Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (5 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (5 of 11)

p. 205Those reverend bbHom. For reading of Scriptures.men that made the Homilies, seeme to apprehend themselves, and they commend to us the excellent sweetnesse, which may bee suckt from the breasts of consolations in meditating upon the Scriptures, by this their emphaticall and effectuall expression: Let us ruminate say they, and as it were chew the cudde, that wee may have the sweet juyce, spirituall effect, marrow, hony, kernell, tast, comfort and consolation of them.

I have said all this, upon purpose, least melancholike men should be miss-led, or disheartened by the cursed counsell of carnall freinds, and wicked clamours of the world, from turning their sadnesse into sorrow for sin; and from plying Gods blessed booke, and the powerfull ministry thereof, the onelyonly wellspring of all true lightsomnesse, and ioy; and able as I said before, if they wilbee converted, and counseled, to dispell the very darkenesse of hell out of their hearts. Mee thinkes, they rather above others, should bee encouraged hereunto: 1. Because they have a passive advantage, that I may so speake, when it pleaseth God, to sanctifie for that purpose, and set on worke the spirit of bondage, by reason p. 206of their sad dispositions, and fearefull spirits, to bee sooner affrighted, and dejected by comminations of judgements against sinne; more feelingly to take to heart the miseries, and dangers of their naturall state; more easily to tremble and stoope under the mighty hand of God, and hammer of his Law. Guiltinesse, and horrour; damnation and hell beget in their timerous natures stronger impressions of feare: whereupon they are woont to tast deeplier of legall contrition, and remorse; and so proportionably to feel and acknowledge a greater necessity of Iesus Christ; to thirst after him more greedily, to prize him more highly; and at length to throw their trembling soules into his blessed bosome with more eagernesse, and importunity. And having once entred into the holy path, their native fearefulnesse beeing rectified, and turned the right way, they many times walke on afterward, with more feare to offend, (and happy is the man that feareth alway) more watchfulnesse over their wayes, tendernesse of conscience, impatiency of losing spirituall peace, sensiblenesse of infirmities, and failings, awfulnes to Gods word, &c. 2. And because of all others, such men have most neede of lightsomnesse, and refreshing: which when carnall counsellers, & flattering mountebanks of the Ministry, labour to introduce into their darke heads, and heavy hearts by the arme of flesh, outward mirth, and such other meanes, they onelyonly palliate, and dawbe: and are so farre from doing any true good, that thereby they drowne them many times deeper and more desperately into the dungeon of melancholy afterward. So that, a melancholicke man, let him turne him, which way, hee will, is like, without the light of grace, to live, a very miserable life upon earth, and as it were in some part of hellish darkenesse: to which also at length, shalbee added the torment, if hee dye impenitently. But now let them addresse themselves to the booke of life, and thence onelyonly they may sucke, and bee satisfied with the breasts p. 207of consolation: Let them leane their sorrowfull soules, improoving naturall sadnesse to mourne more heartily for sinne, upon the promises there: and every severall one will shine upon them with a particular, heavenly, and healing light, with sound, and lasting joy. All those then are starke mad, either with ignorant or learned malice, who beare the world in hand, that reading scriptures, plying the powerfull ministry, taking sinne to heart, &c. will make melancholike men mad.

If you desire to know, before I passe out of the point, the differences betweene the heavines of a melancholike humour, and affliction of conscience for sinne, take notice of such as these.

1 Terrour for sinne springs out of the conscience, and from the smart of a spirituall wound there: Melancholy dwels, and hath his chiefe ccI meane in respect of terrible representations. For I know well from the learnedst Physitions, that that humour is originally settled in the spleene. But from thence arise cloudes of Melancholike vapours, which annoy the heart, and passing up to the braine, counterfets terrible obiects to the Phantasie; and polluting both the substance, and the spirits of the braine, causeth it without externall occasion, or object, to forge monstrous fictions, and terrible to the conceite; which the judgment taking, as they are presented by the disordered Instrument, delivers to the heart; which by reason of the Sympathy betweene the braine and the heart, the thoughts and affections, and having no judgement of discretion in it selfe, but giving credit to the mistaken report of the braine, is affected proportionably with terrour, sadnesse, and feare.residence in the phantasie: uncomfortably ouercasts, and darkens the splendour, and lightsomnesse of the animall spirits in the braine.

2 The melancholike man is extremely sad, & knowes not why: Hee is full of feare, doubts, distrust, and heavinesse, without any true and just ground, arising onelyonly from the darkenesse and disorder of the phantasie, the griesly fumes of that blacke humour in the braine: But a broken heart, a thousand to one, can readily tell you, the particular sinnes, the crying abomination, the legall hammer, and ministeriall hand that made it bleed. His trouble is ever…p…a…se, cleare, and evident, and the greatest that ever brought misery upon mankinde; waight of sinne, and the wrath of God. A melancholike man will ride many miles, walke many houres, and at length bee able to giuegive no account of the exercise, and discourse of his minde, or what his thoughts have beene p. 208all the while: But hee that is troubled in mind for sinne, can for the most part tell right well, and recount exactly to his spirituall physitian, the severall temptations, suggestions, and injections; the hideous conflicts with Satan: His objections, exceptions, replies, ddforeign, Ephes. 6.11. foreign, 2. Cor. 2.11. foreign, Revel. 2.24.Eph 6:112 Cor 2:11Rev 2:24Methods, Devises, and depths, which have afflicted his heavy Spirit, since the first illightening, convincing, and affrighting his awaked, and working Conscience.

3 The soule may bee seized upon with terrour of conscience, and spirituall distemper, the body being sound and in good temper; In excellency of health, purity of bloud, symmetry of parts, vivacity of spirit, &c. But the horrors of melancholy are woont to haunt corrupted constitutions; where obstructions hinder the free passage of the humours, and spirits; the blood is overgrosse, and thick, &c.

4 Melancholy makes a man almost mad with imaginary feares, & strange Chymaraes of horror, which have no Beeing, but only in the monstrous compositions of a darkened and distempered Braine. He is many times by the predominancy of that cowardly humour, afraid of every man, of every thing, of any thing; of a shadow, of the shaking of a leafe, of his owne hands, of his owne heart. Hee eeHaec est ratio, cur aliqui timent non timenda: cur in suspiciones mirabiles & falsissimas cadunt: ita ut credant se aliquan…o quaeri ad mortem, vel ad incarceratione…, vel spoliationem, & inde fugiunt nemine persequente, trepidantes timore, ubi non est ti…or. Cognovitalem tempore meo, qui ingeniosissimus erat, & peritus valdè in medicinâ, qui tandem fugit in nemora occulta, nec ultrà comparuit. Gerson de passionibus animae Consid. 20.feares where no feare is, where there is no probabilitie, no possibility, even in the very middest of security. His feare sometimes is so extremely foolish; that hee can ffLet a melancholy person upon the sudden heare, or see some fearefull thing, the strength of his imagination is such, that hee will presently fasten the thing upon himselfe. As if hee see, or heare, that a man hath hanged himselfe, or is possessed of a Divell, it presently comes to his minde, that hee must doe so to himselfe, or that hee is, or at least, shall bee possessed. In like manner upon relation of fearefull things, presently his phantasie workes, and hee imagineth, that the thing is already; or shall befall him. Perkins. Cases of Conscience. cap. 12. sect. 2.heare of no fearefull thing fallen upon others, but hee thinkes verily, the very p. 209same thing shall befall him: so prodigious, that ggSic aliquis existimabat se gallum, & more galli cantabat. Alius murilegum, & sub lectis mures quaerebat. Alius imaginans se habere cornua in fronte, verecundabatur quotiescunque videbat se inspici, & frontem tegebat. Alius imaginans se notari de insectione leprae, vel de morbo caduco, omnes fugiebat, & trepidabat aspectus, & sermones. Alius imaginans se habere pedes ferreos calcabat validissimè super terram. Alius ambulare non audebat phantasians pedes suos esse vitreos. Gerson. loco suprà citato.some of them, thinking their feete to bee of glasse, have beene afraid to walke: Others imagining themselves to bee noted for lepers, durst not come into any company, &c. But now a troubled conscience is ordinarily fearelesse of any thing, but the anger of God. Bodily tortures, outward trouble, tyrants threats, even the Prince of terrour, death it selfe in his apprehension and eie, would bee as nothing, to the guilty glance of one cursed lust. Hee would not care, or feare though all the creatures in Christendome were turned into Beares, or Divels about him, so that all were well at home. If hee could get into his bosome that sweete peace which passeth all understanding; Oh! then would hee bee more then conqverour over the whole world, and ten thousand hells.

5. Melancholy may bee something abated, the braine cleared, the heart eased by the aide and excellency of the art of physicke: But in the case of a wounded conscience, there is no helpe under heaven to bee had; No friends, or physicke, hhNon Siculae dapes, &c. Not all King Denis dainty fare, Can pleasing taste for them prepare: No song of Birds, no musicks sound, Can lullaby to sleepe propound.no mirth or musicke, no princely favour or dainty fare, &c. can possibly give any ease at all. Nay they will all farre rather enrage the wound, then weaken the rage. It is Christ, Christ, and nothing but Christ, which can comfort in this confusion of spirit.

3. When complaint of sinne is confusedly onelyonly and in generall: When any comes with a troubled conscience for sinne, wee ought wisely to discerne, whether they bee meanely grieved with a generall sight of their sinne, or whether they be extremely throwne downe with the burthen of particular sinnes▪ if so they bee, then it is good at the first to shew, that no sinne is so great, but in Christ it is pardonable, and that there is mercy with God that hee might bee feared: so on the otherside, shewing the mercy to come from God, but so as they are nothing fit to receive mercy, unlesse they feele their particular and pricking sinnes. But if their sorrow bee more confessed in generall things, then it is good to humble them more, and more, to give them a terrour of Gods justice for particular sinnes: for experience doth teach, that this is the best way to obtaine sound comfort both to see our sinne, and to bee humbled to see our sinne: —That beeing throughly throwne downe, wee may directly seeke Christ, and keepe no stay untill we have found comfort in him, who then is most ready to free us from our sinne, and to comfort us with his spirit when wee are most cast downe with our sins, and most feare them. Greeneham. In his Grave counsels pag. 6.Many deale with God, and his ministers in p. 210confession of their sinnes, saith a good Divine, as Nebuchadnezzar with his Inchanters about his dreame, that hee had dreamed; hee told them, and desired an interpretation; But what his dreame was hee could not tell. So many confesse themselves sinners, and cry out that they are greiuous offenders, and desire pardon: But wherein they have sinned, and what their sinnes are, they cannot, or will not tell. And how is it possible the physitian should help him, who only saies, he is not well, but will not tell him where? I have sometimes visited those, who being pressed to a sight and sense of their sinnefulnesse, and cursednesse, upon purpose to fit them for Christ, have acknowledged in generall, that they were sinners, but descending to the particulars of the Law, (which was horrible to heare) iustified themselves thorow out. Of which extreme spirituall misery and prodigious madnesse, Ignorance (Tho I know Satan mannageth that, and all other advantages with all the malice, and cunning hee can possibly, to the overthrow of soules) is the principall ground; the prime, but pestilent occasion: I say, Ignorance, which though it bee not perhaps so much talked of, taxed, and taken to heart as others, yet is a loude-crying sinne of the Kingdome. For it is a most incredible thing, and of infinite amazement, how universally it raignes in this glorious kkId quidem aud…o dicere, clariorem Evangelij Christi doctrinam nulli unquam populo ante propositam esse, quam sit ca, quam nos quotidiè audimus in Ecclesijs nostris. — Si profectò non ba…eremus aliquid aliud …om sub Coelo: exceptá hac tam clará verb…lace, ea debet nos vel sola consolari. Quis est, qui non gaudet, & recreatur, cum ex tenebris educit ut in lucemistam solare…? At nos qui aliquando submersi jacuimus in tenebra…, longè borribilissimis, multò clariorum lucem babemus, Solem nimirùm illum Iustitia. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 6. pag. 389.noone-tide of the Gospell! And therefore musts needs prouoke God mightily, and hasten the remooving of our candlesticke. And in the meane time, besides many moe, and that dreadfull doome at last. 2. Thes. 1.7.8. it brings upon most, (more is the pitty and shame, especially so glorious beames of a blessed ministry shining about us) these two speciall mischeifes; which at this time I onelyonly mention, because they serve fitliest for illustration of the p. 211point. First, ignorant people sticking fast in his clutches, stand all, as they say, at the Divels mercy, and devotion, to do with them what he will; even as a poore helpeles Lambe in the bloody paw of a Lyon, or asilly Wren in the ravenous claw of a Kite; to slash and mangle their woful soules at his pleasure, with a cursed variety of llPer ignorantiae malum à nescientibus innumerabilia perpetrantur mala. Aug. Tom. 7. pag. 2. lib. 6. contra sulia. Palag.innumerable sinnes; they, in the meane time, which is the perfection of their misery, neither fearing or feeling any hurt at al, by reason of the hellish mists, and miserable lethargie of spirituall blindnesse, which makes them sightlesse, and senselesse. Secondly, when times of sorrow come upon them, when melancholy & old age growes on, and they say unto the world, upon which they have doted all their life long, I have no pleasure in thee; when losses, crosses, and heavie accidents befall them; when hideous injections, temptations to selfe-murder, despaire &c. presse them full sore; and they thereupon begin to cast about seriously, and to conceive with great terrour and anxiety of spirit, what is like to become of them in the other world: Then in such extremity, and forced by necessity, they are wont to have recourse to Ministers for ease and helpe; and alas! then we are at our wits end, as they say, and in much perplexity how to deale, and what to doe with them. For upon the first entrance into a discovery of their spirituall state, wee see evidently with griefe of heart, that their mmThose that have no minde at all to heare, or reade the Word, if at any time through the remorse of their conscience which accuseth them, they feele any inward griefe, sorrow or heavinesse for their sins, for so much as they want the salve and comfort of Gods Word, which they doe despise, it will bee unto them rather a mean to bring them to utter desperation, then otherwise. Hom. of Repentance, pag. 2.ignorance hath betraied them to the Divell, and now in the evill day exposed them to his mercilesse cruelty and cunning; even as if a man should commit a ship without sailes, rudder, pilot, &c. to the rage, and roaring of the tempestuous devouring sea; or put a poore weake naked man into the field against an implacable mighty adversary, compleatly armed from top to toe. Wee tell them truely, that the true way to comfort, is to Repent and Beleeve. But for the first, by reason of the sottish disacquaintance with themselves, with their miserable, sinfull naturall state, and their grosse ignorance in the Law and Word p. 212of God, they onelyonly cry out in the generall, they are very grievous sinners; but to descend to any competent examination of the conscience, search of their soules by the sight of the law, particular survay of their sinnes, and so to speciall repentance, because, of their spirituall blindenesse, they are vtterly unable. Nay many in this case are so destitute of matter of humiliation for sinne, that they can scarce tell you what sinne is. At the most, they have not learned, or thinke that there is any other breach of the seventh commandement, but the grosse acts of uncleannesse; that there is any sinne against the ninth, but giuing in false witnes against their neighbours in open Court: They looke no further into the sixth commandement, but unto the actuall bloody murder of the hand; into the third, but to blasphemy and swearing; And so proportionably in the other commandements. For the other also, although they have heard much of Iesus Christ, and if hee bee talkt of, pretend a very foolish and false presumption of having part in him; yet to the knowledge of his person, offices, excellency, sweetnesse, effectuall ministry, and of his whole mysterie, they are meere strangers. And so, when they should now upon this occasion of trouble of mind, bee brought by knowledge and application of the Law and Gospell, through the pangs of the new-birth into the holy Path, they are to begin to learne the very first principles of religion; in nnHow wisely, graciously, and necessarily then did King Iames direct, for profitable catecheticall teaching in the after-noone upon the Lords Day, in all▪ Parish-Churches throughout the Kingdom▪ heare the words. So farre are these directions f…om abating, that his Maiesty dot… expect at our hands, that it should increase the number of Sermons, by renewing upon every Sunday in the ater-noone in all Parish-Churches throughout the Kingdome, that primitive and most profitable exposition of the Catechisme, wherewith the people, yea, very children may bee timely seasoned, and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion: The which kind of teaching to our amendment bee it spoken, is more diligently observed in all the Reformed Churches of Europe, then of late it hath been here in England. I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect, and resolved, if wee that are his Bishops, doe not see a reformation hereof, which Ierust wee shall, to recommend it to the care of the Civill Magistrates, &c. Reasons of the Kings directions for preaching, and Preachers. As I received them by authority from the hand of a publike Register. Is it not strange and lamentable, that for all this Princely and pious earnestnesse, this soule-murdering neglect should yet every day grow greater and grosser.which they have not so much p. 213skill (I speake a reprochfull thing) as I could teach a child of five, or sixe yeares old in few daies. Now when the old red Dragon hath drawne them into the Lists, armed with all the power and policy of hell, and furnished with all his fiery darts, they are so farre from ability to put on, and manage the whole spirituall armour with dexterity, and wisedome, that they are starke Ideots and Infants, in the very speculative knowledge of the nature and vse of every piece thereof. They have no skill at all at that excellent, invincible weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God: by which Iesus Christ foyled that foule Fiend in the most hideous and horrible ooCast thy selfe downe; Destroy thy selfe. Mat. 4.6. Fall downe and worship mee. Then which, I thinke, there was never more abhorred injection. v. ….Matt 4:6temptations, that were ever suggested to the mind of man. And therefore hee doth bring them too often thus blindfolded and baffled, to perish themselves, as they say, in a most bloody and desperat… manner, both temporally, and eternally.

The Pharisies, Papists, and our ordinary Ignorants, are all fouly faulty this way. They love, and labour to enquire, and looke no further into Gods Law, then to the grosse acts, and greatest transgressions onelyonly. If they find themselves free from these, they out of a most absurd, and sottish selfe-conceitednesse, justifie and applaud themselves, as no such dangerous and damnable Delinquents. Hence it was, that Christ teaches, and tells the Pharisies, that not onelyonly the grosse act of adultery was to be taken notice of, but also, that even a ppI am mo… chatus est eam incorde suo] hoc est dicere: Qui dat operam in venusta corpora curiosiùs intueri, & decoras aucupari facies, talíque animam spectaculo pascere, & obscoenos pulchris etiam vultibus oculos assigere. Chrys. in Matth. 5. Hom. 17.Matt 5lascivious, and lustfull looke after a woman, was a transgression of that Law; and to be taken to heart as adultery before God. That not onelyonly killing a man with a bloody hand, but also rash anger in the heart, railing, and reviling speeches; Nay, even a frowning face, a contemptuous gesture, discovering inward rancour and rage, kill the soule, and cast into hell, &c.

Hence it was, that Bellarmine, as the grand Impostor, and Impoisoner, so the great Pharisie of Christendome, upon his bed of death, could hardly finde what to p. 214confesse, or any matter of absolution. Prodigious Pharisaisme! Of which, heare some passages from the reporter of his death:

qqBellarmines Death, by C.I. a Iesuite, p. 343.Such was the innocency of the man, (to wit, Bellarmine) that albeit hee was in his perfect sense, yet could hee hardly finde what to confesse; Insomuch as his ghostly Father was in some perplexity, as wanting matter of absolution; till by recourse to his life past, hee found some small defects, of which hee absolved him.

Now nothing troubles my conscience. For God (his goodnesse bee still rrNot much unlike the Pharisie, Luk. 18. God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers.Luke 18thanked therefore) hath so preserved mee hitherto, as I doe not remember in the whole course of my life, ever to have committed any scandalous action; Pag. 355. How ssIf Bellarmine was so notoriously holy, how came it to passe, that amongst the rest, hee l…t fall also this speech: For my selfe, I shall thinke it no small fauour to bee sure of Purgatory, and there to remaine a good while in those flames that must purge, and cleanse the spots of mine offences, and satisfie the just wrath and justice of Almighty God. pag. 372. I know very well what Bellarmine concludeth de Purgatorio, lib. 2. cap. 2. sect. ult. purgatorium pro ijs tantùm esse: Qui cum venialibus culpis moriuntur. Et rursum pro illis, qui decedunt cum reatu poenae, culpis jam remissis. But yet sith the Pontificians teach; that veniall sinnes may bee taken away in this life; by knocking the breast, by the B…shops blessing, by onelyonly entring into an hallowed Church, by being sprinkled with holy water: & by other such easie remedies. See Azor. Tom 1 Lib. 4. c. 11. Sect. quint. quaeritur 7. Cartw. against the Rhem. pag. 30. Vsher in his Answer to a Iesuites challenge, pag. 178. What extreme madnesse possessed this man, who would not prevent those horrid flames by so many …ost easie & obvious meanes?holy was his life, not stained with mortal sinne? How secure a conscience, that had at his death no scruple; But for the exchange of one good worke for another &c. pag. 367. This holy man began his Prayers, ttHe said the Pater noster and Ave Maria: And he said distinctly the Psalme Miserere to the end: And he said the Creed all thorow. As though meere saying did sanctifie and save. Resting upon opus operatum, the worke wrought, is an horrible popish imposture, empoysoning all their supposed religious services. When it ringeth to the Ave Maria, saith Ledesma, Christian doctrine, pag. 35. Wee may obtaine indulgence by saying, at the first Toll, Angelus Domini, &c. at the second Toll, Ecce Ancilla Domini, &c. at the third Toll, Et verbum caro factum est, &c. Is not here sweet worke? Prodigious foppery! When I reade such passages in learned men, I am extraordinarily amazed their strange infatuation, and ever receive satisfaction from that, 2. Thes. 2. Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. — For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should beleeve a lie. If this curse were not justly upon Bellarmine, Ledesma, and the rest, it were impossible, that ever they should have made such transcendent fooles of themselves, by writing and beleeving so sottishly, and ridiculously.2 Thess 2said the Pater noster, and Aue Maria, and began againe p. 215the Pater noster: which beeing ended, hee said distinctly the Psalme, Miserere, to the end: and beeing warned to say also the Creed, &c. said it all through, and with the end of the Creed, ended his speech; His uuThe last words of those, Matth. 7.22. were Lord, Lord; and yet Christ in that day shall professe unto them, I never knew you.Matt 7:22last words were, vitam aeternam, Amen. pag. 387.

Hence it is, that carnall men are well enough content to heare the Commandements read, and perhaps will bee angry if at any time they bee omitted: Would you know the reason? They goe along with the Minister, and applaud themselves pharisaically all the while, saying secretly, and securely to their owne soules; Wee thanke God, wee are no image-worshippers, no murderers, no adulterers, &c. And so depart home from time to time, as highly conceited of themselves, and yet more damnably deceived, then that Pharisie, Luk. 18.11.12. Of whose outward, xxFor hee fasted, prayed, gave almes, Matth. 6. and tithes of all that hee possessed, which even formall services, would seeme to our ignorant Iusticiaries, too much forwardnes,Matt 6religious, charitable, and righteous performances, they come farre short. But they cannot possibly with any patience, endure a particular unfolding, and powerfull application of Gods Law after Christs manner, Matth. 5. a punctuall survay of their sinfull states, and speciall search into their lives and hearts. This cutting, yet conscionable course, stirres up, and raises in them the ill spirits of murmuring, cavilling, reviling, and perhaps persecuting the faithfull Messengers of God, as a generation of terrible Teachers. To expositions, exercises, and considerations of this nature, they are drawne with very ill will, and much adoe; even as a bankrout to his counting-booke, a foule face to the looking-glasse, and a Traytour to the racke.

By reason of this affected ignorance in the Law of God, and lothnesse to descend to particulars, it comes to passe, that many in trouble of minde complaine in generall of sinne onelyonly, and confusedly. And thereupon, as though they were competently cast downe, expect comfort; and perhaps many draw it from some Dawbers: Whereas particularizing of our sinnes, is a necesary precedent, and preparative to a sound humiliation.

p. 216And therefore in this case wee must deale with such, as Surgeons are wont to doe with a tumour, or swelling in the body: Who first apply to the affected place drawing, and ripening plaisters to bring the sore to an head, that the corruption may have issue, and then heale: So a generall complaint of sinne, and confused griefe, must bee reduced to particulars. It is a principle in the mysterie of Christ resolved upon by best Divines, rightly instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven: That a confused acknowledgement, and generall repentance onelyonly for knowne sinnes is never sound and saving; But onelyonly common, formall, perfunctory, and that of counterfeite Converts, not truly touched with sense of their sinnes, nor heartily resolved to forsake their pleasures. If they can bee first brought to the sight, sense, and acknowledgement of some one speciall notorious sinne, which hath most reigned in their heart, life, o… calling; and bee in some good measure illightened, convinced, and terrified about the hainousnesse, and horrible guilt of it, it may bee a good meanes by Gods blessing, to bring in the rest. For ordinarily true repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall sinne laid to heart. The Apostles, Act. 2. doe specially presse the murder of Christ upon the Iewes. Christ himselfe adultery upon the Woman of Samaria, Ioh. 4. Samuel, Idolatry upon the Israelites, 1. Sam. 7. The sin of asking a King, chap. 12. Ezra, taking strange wives: Ezra 10. Nehemiah, usury: chap. 5. &c.

To further the worke of a more particular setting their sinnes in order before their eyes; it were much to bee wished, and a very happy thing, if all the wounded consciences, and troubled in minde wee meete with, were furnished before-hand, with a competent speculative knowledge, at the least of the particulars in Gods Law, exorbitant passages of their life, and grosse corruptions of their hearts. Wee might so, by Gods helpe, more easily bring them to particular remorse, and fit p. 217them sooner, and more seasonably for comfort. We find a most hard, and right heavy taske, to encounter the Divels devises, wiles and depths, in a poore, distressed, tempted Ignorant.

4. When the party is dejected for some notorious sinne onelyonly. It is xxI knew a man a meere stranger to Iesus Christ, both in knowledge and practise; and yet not visibly notorious. Who pleasing himselfe many yeeres that he was not noted to bee extraordinarily naught, upon a time was suddenly set upon by some drunken companions, & made drunk. Whereupon in cold blood he tooke on extremely, and was very much grieved. As evidently appeared by his not sleeping many nights together, and by the troublednesse of his countenance. Hee came to a Minister, cryed out against himselfe, and those who ensnared him: that after so many yeeres sobriety, he should bee so shamefully overtaken, &c. Hee was counselled upon this occasion to make a full and further search into his heart and life, and so proceede to a sound, and saving repentance, &c. But the ground of his griefe being specially shame of his fact amongst his neighbour…, after the nine nights wonder of his being drunke was over, Hee was, where hee was before. Now had the Minister ministred comfort hand over head at the first sight, and drawne over a skinne, without any further search; tho the man might bee undone both wayes; yet by so doing, Hee should have been justly liable to that fearefull woe denou…ed against them, who strengthen the hands of the wicked, that Hee should not returne from His wicked way, by promising Him life. But dealing faithfully, He delivered His owne Soule.sometimes seene in meere civell men, that having a long time preserved their reputations entire and unstained, in the eye of the world, from grosse and notable enormities; and yet after foulely shaming themselues in the sight of men by some infamous fall, seeme to take on much, as tho they were truly troubled with the remorse; whereas perhaps the present hearts-griefe ariseth rather from losse of credit, then wound of conscience (tho to favour their credit, they cunningly father it upon conscience). Or let them bee indeed affrighted very grievously for a time with the horrour of that one sin; yet stay the cry, and abate the rage of that One with some superficiall comfort, and they are healed, and put into an happy case in their owne conceite, and in the opinion also perhaps of their unskilfull Physition; tho they search no further, and dive no deeper into the loathsome Dunghill of those many abominable lusts, and corruptions in their heart and life, of which they are as full as the skinne will hold.

Now it is a foule and fearefull over-sight in a Minister; nay, it may proove an errour stained with spirituall bloodshed, to promise pardon to such partiall Penitents.

Suppose a man sicke of a Plurisie, should send to a Physition, and tell Him, Hee is sore troubled with a p. 218Cough, and intreate His help, concealing other yyMorbilateralis nota sunt, dolor punctorius, difficilis spiratio, febris continua, tussis, pulsus serratilis. Piso de Morb. Cogn. & Cur. lib. 2 cap 7.signes and symptomes, which ordinarily accompany that disease; as His short and difficult breathing, the stinging stitch in His side, &c. The Physition may addresse Himselfe to cure the Cough, and yet the Patient die of an inflammation seized upō the membrane girding the ribs and side. It is proportionably so in the present Point. A man may complaine, and cry out, houle and take on extremely for some one horrible hainous sinne, and that may bee well; but except hee proceede to a further discovery, and sorrow proportionable for his other knowne sinnes, they will bee the destruction, and death of His Soule. If a dozen Theeves bee entred into thy house, it is not enough for Thee to lay hold on the Captaine Thiefe onelyonly, and thrust Him out at doores: If Thou suffer but one of them to lurke in any corner undiscovered, and not turned out, Hee will serue the turne to cut thy throate, and take away thy treasure. Crying out of one capitall sinne onelyonly is not sufficient: wee must confesse and forsake **Indefinita Propositio valet universalem in materiâ necessariâ. Paulus ab Eitzen. lib. 2. pag. 116.all, if wee looke to find mercy: Prou. 28.13.

And yet here I would have no true Penitent dejected, or mistake: the bare omission of some particular sinnes, in this case is not ever damnable. For wee must know, that if a man deale truly with his owne heart in a sincere acknowledgement, confession, and repentance for discovered and knowne sinnes; (and Hee ought to labour, by clearing the eye of naturall conscience, and industrious inspection into Gods pure Law, to know as many as may bee) and for all those that come into His minde, when Hee sets himselfe apart, solemnely to humble and afflict His Soule before God; (and Hee ought to remember as many as Hee can possibly) I say, if so, then for secret and unknowne sinnes, which are committed in weakenesse and ignorance, the Lord accepteth a generall confession, as wee see in Davids practise, Psalm. 19.12. Who can understand His errours? p. 219Cleanse thou mee from secret faults. Sinnes there are many, and that in the best men, which are not onelyonly unnoted of others, and free from the worlds observation, but even unknowne to a mans owne selfe, and invisible to the watchfullest eye of the most waking conscience; which notwithstanding are clearely subject to the search of Gods All-seeing eye, and to the censure of His pure Majesty: For Hell and destruction are before the Lord, how much more the secretest waies of the sonnes of men? Sinnes there are also, which even in the zealous exercise, and holy worke of Repentance, may not come into the consideration and remembrance of one truly Penitent; which if Hee could recover into his memory, Hee would heartily, and with much indignation acknowledge, bewaile and detest: So un-numbred are the cursed by-paths of mens crooked wayes. But for both these sorts of sinnes, I must say thus much for the comfort of the true Convert; that both those unknowne sins which Hee commits of ignorance, if He truly repent for all His knowne sinnes, and labour with sincerity and zeale for further illumination of conscience, and fuller revelation of every corrupt Passage both in heart & life, in judgement and practise; and those sins of knowledge also, which came not into his minde, if with diligence, and without dissimulation, with hearty prayer, and best intention of spirit, He endeavour to recover them into His memory, that Hee might also mourne for, and mortifie them with the rest; carrying ever in His heart this resolution, that as any sinne shall bee discovered to His conscience, or returne into His mind, Hee will abominate and abandon it; I say, both these kinds of sinnes (it is a Pearle for the true Penitent, let no stranger meddle with it) to such an one, upon such conditions are most certainely washed away by Christs blood, and Gods free mercy, upon His generall confession and repentance. Davids Petition, O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults, did assuredly prevaile with God for the p. 220forgivenesse of all His unknowne sinnes, and shall bee powerfull for that end, to the worlds end, to all those that so pray, with Davids spirit and sincerely.

Besides these two cases; first, want of knowledge; and secondly, want of remembrance in the sense I have said: There is also a third, and that is, thirdly, want of time: which if truly so, doth also sometimes excuse the omission of some particular sinnes. As wee may see in the Thiefe upon the Crosse. For want of leisure, Hee could not possibly punctually revise His vile abominable life, nor peruse with remorse all the particulars of His former, wicked, and abhorred courses. But He had infused into His Soule by Iesus Christ an habituall aaSome thinke it onelyonly an action. But that Phrase, Zech. 12.10. Of powring the Spirit of grace (meaning Repentance) upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem, seemes to argue it to be a quality, or infused gift, so as Faith and Charity are. So also that Phrase of giving Repentance, Act. 5.31. and 11.18. For if God give it, wee receive it. Now wee cannot properly bee said to receive an action, which wee doe, but the power, gift or grace, whereby we doe it. That speech also, Matth. 3.8. Bring forth fruit meet for repentance, shewes, that Repentance it selfe is not an outward action, but an inward grace to bee expressed in outward actions. Dike of Repentance, cap. 1.Zech 12:10Acts 5:31Acts 11:18Matt 3:8grace of true Repentance; which if Hee had lived, would have carried Him faithfully along over all the notorious Passages of His lewd and lothsome life, with a truly contrite, broken, and bleeding Soule. So that, if Hee had had space, I doubt not, but Hee would have prooved a very eminent, extraordinary, and exemplary Penitent. And therefore the Lord in mercy, did gratiously bbIt is the inward and habituall Repentance, the inward frame, bent, and disposition of the Soule that God respects more, then the outward Act; as wee may see by that of David, Psalm. 32.5. I said, I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord, and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. The inward purpose and disposition of Davids heart to repent, was sufficient to moove God to forgive His sin, before His outward, actuall, and particular Repentance was expressed. Prynne of the Perpetuity of a Regen. mans estate. In his Answ. to Arg. 24.Ps 32:5accept the desire and purpose, the inclination and preparation of His heart that way.

But to returne to the Point, and give my advise in the Case proposed:

Let the Party, who so takes on for some notorious sin only, and there takes up His rest, be told; That tho He dwell with deepest sighes, heaviest heart and saltest teares, upon some of His greatest and most speciall sinnes; yet the rest must by no meanes bee neglected. p. 221That which is most crying, and crimson, must serve as a Cryer, that I may so speake, to summon the rest into the Court of Conscience, and as a Remembrancer to bring them to minde and remorse: As Davids murder and adultery brought even His Birth-sinne into His memory: Psalm. 51. And that sinne of strange wives many other sinnes to Ezra's minde, Ezra 9. When a father beates His childe for some one speciall fault, He is wont to remember unto Him, and reckon with Him for many former mis-demeanours also. When a Bankrout is once clapt up for one principall debt, the rest of His Creditours ordinarily come thicke and threefold upon Him. When once Thou begins to reckon with thy conscience for some one extraordinary rebellion, never cease untill thou hast searcht thorowly, and ransackt it to the bottome, that it may smart soundly, before Thou hast done, with penitent anguish, and true remorse for all thy other sinfull corruptions also. When horror for some one hainous sinne hath seiz'd upon thy heart, follow Gods blessed hand leading thee to conversion, and thorow the Pangs of the New-birth to unspeakeable and glorious joy, by giving way to all the rest, to bring in their severall inditements against thy Soule. And bee not afraid thus to arraigne, cast and condemne thy Selfe as guilty of innumerable sinnes, and worthy ten thousand Hells, before Gods just Tribunall. For then shalt thou there most certainely find a gracious Advocate at His right hand; To whom if Thou make sute, and seeke in truth, Hee will by the plea and price of His owne pretious blood, sue out a pardon for thine everlasting peace. When the guilty rage of thy raigning corruption begins to presse upon thy conscience, lay on loade, and more weight still by a penitent addition, and painefull apprehension of all thy other sinnes, that growing very sensible of thy spirituall slavery, weary of the Dungeon of lewdnesse and lust, sensuality and death, wherein the Divell hath kept Thee long; and thine heart being p. 222happily broken and bruised to the bottome, and scorch'd, as it were, in some measure with Hellish flames of guilty horrour; ccId quod primùm omnium operatur in nobis sitim hanc, ac desiderium hoc gratiae, est sensus peccati, ac miseriae nostrae. Rolloc. in Iohan. cap. 7. pag. 474.Thou mayst see, and feele the greater necessity of Iesus Christ, set Him at an higher price; with more eagernesse and impatiency thirst for His righteousnesse, and blood; long for spirituall enlargement, more then for worlds of pleasures, glory, or wealth; rellish the hidden Manna of the promises most kindlily, and cast thy wounded and bleeding Soule with more delight and sweetnesse, into His blessed armes of mercy and love. For, O how acceptable is the Fountaine of living waters, saith a worthy Divine, to the chased Hart panting, and braying? The blood of Christ to the weary and tired Soule? To the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath? Hee that presents Him with it, How welcome is Hee? Even as a speciall choise man, One of a thousand. The deeper is the sense of misery, the sweeter is the sense of mercy. The Traytour laid downe upon the blocke, is more sensible of His Soveraignes mercy in pardoning, then Hee, who is not yet attached. — In our dead security before conversion, God is faine to let the Law, Sinne, Conscience, Satan, a deepe sense of our abominable and cursed state loose upon us, and to kindle the very ddThe Lord will not part from any drop of His mercy to them, which f…st have not been swallowed up of His judgeme…ts, which have not laboured, and been heavy laden, which have not been locked up in Hell for a season, and felt for a time the fire therof in their bones, which have not been Baptised with the Baptisme of their owne teares: Hee that feeles not these things in some measure here, elsewhere Hee shall feele them. Gr…ham, pag. 2. cap. 32. Edis. 3.fire of Hell in our soules, that so wee might bee rouzed, and afterward more sweetly and soundly raised and refreshed. For after the most toylesome labour is the sweetest sleepe, after the greatest tempests the stillest calmes. Sanctified troubles and terrours establish the surest peace. And the shaking of these windes makes the trees of Gods Eden take the deeper ro… ting.

I confesse, that commonly true Converts at the first touch, and turning, and after too, cry out most of, and are extraordinarily troubled with some One capitall sin, and that which in their dayes of darknesse and vanitie, p. 223wasted their conscience most, and detained them with strongest entisements, and hold-fast in the Divels bondage. Hence it was, that Zacchaeus was so ready, and willing to restore fourefold, that so Hee might bee rid of the sting and horrour of His former raigning sinne, Luk. 19.8. That blessed Paul, as it seemes, amongst other dreadfull apprehensions of His former unregenerate courses, was so much vexed and wounded in heart, for that Hee had been a Persecuter, 1. Timoth. 1.13. 1. Cor. 15.9. But yet should they take-on never so much, houle and roare for that one sinne; if besides, they did not by the conduct of the blessed Spirit, descend also to a more particular acknowledgement, confession and repentance of all other knowne sinnes, (and they ought, by clearing the eye of naturall conscience, industrious inspection into the pure Cristall of Gods Law, discover as many as they can possibly) all were nothing. Hee which is grieved, say Divines, for one sinne truly, and unfainedly from His heart, will proportionably bee grieved for all the sinnes that Hee knoweth to bee in Himselfe. If wee favour any one sinne in our heart, or life, or calling, wee cannot enjoy Gods favour. If there bee any sensuall lust, or secret corruption, which a man purposely labours to cover and conceale from Gods pure eye, the search of His Word, and mortifying grace; what hope can Hee have, that it is covered with the blood of Christ from the wrath that is to come, or warranted by any promise of grace from the damnation of Hell? In a true Penitent, there ought to bee an utter cessation from all grosse abandonable sinnes, and at least dis-allowance, dis-affection, and all possible opposition, even to un-avoidable infirmities, and inseparable frailties of the flesh.

5. Fiftly, when the Physition of the Soule promiseth mercy and pardon hand over head, without that spirituall discretion, which is convenient for a matter of so great consequence, and requiring such a deale of dexterity p. 224in discerning, to a man upon His Bed of death, who hath formerly bin notorious, or onelyonly civill, howsoever a meere stranger to the power of godlines, and the truth of Profession, because now in the evill Day, He takes on extremely, by reason of His extremity; cries out of his sins; O I am an hainous, horrible and grievous sinner! If I were to live againe, what would not I doe? A World for comfort now, and to die the death of the righteous: because Hee Howles vponupon His bed, as the Prophet speaketh, and breakes out oftentimes into a roaring complaint of sinne, and cry for pardon, by reason Hee now begins to feare and feele the revenging hand of God ready to seize upon Him for his former rebellions, &c. Or when Hee assures Him, having been a formall Professour onelyonly, and foolish Virgine, of blisse and glory; because out of a former habituated spirituall Selfe-deceite, Hee cries, Lord, Lord; seemes to by-standers very confident, that He shal presently receive a Crowne of life, thankes God that nothing troubles Him; Professes to every one that comes to visite Him, that Hee believes and repents with all His heart, forgives all the world, makes no doubt of Heaven, &c.

Here by the way, wee must take notice, that many having out-stood the day of their gratious visitation, having neglected so great salvation, forsaken their owne mercy, and iudged themselues unworthy of everlasting life, all their life long, by standing out against the Ministry of the Word, in respect of any saving worke upon their soules; and now at length beeing overtaken after the short gleame of worldly prosperity, with the boysterous winter-night of death, and darkenesse of the evill day, may keepe a great stirre upon their dying-Beds, or in some great extremity, with grievous complaints of their present intolerable misery, and former sinfull courses procuring it, with incessant cries for ease and deliverance, being now caught like wilde Bulls in a N…t full of the wrath of God, with earnest and eager …uing p. 225and seeking for pardon and salvation, now when worldly pleasures are past; and yet bee not truly penitent, not soundly and savingly humbled, not rightly fitted for Christ and comfort. Consider for this purpose, Prov. 1.24.28. In the day of visitation, God called upon them, and stretched out His hands, but they refused, did not regard; set at naught all His counsell, and would none of His reproofe: And therefore in the Day of vexation, when extremity and anguish shall come upon them, like a Thiefe in the night, a whirle-winde, travaile upon a woman, suddenly, extremely, un-avoidably, Hee professeth before-hand, that then they shall call upon Him, but Hee will not answer; eeHîc refelluntur, qui peccatorum veniam se consequnturos non dubitant modò unius horae quadrantem, quo Deum invocent, nacti fuerint: Cum hoc in loco Deus se nō ex auditurū dicat, si à mane ad vesperam eum inclamitent. Hos etiam toto coelo errare constat, qui putant omnes eos servatos esse, qui moribundi Deum invocant. Ex hoc enim loco satis liquet, multos quibus in ore est, Domine miserere nostri, ad inferos descendere. Ergo, dicet aliquis, quo modo constat promissionis illius veritas, salvum fore, qui Dei nomen invocaverit, Ioel 2. Resp. Illud de ijs intelligitur, qui Deum verè, & synecrè invocant: 1. Fide, quod isti nequeunt, qui fidem non habent, & sapiusculè, quid sit nesciunt. 2. Cum affectu Deum glorificandi: Isti verò in clamoribus suis propriam solummodò respiciunt salutem. 3. Di…cedendo ab iniquitate. 2. Tim. 2.19. Quod isti non faciunt. Cartw. in Locum.Joel 22 Tim 2:19They shall seeke Him early, but they shall not find Him. Psal. 78.34.35.36.37. When Gods hand was upon them, then they **Non est …ec…atum quarere Deum in calamitatibus, & ab eo opeus & auxilium petere: imò mandatū divinū est, ut in aerumnis, & periculis ad Deū consug…amus: sicut dicitur, Invoca me in die tribulationis. Psal 50. Sed tantum petere, ut sensus mali tollatur, & ut nos molestijs & periculis eximamur, atque intereà perseverare in peccandi proposito, id verò est irridere Deum, atque iram ipsius provocare. Moller. in Locum.Ps 50sought him: and they returned, and enquired early after God, &c. Neverthelesse, they did flatter him with their mouth: and they lyed unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, &c. Hos. 7.14. They howled upon their Beds. Will not a Dog or a Beast, or any unreasonable creature, when they are pinched, when they are in extremity, will they not cry, will they not mourne for helpe, &c. Their cries in the evill Day were not hearty prayers, but Howlings upon their Beds. Their earnestnesse in such a case is ordinarily like the teares, prayers, and cryes of a malefactour newly condemned. Hee is very earnest with the Iudge to spare Him. Hee roares out sometimes, and takes on extremely, yet p. 226not heartily for his former lewdnesse, but horribly, because Hee must now loose His life. Hee seemes now, when Hee sees His misery to relent, and to bee toucht with remorse, but it is onelyonly because hee is like to bee hanged. Againe, many there are, who satisfying themselves and others, with a goodly shew of a Forme onelyonly of godlines, may upon their last Bed discover, and represent to By-standers, a great deale of fearelesnesse about their spirituall state, much ffO quàm multi, saith a reverend Father, cum hac spe ad aeternos labores & bella descendunt!confidence, many ostentations of Faith, and full assurance, and behave themselves, as tho they were most certainely going to everlasting blisse, when as, God knowes, their Answer at His just Tribunall must bee, I know you not: And in truth and triall, they have no more part in Christ, nor other portion in Heaven, then the foolish Virgins, and those, Luk. 13.26.27. They are so confident, not because they have escaped the danger, but because they never saw the danger. And hence it is, that many of them die with as much confidence, as the best Christians; they have no more trouble then holy men. To bee sure I am free from danger, and not to know it, may beget equall confidence.

Now concerning the present Case, I must tell you, that for my part, I would not much alter my censure and conceite of a Man's spirituall state, whom I have thorowly knowne before for the manner of His death. The end of Gods dearest servant, after an holy life and unblame-able conversation, may not appeare in the eye of man so calme and comfortable, as was expected; by reason of much tendernesse of conscience, some strong temptation, spirituall desertion, violent distemper of Body; or because God would have the manner of His death serue the glory of His justice, in hardning those about him, who were so farre from being won by His godly life, that they heartily hated it; or for some other secret and sacred end seene, and seeming good to Divine wisedome, who ever disposeth every circumstance, even p. 227of the least affaire most sweetly and wisely. And yet this, as it doth not prejudice His salvation, neither should it His Christian reputation. Heare that great ggGreeneham in His grave Counsell and godly Observation, Pag. 9.Doctor in the Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences. But what if you should die in this discomfort? For my part (as I my selfe looke for no great things in my death) I would not thinke more hardly of you; neither would I wish any to iudge otherwise of Gods Childe in that state of death: For wee shall not bee iudged according to that particular instant of death, but according to our generall course of life; not according to our deede in that present, but according to the desire of our hearts ever before: And therefore wee are not to mistrust Gods mercy in death, bee wee never so uncomfortable, if so bee it hath been before sealed in our vocation and sanctification. Non potest male mori, qui benè vixerit. Prorsùs consirmo, audeo dicere, credidi propter quod loquutus sum: Non potest male mori, qui bene vixerit. August. lib. de Disciplina Christ. cap. 2.On the otherside, a notorious wretch which hath swumme downe the current of the times, and wallowed in worldly pleasures all his life long, may seeme to die penitently and resoluedly to bee reformed, if Hee recover; and yet His sorrow of minde, but such onelyonly as the terrours of an awaked guilty conscience produce; and His resolution to cast away His sinnes, onelyonly such, as a man hath in a storme to cast away His goods, not because hee doth not love them, but because hee feareth to loose his life, if hee part not with them. Or a meere civill Man, or formall Professour, may upon His Bed of death bee very confident, and seeme to bee full of comfort; and yet that confidence no other, then the strong imaginary ioyfull conceit of a covetous man grasping a great deale of gold in his dreame, but when Hee awaketh, behold, his hands are empty.

For a more full and cleare apprehension of my meaning and iudgement in the Point, let us take a survay of the different and severall kinds of death, which ordinarily befall the Godly, and the wicked.

The death of Gods Children are divers.

1. Some of their holy and zealous lives doe determine p. 228and expire sweetly, fairely, and gloriously, even like a cleare Sunne in a Summers evening, without any storme, or cloud of temptation and discomfort. The darkesome and painefull passages and pangs of death are illightened, and sweetned with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence, and fast embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of their Faith. So that to them, the very ioyes of Heaven, and exultations of everlasting rest mingle themselues, with those last agonies, and expirations of death. Their heads are, as it were, crowned with immortality, and endlesse peace upon their beds of death. Luther, that blessed Man of God, died sweetly hhDecimo septimo Februarij die, Lutherus coepit aegrotare gravitis ex pectore: & quanquam erat imbecillior, prandit tamen cum filijs, & familiaribus su…, atque coenavit. Inter coenandum argumentis assèruit sore, ut in alterâ vitâ illâ beatâ alter alierum recognoscat. Post caenam sumpto unicornu ex vino pro medicamento, & ad quietem se componens, salutatis amicis qui aderant, Orate, inquit, Deum, ut Evangelij doctrinam nobis conservet. Pontisex enim & Concilium Tridentinum dira moliuntur. Haec ubi dixit, facto silentio dormit aliquamdiu; sed urgente vi morbi, post mediam noctem excitatus queritur de pectoris angustiâ: & praesenticus iam instare sinem, his verbis Deum ardenter invocat: Pater mi coelestis, Deus & Pater Domini Iesu Christi, Deus omnis consolationis, ago tibi gratias, quòd filium tuum Iesum Christum mihi revelâsti: cui credidi, quem sum professus, quem amavi, quem celebravi: quem Pontifex Romanus, & reliqua impiorum turba persequitur; & afficit contumeliâ: Rogo te, mi Domine Iesu Christe, suscipe animulam meam. Mi Pater coelestis, etiamsi divellor ex hac vit á, licèt corpus hoc mihi sit iam deponendum, certò tamen scio, me tecum esse permansurum in sempiternum, neque possè me tuis ex manibus à quoquam avelli: Non multò post eam precationem, ubi spiritum suum in manus Dei semel & iterùm commendâsset, tanquam dormiturus, paulatim… vitâ decedit, nullo cum corporis, qui quidem animad verti posset, cruciatu. Osiand. Hist. Eccles. Cent. 16. Lib. 1. cap. 56.and triumphantly over Hell, the Pope, and the Divell: iiActs and Monum. vol. 2. pag. 994. I no more weigh Cochlaeus his cursed lyes to the contrary, or of any his fellow stigmaticall Knights of the Post, as Bolsec. &c. then I would doe the barking of a Dog, the braying of an Asse, or bellowing of a Divell.My heavenly Father, (said Hee at his death) eternall and mercifull God, thou hast manifested unto me thy deare Son, our Lord Iesus Christ. I have taught him, I have knowne him, I love him as my life, my health, and my redemption: whom the wicked have persec…ed, maligned, and with iniury afflicted. Draw my Soule to Thee. After this, Hee said as insued thrice. I commend my spirit into thine hands, thou hast redeemed mee, O God of truth. God so loved the world, that hee gave his onelyonly Sonne, that all that beleeve in Him should have life everlasting. Ioh. 3. p. 229Heare how another blessed kkMaster Iohn Holland, a faithfull Minister of Gods Word,Saint of God ended his dayes: Having the day before hee died continued his meditation and exposition vponupon Rom. 8. for the space of two houres, or more, on the sudden Hee said; O stay your reading! What brightnesse is this I see? Have you light up any candles? To which I answered, No; It is the Sun-shine, for it was about five a clocke in a cleare Summers evening. Sun-shine, saith Hee, nay, my Saviour-shine. Now farewell world, welcome heaven; The Day-starre from on high hath visited my heart. O speake it when I am gone, and preach it at my Funerall, God dealeth familiarly with man. I feele his mercy, I see his Maiesty; whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God hee knoweth; but I see things that are un-utterable. So, ravished in spirit, Hee roamed toward heaven, with a chearefull looke, and soft sweete voyce, but what Hee said, wee could not conceive.—With the Sunne in the morning following, raising himselfe, as Iacob did upon his staffe, hee shut up his blessed life, with these blessed words: O what an happy change shall I make? From night to day? From darkenesse to light? From death to life? From sorrow to solace? From a factious world to an heavenly beeing? O my deare brethren, sisters, and friends! It pittieth mee to leave you behind: yet remember my death when I am gone, and what I now feele, I hope you shall finde, ere you die, that God doth, and will deale familiarly with men. And now thou fiery Chariot, that came downe to feth up Eliah, carry mee to my happy Hold: And all yee blessed Angels, who attended the Soule of Lazarus, to bring it up to heaven, beare mee, O beare mee into the bosome of my Best beloved. Amen, Amen, come Lord Iesus, come quickly. And so hee fell asleepe. That this is true, the llIn His Sermon intituled, The Soules Solace against sorrow, pag 17. &c.reporter and By-stander, that ancient learned reverend Minister of God, Master Leygh addeth: I say the truth, my Brethren, I lie not, my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost, &c.

p. 2302. Others may end their dayes very uncomfortably in ravings, impatiencies, and other strange behaviours. Nay, the fiery distempers of their hot diseases, may sometimes, even in the Saints of God, produce furlous carriages, fearefull distractions, and some despairefull speeches. But these being the naturall effects and issues of melancholike excesses, Phrensies, and burning Fevers, are sins of infirmity in sanctified men. For which, if they come againe to themselves, they actually repent; if not, they are all undoubtedly, by a generall habituall repentance, and Gods gratious acceptation thereof, pardoned by the Passion of Christ, and buried for ever in his bloody death. That last and unreversable doome, at the dreadfull Tribunall of the ever-living God must passe upon us; not according to the violent, and unvoluntary distempers at our last houre, but according to the former Passages of our life; the sinfull, or sanctified expense of the daies of health. Heare that other ooPerkins in his Salve for a sicke Man.great Artist in the Mysterie of dealing with trouble consciences. The common opinion is, that if a man die quietly, and goe away like a Lambe, (which in some diseases, as consumptions, and such like, any Man may doe) then hee goes straight to heaven: but if the violence of the disease stirre up impatience, and cause franticke behaviours, then men use to say, there is a judgement of God serving either to discover an Hypocrite, or to plague a wicked man. But the truth is otherwise: For indeede a man may die like a lambe, and yet goe to Hell: and one dying in exceeding torments, and strange behauiours of the body, may goe to heaven.

3. The death of some others is mixt, to wit, of fearefull tempestuous stormes, and almost, if not altogether, despairefull agonies, in the beginning of their last sicknesse, and a faire refreshing glorious calme, and ioyfull triumphs over temptations, and feare, towards the conclusion of their life. For some secret end and holy purpose seeming good to his heavenly wisedome, God suffers p. 231sometimes even his dearest servants, to taste, as it were, of the fire of Hell, and for a while to feele in their consciences, those damned flames, as a preparative to drinke more sweetly of the Well of life, and Rivers of endlesse pleasures. So himselfe is most honoured, by helping when all hope is past: The heart of his Child more ravisht with the first sight of those un-utterable joyes, beeing suddenly rais'd to the height of happinesse, from the depth of horrour: The enemies to the narrow way dasht and confounded, by observing his deliverance, whom, out of prophane blindnesse, they deemed an Hypocrite: Godly Christians gratiously reviv'd, when they see, That tho the Lord hide His face from his Childe for a moment, yet at last with everlasting kindnesse will Hee have mercy on Him. And that Hee will never utterly, and finally forsake any of His. Thus died those blessed Servants of God, Mistris Bretergh, Master Peacock, &c. Mistris Bretergh in the heate of temptatiō, wished that she had never bin borne, or that she had bin made any other creature, rather then a woman: But when that Hellish storme was over-blowne by the returne of the glorious beames of the Sun of righteousnesse into Her Soule; She turnd her tune, and triumphed thus: Oh happy am I, that ever I was borne, to see this blessed Day! I confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse, and his wonderfull workes before the sons of men: For hee hath satisfied my Soule, and filled my hungry Soule with goodnesse.

Master Peacocke in the height of His dreadfull Desertion, told those about Him, that hee converst with Hell-…ounds; That the Lord had cursed him; That Hee had no grace: That it was against the course of Gods proceeding, to save Him, &c. But when that horrible tempest of spirituall terrours was happily disperst; and the light of Gods comfortable countenance begun to shine againe upon His most heavy and afflicted spirit; Hee dis-avowed all inconsiderate speeches, as hee called p. 232them, in his temptation, and did humbly and heartily aske mercy of God for them all; And did thus triumph: What should I extoll the magnificence of God, which is unspeakeable, and more then any heart can conceive? Nay rather let us with humble reverence acknowledge His great mercy. What great cause have I to magnifie the great goodnesse of God, that hath humbled, Nay rather exalted such a wretched miscreant, of so base condition to an estate so glorious and stately! The Lord hath honored mee with his goodnesse: I am sure, hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for mee: The joy which I feele in my heart is uncredible.

4. Some of Gods worthiest Champions, and most zealous servants doe not answere the unreprooveable sanctity of their life, and unspotted current of their former conversation, with those proportionable extraordinary comforts, and glorious Passages upon their beds of death, which in ordinary congruity might be expected, as a conuenient conclusion to the rare and remarkeable Christian cariages of such blessed Saints. So bottomlesse and infinitely un-fathomable by the utmost of all created vnderstandings are the depths of Gods most holy waies, and His inscrutable Counsells, quite contrary many times to the probable conclusions of Man's best wisdome. But every one of His, sith he certainly passes thorow those pangs into pleasures and joyes endlesse and unspeakeable, must be content to glorifie God, & to be seruiceable to His secret ends, with what kinde of death Hee please: whether it bee glorious and untempted: or discomfortable, because of Bodily distempers, and consequently interpretable by undiscerning spirits: or mingled of temptations, and Triumphs: or ordinary, and without any great shew, or remarkeable speeches, after extraordinary singularities of an holy life, which promised an end of speciall note, and admiration.

Why may not some worthy heavenly-minded Christians sometimes by strong mortifying meditations, and p. 233many conquering fore-conceits of death in their life time, make it before-hand so familiar and easie unto them, an by continuall conversing above, and constant peace of conscience, taste so deepely of spirituall ioyes, that that dreadfull Passage out of this life, as it may breede no great sense of alteration in themselves, so no extraordinary matter of speciall observation to others.

Of the wicked, and those, who were ever strangers to the mystery of Christ and truth of godlinesse:

Some die desperately. Tho thousands perish by mmOf one Reprobate that dyes in this despaire and torment of conscience, there bee millions that dye in presumption of mercy, without sense of sinne, or punishment: The reason whereof is, because Satan, who knowes Hee hath time little enough in this life to draw men to sinne, and long enough after this life to torment them for it, doth therefore ordinarily reserue the tormenting of sinners to the Day of iudgement, and till they be in Hell; left if Hee shuld deale so roughly with all sinners in this world, they might, being so pincht with terrours, seeke after the meanes of salvation, as did the Iaylo…r, and the …ewes. Act. 16.30, and 2.37. &c. Chibald. Triall of Faith, lib. 1. cap. 5. p. 70.Acts 16:30Acts 2:37presumption, to One of these who despaire; yet some there are, to whom upon their beds of death all their sins are set in order before them, and represented to the eie of their awaked consciences in such griesly formes and so terribly, that at the very first and fearefull sight, they are presently struck starke dead in soule and spirit, utterly over-whelmed and quite swallowed up with guilty and desperate horrour. So that afterward, No counsell, or comfort; no consideration of the immeasurablenesse of Gods mercy, of the unvaluablenesse and omnipotency, that I may so speak, of Christs bloud shed, of the variety & excellency of gracious promises, of the losse of their owne immortall soules, can possibly drive and divert from that infinitely nnWee should never bee in such a forlorne condition, wherein there should bee ground of despaire, considering our sinnes bee the sinnes of Man, His mercy the mercy of an infinite God. Doctor Sibbes, Brused Reede, Preface to the Reader.false conceite, and cursed Cry; My sinnes are greater, then can bee pardoned. Whereupon most miserable, and forlorne wretches, they very wickedly, and willfully throw themselves into Hell, as it were, upon earth, and are damned above ground. Thus the Lord sometimes for the terror of others, glorifying his owne iustice, & bringing exemplary confusion upon impenitent obstinacy in sinne, and willfull opposition to grace, doth in greatest indignation by the hand of divine vengeance, unclaspe unto p. 234them, the Booke of their owne Conscience, and of His owne holy Law. In one of which they find, now at length, all their innumerable iniquities, transgressions and sinnes engraven with the Point of a diamond, enraged with Gods implacable wrath, aggravated with the utmost malice of Satan; And never to bee razed out, or remitted, but by the bloud of the Son of God, in which they peremptorily professe themselves to have no part. In the other, they see the fiercenes, and fulnesse of all the curses, plagues and torments denounced there, and due unto all impenitent sinners, ready to bee poured upon their bodies and soules for ever; And no possibility to prevent them, no waies to decline them, but by Gods infinite bounty thorow Iesus Christ, in which they also utterly disclaime all right and interest. And therefore they are now finally, and desperately resolved to looke for no mercy: But in their owne judgement, and by their owne confession▪ stand reprobates from Gods covenant, and voide of all hope of His inheritance, expecting with unspeakeable terrour and amazement of spirit, the consummation of their miserie, and fearefull sentence of eternall damnation. They are commonly such, ooOut of the cursed Nurcery of such sorts of sinners as these, God doth now and then single out some, and hang them up as it were in chaines, as wofull Spectacles of despai…e, for warning to others.as have been grosse Hypocrites like Iudas, and lien in some secret abomination against the knowledge of their hearts, all their life long; that have followed still their owne sensuall wayes, and course of the world against the light of the Ministry, standing like an armed man in their consciences to the contrary; who have been Scorners and Persecutours of the power of godlinesse, and the good way; who have abjured the Gospell of Iesus Christ, and forsaken the Truth for honour, wealth, or worldly happinesse: To whom the Lord in their life-time vouchsafed many mercies, much prosperity, great meanes of salvation, long forbearance, &c. And yet they stood out still they still hated to bee reformed, set as naught all His counsell, and would … of His … proofe. Wherefore the Day of gratious visitation p. 235beeing once expired, a thousand Worlds▪ will not purchase it againe; Heaven and Earth cannot recall it. No mercy, no comfort, no blessing can then bee had, tho they seeke it with teares and yelling. They shall never more bee heard, tho with much violence they throw their serikings into the Aire and cry with sighes and groanes, as piercing as a sword. Not, but that the Gates of Heaven, and armes of mercy may stand wide open, untill their last breath: But alas! They have already so hardened their hearts, that they cannot repent. After thine hardnesse, Rom. 2.5.Rom 2:5saith Paul, and heart, that cannot repent. They now but howle upon their Beds, they doe not cry unto God with their heart; as the Prophet speakes, Hos. 7.14. Their earnest and early crying in this last extremity, is onelyonly because▪ Their feare is come upon them as desolution, and their destruction as a whirlewinde. When they cast out their considerations for comfort. It is not the whole Creation can possibly help them; for they must stand or fall to the Tribunall of the everlasting God, mighty and terrible, the Creator of the ends of the Earth. If they looke up to God the Father; that Prov. 1.24.26. comes presently into their heads with much horrour, and quite kills their hearts: Because Hee hath called all our life long, and all that goodly time wee refused; Hee will laugh now at our calamity, and mocke when our feare is come. Iesus Christ, as they strongly conceive, and un-mooveably conclude against themselves, hath now to them for ever closed up His wounds as it were, and will not afford them one drop of His blood; because they have so often, by comming unworthily, spilt it in the Sacrament, persecuted Him in His members, and despised Him in the Ministry. The blessed Spirit, because in the Day of visitation they repelled all his inward warnings and holy motions, preferring Satans impure suggestions, before His sacred inspirations, doth now in their own acknowledgement, by the equity of a just proportion, in p. 236this Day of vexation, leave them to eat the fruit of their former wilfulnesse, and reape the reward of their owne wayes. Thus these forlorne wretches are disclaimed, forsaken, and abandoned of Heaven and Earth, God and Man; of all the comforts in this life, and blessings of the World to come. And so by finall despairing of Gods mercy, the ooIn what sense despaire is the greatest sinne: for it is not simply so. Ever the more excellent the vertue is▪ the more pestilent is the opposite vice. Hatred of God in it selfe is a greater sinne then desperation; because the Love of God is a more excellent grace then Hope. See 2…. q. 2. art. 3. Though Aqu… n… His Summes bee a vast dunghill of much rotten superstit…ō, and false Divinity; yet about vertues & vices, lawes and other Philosophicall Points, He lets …all some Truths. Desperat…o m…tor est … …e…p ratio peior est omni peccato. Bern. Perpetrare stagitium aliquod, … est. Se… disperara est …escendere in infernum. Isid. Iudas mag …ex hoc offendit Dominum, q…a se su…pend…t, …udu… quòd Dominum prodidit. Hieron▪ in …sal 108. Iudam tradito…em … misit, quàm indulgentiae desperatio fecit penitùs interire. August. de…lit P…nit. Quid aliud est desperare, quàm Deum sibi comparare? —Qui … comparat, …inem …mponit divine virtuli, dans sinem ixfi…uto, & … ause …ns…o: cui nihil deest, quodetiam cogitar i non potest. Idem de … cap. 5. But doe not mistake the good Father, or upon His word presume; but heare what Hee addes: Sunt alij inimici desperationis, qui ad…ò p…aesem…, & … Deo confid…, quòd quandam sibi licentiam acquirunt peccandi: & sine poe…temi… …xp…llant ventam: qui credunt, quoniam Christiani sunt, non posse damnari: adulantes si…, eà quòd scriptum est, omnis quicunque invo…averit nomen Domini, salvus e…it. …utan…en… no…cu Dominita vocare, quo…a…possunt Christum credere, & Sacramem a Ecclesiae samere, non verentes, multos esse vocasos, sed paucos electos. Ibid. cap. 6.greatest of sinnes, they most unhappily, and cursedly follow Iudas the worst of men, into the darkest and most damned nooke in Hell.

2. Others die senselesly and blockishly. They demeane themselues, upon their dying Beds, as tho there were no immortality of the Soule, no Tribunall aboue, no strict account to bee given up there for all things done in the flesh, no everlasting estate in the world to come; wherein every one must either lie in unspeakeable paines, or live in un-utterable pleasures. In their life time, they were never woont to tremble at Gods judgments, or rejoyce in his promises, or much trouble themselves with the ministry of the Word, or about the state of their soules. All was one to them, what Minister they had, whether a Man taught to the kingdome of Christ, or a generall Teacher, or an ignorant Mangler of the word, or a dissolute fellow, or a Dawber with untempered morter, or a dumbe Dog. If they were neither Whores nor Thieves, but well accounted p. 237of amongst their neighbours, thriued in the world, prospered in their outward state, prouided for posterity, slept in a whole skinne, were not vexed on the Lords day with any of these precise Trouble-townes: They were well enough, and had all they looked for, either in this world, or in the world to come. Wherefore at their death by reason of their former disacquaintance with spirituall things, and God not opening their eies, they are neither afflicted with any feare of Hell; or affected with any hope of Heaven; they are both un-apprehensive of their present danger, and fearelesse of the fiery lake, into which they are ready to fall. In these regards, they are utterly untouched, die most quietly, and without any trouble at all. And it is their ordinary Answere, when they are questioned about their spirituall state, and How it stands with them betweene God and their owne Consciences; I thanke God nothing troubles me. Which, tho they thinke it makes much for their owne credit, yet alas! It is small comfort to judicious By-standers, and such as wish well to their Soules; But rather a fearefull confirmation, that they are finally giuen ouer to the spirit of slumber, and sealed up by divine qqIndeed sometimes, and most commonly conscience in many is secure at the time of death. God in his justice plaguing an affected security in this life, with an inflicted security at death. And the Lord seemes to say, as once to the Prophet; Goe, make their consciences asleepe at their death, as they have made it asleepe all their life, lest conscience should see and speake, and they heare and bee saved. —Therefore they die, tho not desperate as Saul and Ahitophel; yet sottishly without comfort and feeling of Gods love; as Na…al. Dyke of Conscience, cap. 12.justice, in the sottishnesse and security of their owne senselesse hearts, for most deserved condemnation. Thus these men, as One speakes, live like stocks, and die like blocks. And yet the ignorant people, saith Greeneham, will still commend such fearefull deaths, saying, He departed as meekely, as a Lambe, Hee went away as a bird in a shell; when they might as well say, (but for their featherbed, and their pillow) hee dyed like a beast, and perished like an Oxe in a ditch.

3. Others die formally; I meane they make very p. 238goodly shewes and representations of much confidence and comfort. Having formerly beene formall Professours, and so furnished with many formes of godly speeches▪ and outward Christian behaviours; And the spirit of delusion, and spirituall Selfe-cousenage, wich in their life time detained them in constancy of security, and selfe-conceitednesse about the spirituall safty of their soules, ppWhom Satan seeth … of Gods favour, whom H…e knoweth …, and … to bee cast into H…ll fire; those doth Hee …alsely perswade, that they are out of all danger, and never suffer them so much as to perceive their lamentable estate: But whom …ee seeth God doth favour, whom Hee knoweth to bee Christs brethren, and fellow-heires of the Kingdome of heaven, those will Hee tempt very often to seate, to doubt, yea sometimes even to despaire of their salvation. Touchstone for a Christian. pag. 81.without any such doubts, troubles, feares, temptations, which are woont to haunt those who are true of heart, (for ordinarily such is the peace of unsound Professors) continuing their imaginary groundlesse persvasion and presumption in the height and strength unto the end, for their very last breath may bee spent in saying Lord Lord open unto us, as wee see in the foolish Virgines, and those, Mat. 7. I say such men as these, thus wofully deluded and fearefully deceiving others, may cast out upon their last beds many glorious speeches▪ intimating much seeming confidence of a good estate to God-ward, contempt of the world, willingnesse to die, readinesse to forgiue all the world, hope to bee saved, desire to bee dissolved, and goe to Heaven, &c. They may cry aloud with a great deale of formall confidence, Lord, Lord, qqEx hoc l…co satis liquet, multos, quibus in ore est, Domine miserere nostri, ad inferos descendere. Cartw. in cap. 1. Proverb. Sunt quicredunt, quoni…m Christiani sunt, non posse damnari: adulantes sibi, eò quòd scriptum est, Omnis qui…nque …nvoca… …rit nomen Domini, salvus erit. Putant enim se nomen Domini invocare, quoniam possunt Christum credere, & sacramenta Ecclesiae sumere, non verentes, multos esse voca…ot, sed pauco… electos. August. De verâ & falsâ Poenit. cap. 6.Mercy, Mercy in the name of Christ, Lord Iesus receive our spirits, &c. And yet all these goodly hopes, and earnest eiaculations, growing onelyonly from a forme, & not from the power of godlines, are but, as I said somewhere before, as so many catchings and scrablings of a Man over-head in water; He strugles and strives for hold to save Himself, but he graspes nothing but water; it is still water, which He catches, and therefore sinkes and drownes. They are all but as a spiders web, Iob. 8. 14.15. VponUpon which, One falling from the top of an house, laies hold by the way, for stay and support. Hee p. 239shall lea…e upon his house, O quà… multi cum hac spe ad aeternos labores & bella descendunt… How many goe to Hell with this hope?but it shall not stand; H…e shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. O how many descend faitl… an ancient Father, with this hope to eternall trauailes and torment? How many saith an **Doctor Featly.other worthy Doctour, goe to Hell with a vaine hope of Heaven: whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false persuasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation? Audi dominum: Mors peccatoris pessima. Quae tibi videtur hona, pessima est, si intùs videa…. Vides for…s …ace…em in let to, nunquid vides intùs …aptum ad gebe… nam? August. in Ps. 33.Ps 33Of all the foure kindes of death, which ordinarily befall such as are not saved, this is the fairest in shew; but yet of greatest imposture to those about them, and of most pestilent consequence to harden especially all of the same humour, that heare of it.

4. Some die Penitently: But I meane seemingly so, not savingly. Many having served their appetites all their lives, and lived in pleasure; now when the Sun of their sensuall delights begins to set, and the darke midnight of misery and horrour, to seize upon them, would very gladly bee saved. And I blame them not, If they might first live the life of the wicked, and then die the death of the righteous: If they might have the earthly Heaven of the worlds Favourites here, and the Heauen of Christs Martyrs in the world to come. rrOstenditur nobis per haec verba, quòd illo in tempore inter angustias diversorum terrorum videntes se peccatores, anxiabuntur & current huc & illuc ad sacerdotes, doctrinam & poenitentiam sibi quaerentes. Alij autem interrogantes, quid eos oporteat facere, sed festinante judicio, & necessitatibus alijs super alias venientibus, cum non sit docendi licentia, nec temp…s faciendae justitiae, aut agendae poenitentiae, festinatio eorum vacua erit. Hoc enim & in quotidiano usu videmus fieri. Quotidie enim sacerdotes clamant in Ecclesiâ: Qui peccavit, poenitentiam agat:—Neque seducant vos honores, & devitiae temporales; quia tempus vestrum prope est: Et si consummatio vestra tardaverit, mors vestra non tardat, & nemo credit, nemo ob… dit: cum autem venerit super illos mors; festinant, & anxiantur▪ vocant sacerdotes, poenitentiam volunt agere, quando jam poenitentiae locus non est. Itaque dum expo…unt peccata sua, & capitur anima eorum, & vadunt vacui, magis autem ligaci justo j…dicio Dei; quta non propter odium peccatorum displicentes sibi vol…ham poenitentiam agere, sed propter mortis timorem. Adhuc enim si vivere po…uissent, non sibi displicuissent. Ine…tus author. Hom. 52. in cap. Mat. 25. Vlulant quidem in cubilibus, id verò doloris impatientiâ faciunt, quē expoenis concipiunt, non quòd peccata sua deplorent. Gualt. in cap. 7 Hos. Fui…e… est is se…sus, ea conscientia peccati & miseriae, praesertim verò conscientia tanti contemplus obl…tae l…cis, idque ex judicijs, quibus exercebuntur, ut tum quidem seriò cruc…andi sint de…ide… in Christi: Non quidem, quòd id desiderium sit …uturum Christi, propter ipsum Christum, — aut propter odium Peccati, sed propter sensum miseriae, quem ferre non poterunt. Rolloc. in cap. 8. Iohan.Matt 25These Men p. 240are woont in this last extremity, to take on extremely; But it is but like their Howling upon their Beds. Hos. 7.14. Because they are pinched with some sense of present horror and expectation of dreadful things: They cry out mightily for mercy; But it is no other, then their early seeking, Prov. 1.28. Because distresse and anguish is come upon them: They enquire eagerly after God, and would now bee gladly acquainted with Him; But just like them, Psal. 78. ssAnd to seeke Him then, is not to seeke Him; Non quaerebant Eum. No: they seeke Him not, they dissemble with Him (saith Asaph in the next verse). For, when God to trie them, reprived them never so little time, they fell to their old byas; and when as Hee ceased killing, their seeking was at an end. So are all forced seekings: like to a Bowstring brought to his full bent, but remit you never so little, it starteth backe againe. Nay, it is not quaerebant, no kindly seeking; but a base ignoble creeping to, without all ingenuity, when wee must either die, or doe it. Winchesters Sermons. pag. 181.When Hee slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned, and enquired early after God. And they remembred that God was their Rocke, and the high God their Redeemer. Neverthelesse, they did flatter Him with their mouth: And they lyed unto Him with their Tongs: For their heart was not right with Him. They promise very faire, and protest gloriously, what mended men they will bee, if the Lord restore them: But all these goodly promises are but as a morning cloud, and as the early dew. They are like those of a Thiefe or murtherer at the Barre, which beeing now cast, and seeing there is now no way but one: O what a reformed man would Hee bee, if Hee might bee reprieved! Antiochus, as the Apocryphall Booke of the tt2. Maccab. 9.2 Macc 9Maccabees reports, when the hand of God was upon Him horribly, vowed excellent things: O what Hee would doe; so and so extraordinarily for the people of God! yea and that He Himselfe also would become a Iew; and goe through all the world, that was inhabited, and declare the power of God. But what was it, thinke you, that made this raging Tyrant to relent, and thus seemingly repent? A paine of the bowells that was remedilesse came upon Him, and sore torments of the inner parts. So that no man could endure to carry him for His intolerable stinke; And He himselfe could not abide His owne smell. Many may thus behaue themselves upon their Beds of death with very strong shewes, and many boisterous representations of true turning unto God, whereas in truth and triall, they are as yet rotten at p. 241heart roote.

And as yet no more comfort upon good ground belongs unto them, then to those in the fore-cited Places: And if any spirituall Physition in such a case, doe presse it hand over head, or such a Patient presume to apply it, it is utterly misgrounded, mis-applied. Heare what uuDoctor Vsher in His Answer to a Iesuites Challenge, pag. 152.One of the worthiest Divines in Christendome saith: Now put case One commeth to His ghostly Father with such sorrow of minde, as the terrours of a guilty conscience usually doe produce, and with such a resolution to cast away His sinnes, as a Man hath in a storme to cast away his goods; not because Hee doth not love them, but because Hee feareth to lose His life, if Hee part not with them: doth not hee betray this mans soule, who putteeh into His head, that such an extorted repentance as this, which hath not one graine of love to season it withall, will qualifie Him sufficiently for the receiving of an absolution? &c. And xxDyke, of Repentance, cap. 16. foreign. Mat. 13 52. Poenitentia nunquam sera si seria: Sed sera rarò vera. Agens poenitentiam & reconciliatus; cum sanus est, & posteà benè vivens, securus hinc exit. Agen… poenitentiam ad ultimum & reconciliatus, si securus hinc exit, Ego non sum securus. August. Hom. 41. ex 50. Ambros. Exhort. ad poenitent. Quomodo agit poenitentiam in extremis vitae fi…bus constitutus? —Poenitentia quae ab in…ir…o petitur, …nsirma est. Poenitentia quae à moriente tantùm petitur, timeo ne ipsa moriatur. August. de temp Serm. 57. C…m venerit super illos mors, …estinant & anxiantur, vocant sacerdotes, Poenitentiam volunt agere, quando iam Poenitentiae locus non est. —Qu…a non propter odium peccatorum displicentes sibi volebant poenitentiam agere, sed propter mortis timorem. Incert. Author in Mat. Hom. 52.Matt 13:52another excellently instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven: Repentance at death is seldome sound. For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement, and an horrour of Hell, then for any griefe for sinne. And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse, when they have recovered, have been rather worse then before. It is true, that true Repentance is never too late, but late Repentance is seldome true: For here our sinnes rather leave us, then wee them, as Ambrose sayes, And as Hee addes, Woe bee unto them, whose sinne and life end together. This received Principle among the ancient Fathers, That late Repentance is rarely true, implyes, that it is often false and unsound, and so by consequent confirmes the present Point. Too manifold experience also makes it good: Amongst p. 242many for my part, I have taken speciall notice of two: The one beeing laboured-with in prison, was seemingly so extraordinarily humbled, that a reverend Man of God was mooved thereby, to bee a meanes for his reprive, whereupon a Pardon was procured. And yet this so extraordinary a Penitent, while death was in his eye, having the terror removed, returned to His vomit; and some two yeeres after, to the same Place againe, as notorious a Belial as Hee was before. Another, having upon His Bed of sicknesse received in His owne conceite the sentence of death against Himselfe; and beeing pressed to humiliation, and broken-heartednesse; for Hee had formerly been a stranger and enemy to purity, and the power of godlinesse, answered thus: My heart is broken: and so broke out into an earnest confession of particular sinnes: Hee named uncleannesse, stubbornnesse, obstinacy, vaine-glory, hypocrisie, dissimulation, uncharitablenesse, covetousnesse, luke-warmenesse, &c. He compared himselfe to the Thiefe upon the Crosse. And if God, saith Hee, restore mee to health againe, the world shall see, what an altered man I will bee. When hee was prest to syncerity and true-heartednesse in what hee said; Hee protested, that hee repented with all his heart and Soule, and minde, and Bowels, &c. And desired a Minister that stood by, to bee a witnesse of these things betweene the world and Him. And yet this Man upon His recovery, became the very same, if not worse then Hee was before.

Now sith upon this Perusall of the different deaths incident to the godly and the wicked, it appeares; that some men never soundly converted, may in respect of all outward representations, die as confidently and comfortably in the conceite of the most, as Gods dearest Children: and that Christs best servant sometimes may depart this life yyAnd thus many deare servants of God are oftentimes grievously perplexed, troubled in spirit, gauled in mind, long seeking and labouring for release; and finding none, condemning themselves, that they are the very firebrands of Hell, and cannot bee saved: Nay, many times they doe even die with speeches in their mouthes, which much savour of despaire. Hieron in His Caveat and Comfort for Beleevers, pag. 41.uncomfortably to the eye, and in the p. 243opinion of the greatest part; And wee heard before, that our last and everlasting Doome must passe upon us, according to the syncerity, or sensuality, the zealous forwardnes, or formality of our former courses; and not according to the seeming of our last carriage upon Bed of death, and enforced behaviour in that time of extremity: I say, these things beeing so, I hold my conclusion still, and resolution; not much to alter my censure and conceit of a mans spirituall state, for the manner of His death. I except the Thieves upon the Crosse: My meaning is, that there may bee some, (I know nor how few, but I am sure there is none, except Hee have in Him the perfection of the madnesse of all the Bedlams that ever breath'd, would run that hazard) who formerly out of the way and unreformed, may now at last, being very extraordinarily, and mightily humbled under Gods mighty hand, & cleaving to the Lord Iesus with truly broken hearts indeede, follow by a miracle, as it were, the Thiefe upon the Crosse, to an everlasting Crowne. And here now, I require the care, conscience, heavenly wisedome, experimentall skill, and all His ministeriall dexterity in the Physition of the Soule, to discerne aright betweene these, and seeming Penitents: and then to apply Himselfe proportionably with all holy discretion and seasonablenesse, to their severall different estates.

But to fright and fire every One for ever, from that extremest zzSed ne fortès charissimi) aliquem nimis securum saciat, aut remissum tam nova felicitas credulitatis; Ne sortè dicat aliquis in corde suo, Non me usque adeò conturbet & cruciet rea conscientia; Non me usque adeò contristet culpabilis vita, video sub momento, video sub exiguo spacio latroni crimina sua donata.—Deterreant quaeso nos ab hâc persuasione, innumerabiles populi sub tali securitate nudi & vacui bonis, & malis pleni ex hac luce prae…epti. —Immittit Diabolus securitatem, ut infera… perditionem, neque dinumerari possi…, quantos haec inanis spei umbra deceperit. —Deinde stul…is…mum est, ut causa, quae de necess…atibus agitur aeternis, inutilitatibus vitae deficientis committatur extremis. —O dibile est apud Deum, quando homo sub siduciâ poenitentiae in senectatem reservatae liberius peccat. August. De Temp. Serm. 120.folly of hoping to follow that miraculously penitent Thiefe; and from going on in sinne, and deferring Repentance upon such a deceiving and desperate p. 244ground; let us consider;

1. First, what an holy and learned aaGreenham, pag. 2. cap. 32. Edit. 3.Man of God saith to this Point: In great wisedome, that men at the last gaspe should not utterly despaire, the Lord hath left us but one example of exceeding, and extraordinary mercy, by saving the Thiefe on the Crosse. — Yet the perversenesse of all our nature may bee seene by this, in that this one serveth us to loosenesse of life, in hope of the like: whereas wee might better reason; That it is but one, and that extraordinary, and that besides this One, there is not bbLegi, inquit Augustinus, & perl…gi Scripturam: & neminem inveni in duobus millibus annorum sal…atum in sine, nisi L…tron: mincruce. Nicolaus Laurentius adversus desperationem, pag 371.one moe in all the Bible; and that for this One that sped, a thousand thousands have missed: And what folly is it to put our selues in a way, where so ccThat, that may bee said, is this, and it is nothing. True, some one or two of a thousand, and ten thousand, that have. How then? Shall wee not therefore follow our instruction, and seeke Him before? —Some going a journey, have sound a Purse by the way: It were mad counsell▪ to advise us to leave o… money behind, upon hope of like hap in ours, &c. Winchesters Serm. pag. 180. Si mille homines perussent ex cibi ali…uius …enenali perceptione, uno duntoxat miraculose servito, … cibum illum gustares? Harmon Evang. cap. 15. pag. 18….many have miscarried? To put our selves into the hand of that Physition, that hath murthered so many; going cleane against our sense and reason: whereas in other wee alwaies leane to that which is most ordinary, and conclude not the Spring of one Swallow? It is as if a Man should spurre His Asse till Hee speake, because Baalams Asse did once speake: so grossely hath the Divell bewitched us.

2. Secondly, the singularities about the good Thiefe: first, His heart was broken with one short Sermon, as it were; but thou hast, or mightest have heard many, and art yet hard-hearted. Secondly, the other Thiefe saw also that soveraigne Soule-healing blood gush freshly and abundantly out of His blessed side, and yet was not strucke, or stird at all. Thirdly, His example is onelyonly for true Penitents; but Thou upon this presumption despising in the meane time, the riches of Gods goodnesse, and forbearance, and long-suffering, leading Thee to repentance, hardenest thy heart, that thou canst not repent. Fourthly, His case was singular, and such, that the like is not to bee found in the whole Scripture. A King sometimes pardons a Malefactour at the Place of execution; wilt thou therefore runne desperately into some p. 245horrible villany, deserving death, hoping to bee that One amongst many thousands? Fifthly, It was a ddWe digest not them that call on us for the seeking of God, but seek our selves (as the Apostle speakes) Magistros secundum desideria, that may entertaine us with speculations, of what may be done by Miracle at the houre of death: that may give us daies, & elbow-roome enough to seek other things, and to shrinke up his seeking into a narrow time at our End; and tell us, time enough then, Winchesters Sermons, pag. 179.miracle, saith an excellent eeDyke upon Repentance, cap. 17.Divine, with the glory whereof our Saviour would honour the ignominy of the Crosse; we may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ, as such a second Thiefe. Christ then triumphing on the Crosse, did as Princes doe in the triumph of entring into their Kingdomes, they pardon grosse offences before committed, such as they pardon not afterwards. 6. Having an eye upon this Thiefe, that thou mayest more fully and freely follow thy pleasures, Thou makest a covenant with death, and an agreement with Hell, and puts the evill Day farre from Thee: But the Lord hath professed; That thy covenant with death shall bee dis-annulled, and thy agreement with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorow, then shalt thou bee trodden downe by it.

3. Thirdly, the ordinary impossibilities of following the blessed Thiefe in His miraculous Repentance. First, thou art cryed unto continually by Gods Messengers to come in, now while it is called to Day; yet thou standest out still, out of this ffInebriatus es? Ventri indulsisti? Rapuisti? Siste iam gradum, verte te in diversum, conficere Deo gratiam, quòd non in medijs peccatis te abstulit: ne quaere aliud privilegium, ut malè opereris. Multi quum iam alijs dimnum fraudulentèr facerent, subitò periérunt, & ad manifestum iudicium abiérunt. Time ne & in hoc patiare inexcusabilis. Sed multis, inquis, dedit Deus hoc privelegium, ut in ultimâ senectâ consiterentur. Quid igitur? An tibi quoque concedet? Concedet fortasse, inquis. Quidais sortasse, & interdum, &c. Cogita quòd & d… animâ deliberas, proinde etiam de contrario cogita, & dic, Quid autem si non det? &c. Tuni bellum egressus, non dicis, non est opus ut testamentum condam fortassis redibo; Neque de nuptijs deliberans dices, uxorem egentem accipiam multi enim & sic praeter spem ditati sunt; Neque domum extruens, subijciam fundamenta putria, multae enim & sic constitére domus: De anima autem agens, apprehendis magis putria, dicens, fortassis, & sapiùs …venit, & contingit aliquando, téque incertis tradis. Chrysost. Hom. 22. in 2. ad Cor. 10.conceite onelyonly, or rather deceite, to take thy fill of pleasure in the meane time, and to seeke God sufficiently upon thy Bed of death, by repenting with the Thiefe at last. But know for thy terrour, and timely turning, that the longer thou puts off and deferres, the more unfit thou shalt be to repent. Thy custome in sinning will exercise more Tyranny over p. 246Thee: The curse of God for thy going on still in thy trespasses will bee more heavy upon Thee. The corruptions that lurke in thine owne bosome, will be more strengthened against thee. And this threefold cord is hardly broken: These three Giants will be maistered with very much adoe. The further thou walkest in the wayes of death, the more unwilling, and more unable wilt thou bee to returne, and bee reformed. Thine understanding will be more darkened with Hellish mists, thy judgement more perverted, thy will more stubborne, thy memory more stuft with sensuall notions, thine affections will become more rebellious, thy thoughts more earthly, thine heart more hardened, thy conscience more feared, thy selfe more sold to sinne, and every day that comes over thine head in this state of darkenesse, much more the Child of the Divell, then thou wast before. To refuse Christ upon this Point so freely and fairely offered, is to receive Gods curse under Seale; and to make sure thy covenant with Hell, and League with death, untill thou bee slaine by the one, and swallowed up of the other, without all mercy, or recovery. For in this time of delay, God growes more angry, Satan more strong, thy selfe more unable to repent, sinne more unconquerable, thy conversion more hard, thy salvation more impossible. A ruinous house, the longer thou lettest it run, the more labor & charge will it require in repairing. If thou drive a naile with an hammer, the more blowes thou givest to it, the more hard will it bee to plucke it out againe. It is just so in the Case of continuing in …inne: and every new sin is a new stroke with an hammer, that drives the naile in further. Secondly, with what possibility art thou like to passe thorow the great work of saving repentance? or with what heart canst thou addresse thy selfe unto it? when upon thy sicke Bed, thou art set upon at once, if thy conscience bee waking, with the ugly sight of all thy sinnes charging upon thee with insupportable horrour, p. 247with the pangs of death, with ggTempore mortes s…euiùs maiorí que dolo …entat & consligit; s…ens si tunc defecerit penitùs se frustratum. Gerson de temptationibus diver.Satans utmost malice, and His very Powder-Plot, and with the terrour of that approaching strickt Tribunall. Which dreadfull encounter is able to put to it, the spirituall strength of many yeeres gathering. Thirdly, Resolution to deferre Repentance, when grace is offered, doth justly merit, to bee deprived for ever after of all oportunity, and ability to repent. Fourthly, it is just with God, that that man, who doth purposely put off repentance, and provision for his soule, untill his last sicknes, should for that sin alone, bee snatcht out of the world in great anger, even suddenly, so that there bee scarce a moment betwixt the height of His temporall happinesse, and depth of his spirituall misery. That His foolish hope may bee frustrated, and His vaine purpose come to nothing, Hee may bee cut off, as the Top of an care of corne, and put out like a candle, when hee least thinkes of death, and dreames of nothing lesse, then departure from His earthly Paradise. hhIob 14.14.Job 14:14They are exalted for a little while, saith Iob, but are gone and brought low, they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut iiRepentinam & insperatam corum mortem, quâ opprimantur, innuit. Merc. in Loc. Elevati sunt ad modicum & non subsistent] Iniquorum potentia …oeni …loribus comparatur: quia nimirùm carnalis gloria dum nitet, cadit: dum apudse extollitur, repentino intercepta sine terminatur. Sic aurarum statu in altum stipula rapitur, sed casu concito adima revocatur: Sic ad nubila sumus attollitur, sed repentè in nihilum tum…scendo dissipatur: Sic ab insimis nebula descendendo se erigit; sed exortus hanc solis radius, ac si non suerit, abstergit: Sic in herbarum supersicie noct…rni roris humor aspergitur, sed diurni luminis subito calore si…catur: Sic spumosae aquarum bullae inchoantibus pluvijs excita…ae, abintimis certatim prodeunt, sedeò celeruis diruptae depereunt, quò instatae citiùs extenduntur; cumque excrescunt ut appareant, cres…endo peragunt ne subsistant. Gregor. Ibid.off as the tops of the eares of corne. Fifthly, a long continued kkNemo nec post centum peccata, nec post misle crimina de misericordiâ divinâ desperet. Sic tamen non desperet, ut sinc ullâ morâ Deum sibi repropitiari festinet, ne fortè, si consuetudinem fecerit, etiam sivelit, de Diabolilaqueis liberari non possit. August. de t…mpore, Serm. 58.custome is not woont to bee shaken off in an instant. Is it like, that a Blackamore should change his skinne, and a Leopard his spots in three or foure dayes, which they have contracted in forty or threescore yeeres? Therefore I marvell that any should bee so blindfolded, and baffeld by the Divell, as to embolden p. 248Himselfe to drive off untill the last, by that Place before Confession; At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne, from the bottome of his heart, I will put all his wicked out of my remembrance, saith the Lord: Especially, if Hee looke upon the Text from whence it is taken; which Mee-thinkes, beeing rightly understood, and the conditions well considered, is most punctuall, and precise, to fright any from that desperate folly: The words runne thus, Ezech. 18.21.22. But if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes which hee hath committed, and keepe all my Statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, hee shall surely live, hee shall not die. All his transgressions, &c. Hence it appeares, that if any man expect upon good ground, any portion in this pretious promise of mercy and grace, Hee must leave all his sinnes, and keepe all Gods Statutes. Now how performest thou the condition of leaving all thy sinnes; when as in this last extremity, having received the sentence of death against thy selfe, Thy sinnes leave Thee, and not Thou thy sinnes, that I may speake in the Phrase of an ancient llViste de dubio liberare, vis quod incertum est, evadere? Age p…nitentiam dum sanus es. Sienimagis veram poenitentiam dum sanuses, & invenerit te novissimus dies: securus es. Ergo curre ut reconcilieris; si sic ag…s, securus es. Quare securus es? Qu… egisti poenitentiameo tempore, quo & peccare potuisti. S… autem vis agere poenitentiam ipsam tunc, quando peccare non potes, peccata te dimiserunt, non tu illa. August. Tom. 10. De vere Poenitentibus. Hom. 41. ex 50. Ambros. Exhort. ad Porni…ent.Father? And what space is left to come to comfort, by keeping all Gods Statutes; when thou art presently to passe to that highest and dreadfull Tribunall, to give an exact and strickt account for the continual breach of all Gods Lawes, all thy life long? Sixthly, many seeme to bee passingly penitent, and promise exceeding faire, in the evill day, and upon their sicke Beds; who beeing recovered, and restored to their former state, are the very same they were before, if not worse. I never knew, nor heard of any, un-wrought upon, under conscionable meanes, who after recovery performed the vowes and promises of a new life, which Hee made in his sicknesse, and times of extremity. For if Hee will not bee mooved with the Ministry, God will never give that honour unto a crosse, to doe the deede. Nay, Father Abraham; saith the rich Glutton, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And p. 249hee said unto him, If they heare not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they bee perswaded, the one rose from the dead. Luke 16.30.31. It would amaze thee much, if one of thy good-fellow companions should now rise from the dead, and tell thee, that Hee who was thy Brother in iniquity, is now in Hell, and if thou follow the same sensuall courses still, thou must shortly most certainely follow Him to the Place of torment. And yet even this would not worke at all, if thou bee a despiser of the Word. It may bee, while the dead Man stood by Thee, Thou wouldst be extraordinarily mooved, and promise much: but no sooner should He bee in His Grave; but thou wouldst bee as gracelesse, as thou wast before. Seventhly, what wise man seeing a fellow, who never gave his name to religion in his life time, now only troubled about sinne, when hee is sure, Hee mmThis time, is the time when all Hypocrites, Atheists, tagge and ragge come in, and seeke Him in a sort: And shall not wee bee confounded to see our selves in their number? Winchesters Serm. pag. 181.must die, will not suspect it to be wholly slavish, and extorted for feare of Hell? My sentence is, saith Greenham, that a man lying now at the Point of death, having the snares of death upon him; in that straite of feare and paine, may have a sorrow for His life past, but because the weakenesse of flesh, and the bitternesse of death doth most commonly procure it, wee ought to suspect, &c. Eighthly, painefull distempers of body are wont to weaken much, and hinder the activenes and freedome of the Soules operations; nay, sometimes to distract, and utterly over-throw them. Many even of much knowledge, grace and good life, by reason of the damp and deadnesse, which at that time the extremity and anguish of their disease brings upon their spirits, are able to doe no great matter, if anything at all, either in meditation or expression. How then doest thou thinke to passe thorow the incomparably greatest worke, that ever the Soule of Man was acquainted with in this life, I meane the new-birth, at the nnWhat is our seeking thē? Is it not to lie still on our Beds, and suffer a few words to bee spoken in our eares? Have a little opiate Divinitie ministred to our Soules, and so sent away. Winchesters Sermons, pag. 181. Is this it? Would wee then seeke Him, when wee are not in case to seeke any thing else? Would wee turne to Him then, when wee are not able to turne our selves in our Bed? Or, rise early to seeke Him, when we are not able to rise at all? Or enquire after Him, when our breath faileth us, and wee are not able to speake three words together? —No houre, but the houre of death. No time, but when Hee taketh time from us. Idem Ibid. pag. 180.Point of death? It is a p. 250wofull thing to have much worke to doe, when the power of working is almost done. When wee are come to the very last cast, our strength is gone▪ our spirits cleane spent, our senses appalled, and the powers of our Soules as numbe as our senses: when there is a generall prostration of all our powers, and the shadow of death upon our eyes: then something wee would say or doe, which should doe our Soules good. But alas! How should it then bee?

3. When the spirituall Physition powres the baulme of mercy, and oyle of comfort into a wounded conscience:

1. Too soone. The ooOportet Dei sacerdotem non obsequijs decipientibus fa…ere, sed remedijs salutaribus providere. Imperitus est medicus, qui tumentes vulnerum sinus manu parcente contrecta…; & in altis recessibus viscerum virus inclusum, dum servat, exaggerat. Aper…endum vulnus est, & secandum; & putaminibus amputatis m…delâ sortiore curandum. Vociseretur, & clamet, lic…t; & conqueratur aeger impatiens per dolorem; gratias agit postmodum; cum senserit sanitatem. Cyprian de Lapsis. Medicus crudelit est, qui exaudit hominem, & parcit vulneri & putredini. August. in Psal. 34. Soothing Preachers are like unskilfull chirurgions, who softly touch the wound on the outside, thereby making it to fester the more dangerously in the inside. Who observeth not, that the smooth tongue of the Preacher maketh an impostumed heart of the Hearer? Squire in his Assize Sermon▪ pag. 12. out of Cyprian.Ps 34Surgeon, that heales up a dangerous Sore, and drawes a skinne over it, before His corrosives have consumed the dead flesh, before Hee hath opened it with his Tents, ransackt it to the roote, and rent out the Core, is so farre from pleasuring, that hee procures a great deale of misery to His Patient. For the rotten matter that remaines behind, will in the meane time rankle and fester underneath, and at length breake out againe, perhaps, both with more extremity of anguish, and difficulty of cure. They are but Mountebankes, as they call them, Smatterers in Physicke and Surgery; upon the matter, but plaine Cheaters and Couseners, who are so ready and resolute for ppThe true Ministers of Christ never cure, and comfort the sicke hastily, as Wizards and Impostors doe. Greenham having to deale with divers humbled Consciences, Hee would mislike them, that would not abide to tarry the Lords leisure, but they must needs bee helped at once, even by and by as soone as they heard Him speake, or else they would then thinke farre worse of Him then ever before, notwithstanding the good opinion conceived of Him: For besides, Hee that beleeveth maketh not hast; This is a comming rather, as it were, to a Magitian (who by an incantation of words, makes silly soules looke for health) then to a Minister of God, &c. In His grave Counsels, and godly observations. pag. 5.extemporary, p. 251and palliate Cures. Sudden recoveries from rooted and old distempers, are rarely sound. If it be thus in bodily Cures; what a deale, doe you thinke, of extraordinary discretion, heavenly wisedome, precise and punctuall ponderation of circumstances, well-advised and seasonable leasure, both speculative and experimentall skill, heartiest ejaculations, wrastlings with God by Prayer for a blessing, is very convenient, and needfull for a true and right methode in healing a wounded conscience? Which doth passe immeasurably all other maladies, both in exquisitenesse of paine, tendernesse of touch, deceitfulnesse of Depth, and in highest and greatest consequence, either for the everlasting health, or endlesse horrour of an immortall Soule.

Hence it was, that that qqGreenham in His Treatise for an afflicted Conscience▪ pag. 136.One of a thousand, and learned Doctour in this heavenly Mystery, did so farre differ from all Dawbers with untempered Mortar, and the ordinary undoing-courses in this kind:

But now comming to the salving of this Sore, saith Hee, I shall seeme very strange in my cure: and so much the more bee wondred at, by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein. I am not ignorant, that many visiting afflicted consciences, cry still; Oh comfort them! O speake ioyfull things unto them! Yea, there bee some, and those of the most learned, who in such Cases, are full of these and such like speeches. Why are you so heavy, my Brother? Why are you so cast downe, my Sister? Bee of good cheare: Take it not so grievously. What is there that you should feare? God is mercifull, Christ is a Saviour. These bee speeches of love indeed: but they often doe the poore soules as much good herein, as if they should powre cold water into their bosomes; when as without further searching of their Sores, they may as well minister a Malady, as a Medicine. For as nutritive and cordiall medicines are not good for every sicke Person, especially when the Body needeth rather a strong Purgation, then a matter restorative; and as in p. 252carnative medicines may for a time allay the paine of the Patient, but after, the griefe becommeth more grievous: So the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for every One that is humbled, especially when their Soules are rather further to be cast downe, then as yet to bee raised up: so those sugred consolations may for a while over-heale the conscience, and abate some present griefe; but so, as afterwards the smart may bee the sorer, and the griefe may grow the greater: Hereof ensueth this effect, that comfort seemeth to cure for a while, but for want of wisedome in the right discerning of the cause, Men minister one Medicine for another; and so for want of skill, the latter fit grindeth sorer then the former. Calvine also, that rrFor mine owne part, saith Hooker, I thinke Calvin incomparably the wisest man, that ever the French Church did enioy, since the houre it enioyed Him. In His Preface, pag. 3. Tho thousands were debters to Him, as touching Divine knowledge; yet hee to none, but onelyonly to God, the Author of that most blessed Fountaine, the Booke of life, and of the admirable dexterity of wit, together with the helpes of other learning, which were his guides. Ibid. Wee should bee iniurious unto vertue it selfe, if wee did derogate from them, whom their industry hath made Great. Two things of principall moment there are, which have deservedly procured Him honour throughout the World: the one, His exceeding paines in composing the Institutions of Christian Religion; the other, His no lesse industrious travailes for exposition of holy Scripture. —In which two things whosoever they were, that after Him bestowed their labour, Hee gained the advantage of preiudice against them, if they gaine-said; and of glory above them, if they consented. Ibid. pag. 9. The more learned and holy any Divine is, the more heartily Hee subscribes to Paulus Thurias, his true censure of His Institution: Praeter Apostolicas, post Christi tempora, chartas, Huic peperereli…r…saeculae nulla parem. Besides the holy Writ, No booke is like to it. Or, No Age since Christ brought forth A booke of so great worth. No marvaile then, that a learned Bishop of London in Queene Elizabeths time, begun His Speech thus against a lewd fellow, which had railed against Calvin…: Quod dixisti in vir…m Dei, Calvinum, tuo sanguine non potet redimere, &c.great Pillar and glory of the Christian World for syncere and sound Orthodoxe doctrine, concurres in judgement with this blessed Man p. 253of God, and so, I doubt not, doe all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ: ssSit igitur hic primus poenit…tiae gradus, dum homines sentiunt, quàm gravitèr deliquerint: illic non statim curandus est doler, quemadmodum imposto…es deliniunt conscientias, ita ut sihi indulgeant, & se …allant ina…i…us blanditijs. Medicus enim non statim l…niet dolorem, sed videbit, quid magis expediat: fortè magis augebit, quia necessaria erit acrior purgatio. Sic etiam faciunt Prophetae Dei, quum vident trepidas conscientias, non statìm adhibēt blandas conso…tones, sed potiùs ostendunt non esse ludendum cum Deo, —& solicitant sponte currentes, ut sibi proponant terribile Dei iudicium, quò magis, ac magis humilientur. Calvin in Ioel, cap. 2.Let this bee the first degree of Repentance; when Men feele that they have been grievous offenders; and then the griefe is not to bee immediately cured; as Impostors deale flatteringly and nicely with Mens consciences, that they may favour themselves as much as may bee, and bee notably deceived with superficiall dawbing. The Physition will not forthwith asswage the paine, but will consider what may bee more expedient: Perhaps hee will increase it, because a sharper Purge will bee necessary. Even so doe the Prophets of God, when they see trembling Consciences, doe not presently apply sweet consolations; but rather tell them, that they must not dally with God; and stirre up those, who are so forward of their owne accord, that they would propose unto themselves the terrible iudgement of God, that they may yet bee more and more humbled.

ttMaster Rogers of Dedham, Doctrine of Faith, pag. 108.109.110.111.Another excellent and skilfull Work-man in the great mystery of saving Soules, tells us truly; That the promise of salvation is not straight belonging to one terrified in conscience, but to one that is not onelyonly terrified for His punishment, but is contrite-hearted for sinne, which is the worke of the Gospell. —Let not these bee weary of the yoke of God and the Law, and make over much haste out of this state, for so may they undoe themselves: For some withstanding their terrour, have withstood their salvation, &c. Even as an impatient Patient gets the Chirurgion to pull out the Tent and Corrosive, or p…ls it off himselfe as soone as it begins to smart a little, and so thinkes it is searcht enough, and now layes (saith Hee) on healing plaisters: But afterward breakes out againe worse then ever; whereas if the Corrosive had been let lie on, till it had eaten out the corruption indeed, then it might have been whole long agoe.

If Dawbers in this kind did rightly understand and acknowledge, or had ever had any experimentall feeling in their owne Soules of Christs Rule, and the Holy p. 254Ghosts method, which is first, To convince of sinne; to deject and humble in the sight of the Lord with apprehension, and sense of a most abominable and cursed state, before there follow a conviction of the righteousnesse of Christ to raise up; See Ioh. 16.8. or of the necessity of the worke of the spirit of bondage, to fit and prepare for Christ and comfort; I say then, they would not deale so ignorantly and overly in a matter of so deare and everlasting importance. They would not so hastily hand over-head, without all warrant and wisedome, without any further search, discovery or dejection, offer mercy, pardon, and all the promises to a man formerly wicked; onelyonly for some faint and enforced confession of sinnes, or because now beeing overtaken by the evill day, Hee howles upon his bed, not for any true hatred of sinne, but for present smart, and expected horror, &c. But would labour to let the spirit of bondage have it's full work, and lay Him open more at large in the true colours of his skarlet sinnes; and not onelyonly cause a bare confession of them, but such a conviction which may stop his mouth, that Hee hath not a word to speake, but trembles to see such a sinke, Sodom and Hell of sinne and abomination in Himselfe, &c. O how oft have I heard many a poore ignorant soule in the Day of sorrow, beeing mooved to humble Himselfe in the sight of the Lord, that Hee might lift Him up; first, to get His heart broken with the abhorred burden of all His sinnes, and then to bring it thus bleeding to the Throne of Grace, that Christ might binde it up; I say, beeing thus intreated: To answer, Yes, yes, with all my heart; I am sorry for my sinnes with all my heart; I trust in Iesus Christ with all my heart; and thus whatsoever you can counsell or advise, Hee doth it with all His heart: Whereas alas! Poore heart, as yet, His understanding is as darke, as darkenesse it selfe, in respect of any, I say not onelyonly, saving knowledge, but almost of any knowledge at all; and his heart in respect p. 255of any true remorse, as hard as a Rocke of flint. Now those unskilfull Physitions of the Soule, who in this and the like cases, will needs without any more adoe, without any further illightning or labour, threape mercy and comfort upon them, are like those foolish sheapherds, as uuIn his Expos. upon Psal. 32. pag. 5.Ps 32Marbury calls them, who when they want skill to helpe their poore sheepe out of the ditch, are driven to play the miserable comforters, and to take some other indirect course (as many use to doe in such cases) to cut the sheepes throate in time, to make him Mans meate, lest it should bee said, Hee died in a Ditch. They are Desolators, not Consolators, as Austin somewhere calls them: Not sound Comforters, but true Cutthroates.

Besides that which I have said before, of the precedency of the working of the Law, and of the spirit of bondage, to make way for Christ; let mee further tell you upon this occasion, that it may appeare, that much more is to bee done herein, then is ordinarily imagined, before comfort may upon good ground, and seasonably bee applied to the Conscience awaked, what an excellent Divine, both for depth of learning, and height of holinesse, delivered somewhere in this Point to this purpose:

No man must thinke this strange, that God dealeth with men after this strange manner: as it were to kill them, before Hee make them alive; to let them passe through, or by, as it were, the gates of Hell, to Heaven; to suffer the spirit of bondage to put them into a feare, into a shaking, and trembling, &c. For Hee suffers those that are his, to bee terrified with this feare:

1. First, in respect of His owne glory; For the magnifying both of His iustice, and of His mercy:

1. Hee glorifies His iustice, when lessening, or altogether, for the time, abstracting all fight of mercy, Hee lets the Law, Sinne, Conscience, and Satan loose upon a Man, to have their course, and severall comminations; p. 256and sets the spirit of bondage on worke, &c. Thus, as in the great worke of xxAs in the worke of Creation, so in the worke of Redemption, God would have the praise of all his attributes. Hee is much honoured, when they are acknowledged to bee in Him in highest perfection; and their infinitenesse and excellency admired and magnified. In the former, there appeareth gloriously His infinite Wisedome, Goodnes, Power, Iustice, Mercy, &c. …nd yet in the worke of Redemption, which was the greater, they seeme …o shine with more …eetnesse, amiable…sse, and excellency. … in it appeared all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge, &c. And in conveying it to the Church, first, His Wisedome there appeareth infinite wisedome, in finding out such a meanes for the redemption of Mākind, as no …eated understanding could possible imagine, or … of. Secondly, … immeasurably sweet and admirable, in not sparing His owne Sonne, the Sonne of His louelove; that Hee might spare us, who had so grievously transgressed against Him. Thirdly, His Iustice in it's highest excellency; in spa…ing us, not to spare▪ His owne onelyonly Sonne: laying, as it were, His head upon the blocke, and chopping it off; renting and …ea…ing that blessed Body, even as the Vaile of the Temple was rent, and making His Soule an Offering for sinne, &c. This was the perfection of Iustice.redemption, Hee would have the glory of His iustice appeare; so would Hee have it also in the application of our redemption, that iustice should not bee swallowed up of mercy: But even as the Woman, 2. King. 4. who had nothing to pay, was threatned by Creditours to take away her two sonnes, and put them in prison: so wee having nothing to pay, the Law is let loose upon us, to threaten imprisonment and damnation; to affright and terrifie: and all this, for the manifesting of His iustice. Furthermore, the Booke of God is full of terrible threatnings against sinners: Now shall all these bee to no purpose? The wicked are insensible of them; to them therefore in that respect, they are in vaine. Some there must needs bee, upon whom they must worke; Shall the Lion roare, saith the Prophet, and no man bee affraide? Sith then, they who should, will not; Some there bee who must tremble. This the Prophet excellently setteth …orth, Isai. 66.2. where the Lord sheweth, whom Hee will regard. But to this man will I looke, even to Him that is poore, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my Word. Neither is it without good cause, that God dealeth thus with his owne in this manner, tho it bee sharpe in the experience. First, wee must feare, tremble, and bee humbled: and then wee shall receive a spirit not to feare againe.

2. His mercy also is thereby mightily magnified. Which would never bee so sweet, nor relish so well, nor bee so esteemed of us; if the awfull terrour of iustice had not formerly made us smart. A King sometimes doth not only suffer the Law to passe upon some grievous malefactor p. 257for high treason; but also causeth him to bee brought to the place of execution, yea, and lay downe his head upon the blocke, ere Hee pardon: and then mercy is mercy indeed, and yyA man, who otherwise would not cry, nor shed a teare for any thing; despiseth death, and would not feare to meete an host of men; I say, such an One, now having at the last instant a pardon brought from the King, it worketh wonderfully upon him, and will cause softnesse of heart, and teares to come many times, where nothing else could. Hee is so strucke with admiration of so great mercy, so sweet and seasonable in such an extremity, that Mee stands amazed, and knowes not what to say; but many times falles a weeping, partly for ioy of His deliverance; and partly also out of indignation against Himselfe, for His barbarous behaviour towards so pittiful a Prince. This was to bee seene in some great men, at the beginning of King Iames His Reigne, condemned for treason, and pardoned at the Blocke.melts the heart abundantly with amaz…m…nt and admiration of it. So God dealeth with us many times: Lets the Law loose against us, puts us in feare, casts us into Prison, and threatneth condemnation in Hell for ever; so that when mercy commeth to the Soul…, beeing now lost in it selfe, and at the Pits brinke, it appeares to bee a wonderfull mercy, the riches of exceeding mercy, most seasonable, most zzExaudime Domine, quoniam suavi… est misericordia tua: tantundem valet, ac si dixisset, I am noli differre exauditionem, in ta…t â tribulati…ne sun, ut suavis mihi sit misericordia tua. Ad hoc enim subvenire differebas, ut mibi dulce esset, quòd subveniebas. August. Concione 2. in Psal. 68.Ps 68sweet, most ravishing. Why doe so many find no savour in the Gospell? Is it because there is no matter of sweetnesse or delight in it? No, it is because they have not tasted of, not been soundly toucht and terrified by the Law, and the spirit of bondage; They have not smarted, nor as yet been afflicted with a sense of the bitternesse of sinne, nor of iust punishment due unto the same. God therefore sends into our hearts the spirit of feare and bondage, to prepare us to rellish mercy: And then the spirit of adoption, not to feare againe. And thus by this order, the one is magnified, and highly esteemed, by the fore-going sense of the other.