad securitatem & impunitatem, & ad licentiam peccatorum, & saceres quod v…lles, utereris saeo…lo▪ vel quantum tibi pe…it…tcretur, vel quantum tibi libido jussisset. Et si quis te be…è monendo objurgaret, …ue terreret, ut cohiberes te ab immoderato lux…, cu…do post concupiscentias tuas, & deserendo deum tuum; inter medias voces objurgantis obsisteres, impudenti quidem fronte, veluti auditâ divinâ authoritate, & legeres de libro dominico: Quid me terres de Deo nostro? Ille misericors est, & miserator, & multùm misericors. Ne talia homines dicerent, unum verbum addidit in fine, quod ait, & Verax. Et excussit …etitiam malè praesumentium, & induxit timorem …olentium. August. Tom. 9. pag. 1148.Truth. Now the Oracles of Divine Truth tell us, that those who shall find p. 176mercy, are such as confesse, and forsake their sinnes; Who so confesseth, and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy. Proverb. 28.13. Those then who doe not confesse, and kkQui malè agere non …essant, in vanum misericordiam Dei expectant, quam recte expectarent, si à malo recederent. Bern. De modo benè vivendi. Serm. 2. Col. 1241.forsake them, shall hauehave no mercy. That the Parties to whom good tidings of mercy and comfort are to bee preached: are the poore, the broken hearted, them that are bruised: those that labour, and are heavy laden; All that mourne, &c. Luk. 4.18. Mat. 11.28. Isa. 61.2.3. That the man to whom the Lord lookes graciously, is, even Hee that is poore, and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at his word. Isa▪ 66.2. That whosoever, by his free mercy through Christ, is borne of God, doth not commit sin. 1. Ioh. 3.9. I meane, llVt ex Dei parte datur universalis remissio peccatorum, sic debet etiam in nobis esse universalis detestatio peccatorum, atque illud proculdubio verissimum est, in omni homine verè reconciliato, semper repe…iriodium omnium suorum peccatorum, propositum etiam & studium deinceps abstinendi ab omnibus▪ nam qui remissionem omnium accepit, infusionem graciae simul accepit, qua illum arm…t, & munit contra omnia. Frustra, igitur blanditur sibi de peccatis remissis, qui amorem peccati cujuscunque & propositum in eodem permanendi, quasi in sinu cordis sa…s…vet. Davenant. expos. epist. ad Coloss. in cap. 2. vers. 13. pag. 271. Fides & bona Conscientia non conveniunt, nec in eodem corde morantur cum proposito peccandi & displicendi Deo. Ibid. pag. 67. Omnis qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non …acit.] Notanda vis verborum, non, inquit, peccatum …acit, quòd patitur potiùs quám facit; qui natus est ex Deo, non potest peccare; perseverando scilicet in peccato. Bern. de Nat. & Dig. A…oris divini, cap 6. —Whosoever lives in any One knowne sinne, let Him know to His face, Hee Hath no true Faith. Rogers in his Doctrine of Faith, pag. 377.with allowance, purpose, perseverance. No sinne mmRemissio peccatorum universalis tollit reatum universorum peccatorum nostrorum; Infusio etiam gratiae huic conjuncta tollit Dominium universorum. Davenant. loco suprà citato. Peccatum in hác vitâ quantum ad sanctos attinet, regnum perdit, in aliâ perit. Hîc regnum perdit, quandò post concupiscentias nostras non imus, Ibi autem perit, quando dicetur, ubi tua, O mors, victoria? August. de verbis Apost. Serm. 6. Aliud est, non peccare, aliud non habere peccatum. Nam in quo peccatum non regnat, non peccat, id est, qui non obedit desiderijs. August. in expos. epist. ad Galatas, cap. 5.raignes in such a One, &c. And yet alas! How many miserable men, will needs most falsely perswade themselves, and others, that they p. 177have a portion in the mercies of God, and hugge with extraordinary applause, and embracement, the formall flattering messages of Men-pleasers and Time-servers, to dawbe over such rotten hopes; who yet notwithstanding, goe on still in their trespasses; who were never yet sensible of the burden of their corruptions, and spirituall beggery; never wounded in conscience, or troubled in minde to any purpose for their sinnes, never mourned in secret and sincerely for the abominations of their youth; could never yet find in their hearts to sell all for the buying of that one pearle of great price, nor ever yet so prized Iesus Christ, as to leave their darling pleasures, though very base, and abominable, to enjoy the unspeakeable and glorious pleasures of His gratious kingdome? Nay such as heartily serve some Captaine, and Commanding sinne in heart, or life, or calling, as their owne consciences, if they consult with them impartially in cold blood, can easily tell them; as Lust, the world, ambition, the times, the fashion, their pleasures, their profits, their Passions, their ease, selfe love, pride, revenge, the dunghill delight of good fellow-ship, or the like. And here then Let mee discover a notable depth of Sathan, whereby hee doth baffle, and blind fold His slaves most grossely: you know full well, and heare often the common nnIust, as in the Prophets time; This is a rebellious people, lying Children, Children that will not Heare the Law of the Lord▪ which say to the Seers, See not, and to the Prophets▪ Prophecy not unto us right things, speake unto us smooth things, &c. Isa. 30.9.10.Isa 30:9Isa 30:10Cry of all carnall men, especially under any conscionable Ministery, against preaching of judgement, and for preaching of mercy; See the causes why they cannot downe with downeright dealing, and powerfull application of the law: Disc. of true Happinesse. pag. 179, &c. But what doe you thinke is the reason, that they gape so greedily after Preaching of mercy? Not that they can, endure the preaching of it, as I now have taught, and as it onelyonly ought, to those that are without; To wit, To have first, the dearenesse, the sweetnesse, the freenesse, the full glory of Gods immeasurable mercy revealed unto them, onelyonly as a motive, and incouragement p. 178to come in; but ever at the Close and conclusion, to bee made to understand and know certainely, that not so much as one drop of all that bottomlesse depth of mercy and bounty in Iesus Christ, doth as yet belong unto them, lying in any state of unregeneratnes, or in any kind of Hypocrisy; whilest they regard any wickednesse in their heart, and are not willing to plucke out their right eyes, and cut off their right hands, I meane to make an everlasting divorce from their former dearest sensuall delights, and sinnes of their bosome: for onelyonly they who confesse and forsake their sinnes, shall have mercy. Pro. 28.13. This way of preaching mercy would nettle and gall them, as much perhaps as pressing of judgement, Nay, why not more? Proportionably to that which ooA Deo ahaliena, …. Basil. Ascet. cap. 2. Omnia … qu…e in pote…tite … obtinere. Bernard. Multi hominum Gehenuam ta…t…ms… …; ego autem illias gloriae ami…io …em, G… hennil … amarioremesse dico. Intolerabilis …, & illa p…na; tamen licet quis innumeras po…at G…oemias, tale nil dicet, quale illi fali… ▪ excidere glori…, à Christa odio haberi, Audire, Nesii… …. Chrysost. ad Popul. Antiochenum. Hom. 47. Intolerabilis quidem res est, etiam Gehenn… quis nesciat & supplicium illud herribale? Tamen si mille aliquis ponat Gehennas, nihil tale dicturtis est, quale est, à beat aeillius gloriae honore repelli, exosumque esse Christo, & audire ab i…. Non Novi Vos. Idem, in Matth. Hom. 24.Divines hold, That the privation and losse of heavenly joyes, and beatificall presence of God is far bitterer, then the torments of sense, and positive paines of Hell. But to tell you their true meaning, and their very hearts: Their aime in so complaining, and calling for mercy from our Ministry, is, to have it so, and in such a manner proposed, and preached, that they may thence collect, and conceive, that they are in state good enough, to goe to Heaven as they are; though in truth, they bee meere strangers to the life of God, and holy strictnesse of the Saints; were never truly humbled with sight of sinne and sense of wrath, nor experimentally acquainted at all, with the Mysterie of the New birth; That they may conclude, and say within themselves: Howsoever some Ministers of the purer, and preciser streine, fright us continually with nothing but judgement, terrour, damnation, and will not suffer us to bee quiet, no not so much as in One sinne; yet it is our good p. 179hap, sometimes to meet with some mercifull men, who will help us to Heaven without so much adoe, and upon easier termes, &c. In a word, they would upon the matter have just so much mercy, as might assure, and warrant them to carry securely their sinnes, in their bosome to Heaven with them; to live as they list in this life, and to dye the death of the righteous; Which is a conceit most ridiculous, absurd, and more then utterly impossible. What a hatefull tricke then is this, and horrible imposture, which they suffer Sathan to put them upon!

In proposing of Christ, Let the Man of God, set out as much as Hee can possibly; the excellency of His Person, the unvaluable pretiousnesse of His blood, the riches of His heavenly purchases, the gracious sweetnesse of His invitations,**Mark. 16.15. Matth. 11.28. Ioh. 7.37. Rev. 22.17.Mark 16:15Matt 11:28John 7:37Rev 22:17 the generality, and freenesse of His offers, the glorious Priviledges Hee brings with Him; reconciliation to God, Adoption, forgivenesse of sins, justification, righteousnesse, wisedome, sanctification, redemption, &c. Possession of all things; For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas; or the world, or life, or death; or things present, or things to come; All are yours, And yee are Christs, and Christ is Gods. 1. Cor. 3.22.23. Let Him tell His Hearers, that the blood of Christ, is called the blood of God, Act. 20.28; and therfore of infinite merit and unvaluable price. It sprang out of His humane nature, and therefore finite in it's owne nature and lost upon the ground; But the Person that shed it, being the ppIt was the Sonne of God, and Lord of life, that dyed for us upon the Crosse, but it was the nature of Man, not of God wherein Hee died; and it was the nature of God, and infinite excellency of the same, whence the price, value, and worth of His Passion grew. Field, Of the Church, Lib. 5. cap. 16. Docet sanguinem Christi propter Hyposlaticam utriusque naturae in uno Chrislo conjunctionem, …acoque propter communicationem idiomatum, ve…e dici posse, non solum sangutacia silij hominis, sed etiam sanguinem filij Dei, atque adeò sanguinem ipsius Det. Zanch. in 1. Epist. Iohan. cap. 1. vers. 7. Nil certius, quàm ex unione personali naturarum, consequi omnes operationes Iesu Christi esse totius suppositi; ac proinde divinas hominis, humanas Dei. Naminde audimus Filium hominis descendisse e Coelis, & Deum esse mortuum. Concedimus etiam satisfactionis dignitatem oriri à personâ satisfaciente; ideóque satisfactionem Christi, maximae, imò infinitae dignitatis esse. Chamierus, Tom. 3. lib. 9. cap. 2. sect. 18. Christus obtulit ut Pontis…x carnem & sanguinem suum, quá homo: sed victimae suae immensam essi…aciam aspirat per spiritum ae…nam, qu… Deus est. Pat. in epist. ad Heb. cap. 9. vers. 14.Heb 9:14Sonne of God, did set upon it p. 180such an excellency and eternity of vertue, and value, that the infinitenesse of its merit, and inestimablenesse of its worth lasts everlastingly. It will bee as fresh, orient, and effectuall, to wash away the sinnes of the last man that shall bee called upon earth, as it was those of the Penitent Thiefe, who saw it with His bodily eies gushing out of his blessed side upon the crosse; or the first man who did first savingly apprehend that first Promise: The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head. Let him assure them it is so soveraigne; That in a truly broken, humbled, and thirsty soule, it turneth the most Scarlet, and Crimson sinnes into snow, and wooll: That upon compunction, and comming in, it washed away that horrible, and bloody guilt, from the soules of them that qqPlures ex his, qui oderant C… islum, compuncti corde, conversi sunt, & tanti sanguinis, tam impie, atque immaniter sasi, indulgentiam perceperunt, ipso redempti sanguine, quem faderant. August. Expos. in Evangel. Iohan. Tract. 92.spilt it. Act. 2. Let them know also: in how high a degree, and hainously they offend from time to time, who refuse to rrI meane with a hearty willingnesse to sell all, to part with all sinne, and with a sincere resolution for after-obedience: To take Him as a Saviour, and a Lord. Never did any take Iesus Christ savingly; who tooke him not as an Husband and a Lord, to serve, love, and obey him for ever after; as well as a Saviour, to disburden Him of His sinnes, as a King to governe Him by His Word and Spirit, as well as a Priest to wash him in His blood. Never was any truly justified, who was not also in some measure truly sanctified.take Iesus Christ offered most freely, & without exception of any person, every Sabbath, every sermon, either in plaine, and direct termes, or implyedly, at the least. Oh! Litle doe people thinke, who sit under our Ministry, unwrought upon by the word, what a grievous, and fearefull sinne they commit, and carry home from the House of God, day after day; in neglecting so great salvation, in forsaking their owne mercy, and in judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life; I meane, by chusing, upon a free Offer of his Soule-saving blood, to cleave rather to a Lust, Horrible indignity! then to ssDignitas & amplitudo tum personae filij Dei, tum beneficij, ac salutis tantae, per tantam personam comparatae, augebunt suprà modum incredulitatem nostram, ut qui multò meliori laco faissemus, si nihil unquam in vitâ de Christo audissemus, quam si audientes neglexiss…mus tamen tantam salutem acquisitam nobis, & annunciatam à tantâ personâ. Rolloc. in Ioan. cap. 3.John 3Iesus Christ blessed for ever: rather to wallow in the mire, and mudde of earthly pelfe, in the p. 181filth, and froth of swinish pleasures, In idlenesse, pride, worldlinesse, whoredome, drunkennesse, strange fashions, scorning Professours, contempt of the power of godlinesse, railing against religion, revelling, Selfe-uncleannesse, &c. then abandoning these filthy harlots, to take the Sonne of God for their deare and everlasting Husband. This not Beleeving, This refusing Christ, This not taking Him, in the manner, and sense, as I have said, is such a sinne, though not so thought upon, and taken to heart, that ttArguet mundum. Tum causam reddens, eò inquit, quòd non credunt in me. Peccatum igitur designat incredulitatis nomine, quam foreign ita insignit, licet non sit unicum illud incredulitatis peccatum. Sunt enim alia peccata varij generis verum peccatum omnium gravissimum est incredulitas, quae secum unà trahit reatum maximum, & condemnationem gravissimam simul & velocissimam. Ideò dictum est suprà; Qui non credit in filium, jam condemnatus est. Contrà verò fides, justitia potissima est, adeoque sola. Nam ea aufert reatum omnium peccatorum, & liberat à condemnatione. Nulla est condemnatio ijs qui sunt in Christo Iesu. Atque hinc usurpata est praeclara illa sententia; Nullum peccatum nisi infidelitas; nulla justitia nisi fides. Non quòd sola infidelitas sit peccatum; sed quòd infidelitate, ut ait Augustinus, manente, man…at peccatum omne; & eâ rursùs decedente, aboleatur, quoad reatum, peccatum aliud quodcunque. Et certè peccantibus tam clarâ luce Evangelij, quovis modo▪ sive per adulterium, sive homicidium, sive per surtum, &c. ascribendum est maximè infidelitati, & obstinationi cordis, quâ tantae luci resistitur. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 16. De peccato quidem, inquit, quia non crediderunt in me; hoc enim peccatum, quasi solum sit, prae caeteris posuit. Quia hoc manente, caetera retinentur, & hac discedente, caetera remittuntur. August. Expos. in Evang. Iohan. Tract. 15. Si manifestum est, praeter hanc infidelitatem, alia multa hominum esse peccata, cur de hoc solo mundum spiritus sanctus arguet? An quia peccata omnia per infidelitatem tenentur, per fidem dimittuntur? Proptereà hoc unumprae caeteris imputat Deus, per quod sit, ut caetera non solvantur; dum non credit in humilem Deum homo superbus — Cùm dicitur; Arguit mundum de peccato, non alio quam quod non crediderunt in christo. Hoc denique peccatum si non sit, nulla peccata remanebunt, quia justo ex fide vivente cuncta solvantur. Sed multum interest, utrum quisque credat ipsum esse Christum, & utrum credat in Christum. Nam ipsum esse Christum, & daemones crediderunt; Ille enim credit in Christum, qui & sperat in Christum, & diligit Christum. Idem, de verbis Dom. in Evang. secundum Iohan. Serm. 61. Take all the sinnes that ever were committed, none like to this; no greater thing can bee laid to our charge, then to refuse the Sonne, to refuse the righteousnesse revealed, &c. D.P. Atrocitas peccati, quod contemptu Evangelij admittitur, notatur particulâ, foreign, tanta salutis. Par. in Epist. ad Hebraeos. cap. 2. Magnum autem crimen incredulitatis, quoniam vn…genitus ipse sit Dei filius. Nam quantò praestantius est, quod contemnitur, tanto majoribus, qui spernit, supplicijs subjacebit; judicatum vero jam ait essem credulum, quod ipse in seipsum, (quoniam largitorem indemnationis non suscepit) condemnations intulit sententiam. Cyril. in Ioan. lib. 2. cap. 53. This sinne of unbeliefe is a greater sinne, then the world is aware of. Men thinke theft, murther, drunkennesse, to bee hainous, and so indeed they bee; but unbeliefe is a farre worse: for it is the Mother of these, and all other evils. Rogers of Dedham, of Faith, cap. 10 pag. 409.Divines speake of it, as of a most transcendent p. 182sinne, the greatest sinne, the sinne of sinnes, the onelyonly sinne, as it were, from such Places as these: But when the King heard thereof, Hee was wroth, and Hee sent foorth His armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their City▪ Mat. 22.7. Hee meanes, those who were invited to the Sons marriage, and made light of it. Hee that beleeveth not is condemned already, because, hee hath not beleeved in the Name of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God. Ioh. 3.18. When the Comforter is come▪ Hee will convince the world of sinne.—because they beleeve not on mee. Hee meanes, this sinne alone, saith Austin. As though not beleeving on the Sonne of God, were the onelyonly sinne. It is indeed the maine, and master sinne, because (as the same Father speakes truly) This remaining, the guilt of all other sinnes abides upon the soule; this removed, all other sinnes are remitted. Nay, and besides the horriblenes, and hainousnes of the sin; what height, and perfection of madnesse is it? That whereas a Man but renouncing his base, rotten, transitory, sinfull pleasures, dogged continually at the heeles with vengeance, and horror; And only taking Iesus Christ in whom are hidden, and heaped up the fulnes of grace▪ and treasures of all perfection; might have therevpon (to say nothing of the excellency of his person, purchases of his passion and possessiō of the most blessed Deity) a full & free discharge thereby, at the hands of so happy an Husband, from every moment of the everlastingnesse of Hellish torments; and a uuQuod autem lucrum dari filium? O magnum & supra humanam mentem, ut omnis qui credit in illum, duo illa lucretur: vnum quidem, quod non perit; alterum, quod vitam habet, & vitam aterna…. Theoph. in Io…n. cap. 3.Deed presently sealed with His owne hearts-blood, for an undoubted right, to every minute of the eternity of heavenly joyes, yet should in cold blood most wickedly, and willingly, after so many intreaties, invitations, importunity, onelyonly for the good of His poore immortall Soule, refuse the change! Heaven and earth may be astonished, Angels, and all Creatures, may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishnes, and monstrous madnesse of such miserable men! The world is wont to call Gods people, precise fooles, because, p. 183they are willing to sell all they have, for that One pearle of great price, to part with profits, pleasures, preferments, their right hand, their right eye, every thing, any thing, rather then to leave Iesus Christ, &c. But who doe you thinke now, are the true, and great fooles of the world? And who are likeliest one day to groane for anguish of Spirit, and say within themselves, This was hee, whom wee had sometimes in derision, and a Proverbe of reproch. Wee fooles accounted His life madnesse, and His end to bee without honour. Now is hee numbred among the Children of God, and His Lot is among the Saints. Therefore hauehave we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us, and the Sun of righteousnesse hath not rose upon us: wee wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction: yea, wee have gone through deserts where there lay no way: But as for the way of the Lord, wee have not knowne it. What hath pride profited us? Or what good hath riches with our vanting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that hasted by, &c. Nay, and yet further, besides the extraordinarinesse of the iniquity, & folly in refusing Christ freely offered, it shall most certainely bee hereafter plagued with extremest tormenting fury, and most desperate gnashing of teeth. For with what infinite horrour, and restlesse anguish will this conceit rent a Mans heart in pieces, and gnaw upon His Conscience, when Hee considers in Hell, that Hee hath lost Heaven for a lust: and whereas Hee might at every sermon, had even the Son of God His husband, for the very xxThe worke is done one Christs part▪— There is a righteousnesse which God hath prepared, and is therefore called, The righteousnesse of God. Nothing is looked for at our hands, but onelyonly to take it, to beleeve it, and apply it unto our selves. D.P. Christ is a free Gift, and may bee had for the accepting. —Humiliation is no further requisite thereunto, then as it is a meanes to bring us to accept, and lay hold of that grace, and life in Christ, which is freely offered. D.V. But lest any mistake this Taking, heare what resolution before, and conversation afterward, these two great Divines, excellently versed in the mystery of Christ, speake of: Obiect. But some will say, Is nothing else required? Must God doe all, and wee nothing, but take the righteousnesse prepared? Answ. It is true; wee must live a holy, religious, and sober life; for this end the grace of God hath appeared, &c. D.P. Howsoever though thou mayest have him freely, yet notwithstāding, thou must have him as thy Lord: thou must bee his servant, Hee thy King, and thou His Subject, &c. When God h…th inlightened the eyes of a Man, that He can see where this treasure is, — Hee is so inflamed with the love thereof, that Hee resolves He will have it, whatsoever it cost Him —Yea but there is a price put upō it; it must cost thee deare; a great deale of sorrow, trouble, and other crosses. Tush, tell mee not of the price; whatsoever I have shall goe for it, I will doe any thing for it. Why, wilt thou cu… be thine a…ections? Wilt thou give up thy life? Wilt thou bee content to tell all that thou hast, and begge all thy life time, so thou mayest have this treasure? I will doe it with all my heart; I am content to sell all that I have; nothing is so deare unto mee, but I will part with it; my right hand, my right eye; nay, if Hell it selfe should stand betweene mee and Christ, yet would I passe thorow the same unto him. This is that violent affection which God, putteth into the hearts of His Children, that they will have Christ whatsoever it cost them. Although I confesse, all that repent and lay hold on Christ shall have mercy; yet what is this to thee, thou wretched Man? So long as sinne hath dominion over thee, what art Thou? So long we are not only dead, but also rotten in sinne; so that it may be said of us, as it …as as Lazarus, Ioh. 11. Lord, saith Martha, hee stinketh already. So wee are not onelyonly … and rotten in sinne, but even stinke thereof, so long as any sinne or sinnes have dominion over us. D.V. Christ receives none, but them that denie themselves; are willing to take up the Crosse, and follow Him; that mortifie the deeds of the Body by the Spirit. To Iustification nothing but Faith is required: but this caution must bee added; It must bee a Faith that purifies the heart, that may worke an universall change, that may shew it selfe in fruites, and bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life. D.P.John 11taking; and have lived p. 184with Him for ever in unspeakeable Blisse, yet neglecting so great salvation, must now, crying out therefore continually against Himselfe, as the most raging Bedlam that ever breathed, lie in unquenchable flames, without remedy, ease, or end! It is the highest honour that can be imagined, and a Mystery of greatest amazement that ever was, that the Sonne of God should make sute unto sinfull Soules to be their Husband. And yet so it is; Hee stands at the doore, and knocks, if you will give Him entrance, Hee will bring Himselfe and Heaven into your hearts. We are Christs Ambassadours, as though God did beseech you by us, Wee pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God; Wee are Christs spokes-men, that I may so speake, to Wooe and Winne you unto Him. Now what can you say for your selves that you stand out? Why come you not in? If the Divell would give you leave to speake out, and in plaine termes: One would say, I had rather bee damned then leave my drunkennesse; Another, I love the world better then Iesus Christ; A third, I will not part with my easie and gainefull trade of Vsury, for the treasure hid in the field; And so on, So that upon the matter, p. 185you must needs all confesse, that you hereby judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life, that you are wilfull bloody Murderers of your owne Soules, that you commit such a wickednesse, that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cry shame upon you for it. Nay, and if you go on without repentance, you may expect that the Hellish gnawing of Conscience for this one sinne of refusing Christ, may perhaps hold scale with the Vnited horrors of all the rest. What is the matter I marvell, that you will not entertaine the Match? If wee stand upon honour, and noble family; Hee that makes love, and sute unto our soules,Revel. 19 16.Rev 19:16 hath on his vesture and on his thigh, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. If upon beauty: Heare how hee is described. Cant. 5. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand: His head is as the most fine gold; his lockes are bushie and blacke as a Raven. His eyes are as the eyes of Doves, by the rivers of water, washed with milke, and fitly set. His cheekes are as a bed of Spices, as sweet flowers. His lips like Lillies, dropping sweet smelling myrrhe. His hands are as the gold rings set with the Berill: His belly is as bright Ivory, overlaid with Saphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon Sockets of fine gold: His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars. His mouth is most sweet, yea, hee is altogether lovely, yySee Gifford upon the place. Alsted. Theol. Cas. cap. 6. De pulchritudine omnium pulcherrimâ, quae est Iesus Christus.—Now you must understand, that the Spirit of God by these outward beauties and braveries, labours in some measure to shadow out, and represent unto us, the incomparable excellency of inward graces; the dignity, the glory, the spirituall fairenesse of Iesus Christ, that wee may know, that Hee is wholly and altogether lovely, delectable, and precious. If upo… ease, and contentment, Hee can lead us to fulnesse of joy, and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore. If wee desire honorable Alliance; Hee will bring us to an innumerable company of Angels, to the generall assembly, and Church of the first borne, which are written in heaven; and to God the Iudge of all, p. 186and to the spirits of just men made perfect. If we stand upon wealth, we shall hauehave yyIn Christo, tanta bona possidetis: ut domini mundi, & omnium rerum sitis. Par. in locum. 1. Cor. 3.21.1 Cor 3:21all things with him; which is a large Possession. If we respect love: zzIoh 15.13.John 15:13Greater love hath no Man then this, that a Man lay downe His life for his friends. And hee being the brightnesse of His Fathers glory, and the expresse image of his person, aaHoc verb… [foreign] non voluit dicere Apostolus, Christum per assumptionem sormae servi, abjecisse forma dei, & desusse quod erat: sed tantùm quòd gloriam illam & Majestatem, in quà erat apud Patrem, ita abdiderit in formâ servi, ut c… sese penitut Evacuasse visus sit: quia nimirùmea gloria in carne non fulgebat, ut ab omnibus conspici posset.came downe from his bosome, the well-spring of immortality and blisse, the fulnesse of joy, and that unapprocheable light, into an House of flesh, upon this base and miserable earth. Hee passed thorow a life full of all manner vexations, miseries, persecutions, indignities, slanders, speaking against of Sinners, &c. He was so prodigiously slandered, that they said, bbIoh. 8 48.John 8:48Hee had a divell; Whereas, ccCol. 2.9.Col 2:9the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelled in him bodily. Hee was cunningly hunted long, and at last violently haled by a Packe of Hell-hounds, to a cruell and bloody death, which for the extremity and variety of paines, for the enraged spight of the executioners, for the innocency, and excellency of the Person suffering, the like never was, shall, or can bee endured. His passions were such, so bitter, and unsupportable, that they would have made any meere creature to have sunke downe under the burden of them to the bottome of Hell. Hee was tortured extremely, and suffered grievous things both in Body and Soule, from Heaven, Earth, and Hell. His blessed Body was given up as an Anvile to bee beaten upon, by the violent, and villanous hands of wretched Miscreants, without all measure or mercy; untill they had left no one part free from some particular and speciall torment. His skin and flesh were …ent with scourges; His hands and feet pierced with nailes; His head with thornes; His very heart with the speare point. All His senses, all his parts, indeed His whole sacred body was made a rufull spectacle to Angels and to Men, of all the most base and barbarous vsage, which malice could devise, and cruelty execute. But all this yet, was but a shadow of His suffering, the p. 187substance of His suffering, was the ddOmnes poenae à nobis, commeritae toleratae sunt à Christo: At poenae animae erant à nobis commeritae. Ergò poen…ts animae Christus toleravit. Chamierus, Tom. 2. de dese…ulu ad inferos, Lib 5 cap. 12. Sect. 1. Neither doth Hee, or … meane, that Christ suffered in Soule onelyonly by Sympathy with the Body; But also immediately from the wrath of God for our sinnes. Heare him a little after. Contra sua sophismata Bellarminus tam…n concludit, Christum passum animâ et corpore. Quod ipsum Calvinus contendit, & nos asserimus. Quid igitur frustrà laborant Sophistae in oppugnand… veritate, quam ipsi tandem, ipsi, inquam, fateri cogantur? Nisi forte in animâ. patiente, nihil aliud considerant, nisi ipsos dolores corporis tantum foreign, per assistentiam, & foreign, non verò … & propriè suo sensu. Quo quid possit absurdiùs dici? Certè antequàm corpus quicquam pateretur, Christus ipse testabatur suam animam esse perturbatam, & quidem usque ad mortem. Ibid. Sect. 3. Leo it is that first said it (and all Antiquity allow of it) Non soluit unionem, sed subtraxit visionem. The vnion was not dissolved; True, but the beames, the influence was restrained; and for any comfort from thence, His Soule was even as a scorched heath ground; without so much as any drop of dew of divine comfort: as a naked tree, no fruit to refresh Him within, no leafe to give Him shadow without: the power of darknesse let loose to afflict Him: the influence of comfort restrained to relieve Him. winchesters Sermons, pag. 356. Wounded Hee was in Body, wounded in Spirit, left utterly desolate. Ibid. pag. 157.Agony of His Soule; Give mee any affliction save the affliction of the mind, For the spirit of a man, saith Salomon, will sustaine all His other infirmities; but a wounded spi…rit, who can beare? Yet His soule, though Hee was the Prince of glory, and Lord of Heaven and earth, upon the Crosse, was even as a scorched Heath, without so much, as any drop of comfort either from heaven or earth. The grievous weight of all the sinnes of all his Children, the least of which had bin enough to have pressed them downe into the bottome of Hell, lay now heavy upon him. The powers of darkenesse were let loose to afflict Him; Hee wrastled even with the fierce wrath of His Father, and all the forces of the infernall kingdome, with such anguish of heart, that in the Garden, it wrung out of his pretious Body, a Sweat, as it were great drops of blood falling downe to the ground; with such agony of spirit, that upon the Crosse, Hee cryed, My God, my God, why hast thou eeThere are sixe kinds of dereliction, or forsaking, whereof Christ may bee thought to have complained: First, by dis-union of person: secondly, by losse of grace: Thirdly, by diminution, or weakening of grace: Fourthly, by want of assurance of future deliverance and present support: Fiftly, by deniall of protection: Sixthly, by with-drawing▪ of solace, and destituting the forsaken of all comfort. It is impious once to thinke, that Christ was forsaken any of the foure first wayes. For the unity of His person was never dissolved; His graces were never, either taken away, or diminished; Neither was it possible Hee should want assurance of future deliverance, and present support, that was eternall God, and Lord of life. But the two last wayes hee may rightly bee said to have been forsaken. Field of the Church, Lib. 5. cap. 18.forsaken mee! And p. 188the measure of all these sufferings, and sorrowes, were so past all measure, that all the creatures, save sinfull Men onelyonly, both in heaven, and earth, seemed to bee amazed and moved with them. The Sun in the heavens drew in his beames, unwilling as it were to see the spotlesse blood of the Son of God, spilt as water upon the ground. The Earth it selfe shrunk, and trembled, under it. The very Rocks rent asunder, as if they had sense and feeling of His intolerable, and, save by Himselfe, vnconquerable paines; The whole frame of Nature seemed astonished at the mournefull Complaint of the Lord of the Whole World. These, and farre more then these, or then can bee exprest, our blessed Saviour, being Son of the most high God, endured for no other end, but to ransome us from the bondage of Sathan, and of Hell, in a thirsting desire of saving all Penitent sinners; And to offer himselfe freely, a most glorious, and everlasting Husband to all those, who with broken and beleeving hearts cast themselves into His bosome. Such admirable, and unutterable perfections, beauties, indowments, sufferings, and inflamed affections, as these, in the heavenly Suter unto our sinnefull Soules, doth mightily aggravate the hainous and horrible sinne of refusing Him.

Thus, and in this manner, would I have the Men of God to magnifie, inlarge, and represent to the hearts of their Hearers, all the excellencies of Iesus Christ, with the worth, merit, and efficacy of His blood: To set out to the utmost they can possibly, the glory of the Gospell with all the riches of mercy, goodnesse, and free grace, revealed, and offered therein &c. So that they tell them withall; That Iesus Christ takes none, but such as are willing, to take upon them His yoke: That hee gives himsel…e to none, but such as are ready, to sell all, in the sense I have said, that they may enjoy his blessed selfe. That the glorious grace of the Gospell shines savingly, to none, but such as deny ungodlinesse, p. 189and worldly lusts; and live soberly, righteously, and godlily in this present World; That those whose Soules are cleansed by the blood of Iesus Christ from all sinne, are onelyonly such, as walke in the light, as God is in the light; who make conscience of detesting and declining all sins, and workes of darkenesse discovered to them by the light of Gods holy Booke, and sincerely set their hearts and hands, with love, and carefull endeavour to every duty injoyned therein. In a word, That, as that Fountaine opened to the house of David for sinne and for uncleanesse, I meane the blood of that immaculate Lambe, Iesus Christ, the holy and the righteous, doth turne all the sinnes even the very scarlet and crimson, of a truly broken heart, and every true Mourner in Zion, into snow, and wooll, so it will never wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any unhumbled Pharisee, That hereby no strangers unto the love and life of godlinesse, may bee deceived by appropriating unto themselves any of these glorious things, which are onelyonly proper to the sealed Fountaine; but onelyonly conceive of them as excellent motives to cause them to come in. I would have the Preaching of Christ fill the soule of every true harted Nathanael every time with unspeakeable and glorious joy, with all those Euangelical pleasures, which neither eye hath seene, nor eare heard, neither have entred into the heart of man; But I would have it onelyonly make every unregenerate Man sensible of what infinite blessednesse Hee bereaves Himselfe by continuing a Rebell; that thereupon Hee may bee moved to make hast out of His present Hell, into this new heaven so fairely opened, and freely offered unto Him.

Besides pressing the law, promising mercy, proposing Christ, &c. to stirre men in their naturall states, to make them entertaine thoughts of comming in, to humble them in the sight of the Lord under the heavy burden of all their sinnes, assure them also of pardon, in case they will leave Sathans service, and so prepare them for p. 190Christ; Let Gods Ministers lay hold upon all warrantable wayes, which they shall find, and feele out of their Ministeriall experience, and holy wisedome to be availeable, and prevaile for that purpose. So that the worke bee done in truth: And that they doe not like the Divels dawbers, deceive them to the eternall ruine, and damnation of their Soules, by telling them that they have Christ already, and are safe enough for salvation, whereas indeed, as yet, there is no such matter.

Such points as these, are woont to make attentive naturall men, to startle in their seates, to looke about them something more then ordinarily: To wit, to divide the precious, from the vile; To distinguish that One true happy state of grace, from all states of unregeneratnesse, and all kinds of Hypocrisie: to tell them out of the Booke of God, How farre a Man may goe in generall graces, and doing many things, &c. and yet come short of Heaven: To deliver Markes of sincere Professours, of a saving Faith, of true repentance, of a sound conversion, &c. But I would have this done with a great deale of spirituall wisedome, and heavenly understanding, with much godly discretion, and caution; least thereby, either the formall Professour may bee incouraged, or the weakest Christian disheartned: To discourse of the fewnesse, and scarcity of those which shall bee saved; and that even ffExijt, qui …eminat, seminare, inquit] Semen hic do…trinam suam, arva ce…ò & campos aminas huminum, seminatorem autem seipsum appellat. Quid igitur de illo senisne sit? Tribus perditis partibus, una tantummodò salvatur. Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 45. Hâc parabold discipulos docuit & exercuit, ut etsi plures corum, qui praedicationem Apostolonum suscepturi erant, perderentur, non caderent aulmis cum id etiam in Domino atque Magistro pariter factum recordarentur: Neque tamen ipse, quamvis, ita id futurum non ignoraret, semina proijcere neglexit. Ibid. Vocati; foreign] scilicet, exlernè perverbum. Electi; foreign] scil. Ad vitam aeternam. Christus loquitur de vocatione externâ, quá per Evangelij pr…dicationem vocantur tam reprobi, quà electi, &c. Piscat. in Matth. cap. 20. Iste popict…, qui in medio populi suscepit misericordiam Dei, quantium numerum babet? Quèm panc… sunt? Vix inveniuntur aliqui. Illisne contentus Deus erit & perdet tantam multitudinem? Dicunt hoc, qui sibi promittunt hoc, quod à Deo promit…ents non audi…runt.—Quot sunt illi, qui vi…entur servare praecepta Dei? Vix invenitur unus vel duo, vel paucissimi. Ipsos solos Deus liberaturus est, caeteros damnaturus? Absit, inqutunt, cum venerit, & videbit tantam multi…udinem, ad sinistram, miserebitur, & dabit indulgentiam. Hoc pla…è etiam serpens ille promisit primo homini: Nam minatus erat Deus mortem, si gastaret. Ille autem, …bsit inquit, morte non moriemini. Crediderunt serpenti, invenerant, verumesse, quod minatus est Deus, falsum, quod promiserat diabolus. Ita & nunc fratres, &c. August▪ in Psal. 48. pag. 528.Matt 20Ps 48under the light, and within the sound p. 191of the Gospell; See Math. 20.16. Many are called, but few chosen. Consider the Parable of the Sower. Mat. 13. There is but one good soile, upon which the seed of the word falls prosperously; but three reprobate grounds, as it were, upon which it is lost, as water upon the ground. See my first Doctr. upon Gen. 6.8. &c. Thus let the Men of God acquaint themselves, with such Points, as they conceive, the likeliest, and most pregnant to pierce their Hearers hearts, and come closest to their Consciences; that so, by the helpe of God, they may pull them out of Hell.

And there are some places also in the Book of God, which being rightly handled, and powerfully applied, seeme to have a speciall keennesse to strike at, and cut asunder the iron sinewes of the most obstinate heart; And of more aptnesse to serve for the rowsing and awaking of meere civill men, formall Professours, Pharisies, and foolish Virgins out of their desperat slumber of spirituall Selfe-deceit. Such as these. Deut. 29.19.20. And it come to passe, when hee heareth the words of this curse, that hee blesse Himselfe in His heart, saying; I shall have peace, though I walke in the imagination of mine heart, to adde drunkennesse to thirst: The Lord will not spare Him, but then the anger of the Lord, and His jealousie, shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this Book, shall lie upon Him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven. Ps. 78.21. God shall wound the hairy Scalpe of such a One as goeth on still in his trespasses. Pro. 1.24.28. Because I have called, and yee refused, I have stretched foorth my hand, and no Man regarded: &c. Then shall they call upon mee, but I will not answer; they shall seeke me early, but they shall not ccAnd justly they find Him not, ex l…ge talionis. God himselfe answers them; Nay, their owne hearts answere themselves: Go, whom you hauehave spent your life in seeking, seeke to them now. Let them save you, at this, whom yee sought at all other times. As for mee, it shall come to passe, as I cryed, and you would not heare; So you shall cry, and seek, and shall not find, or bee heard, (saith the Lord). Yes, they found Him; but with a dore shut betweene Him & them. But what found they? The Parable of the ten Virgins tells us; a Nescio vos. —Hoe knoweth them not: they tooke too short a time to breede acquaintance in. Nescio vos they find, that so seeke. Profectò ad hoc tonitru &c. At this clap, Hee that waketh not, is not asleepe, but dead. Winchesters Sermons, pag. 181. I demand; Will any time serue to seeke God? Is God at all times to bee found? It is certain, Not, The very limitation, (of Dum inveniri potest) sheweth plainely, that other times there bee, wherein Seeke Him you may, but find him you shall not. Idem Ibid. pag. 178.find p. 192mee. Pro. 29.1. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Ezek. 24.13. In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse, because I have ddQuanquam Deus ipsos mundavit, hoc est, tum verbo suo praecepit, ut se mundarent, & toties ac tamdiu per prophetas, imperavit, 2. Cro. 36.15. Iesa. 1.16. tum aquâ & sapone afflictionum abluere, & baculo calamitatum sordes excutere studio habuit: tamen impuri manserunt. Iesa. 1.5. & sequentibus; Polan. in Locum.purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not bee purged from thy filthinesse any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. 1. Pet. 4.18. If the righteous scarcely bee saved; Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare? 1. Ioh. 3.9. Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne. 1. Pet. 2.17. Love the brotherhood. Heb. 12.14. Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Iam. 2.19. The Divels also beleeue and tremble. Luke. 13.24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seeke to enter in, and shall not bee able. Math. 10.14.15. And whosoever shall not receive you. &c. Veri…y, I say unto you, it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodom, and Gomorrah in the Day of judgement, then for that city. And. 11.12. And from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist, untill now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. And 5.46. And if you salute your brethren onelyonly, what doe you more then others? and vers. 20. I say unto you, That except your righteousnes shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes, and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of heaven. These fellowes represented to the eye of the World, a goodly and glorious shew of freedome from grosse sinnes; I am not, saith the Pharisee, Luke. 18. as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, &c. Of workes; First, Of righteousnesse; I give tithes of all that I possesse: Secondly, Of Piety; Hee went up to pray. Thirdly, Of mercy; Besides fasting, and prayer, they gave almes, Mat. 6. &c. And yet Christ speakes thus peremptorily to his hearers. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, &c. ye shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven. Hee saith not simply; yee shall not enter: But yee shall in no case enter. And yet how many who come short of these, will bee very angry, if the ministers, p. 193tell them, that they shall certainely come short of the kingdome of heaven.

I have done with dawbing and plaistering over rotten hearts with plausible perswasions, that they shall not bee damned: I meane that most cruell, and accursed trade of strengthening with lies, the hands of the wicked, that hee should not returne from his wicked way by promising him life. Ezek. 13.22. Whereby thousands, are sent hood-winckt to hell, more is the pitty! even in this blessed time of the Gospell: And I come now to another errour, about comforting afflicted Consciences. Which is this:

2. When the spirituall Physition promiseth comfort, applies the promises, assures of mercy, acceptation and pardon:

1. When the ground of griefe, is not in truth trouble for sinne, but some outward trouble. Some, in such a case may cast out by the way some faint, and formall complaints of their sinnes, and seeme to seeke direction, and satisfaction about the state of their Soules; when as the true root and principall Spring of their present heavinesse, and hearts-griefe, is some secret earthly discontentment, the bi…ng and bitternesse of some worldly sting. It may bee the losse or desperate course of some over-loved child; decay, and going backward in their estate; feare of falling into beggery; some unexpected discontents and disappointments after marriage; Some great disgrace, and shame fallen upon them in the eye of the world; Some long and tedious sicknesse, pinching them extremely for want of peace with God, and patience to passe thorow it. Or the like.

In this case, after the man of God by his best wisedome, and searching experimentall tryals, and Interrogatories fitted for that purpose, whereby he may give a strong conjecture, if not a peremptory censure, hath discovered the Imposture: Let his desire and endeavour be, to turne the torrent of worldly teares (and taking on for p. 194transitory things) upon sinne. When a veine is broken, and bleeds inward, or a man bleeds excessively at the Nose, the physition is wont to open a veine in the arme, so to divert the current of the blood, that it may bee carried the right way, for the safety and preservation of the party. Doe proportionably in this point.

Let such know. First, That ee2. Cor. 7.10.2 Cor 7:10sorrow of the world worketh death. ffQuid autem est seclidi…m mundum? Quandò contristaris propter divitias, propter gloriam, propter mortuum; omnia haec secundum mundu…; id…ò & mortem fa…t. Nam qui propter gloriam contristatur, invi…et, & saepe perire cogitur. Qualis erat tristitia Cain & Esau: hanc tristitiam vo…at secundum mundum, quae trisiibus perniciosa. Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Sicut tinea comedit vestimentum, & sicut vermis rodit lignum, ita tristitia nocet cordi. Bern. de modo benè vivendi. cap. 11. It pierceth even to the marrow of the bone, it maketh bitter our whole life, and poysoneth all our actions. Char. lib. 1. cap. 31. Worldly sorrow worketh a change in the body, it brings gray haires on the head, and furrowes and wrinkles in the face. It turnes youth into old age, and strength into weakenesse, and so causeth death. Dike of repentance. cap. 1.2 Cor 7It dries the bones, consumes the marrow, chils the blood, wastes the Spirits, eates up the heart, shortneth life, and cutteth off too soone, from the day of gracious visitation. It is a base thing for an immortall Soule to bee put thus out of tune, and temper with mortall things, & most unworthy it's heavenly birth, breeding under the ministery, and everlasting abode. Secondly, That sorrow spent upon the world, is like a perfum'd precious water, throwne into the channell, or sinke-hole, which would make a sweet sent in an humbled soule, and helpe excellently against the noisome savour of sinne. Fire put into the thatch, would turne all into combustion; ggTristitia enim sic est, quomodo stercus. Stercus non loco suo positum immunditia est. Stercus non loco suo positum, immundam facit domum; loco suo positum, fertilem facit agrum. — Inveni nescio, quem tristem: stercus video, locum quaero: Dic, amice, unde tristis es? Perdidi, inquit, pecuniam. Locus immundus, fructus nullus, Audiat Aposiolum; Tristitia mundi mortem operatur. Non solum fructus nullus sed magna pernicies. Sic & de caeteris rebus ad gaudia secularia pertinentibus; quas res longum est enumerare. Video alium tristantem, gementem, flentem: multum stercor…s video, & ibi locum quaero. Et cum viderem tristem, flentem inspexi & orautem. Orans, nescio quid mibibonae significationis ingessit. Sed adhuc locum quaero. Quid enim si iste oraus, gemens, magno fletu mortem roget inimicis suis. Etiam sic jam plorat, jam rogat, jam orat; Locus immundus, fructus nullum▪ — Inspexialium rursus, gementem, flentem, orantem; stercus agnosco locum quaero. Inten…di autem orationi ejus, & audito dicentem, ego dixi, domine, miserere mei, sana animam meam, quia peccavi tibi: Ge…it peccatum: agnosco agrum, expecto fructum: Deo gratias. Bono loco est stercus, non ibi vacat, fructum parturit. August. de temp. Serm. 151.Dung placed in your parlour, would impoison all; But lay the one upon the hearth, and it would warme, and comfort; the other upon the land, and it fatneth and makes fruitfull: So sorrow misplaced upon earthly things, fills a man with swarmes of carking confusions, and brings many devouring p. 195Harpies into the heart; but being turned upon hhTristitia illa solùm ad peccata utilis est; quod hinc manifestatur: Qui pro amissis divitijs contristatur; damnum non solvit: Qui pro mortuo contristatur, jacentem non excitat: Qui propter morbum contristatur, non solùm non curatur, sed etiam auget morbum. Qui verò in peccatis contristatur, hîc solùm utilitatis aliquid ampliùs à tristitiâ accepit; absumit enim & evanescere facit peccata. Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Mortem lugere omittens, luge peccata, ut ipsa deleas: propter hoc enim tristitia facta est, non ut in morte, nec in vllâ aliâ re tali doleamus, sed ut ipsâ ad delenda ut amur peccata: Et quòd hoc verum sit, exemplosacio manifestum. Remedia medicinalia propter illos tantùm morbos, facta sunt, quos toller… possunt, non propter illos, quos nihil ad juvare possunt, &c. Mulctatus est quispiam pecunijs, tristatus est, mulctam non emendavit: silium amisit, doluit, mortuum non resuscitavit, nec defuncto pr…fuit: Flagellatus est quis, alapis caesus, contumelijs affectus, doluit, non revocavit contumcliam, &c. Vides horum nulli prodesse tristitiam. Peccavit quis, tristatus est, peccatum delevit. Idem ad Popul. Antiochenum, Hom. 5.2 Cor 7sin, and former sinfull courses, which is the onelyonly right, proper, profitable vse thereof, it may procure a great deale of ease, and enlargement to the heavy Spirit, and helpe to bring foorth fruits meet for repentance. Thirdly, That the tithe perhaps of taking on, trouble of mind, vexation of Spirit, sadnesse and sorrow, about worldly things in respect of the bulke, and quantity, if sincere, and set upon the right object, might serve iiI meane both repentances: Legall, which is bred by beleeving the threats of the Law, and by accident leades unto Christ. Evangelicall, which springs from Faith in the promises of the Gospell, after wee have taken Christ. For Faith must goe before this repentance, as the ground and roote thereof. In time, Faith and Evangelicall repentance are both together, but in the order of nature, Faith is first.to drive us unto Christ, and afterwards in Gods gracious acceptation, for saving repentance. Mee thinkes it should bee a very quickning motive to make a man kkQuid enim quispiam sacere possit, quo genero sum virum cogat contristari? Auseret pecunias? Sed habet in Coelis divitias. Patriâ eijciet? Sed in coelestem civitatem mittet. Vincula inijciet? Sed habet Conscientiam solutam, & exteriorem non sentiet catenam. Sed interficiet corpus? At iterum resurget. Et sicut cum umbrâ pugnans, & aërem verberans perculere poterit neminem: Sic & cum justo pugnans cumumbrâ tantùm pugnat, & vires suas dissolvit, nullam illi plagam valens infligere. Itaque da mihi de Coelorum r…gno confidere, & s…vis, me hodie jugula; caedis? gratias tibi habeo, quòd me celeriter ad illa hona transmattis. Chrysost. ad Pop. Antioch. hom. 5.bee sorry for nothing but sin, and to turne all his griefe and groanes, sighs, and teares, upon his transgressions llIgitur postquàm manifestè oratio demonstravit, quòd neque pecuniarum mulctam, neque contumeliam, neque calumniam, neque flagella, neque valetudinem, neque mortem, neque aliud quid talium inducta tristitia iastaurare posset, sed solùm delere peccatum, & bujus est destructiva; certum, quò à propter hanc solam causam facta est. Ne amplius igitur pecuniarum jacturam doleamus; sed cum peccamus, tantùm doleamus: multa enum hic ex…ri…iâ utilitas. Mul…la…us es? ne doleas; neque enim proderit. Pe…cu… Dole, utile namque est. Ibid.onelyonly: To wit; To Consider, p. 196that an impenitent carnall worldling doth passe thorow even in this life (where hee hath all the heaven hee is ever like to have) incomparably more comfortlesse hearts-griefe, slavish torment of minde, and heavinesse of Spirit towards endlesse paines, then the strictest Christian, and most mortified Saint, doth endure in his passage to everlasting pleasures. Fourthly, That, besides, many other pestilent properties, worldly sorrow doth also double, nay multiply, and mightily enrage the venome, bitternesse, and …ting of every crosse, accident, losse, disgrace, &c. When mm2. Sam. 17.23 Achitophel, ita ratiocinatur: Absolom, aut vincet, au… non: sino… vincat, incidam in manus Davidis: Si vicerit, adhuc ego inglorius vivam, Chusat consilio videbitur vicesse. — Voluit potiùs mori, quàm inglorius vivere. …et. Mart. in 2. Sam. cap. 17.2 Sam 17:232 Sam 17Ahitophel was disgraced, by neglect of his counsell, which was in those dayes, as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God, carnall griefe so grew upon him, that hee gate him home to his house, put his household in order, and hanged himselfe. What was the disgrace to this desperate end? Haman beeing crossed by Mordecaies discourtesie, and contempt, did so trouble himselfe, and take on, that, having nnHest. 5.11.12.13.told his wife, and freinds, of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all things, wherein the King had promoted him, and how hee had advanced him above the Princes, and servants of the King, &c. Yet professeth unto them; that all this availed him nothing, so long as hee saw Mordecai the Iew, sitting at the Kings gate. Now whether doe you thinke was the most greivous thing to beare; the bare omission of a meere complement, or an universall distaste, and dis-injoyment of all outward comforts heaped upon Him to the height, and in excellency? The hundreth part of Iobs losses, and lesse, hath many times since, made many a covetous worldling to cut his owne throat. I have knowne some, for the losse of an over-loved child, to have languished, fallen into a consumption, and lost their owne lives. But now on the other side, besides many other gracious effects, sorrow, according to God, is more delicious, and sweeter then any p. 197worldly delight: As ooQuamvis quid tristitiâ molestius? Sed quando secundum deum fit, mundi gaudio melior est. Illud enim in nihilum desinit; haec autem poenitentiam haud poenitendam in salutem operatur. Et enim, quod admirabile in ist…, hoc est, quod nullum poenitet sic doluisse, id quod mundanae tristitiae proprium est. Quid germanius germano filio? & quid morte illius majorem dòlòrem infert? Attamen parentes se ipsos prae dolore plangentes impetu luctus, quamvis inde nullam ferant utilitatem, ij tamen post tempus poenitentiā agunt quòd immodicè doluerunt, [worldly mournig must be mourned for, and such teares unwept, with a new supply of teares] cum nihil utilitatis inde consecuti sunt, imò & se magis afflixerint: sed non talis est tristitia secundum Deum, sed habet gemina commoda: & quòd quis se non incusat ob dolorem; & quòd tristitia in salutem desinit: Ambobus illis commodis ista privata est: Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Hom. 15. Sicut enim mundi gaudium tristitiae consortio copulatur, ita etiam secundum dominum lacbryme jugem pariunt, certámque laetitiam. Idem, in Matth. 2. hom. 6.2 Cor 7Matt 2Chrysostome truly tells us in many places. To whom Moderne Divines accord. The very teares, that a good Conscience sheds, saith ppIer. Dike of conscience. cap. 13. pag. 232.one, have more joy, and pleasure in them, then the worlds greatest joyes. This is certaine, saith qqConcedo quidem illud, in ipso moerore, ac dolore piorum plus gaudij inesse, & verae laetitiae, quàm in risu huius mundi: Nam cumsuspirijs inenarrabilibus conjunctum est gaudium ineffabile. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 11. pag. 670. Dulciores sunt lachrymae orantium, quàm gaudia Theatrorum. August. in Psal. 127. pag. 743.Ps 127another, that there is more lightnesse of heart, and true delight in the sorrow of the Saints, then in the lowdest laughters of the world. For unspeakeable joy is mingled with un-utterable groanes.

2. When it is not any kindly touch of conscience for s… wrought by the ministry: but terrours, and affrighting distempers arising from the darke mists of a melancholicke humour in the braine, which cause a man to complaine. In this blacke, and sad humour, Satan, God suffering him, (and of it selfe also it is pregnant enough this way) hath great advantage to raise, and represent to the Phantasie many fearefull things, terrible objects, griesly thoughts, hideous injections and temptations to despaire, selfe-destruction, &c. Whereupon the party so affected and afflicted is wont out of impatiency of such uncouth horrours, and heavines to addresse himself, and have recourse to some man of God, some noted Physitian of the soule; not from any purpose and resolution to become a new man, and alter his courses; but only for hope of ease, enlargement frō the tyranny of that ferall passion, and recovery to wonted quietnesse of mind: not expecting or aiming at all, at any other change; but from present melancholy to former mirth; from this abhorred, irkesome, insupportable state of sadnesse; to his accustomed sensuall, or civill contentment at least.

In this case let the art, and aide of physicke bee improou'd, p. 198to abate and take off the excesse and phantasticalnesse of this horrible humour: and then let the party bee advised, to imploie, and spend the native, and kindly qqDolor melancholicus converti debet in dolorem, qui est secundum Deum. Alsted. Theol. Casuum, cap. 25.sadnesse, of that uncomfortable constitution, in sorrowing for sinne, in trembling at the threats of Gods judgements, in fearing to offend, and flying under the wings of Christ for sanctuary; that so hee may happily bring supernaturall, and heavenly lightsomnesse into his soule, by pardon from God, peace of conscience, and evangelicall pleasures. It is incredible to consider, what assistance, and advantage a gracious man hath, by his sweete rrQuid Christo suavius? — Apprehensio cujus est cum suavitate magna, & gaudio incredibili, ut re… planè suavis est ea, quae apprehenditur. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 8. pag. 556.communion with Iesus Christ, and those refreshing beames of comfort which shine from his face, to confine and conquer those many impertinent, irkesome, and vexing vagaries of this wild humour; which with much folly and fury tyrannise in the feareful phantasies of gracelesse men, and make their life very disconsolate, and abhorred. I am perswaded, the very same measure of melancholicke matter, which raises many times in the heads, and hearts of worldlings, (having besides, the guilt of their unforgiven sinnes staring with griesly representations in the face of their consciences, and acquainted with no comfort but that which comes from carnall joyes) continuall clouds of many strange horrours, and gastly feares, nay and sometimes makes them starke mad; I say, the very same in a sanctified man may bee so mollified and moderated by spirituall delight, and soveraignty of grace, that he is not onelyonly preserved from the sting, and venome of them, but by Gods blessing from any such desperate extremities, violent distempers and distractions, which keepe the other in a kinde of hell upon earth. If the very darkenesse of the hellish dungeon were in the heart; yet reaching out the hand of faith, and receiving Christ that blessed Sun of righteousnesse, would dispell and disperse it to nothing: Much more mee thinkes, the light of grace and heavenly wisedome, may in some good measure, dissolve p. 199and maister the mists and miseries of this earthly humour. Religion then, and religious courses, and conformities doe not make melancholike men mad; as the great Bedlams of this world would beare us in hand. For you must know that besides Belials and debosht companions, there are a generation of worldly wise men also, right brave and jolly fellowes in their owne conceits, and in the opinion of some flattering clawbacks; But by testimony of the Truth it selfe, starke mad about the service of God and there owne salvations, who cursedly …eare their owne consciences, with the hottest iron in the Divels forge, by breaking out into such blasphemies as these, when they heare, or see, any extraordinarie heavie-heartednes, temptation, distraction, or spirituall distemper, to have seizd upon any that desires to bee saved: You see now, what becomes of so much reading the scriptures, of plying prayer, and private duties with so much adoe; of medling with mysteries of religion; of meditating so much of heavenly things; Of taking sinne so deeply to heart, and holding such strict conformity to Gods word, &c. Blessed God! Is thine holy booke become, (execrable blasphemy!) a perverter, distracter, and empoysoner of mens soules; which beeing the glorious issue of thine owne infinite understanding, was purposely created as a most pretious rrforeign, hoc est, à sanandis omnibus morbis.Panacea, an universall medicinall store-house for the cure of all spirituall maladies; an inexhausted treasury of all sound comfort, true joy, peace, and refreshing! Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan, and returne as dung upon thine owne face this villanous, base and wicked slaunder, which by thy gracelesse instruments thou labourest to cast upon the glorious face of Christianity, the incomparable sweetnesse of the wayes of grace, and that One necessary thing. I have knowne, when the onelyonly wise God, hath suffered for ends seene and seeming good to his heavenly wisedome the hideous, and raging humour of melancholie, to darken the native clearenes of p. 200the animall spirits in the braine, requisite to a due discretion of things apprehended; and to blunder, and disorder the objects, and operations of the phantasie in his dearest child, even to distraction, and breaking out into that inordinate passion, against reason; I say then, the concurrent cry and clamour of the enemies to the power of Godlines to bee: This it is now to bee so bookish, to follow preachers so much, to be more holy then their neighbours, never to have done in serving of God: Her so much reading the scriptures, and such poring upon precise bookes (so they call those, which most pierce the conscience, and guide the cleerliest in the holy path) hath made her starke mad: The Puritan is now besides her selfe, &c. Now I say againe, the Lord rebuke thee Satan, who sits with such extreme malice, and soule-killing folly in the hearts & heads of such miserable men, whom thou so sottishly hood-winkes, and hardens to the height, for a most desperate downefal, and horrible confusion at last.

Were now the glorified soule of that blessed Saint consulted with, and asked: Diddest thou ever receive hurt by reading Gods blessed book, by searching sweetly into the great mystery of Christ crucified, by meditation upon heavenly things? Did the sacred sense of those divine Oracles dissettle thy noble faculties, or ever make sad thy heart? &c. Oh! with what infinite indignation, would it sly in the face of such cursed Cavillers, and wranglers against the truth?

Is it possible for the sole, and soveraigne Antidote sent from heaven by God himselfe against the sting and venome of all heart-griefe, and horror; the sacred Sun of saving truth, which is onelyonly able to ennoble and glorifie our understandings with wisedome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of Iesus Christ, should become the cause of discomfort, and dissettlement of the soule? No, no. There is such a quickening, healing, and mighty efficacy and vigour shed into it from the Father p. 201of lights, and shining in it from the face of Christ, that by the helpe of the blessed spirit, it can turne darkenes into light, death into life, hell into heaven, the deepest horrour, into height of joy. Tell mee of any misery upon the body, soule, outward state, or good name; any calamity felt or feared in this life, or the life to come; and if thou wilt bee converted and counselled, I can send thee to some, both Promise, and Precedent in this book of God, which may upon good ground fill thine heart as full with sound comfort, as the Sun is of Light, and the Sea of Waters. Nay, give mee a wounded spirit with all it's inexplicable terrors, and bitternesse; which is the greatest misery, & extremest affliction, of which an understanding Soule is capable in this life. And let first all the physitians in the world, even the Rose-knights, as they call themselves, lay all their heads, skill, and experience together, for the cure; Let all the highest Monarchs upon earth shine upon it with their Imperiall favours for comfort; Let the depth of all humane wisedome, and the height of the most excellent oratory bee improoued to perswade it peace; Let all the creatures in heaven and earth contribute their severall abilities and utmost, to still it's rage: And when all these have done, and have done just nothing; I will fetch a cordiall out of Gods owne booke, which shall mollifie the anguish, expell the venome, and bind it up with everlasting peace, which passeth all understanding; that the broken bones may rejoyce, and the poore soule groaning most grievously under the guilty horrour of many foule abominations, and ready to sink into the gulph of despaire, bee sweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for sinne, and for uncleannesse, Christs dearest bloud, the glorious wel-spring of all lightsomnesse, and joy.

Heare how precisely for this purpose, and how punctually against such pestilent cauillers some of the ancient Fathers doe Puritanize:

p. 202There is no malady, saith **Nulla est in humanâ naturâ vel co…pori…, vel animae passio, quae me…inam hinc accipere nequeat. Quomodo? Dic obsecro. Ingreditur quis huc, tristi…s & nego…i…rum solicitudine … u…ratus, & ingressus huc ita mae…ore adeb…utus, statim ut audi… prophetam dicent…m, quare tris…is es a…mamea, et quare conturbas me? Spera in P…um, q…uiam confi…bor …: salatare vultus mei, & Deus meus: susti…tenti consolatione s…s…e…tâ ab…, etomnem i…la a mentis tristitiam ex…tit. Aliusitem extr…m… p…raturinoptâ, gravatim fert, & moeret, videns alios divitijs affluere, & valdè instari, & …g…anapparatu, & pompâstipari: aud…t & hic …undem prophetam dicentem, Iacta… Do…i… s…licit idinem tuam; ipse te enutriet. Et iterum, ne timeas cum ditatus fuerit homo, … licata fuerit gloria ejus: quia cum morietur non accipiet omnia, &c. Est & alius quoque …uiinsidias & calumnias su…tineus dolet, & insuavem putat vitam, nusquam …umanum … enir… valens auxilium: docetur & hic ab eodem prophetain talibus angustijs non ad hu… … praesidium confugiendum. Audiquidipse dicat. Ipsi detrahebant mihi, ego …utem o…a…m.—I…s…per abus abijs, quiprius si…i mini…irabant, despicitur, & contemnitur, & ab amic…re…: …, hoc est quod …ntem… maximè conturbat, & confundit: sed & hic si huc …, audit beatum illum dicentem, Ami…i mei & proximimei adversum me appropinquia unt, & … ut, & vim faciebant, qui quaerebant animam m…am: & qui quaerebant …lam…, lo …, & …i a…dul…ntias totâ die meditabantur—Quidergo ille interim, d… …, & va…iamstruunt, egit? Ego autem, inquit, quasi surdus non audiens, & quasi … non aperiensos suum. Et factus sum, quasi homo non aud …, & non habens in …re … largutiones.—Vidisti quomodo quacun que calamitate humanam naturam, premente, conveniens ex scripturis antidotum acciper…liceat, & omnis vitae hujus repellatur …, neque ab ull… quod accidit, gracemur. Proptercà, obsecro, ut sabinde huc veniatis, & …: non solùm, cum huc venitis, sed & domi divina bib… … positam, magnosiudio sus…pite. Iude enim multum … ref…rmetio: demde anima pennas assumit, & …, perque tempus illud abimmund …rum cogita… … multâ quiete, ac tranquilitate fruens. Ins…per quod ad augendas vtres corpori … cibus facit, id anime lectio praestat. Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 29.Chrysostome, either of body, or soule, but may receive a medicine out of Gods booke;

One comes oppressed with sadnesse, and anxiety of businesses, overwhelmed with griefe; But presently hearing the Prophet saying, aaPsal. 42.11.Ps 42:11Why art thou cast downe, O my soule? and why art thou so disquieted within mee? Hope thou in God, for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God; Hee receives abundance of comfort, and abandons all heavines of heart.

Another is pinched with extreme poverty; takes it heavily, and grieves, seeing others flowing in riches; swelling with pride, attended with great pompe, and state: But hee also heares the same Prophet, saying; bbPsal. 55 22.Ps 55:22Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and hee shall sustaine thee: And againe, ccPsal. 49.16 17.Ps 49:16Be not afraide when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased: For when hee dieth, p. 203hee shall carry nothing away: His glory shall not descend after him.

There is another, which assaulted with insidiations, and calumnies, is much troubled, thinkes his life uncomfortable, finding no helpe in man: Hee is also taught by the same prophet, that in such perplexities, wee must not resort to the arme of flesh. Heare what hee saies; They slandered, and I prayed.Psal. 109.2.3 4.Ps 109:2Ps 109:3 The mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against mee: They have spoken against mee with a lying tongue. They compassed mee about also with words of hatred; and fought against mee without a cause. For my love, they are my adversaries; But I give my selfe to prayer. Another is slighted, and contemned by some base contemptible underlings; and forsaken of his friends; And that is it, which most troubles his mind, & goes nearest to his heart: But hee also, if hee will come hither, doth heare that blessed man saying:Ps. 38.11.12.13.14.15.Ps 38:11Ps 38:12Ps 38:13Ps 38:14Ps 38:15 My Lovers and my freinds stand aloofe from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afarre off. They also that seeke after my life lay snares for mee: and they that seeke my hurt, speake mischeivous things, and imagine deceipts all the day long. But I, as a deafe man heard not; and I was as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofes: for in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt heare, O Lord my God. Hee concludes thus:

Thou hast seene, how that any misery pressing our mortality, a convenient Ant…ote may be taken out of Scripture, and all the carking of this life may bee cured; neither need wee to bee greived for any thing which befals us. Therefore I beseech you that henceforward, you would come hither, and listen diligently to the reading of divine writ. And not onelyonly when you come hither, but also take the bible into your hands at home, and receive with great affection, the profit to bee found in it. For from thence springs much gaine: First, that the tongue may bee reformed p. 204by it: The soule also takes wings, soares aloft, and is gloriously illightened with the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse, and that while is freed from the entisements of impure thoughts, enioying much calmenesse, and contentment. Furthermore, that which corporall food doth for encreasing bodily strength: the same doth reading performe to the soule.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable: and writ by the spirit of God for this purpose, saith great ssforeign. Basil. in Ps. 1.Non dicit, ut inde alij nobis applicent pharmaca, sed foreign]singuli ipsi nobis eligamus.Ps 1Basil, that in it, as a common Mart of soule-medicines, every one of us may chuse a medicine proper, and fit for his spirituall malady.

Jerome, writing to many ttEn tibi octo muliercul…s, Letam, Laetae filiam, Paulum huius filiae aviam, atque amitam, Demetriadem, Salviam, Celantiam, Marcelcellam, in usque commendatam s…riò Scripturarum …ectionem. Addo nonam, Eustochiam; decimam, Blesillam; undecimam, Principiam; duodecimam, Algasiam Cham. De Canonis usu, l. 10. c. 4. And amongst the rest, heare how extraordinarily excellent Marcella was in knowledge of the Scriptures: Idem in Marcellâ laudat Scripturarum ardorem incredibilem, quò fieret ut… sum Hieronymum nunquam conveni…et, quin de Scripturis aliquid interrogaret: tantámque sibi eruditionem compararet, ut … in aliquo testimonio Scripturarum esset oborta contentio, adillam judicem pergeretur! Ita…u? Mul…ere… judicare de Scripturis? O scelus! O audaciam! Sed apud Papistas: Apud Ca…ballcos …era pi…tas. Idem. Ibid. Sect. 18. This should make many of our Gentlewomen mightily ashamed, who are Old excellent in taking up every new monstrous fashion; but come infinitely short of this noble Christian woman in Scripture-knowledge.even of Her sexe, whom as I told you before, much reading of Scriptures and other good bookes made mad, if the extremest malice of the most mortall enemies to the waies of God may bee credited; doth stirre them up with extraordinary earnestnesse to a diligent, industrious and fruitfull reading of Gods Booke, in many Passages of His Epistles.

uuPar. 3. Tract. 15. Ad Gaud▪ Cum autem virgunculam rudem & edentulam jam septimus ata…suae annus exceperit; & coeperit erubescere—discat memoritèr Psalterium: & us que ad annos ubert …tis libros Solomonis, Evangelis, Apostolos & Prophetas sui cordis the saurum faciat.In that to Gaudentius, about bringing up a young Maiden: Hee would have Her at seaven years old, and when she begins to blush, learne the Psalmes of Dauid without Booke; and untill twelue, make the Books of Salomon, the Gospels, the Apostles and Prophets, the treasure of Her heart.

p. 205xxAd Demetriadem Vnum illud tibi natae D…o; praeque omnibus unum, praedicam, & repetens iterum, iterumque moncho: ut animum tuum sacrae lectionis a…cre occupes.To One Hee speakes thus: This one thing about all others, I would fore advise Thee; and inculcating it, I will admonish againe and againe: That thou wouldest possesse thy minde with love of reading Scriptures.

yyAd Salviam. Semper in manibus tuis sit divina lectio. — Post Scripturas san…os doctorum ominum traclatus lege.To an other: Let the Booke of God bee ever i… thy hands:—And after the holy Scriptures, reade also the Treatises of learned men.

zzAd Celantiam de institutione Matrisfamilias. Sint divinae Scripturae semper in manibus tuis, & jugiter in mente volvantur.To another: Let the sacred Scriptures bee ever in thine hands, and revolved continually in thy minde.

Reading Scripture, saith aaSi ad ecclesiam frequenter venias; aurem literis divinis admoveas; explanatione mandatorum capias: sicut cibis & delicijs caro: ita spiritus verbis divinis convalescet; ac sensibus robustior effectus, carnem sibi parere cogit, ac suis legibus obsequi. Nutrimenta igitur spiritus sunt; divina lectio, orationes assiduae, sermo doctrinae. His alitur cibis, his convalescit, his victor efficitur. Quod quia non facitis, nolite conqueri de infirmitate carnis; Nolite dicere quia volumus, sed non poss… mus. Super Levit. Hom. 9.Origen, daily prayers, the word of Doctrine nourish the Soule, even as the Body is strengthened by dainty fare. The Spirit is nourished, growes strong, and is made victorious by such foode. Which because you doe not ply; doe not complaine of the infirmity of the flesh: Doe not say, wee would but cannot, &c: