Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (2 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (2 of 11)

p. 533. Thirdly, Let them consider, what horrour it will bee in evill times, I meane, not onelyonly at death and the last Day, which are the most terrible of all; but also, In times of disgrace and contempt; of common feare, and confusions of the state; of sickenesse, crosses, restraint, banishment, temptations, or any other dayes of sorrow▪ I say at such times, to finde in stead of peace, fiery scorpions in their consciences, innumerable sins graven there, with an iron pen, un-repented of! Heare how excellently **Inter omnes tribulationes humanae animae, nulla est major tribulatio, quàm conscientia delictorum. Namque si ibi vulnus non sit, sanumq…e sit intus hominis, quod conscientia vocatur▪ ubicunque al…bi passus fuerit tribulationes, illuc confugiet, & ibi inveniet Deum. Si autem ibi requies non est, propter abundantiam iniquitatum, quoniam & ibi Deus non est, quid facturus est homo. Quò conf…giet, cum caeperit patitribulationes? Fugiet …b…gro ad civitatem, à publico ad domum, à domo ad cubiculum, & sequitur tribulatio. A cubiculo jam quò fugiet, non habet nisi interius ad cubile suum. Porrò si ibi tumultus est, si fumus iniquitatis, si s…a…nmasceleris, non illuc potest confug…re. Pellitur enim…n…e, & cum inde pellitur, à seipso pellitur. Et ecce hostem suum inven…, quò confugerat; seipsum, quò fugiturus est. Quocunque fugerit se, talem trohit post se: & quocunque talem traxerit se, cruciat se. In Psalm. 46. p. 502.Ps 46Austin foretels & forewarnes them, p. 54into what a forlorne and fearefull state, they shall most certainely fall, when after a short gleame of worldly glory, they fall into tempestuous, and troublesome times. Of all afflictions incident to the Soule of man, there is none more grievous, and transcendent; then to have the Conscience enraged with the guilt of sinne. If there bee no wound there, if all bee safe and sound within, if that bird of the bosome sing sweetely in a M…s brest; it is no matter, what miseries be abroad in the World, what stormes, or … be raised against Him What arme of flesh▪ or rage of foes beset Him rou…d: For Hee in this are, hath presently recourse unto His conscience▪ the safest Sanctuary, and Paradise of sweetest repose, and finding that sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe, filled with abundance of peace, and God Himselfe there, reconcil'd unto Him in the face of Christ, He is couragiously fearelesse of all, both mortall and immortall, adversaries and oppositions: Tho the earth be remooved; and the mountaines carried into the middest of the Sea, tho all the creatures in the world should bee turned into Beares or Devils about Him, yet His conscience being comfortable, hee is undaunted and confide…t, and more then conquerour over the whole world, and ten thousand Hells. But on the other side, if by reason of the raigne of sinne, there be no rest there; if God be not there because of the abounding of iniquity, what shall a man doe then? Whither shall hee flye, when the hand of God hath found Him out, and the swift Arrow of the Almighty stickes fast in his side? Hee will flie, saith that auncient Father, out of the Countrey into the Citie; out of the streets into his House; out of his House into His chamber; horrour still dogging Him at the heeles. And from His chamber, whither will hee goe, but into the inmost Cabinet in his bosome, where his Conscience dwelleth? And if hee finde there nothing but tumult and terrour▪ but guiltinesse, confusion and cries of despaire; which p. 55way will hee then turne himselfe; Or whither will hee fly then? He must then, either flie from Himselfe, which is utterly impossible; or else abide that torment, which is beyond all compasse of conceite or expression of tongue. For all the racks, saith another, wheeles, wilde horses, Poena autem vehemen… & multò saevior illis. Qua… & Coeaitius gravis invenit, & Roadamanthus; Nocte …i… que suum gestare in pecture te…em.hot pincers, scalding lead poured into the most tender, and sensible parts of the body; yea, all the mercilesse, barbarous, and inhumane cruelties of the holy house, are but flea-bitings, meere toyes, and May-games, compared with the torment, that an evill conscience will put a man to, when it is awakened.

3. A third sort, the worst of all and most pestilent, are those, who doe not onelyonly not labour in the time of harvest to treasure up comfortable provision against dayes of dread, and mispend the Day of their visitation wickedly; but also out of a transcendent straine of impiety, labour might and maine, to put out and utterly extinguish the heavenly Sunne, that creates this blessed day, and makes the season of our spirituall harvest most glorious, and incomparable: I meane to suppresse and quench the saving light of a powerfull Ministry, wheresoever planted, and prevailing; under the sacred influence, and soveraigne heate whereof, all Gods hidden Ones are woont to gather that heavenly stocke of grace, Comforts of godlinesse, and good conscience, which is able to hold up their heads invincibly in heavy times.

These are the vilest of men, and of the most **Let us not bee Scotners, lesters, and Deriders; for that is the uttermost token and shew of a Reprobate, of a plaine enemy to God in his wisedome. Hom. Of some places of Scriptures, by which some take offence, P. 2.forlorne hope: for they are unhappily transported with extremest malice, and storme against the very meanes, which should sanctifie them, and Men, which should save them. They doe not onelyonly make their owne soules sure for damnation: but also hinder the power of the Word all they can, ****foreign. 1▪ Th…ssal. 2.16.lest others should bee saved. Whatsoever thou doest, doe not become one of this damned crue: who heartily desire, that the Sun p. 56of sincere preaching were quencht, and put out, tho it were with the bloud of God… faithfullest Messengers; as did the M…n of Anathoth in Ieremies time. Ier. 11.19. 21. aaShee prefer'd Iohn Bapt…st… head before the halfe of Herod's kingdome, Mark. 6 2.Mark 6:2Herodias in Iohn Baptist time, and that bb…, rurs…s haec in se…psam tr…nssert, & …llius verba quasi ad ejus ignomin…am …l…ta exissimans, aliud conetlium Episcoporum contra eum cogendum curat. Quâ re intellectâ Ioannes percelebrem illam concionem in Ecclesiâ recitavit, cujus exordiumest: Herodias denuò insanire, denuò commoveri, denuò saltare pergi…: denuò …put Ioinn…s in disco acc…pere quaerit Socra. Hist. Ecclesiast. Lib. 6. cap. 16.other Herodias improperly called Eudoxia in Iohn Chrysostomes time, and many thousands, even within the Pale of the Church at all times. Above all, I say, Beware of that crying sinne of ccLet none marv…ll why I … med…le with …, especially in this time of peace and prosperity of the Gospell, as tho it were unnecessary and unseasonable: For Aust… tels us truly: Illi maxime perse…untur Ecclesiam, qui …re…iani, nolunt benè vivere. Per hos enim opprohr…um habet Ecclesia, & ab his inimicitias sustine…, quando corripiuntur, quando male vivere, non permusuntur, quando cum eis vel verbo igitur, i…si, mala in suis …ordibus meditantur, & erumpendi occasionem requirunt. In Psal. 30. pag. 205. Those especially persecute the Church▪ who professing Christianity will not live graciously, &c.Ps 30persecuting the power of godlinesse, without which never any heart knew what true comfort meant; Profession of the truth, without which Christ will not owne us at the last day; conscionable Ministers, under Whose painefull labours, we gather our spirituall and heavenly Store, against evill times in this harvest of grace: And that either with thine heart, by hatred, malice, heart-burning; with thy tongue, by slanders, scoffs, rash censures; with thine hand, by supplanting, oppression, wrong; with thy purse, policy, power, mis-informing, or any other way of vexing, or violence. If thou wilt needes bee wicked, bee so more moderately; If there be no helpe, but thou Wilt to Hell, post not so furiously; If nothing will-worke, but thou art wilfully bent to bee damned, bee damned more tolerably. For Persecutours are transcendents in sinne, and shall hereafter bee paid home proportionably. Be none of them for such reasons as these.

1. All their malice, and rancour; all their bitter words and scornefull iests; all their bloudy, mercilesse mischiefes, and machinations against the power of preaching, and Gods people, strike immediately at the face of Iesus Christ. Acts. 9.5. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And at the pretious Ball, and Apple of Gods owne eye; Zech. 2 8. For he that toucheth you, toucheth p. 57the Apple of His eye. God is our Shield, Psal. 84.11. Now the Shield takes all the blowes.

2. They are hunted many times with furies of conscience and extreame horrour even in this life. Pashur put blessed Ieremie in the stockes; but thereupon, He had a new name given Him Magor-Missabib;Ier. 20.2.3.Jer 20:2Jer 20:3 Feare round about; Hee became a terrour to Himselfe, and to all his friends. Zedechiah smote faithfull Micaiah upon the face;1. King. 22.24.25.1 Kgs 22:241 Kgs 22:25 but afterward according to that Propheticall commination, Hee was faine to run from chamber to chamber, to hide himselfe. Iohn Baptists head, which Herod cut off, sate in the eye of the Tyrants conscience, with such griesly formes of guiltinesse, and bloud; that when hee heard of the great things done by Christ, hee was perplexed, and no doubt afraid, that Iohn Baptist was risen from the dead to bee revenged upon Him. I have heard of a Man, who for a time did furiously, and desperately set Himselfe against a Minister of God; labour'd might, and maine, by all meanes to disgrace, and vexe him; both by power, and policy; by slanders, oppressions, malice, contempt. But at length, the Word so got within Him, and hamperd Him; and the terrours of the Almighty tooke hold upon Him with such un-resistable rage; that he came trembling and quaking unto that man of God, whom he had so wickedly wrong'd; and durst not steere a foote from him, for feare the Devill should take him away alive; or the earth open her mouth, and swallow him up quicke; or some other strange remarkeable iudgement seize upon Him suddenly, and brand Him for a notorious Beast, & cursed Cast-away. So or to such sense hee spoke.

3. Many of them come to very horrible, exempla…y, and wofull ends. Pharaoh long since, by a dreadfull confusion at the red Sea was as it were hangd up in chaines, a spectacle of terrour for Persecutors, to all posterity. Antiochus swelling with anger, and breathing p. 58out fire in his rage against the people of God, did proudly protest, that He would come to Ierusalem, and make it a common Burying place of the Iewes: But the Lord Almighty, 1. Maccab. 9.1 Macc 9the God of Israel smot… him with an incurable, and invisible Plague: for as soone as hee had spoken these words, a paine of the bowels that was remedilesse came upon him, and …ore torments of the inner parts.—So that the wormes rose up out of the body of this wicked man, and whiles hee lived in sorrow and paine, his flesh fell away, and the filthinesse of his smell was noysome to all his army. Acts 12.23.Acts 12:23Herod in the height of his hatred against the Gospell, and pride in imprisoning and persecuting the Apostles, was eaten up of wormes in a most fearefull prodigious manner. Gardiner gaping for newes of the dispatch of those two blessed Martyrs of Iesus, Latimer and Ridley, at Oxford deferred his dinner untill three or foure of the clocke at afternoone, delighting more in drinking the bloud of the Saints, then in his ordinary foode: But upon the returne of his Post, Hee fell merrily to his meate: And marke what followed: The bloudy Tyrant saith the Story,Acts and Monuments, pag. 1787. had not eaten a few bittes, but the sudden strok… of God, His terrible hand fell upon him in such sort, as immediatly he was taken from the table, and so brought to his bed, where he continued the space of fifteene dayes, in such intolerable anguish & tormēts, that all that …eane while, during those fifteene dayes, he could not avoyde by order of urine or otherwise, any thing that hee received: Wh…eby his body being miserably inflamed within (who had inflamed so many good Martyrs before) was brought to … wretched end. For further inlargement of this Point, looke into the Stories of the primitive Church, Acts and Monument…, Theater of Gods iudgements.

4. A cry farre louder, then the noise of many waters, or voice of greatest thunder knocks continually, with strong importunity, at Gods iust Tribunall for a showre of fire & brimstone, and an horrible Tempest to be rained p. 59downe upon their heads▪ I meane, a cry of bloud, wrongs, disgraces, and slanders, wherewith they have loaden the Saints of God. Rev. 6.10. And they cryed with a loud voyce, saying, How long, O Lord, holy, and true, doest thou not iudge, and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth!

5. They are the principall provokers of Gods wrath against a nation. Their hatefull heate, overflowing gall, and scornefull carriage against Gods people, doth ripen apace His fiercest indignation; fill up full the vialls of His vengeance, and draw downe upon a kingdome a desperate, and finall ruine without all remedy. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and mis-used Hi… Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 2. Chron. 36.16.

6. Their spitefull spirits being once thorowly set on heate with this fire of hell and infernall rage against the grace of God and His people, commonly continue in fl…me and fury untill their fearefull and finall confusion. And they being once flesht, as it were, with the bloud of the Saints,Nullus semel ore receptus—pollutas patitur sanguis mansuescere fauces. at lest by scoffes & slanders (for even lewd and lying tongues are keene razours, and sharpe swords, scourges and scorpions that fetch bloud) they feede insatiably upon the damned sweetnesse of such supposed cursed revenge, untill they be seizd upon with irrecoverable ruine; and fall amongst the firers of their malice, and Arch-persecutors of all Professours, the fiends of Hell. This is my meaning: This pestilent and crying Sinne of persecution is like the gulfe of drunkennesse, which Austin compares to the Pitt of Hell, into which, when a man is once fallen, there is no redemption, or returne. A Persecutour is rarely or never …eclaimde: Either by miracle or Ministry; mercy or misery. Fire from Heaven falling upon the first Captaine and His f…y, did not fright the second Captaine and His fifty from pressing upon Elijah to apprehend p. 60him. 2. Kings, 1.10.11. The souldiers who came to take Iesus, as soone as Hee had said, I am Hee, were strangely upon the suddaine, stroke downe to the ground. Ioh, 18.6. and yet this miracle did never a whit mollifie and abate the malice of the Priests and Pharisees against Him. Not even the Mini…ry of Christ Himselfe, though He spoke as never Man spake; Not that of Stephen, whose face appeared to His Hearers, as it had beene the face of an Angell; not that of the Apostles freshly filled with the holy Ghost from heaven, did at all dis-enrage or …ame those fellowes, which were possest with this f…ule spirit of scornefull contradiction. See Luc. 4.28.29. And 16.14. Act. 7 54. And 2.13. Not all those horrible miraculous plagues of Aegypt, were able to quench Pharaohs fury against the people of God▪ untill he was choakt in the red Sea. No kindnesse from David, though extraordinary, and matchlesse. 1. Sam. …4 11. And …6 9. could turne Sa…ls heart from hunting him, as when One doth hunt a Partridge in the mountaines.

And no marvaile, tho they be not mooved by all or any of these meanes; for they scorne, persecute and contemne the very meanes, which should amend them, and the onelyonly Men, who should convert them. Whether of the two, thinke you, is likelier to recover? That man, who being dangerously sicke; yet entertaines the Physition kindely, and takes patiently what is prescrib'd: or Hee, who having a Potion presented unto Him very soveraigne for his recovery, throwes the glasse against the wall, spils that pretious Receipt, and drives the Physition out at doores? Conceive proportionably; betweene the Persecutour, and the lesse pestilent sinner, who meddles nor maliciously against the Ministry.

7. They are already in the pestilent Path, and very hie-way, that leads to sinne against the Holy Ghost. The horriblenesse, and height of which dreadfull villany p. 61may bring upon them even in this life, impossibility of pardon. Matth. 12.31.32. and liablenesse to that flaming iudgement & …iery indignation threatned, Heb. 10.26. &c. And that they are ddCum quotidiè nostram sanctificationem blasphemant, quid aliud blasphemant quàm spiritum sanctum. Aug. Tom. 10. par. 1. pag. 45.growing towards this sinne, if they be not quite gone that way, appeares, because they despitefully traduce; with much malice and mischiefe persecute the very workes of Grace, and graces of Gods Spirit shed into the hearts, and shining in the lives of the children of light. 1. Ioh. 3.12. Psal. 38.20. 1. Pet. 4.4. If a man would drinke, sweare, swagger, revell, and roare with them: If he durst bee an Ignorant, an Vsurer, a Sabbath-breaker, a Worldling, a doter upon, and defender of heathnish superstitious customes; a practiser, or Patrone of Old anniversarie fooleries, and rotten vanities; an incloser, gamester, good-fellow, &c. Oh! then Hee should bee the onelyonly Man with them; entertain'd into their hearts and houses with all affectionate embracements of kindnesse and acceptation: but if the same man, by the mercies of God, once begin to breake from them, and out of the snares of the Devill; to dis-rellish, and detest his former wayes of nature and naughtinesse; to love and reverence the most searching Ministry; to reade the Scriptures, and best bookes; to sanctifie the Lords Day, to pray in his family; to renounce resolutely, His running with them to the same excesse of riot, to abandon and abominate their lewd and licentious courses; In a word to turne Christian; Oh! then Hee is an arrant Puritane, a Precision, an humorist, an Hypocrite, and all that naught is; even as eeEt nulli nocentiores habentur, quàm qui sunt ex omnibus innocentes. Lactant. lib. 5. Cap. 9.bad, as the false tongues of the Devils Limbes can make a blessed Man. He was a good-fellow, will they say, but hee is now quite gone: a proper man, and of good parts, but his Puritanisme hath ffBonus vir Caj…s Seius, sed malus tantùm quia Christianus. Tertul. Apol. pag. 1.mar'd all. While Paul humour'd the Pharises, in persecuting and plaguing the disciples of the Lord, Hee was a principall and much honoured Man amongst them: but when hee turned p. 62on Christ's side, He was holden a pestilent-fellow, the very ggforeign. Act. 24.5.Acts 24:5plague. So that it is plaine and palpable, whatsoever may bee pretended to the contrary, that those cursed Cains, dogged Doegs, and scoffing …maels, that set themselues and spend their malice against the Ministers and people of God, hare, slander, and persecute the very workes of Grace, and graces of Gods Spirit in them. Even their z…ale, holinesse, hatred of sinne▪ reformation, &c. are an Eye-sore, and heartsore to such hatefull wretches, and Owles of Hell, …ho cannot endure any heavenly light.

8. As stigmaticall Rogues burnt in the hand, curtal'd of their eares, branded in the fore-head, are in the Common wealth; so are Persecutors in the Church. By mutuall intelligence, and information of Gods people, or some more publike lasting record and Monunument of the Church, they have many times such a Marke set upon them; that they carry it to their graves, yea to the iudgement Seate of God; that it may bee knowne a sore-hand to that glorious Tribunall and all the triumphant Church, what hh2. Timot. 4.17. Ezek. 2.6.Ezek 2:6beastly men, stinging Scorpions, and pricking thorn's they have beene among…t Gods Children, and in the sides of the Saints. Such a brand had Alexander the Copper smith set upon him by Paul. 2. Tim. 4.14.15 And such a Brand was set upon Diotrephes that m…litious prating companion, by Saint Iohn. 3. Ioh 10. So are those bloud thirsty Tygers, Gardiner, Bonner, and the rest of that cruell litter, and persecuting packe, branded, that their names shall rot▪ and their memories be hatefull to the Worlds end. So too many in these times, though they be very iolly fellowes in their owne conceits, ador'd as Idols, by their flattering Dependants, applauded generally as the principall Patrones of revelling & good-fellowship; …et in the censure of the Saints, and by the doome of divine wisedome, they are clearely knowne, and iustly reputed enemies of all righteousnesse, and Satans p. 63speciall Agents to doe mischiefe against the Ministery.

9. And it is to be feared; they will finde no mercy upon their Beds of death, and in their last extremity, cry they never so loude, or promise they never so faire. God in iust indignation is woont to deale so with those, who drinke up iniquity like Water, with…ut all sense or feare of a glorious dread…ull Majesty above. See Ezek 8.18. with those, who refuse to stoupe to Gods Ordinance, and submit to the Scepter of Christ, when they are fairely invited by the Ministery. See Prov. 1.24.28. Ier. 7.13.16. and 11.11. With great Ones, who grinde the faces of the poore. See Micah. 3 4. with abusers of the riches of His goodnesse, and long suffering ▪ See Rom. 2.4 5. How much more doe you thinke, shall impenitent Persecutors bee paide home in this kinde? See 2. Macchab. 9.13.17. There that great and cruell persecutor, Antiochus, being seizd upon by an horrible sickenesse, promiseth very gloriously upon that his last Bed; Besides many other strange reformations, even that he also, would become a Iew himselfe, and goe thorough all the World that was inhabited, and declare the power of God. But for all this, heare what the iiI know the Booke is not of divine authority; and therefore the Place quoted, taken only from the hand of an humane Historian. And so conceiue of it; But we see the Authors conceite of that wicked man. If any thinke, that God is said to have had no mercy upon him, onelyonly in resp…ct of deliveran…e from his disease: Heare what some say in the case. Antiochus was ind…ed re…lly and seriously grieved; and acknowledged that his affliction was for His sins, lib. 1. cap 6. …. 11. … was n…t truly penitent for the offence committed against God, and his neighb…, … his owne calamity, and misery, and therefore could not obtaine mercy, to remision of … of the punishment: So also the damned in Hell, know, and confesse, that they are pan…she… for their sinnes, but have not true repentance, for their offence against God. Of this easure and glosse, let the Authours render a reason themselues. In Antioche, saith Cyprian, An…ichr…us expressus. De Exhort. Martyr ij. Cap. 11.Writer of that story saith of his spirituall state, and of Gods resolution towards Him vers. 13. This wicked person prayed also unto the Lord, who would now have no mercy on him.

10 All their spitefull speeches, scurrill sco…fes, pestilent lyes, insolent insultations, &c. are as so many p. 64Crownes of Glory and ioy unto the heads, and hearts of all persecuted patient Professours. 1. Pet. 4.14. Act. 5.41. Iob. 3.36. (So that they infinitely misse the malicious Marke, their revengefull humours would gladly hit, the hurt and heart-breaking of those, they so cruelly and cunningly hunt with much rancour and hate.) And not onelyonly so, but most certainely hereafter, if they die not like drunken Nabal, and their hearts become as stones in their brests, upon their Beds of death they will all, tho now passing from them, with much bitternesse of Spirit, and without all remorse, turne into so many envenomed stings, and byting scorpions, unto their owne consciences, and knaw upon their hearts, with extreamest horrour.

11. The whole body of the militant Church, ioyne all as one man with a strong concurrent importunitie at the Throne of grace; and with one heart and spirit constantly continue there, such piercing prayers against all stubborne impenitent scorners; all incurable, implacable persecutours, as the people of God have bin wont to poure out in such cases, as Lament. 3.59. &c. O Lord! thou hast seen my wrong, judge thou my cause. Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their imaginations against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me: The lips of those that rose up against me, & their devise against me all the day. Behold their sitting downe, and their rising up, I am their musicke. Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them, in anger, from under the heavens of the Lord. Now I would not be in that Mans case, against whom, Gods people complaine upon good ground at that iust and highest Tribunal, one halfe houre; for the imperiall crowne, and command of all the kingdomes of the earth: for who knowes, whether iust at that time, the righteous Lord for his children's sake, and safety may raine upon p. 65such a mans head, snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest.

12. And the prayers of the Saints poured out in the bitternesse of their soules vexed continually with their malicious cruelties, and cruell mockes, are meanes many times to bring Persecutours to an untimely end, to knocke them downe before their time. Doe not you thinke, that the faithfull Iewes at Ierusalem, hearing of Antiochus marching towards them, like an evening Wolfe, to drinke up their bloud, had presently recourse unto Gods righteous Throne with strong cries, to stay his rage? And doe you not thinke, that those very praiers drew downe upon him that horrible, and incurable plague, whereupon Hee died a miserable death in a strange Countrey in the Mountaines? Herod, for any thing wee know, might have lived many a faire Day longer, if hee had dealt fairely with the Apostles of Christ. But putting One to the sword. Act. 12.2. And another in prison. vers. 4. Hee put the Church to their prayers.Est quaedam precum omnipotentia. vers. 5. Which prayers, for there is a certaine omnipotency of prayer, as Luther was wo…t to say, did create full soone those vermine, that eate him up horribly in the height of his pride. vers. 23. The kkCùm▪ Arrius Constantinopoli in Ecclesiae communionem recipiendus esset, Alexander e…us urb…s Episcopus, to…â nocte in templo prostratus oravit Deum, ut Ecclesiam praesenti periculo liberaret, & de Arrio blasphemiarum poenas reposceret. Postridie Arrius m…gnâ suorum catervâ in templum deductus, inter cundum corripitur horribilibus ventris torminibus, laxat… que alvo petit latrinam, in quâ sedens vn… cum excremen…is effudit jecur, intestina, impuram que animam, sortitus soedum, sua que impietate dignum exitum. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 28. Bucol. Anno Christi. 336.Ecclesiasticall story reports, that the loathsome, and dreadfull end of Arrius, that execrable enemie to Iesus Christ, was hastned by the prayers of the good and orthodoxe Bishop Alexander, who wrastled with God in earnest deprecations against him all the night before. Doe you not thinke, that Gardiner went sooner into his Grave for his cruelty towards Professours of the truth, by their groanes against him, and by the cry of the bloud of that glorious Paire of Martyrs at Oxford, which hee so insatiably thirsted after? Let all those then, that tread in these mens paths, tremble at their p. 66ends. And if no better motive will mollifie their doggednesse, yet at least, let their love unto the world, themselves, and sensuall waies, take them off and restraine them from this persecuting rage; least it set on worke the prayers of Gods people, and so they bee taken away before their time, and cut off from a temporary supposed heaven of earthly pleasures, to a true everlasting Hell of unspeakeable torments, sooner then otherwise they should.

13. The hearts, and tongues of all good men, and friends to the Gospell, are fill'd with much glorious llWhen the wicked perish, there is shouting. Prov. 11.10.Prov 11:10joy, and heartiest songs of thankesgiving, at the downefall of every raging incurable Opposite; when the revenging hand of God hath at length to the singular advancement of the glory of his justice, singled out, and paide home remarkeably, any impenitent Persecutour, and implacable enemie. See for this purpose, The song of …oses, Exod. 15. Of Deborah, Iudges 5. The Iewes feasting after the hanging of Haman; Esther. 9 17. Psa. 52.6.9 And 58.10. And 79.13. 1. Macca. 13.51. (OnelyOnly, let the heart of Gods childe be watchfull over it selfe with a godly jealousie in this Point. That His reioycing bee, because Gods justice is glorified, His Church delivered, Satans kingdome weakened, &c. not onelyonly for his owne ease and end, for any personall or particular by-respect.) Now it is an heavy case: A man, in His short abode upon earth to behave himselfe, so like a dogged Curre, and incarnate Divell, that all good men are and ought to bee passingly glad, when hee is gone.

In this Point I comprise and conclude, all sorts of Persecutours: Of which some are profest and open, as Bonner and Gardiner, and many such morning Wolues: Some Politicke and reserved, who many times are the more pernicious. For of all manner of malice, and ill will, that is most execrable, deadly, and doth the most hurt, which like a Serpent in the faire greene grasse, p. 67lies lurking in the flatterings and fawnings of a sleering countenance. Which kisses with Iudas, and kills with Ioab: entertaines a man with outward formes of complement, and curtesie, but would, if it durst or might, stabbe Him in at the fifth rib, that hee should never rise againe. When a mans words to thy face, are as soft as oyle or butter; but his thoughts towards thee, composed all of bloud and bitternesse; of gall and gunpowder. Some are notorious villaines, as many times in many places, the most desperate blasphemers, stigmaticall Drunkards, rotten whore mongers, cruell usurers, and fellowes of such infamous ranke, are as so many bloudy Goades in the sides of Gods servants; and the onelyonly Men to pursue all advantages against the faithfullest Ministers: Some are of more sober carriage, faire conditions and seeming devotion; Act▪ 13.50. Some are the basest fellowes, the most abiect and contemptible vagabonds, and the very refuse of all the Rascalls in a Countrey. This we may see by Iobs complaint. Cap 30. But now, saith Hee, they that are younger then I, have mee in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flocke. — They were children of fooles, yea, children of base men: they were viler then the earth. And now am I their song, yea, I am their By Word. And in Davids: Psa. 35. Yea, the Abiects gathered themselves against mee, &c. and I was the song of the drunkards, Psal. 69.12. And in the Persecutours of Paul, Act. 17. But the Iewes which bel…eved not, mooved with envie, tooke unto them certaine lewde fellowes of the baser sort, &c. Some againe are men of place and parts. As the same David complaines in the same place. They that sit in the gate, speake against mee. mmHaec forma praecipuè notat & laxat eos, qui e…ant in aliquâ dignitate seu authoritate: uterant judices, & seniores plebis, qut sedere, & convem…e solebant in loco publicorum judiciorum, ubi de R…p. & rebus sorysageadum erat. Iudicia enim exercebantur inportis, Ruth. 4. Putatis hoc, fratres, Christo tantummodò con…gi…se? Quotidie illi in membris ejus contingit, quando forte necesse erit servo Dei prohi…er…eb ietat…s, & luxurias in aliquo velfundo, vel oppido, ubi non auditum suerit verbum Dei. August. in Psal. 69.Ruth 4Ps 69That is, men in high roomes and of great authoritie.

p. 68And as all sorts of Persecutours, so I comprehend all kindes of persecution.

1. By hand; as did Herod. Act. 12. Iulian, Bonner, &c.

2. With tongue; by mocking, Galat. 4.24. compared with Gen. 21.9. See also Psal. 69.20. Hebr. 11.36. By slandering, even in reporting true things maliciously to the prejudice of Gods children. Psalm. 52. By reproaching and reviling. Zeph. 2.8. By insulting with insolent speeches. Ezech. 36.2. and 26.2.

3. In heart; by hatred, Ezech. 35.5. By rejoycing in the downefall or disgrace of the Saints. Ezech. 35.6.

4. In gesture; Ezech. 25.6. Because thou hast clapped thy hands, and stamped with the feete, &c. Behold therefore, I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, &c. Take heede of so much, as looking sowre upon, or brow-beating a servant of Christ, lest thou smart for it.

Looke upon the quoted Places, and you shall see Offenders in any of these kindes, plagued and paide home as Persecutours of Gods people.

And thus let such extremely Wicked men be frighted from persecuting any way, those Men or Meanes, which are appointed and sanctified, to furnish us with spirituall store and strength against the dayes of evill.

Ob. But against that, which hath beene said in this Point for the singularity, and soveraignty of grace and good conscience to support the Spirit of a Man in evill times, to keepe it calme in the most tempestuous assaults, and conquering over all commers, it may bee objected, and some may thus cavill.

Men, who never were, or ever did desire to bee acquainted with Gods grace or good men, expresse sometimes, and represent to By-standers an invincible stoutnesse, much boldnesse and bravenesse of minde in times of greatest extremitie, and under most exquisite tortures; and therefore it seemes not to be peculiar p. 69to the Saints, and the priviledge of Gods Favourites alone, to stand unshaken in stormy times, undaunted in distresse, and comfortable amidst the most desperate confusions?

Answ. I answere; Such confidence is onelyonly in the face, not in the heart; enforced, not kindly; affected, not effectuall; not springing from the sole Fountaine of all sound and lasting comfort in humane Soules; sense of our reconciliation to God in Christ; but from some other odde accidentall Motives; from Weake and unworthy grounds.

1. In some, from an ambitious affectation of admiration and applause, for extraordinary undauntednesse of spirit, and high resolution. It is reported of an Irish Traitour, that lying in horrible anguish upon the Wheele, an Engine of cruellest torture, with his body bruis'd, and his bones broken, asked his friend standing by, whether he changed countenance at all, or no. Affecting more as it seemes, an Opinion of prodigious manlinesse, and unconquerablenesse in torment; then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution.

2. In others, from a strong, stirring perswasion, and consciousnesse of the honesty, and honour of some civill cause, for which they suffer. But fortitude in this case, doth not arise, from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions; but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience, and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane. Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous, and well-bred heathen. It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine, who had long, manfully, and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie; that Hee sustained with strange patience, and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant, and all his barbarous cruelties: most unworthy of Him, that suffered them, but most worthy him that p. 70inflicted the same. First the Tyrant told him; how the day before, hee had caused his son, and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd. To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him, answered nothing, but that they were more happy then himselfe, by the space of one day. Afterward hee caused him to be stripped, and by his executioners, to be taken, and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously; cruelly whipping Him, and charging Him besides, with outragious and contumelious speeches: All which notwithstanding, as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant, and resolute heart. And wit… … cheerefull, and bold countenance went on still, lowdly recounting the honourable▪ and glorious cause of His death; which was, that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant. With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits, that in worthy defense of their liberty; for preservation of their Countrey, or other such noble ends; They indifferently contemned gold, silver, death, torture; and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare, or dismall.

3. In some, from an extreme hardnesse of heart, which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame, misery, or any terrible thing. This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours. A long rebellious, and remorselesse continuance, and custome in sinne▪ raging infections from their roaring companions▪ a furious pursuite of outrages, and blood; Satans ho… iron searing their consciences, and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull, and forlorne courses, so fill them with foole-hardinesse, and with such a ferall disposition, that they are desperately hardned against all affronts, and dis-asters. So that tho such savage-minded, and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes, as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne, as hatefull monsters, and the reproach of Mankind; to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse, and discomfort, and there to be p. 71loaden with cold irons, coldnes, and want; from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution, and there to die a Dogs death, as they say; and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire: yet I say for all this, out of a desperate hard-heartednesse, they seeme still to bee in heart; and to represent to the beholders, a great deale of undauntednesse, and neglect of danger in their carriage, and countenances. O the prodigious Rocke, into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow; both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning, and sense-lesnesse in suffering!

4. In others, from an enraged thirst after humane praise, and immortall fame, as they call it. Which may be so prevalent in them, and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way; that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility, affected patience, and artificiall courage thorow the terrors, and tortures, of a very violent, and Martyr like death. Heare what Austin saith to this Point,Putatis Catholicos defuisse aut deesse posse, qui causâ humanae gloriae paterentur? Si non essent hujusmodi homines, non d…ere… Apostolus, si tradidero corpus meum, ut ardeam, charitatom au…em non habeam, nihil mihi prodest. Sci…bat ergò esse posse quosda, q…i hoc jactatione …acerent, non dilectione. August. in Psal. 44. pag 474. This humour also haunted the Heathen, amongst whom the most wicked did in some sort desire to leave some remembrance of themselves to posterity: Witnes that unknowne fellow, who of set purpose did burne the Temple of Diana in Ephesus; who being demanded wherefore he did it, answere…, that hee determined by some notable villany (seeing by vertue hee could not) to leave some memory behind him after his death. Hence it was, that sometimes they would adventure desperately, and passe thorow, with extraordinary courage many corporall afflictions, for praise of men; or to bee any waies famous in following ages.Ps 44 Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes, or that now there may not bee some, that would suffer onelyonly for the prayse of men? If there were not such kind of men, the Apostle would not hauehave said, Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am nothing. Hee did know right well, that there might bee some, which would doe it out of vaineglory and selfe-love, not for divine love, and the glory of God. O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie, which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts! O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men! O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon, which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules!

p. 725. In some, from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward; from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing, and future wellfare. Such Pharisies, foolish Virgines, and formall Professours, are to bee found in all Ages of the Church, especially, in the fairest, and most flourishing daies thereof, and when the Gospell hath the freest passage, who thus many times, in the greate it of all earthly extremities, even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God, a great deale of confidence, resolution, and many glorious expectations. VponUpon a partiall survay, and perusall of their time past, not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities, notoriousnesse, or infamous sinne; out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues, of their many good parts, generall graces, good deedes, and plausiblenesse with the most; by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity, and the power of godlinesse, as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse; and it may bee, confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage, by the unskilfull, and unseasonable palliations, I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules, from some dawbing Ministers,Ezek. 13 11. Isai. ….15. The Prophet which telleth lyes is the taile. Ezek. 13.10.Ezek 13:11Ezek 13:10 a generation of vilest men, excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ, and mercifull Cutthroates of many miserable deluded Soules, to whom they promise life and peace, when there is no peace towards, but terrible things even at hand, tumbling of garments in blood, Isai. 9.5.Isa 9:5noise of damned Soules, and tormenting in Hell for ever; I say from such false and failing grounds as these, they many times in that last extremity, (the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate, and rottennesse of their hopes) demeane themselues chearefully, and comfortably, as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven, and to lay hold upon eternall life; but God hee p. 73knowes, without any iust cause or true ground. For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body, shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth, as Himselfe hath told us before-hand, Depart from mee; Matth. 7.23.Matt 7:23I never knew you. Such men as these, having been formerly acquainted with, and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion, are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers, with many goodly speeches, and Scripture-Phrases, representing their contempt of the World, Willingnesse to dye, readinesse to forgive all the World, Hope to bee saved, desire to bee dissolved, and bee in Heaven, &c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence,Many having served their appetites all their lives, presume to thinke, that the severe Commādements of the All-powerfull God, were given but in sport; and that the short breath, which we draw, when death presseth us, if wee can but fashion it, to the sound of mercy, is sufficient: O quàm multi, saith a reverend Father, cum hâc sp… ad aeternos labores & bella descendunt. Rawl. in the Preface to His History of the World. Many cōceit as great an efficacy in these five words, Lord have mercy upon mee, spoken with their last breath, for their translation of their soules into heaven, as the Papists doe of their five words of consecration, for the transubstantiation of their Hoste. Dike. Lord, Lord, open to us; mercy, mercy, in the name of Christ, Lord Iesus receive our spirits, &c. which last eiaculations, did they spring from a truly broken, penitent, and heavenly heart, and were they the periods, and conclusions of a well-spent life, might blessedly breake open with unresistable power the gates of Heaven; unlocke the rich treasures of immortality, and fill the departing Soule, with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence: but unto them such goodly and glorious speeches are but as so many catchings and scrablings of a Man over head in water: Hee struggles, and strives for hold to save Himselfe; but Hee graspes nothing but water; it is still water, which Hee catches; and therefore sinkes and drownes.

6. In others, from a mis-guided head-strong Zeale in will-worship; an impotent, peremptory conceit, that they suffer in the cause of God, and for the glory of Religion. This unhallowed fury possessed many Hereretikes of old. VponUpon this false ground, the aaOsiander. Cent. 4 pag. 174.Donatists in the fourth Century after Christ offered themselues willingly, and suffered death most couragiously. And so did the bbEpiphan. Her. 80.Euphemites, who for the multitude of their p. 74supposed Martyrs, would needs be called Martyrians. Stories also tell us,Many of the Turkes …ight by turning Christians, have saved their lives, and would not, chusing rather to dye, (and as i… is reported) also to kill themselves, then to forsake their damnable superstition. Hist. of the Turkes, pag. 284. The Assasins are a company of most desperate and dangerous mē among the Mahometans, who strongly deluded with the blind zeale of their superstition, and accounting it meritorio…s, by any meanes to kill any great enemy of their religion; for the performāce therof, as men prodigall of their lives, desperately adventure thē selves unto all kind of dangers. Histor. of the Turkes, pag. 120. that Turkes, Tartars and Mores both fight and dye most bravely and resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet. And that the Assasins, a company of bloody Villaines, and desperate Cut-throates, who would without all scruple or feare undertake to dispatch any Man, whom their Generall commanded them to murther, dyed oftentimes with great constancy and un-dismaiednesse: And this they accounted a speciall point of Religion. But especially at this Day, the Popish Pseudo-martyrs, indeed true Traytors, are starke mad with this superstitious rage. First, they drinke full deepe of the golden cup of abominable fornication in the hand of the great Whore. Immediately whereupon they grow into an unsatiable and outragious thirst after the blood of Soules, empoysoning them with the doctrine of Divels: And also after the blood of whomsoever withstands their accursed superstitions, even tho they weare Imperiall Crownes upon their Heads; by plotting, and practising treasons, parricides, assasinates, empoysonings, ruines of whole Nations, barbarous Massacres, blowing up of Parliaments ▪ and a world of bloody mischiefes, which cast an inexpiable staine, and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion. At last, they come to Tyburne, or some other Place of iust execution; and then they will needes beare the world in hand, that they are going towards Heaven, to receive a Crowne of Martyrdome. They seeme there already to triumph extraordinarily, and to contemne tortures: with an affected bravery, they trample upon the Tribunals of Iustice, kisse the instruments of death, in signe of happinesse at hand; and throw many resolute, and reioycing speeches, amongst the people as tho they had one foote in Heaven already. When alas! poore, blind, mis-guided Soules, while they thus wilfully and desperately abandon their lives upon a groundlesse, and gracelesse conceite, that p. 75they shall become crowned Martyrs; they are like a Man, who lying asleepe upon an high and steepe Rock, dreames that Hee is created a King, guarded with a goodly traine of ancient Nobles, furnished with many princely Houses, and stately Palaces, enriched with the Revenewes, Majesty, and Magnificence of a mighty Kingdome, attended with all the pleasures, His heart could desire, &c. But starting up upon the sudden, and leaping for ioy; falls headlong, and irrecoverably into the raging Sea; and so in liew of that imaginary happinesse, Hee vainely grasped in a dreame, Hee destroies Himselfe, and looseth that little reall comfort, Hee had in this miserable life. That damned paire of incarnate Divels, the English Fawkes and French Ravillac; the one, after that in the Popes cause, Hee had embrued His hands in the Royall blood of a mighty King, and the greatest Warriour upon Earth; The other having done His utmost to blow up at once, the glory, power, wisedome; the Religion, peace, and posterity of the most renowned State under the Heavens; were both prodigiously bold, confident, peremptory. But was this courage thinke you inspired into them, by the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah, already triumphant in the Heavens, or by that roaring Dragon of the bottomlesse Pit? A man of an understanding, impartiall, discerning spirit, would scarcely wish a clearer demonstration of the Truth, and Orthodoxnes of our Religion, then to marke the different Ends of our blessed Martyrs in Q. Maries time, & those Popish Traytors, which are sometimes executed amongst us. They both ordinarily at their Ends expresse a great deale of confidence: But in the Pseudo-Catholicks Antichristian Martyrs, it is so enforced, artificiall, ambitious, affected; Their speeches so cunning, and composed upon purpose to seduce the simple; Their last behaviour …o plotted before-hand, and formally acted; Their prayers so unhearty, plodding and perfunctory; Their whole carriage so unspirituall, and p. 76unlike the Saints of God, discovering, neither former acquaintances with the mysteries of true sanctification, nor those present feeling elevations of spirit, which are woont to fill the Soules, which are ready to enter into the Ioyes of Heaven; that to a spirituall eye, to a man verst in the purity, and power of godlinesse, it is most cleare, that their comfort in such cases, is of no higher straine, nor stronger temper, then the morall resolution of an Heathen, and head-strong conceit of Heresie can represent, or reach unto. It is otherwise with the true Martyrs of Iesus, slaine most cruelly by that great Whore, the MOTHER of HARLOTS, drunken with a world of innocent blood, as with sweet Wine: As we may see and feele in that glorious Martyriology of our Saints, in the mercilesse times of Queene Mary. The constant profession, and power of our most true, and ever-blessed Religion did create such an holy, and humble Maiesty in their carriages; such a deale of Heaven, and sober undantednesse in their countenances; such ioyfull springings, and spirituall ravishments in their hearts; such grace, and powerfull peircings in their speeches; such zeale, and hearty meltings in their prayers; such triumphant, and heavenly exultations amid the flames; that it was more then manifest, both to Heaven and Earth; to Men and Angels, that their Cause, was the Cause of God; their Murtherer, that Man of sinne; their blood, the seede of the Church; their Soules, the Iewels of Heaven; and their present passage, the right and ready way, to that unfading and most glorious Crowne of Martyrdome. That which in fiction, was fathered upon Father Campion, was most true of every one of our true Martyrs:

That every one might say, with heavy heart that stood:

Here speakes a Saint, here dies a Lambe, here flowes the guiltlesse blood.

Thus you hauehave heard, upon what weake props and p. 77sandy foundations that confidence stands, and is built, which carnall men seeme to lay hold upon with great bravery in times of trouble, and distresse But the comfort which sweetely springs from that spirit, I speake of, supported, out of speciall favour, and interest, by the hand of God, All-sufficient, and the unconquerable calmnesse of a good conscience is grounded upon a Rocke; upon which, tho the raine descends, the floods come, the windes blow, the tempests beate; yet it stands like Mount Zion, sure, sober, strong, lasting, impregnable. Nay, aaVir pius ex perīculis vires majores colligit. Eos non vis temporis, non Principis terror, non oratio, non invidia, nō metꝰ, no accusator, non calummator, non bellumapertè inferens, non clandestinas insidias struens, non in speciem noster, non alienus, non aurun, hoc est, occultus tyrannus, per quem nunc multa sursum deorsumque, velut in talorum ludo sactantur, non verbo…m illecebrae, non minae, non diuturna & repetita exilia (solt enim honorum proscriptioni in eos propter magnas i…as divitias, quae in paupertate sitae sunt, nihil licuit) non aliud quidpiam absentium, aut praesertium, aut in expecta…ione positorum extulit, aut adducere potu…t, ut detertores fierent—I…rmò contrà ex ipsis periculis vires maiores collegerunt, atque acriori animorum contentione in pietatis studium & defensionem incubuerunt. Hu… smodi enim v…m habet arumna pro Christi nomine suscepta, ut ardentiores amori faces subdat, vtrisque in datmi magnitudine praestantibuo ad sequentia certamina quasi arrabonis cujusmodi vicem praebeat. Nazian. Orat. 34.it is of that heavenly metall, and divine temper, that it ordinarily gathers vigour and puissance from the worlds rage; and growes in strength and resolution together with the encrease of all iniust oppositions: Persecutions, and resistance serue as a provocation, and seasoning to it's sweetnesse. It is not enforced, formall, artificiall, affected, furious, desperate, misgrounded, ambitious, upon an humour, in the face onelyonly, onelyonly in hot blood, out of a vaine-glorious pang, &c. Such may bee found in Aliens, and resolute reprobates. It were nothing worthy, if strangers might meddle with it: If Men or Divels, or the whole World could take it from us; If it were sustained onelyonly by any created power, or arme of flesh. This Pearle that I praise, and perswade unto, is of an higher price, and more transcendent power, then any unregenerate Man can possibly compasse, or comprehend. It hath for it's seate, a sanctified Soule; for the Fountaine of it's refreshing, the Spirit of all comfort; for it's foundation, the favour of God; for it's Warrant, the promises of Amen, the faithfull, and true Witnesse; for it's object, an immortall Crowne; for it's continuance, the prayers of p. 78all the Saints; for it's companions, inward peace, invincible courage, an holy security of minde; for it's end and perfection, fulnesse of ioy, and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore. In a word, this couragious comfort, and true noblenesse of spirit, which dwells in the heart of the true-hearted Christian doth differ as much from, and as farre surpasses all the groundlesse confidences of what carnall men, or religious counterfeits soever; as the reall possession of gold, an imaginary dreame of gold; as the true naturall, lively Grape, which glads the heart, a painted juycelesse Grape, which onelyonly feedes the eye▪ as a strong, and mighty Oake, rooted deepely in the earth, which no storme or tempest can displant or overthrow, a Stake in a dead hedge, or Staffe stucke lightly into the ground, which every hand may snatch away, or blast of winde supplant, and overthrow.

Secondly, the trouble of a wounded conscience, is further amplified by it's Attribute, intolerablenesse. But a wounded Spirit who can beare? Whence, note;

Doctr. That the torture of a troubled Conscience is intolerable.

Reas. 1. In all other afflictions, onelyonly the Arme of flesh is our adversary; wee contend but with Creatures at most; wee have to doe but with Man, or at worst, with Divels: but in this transcendent misery, wee conflict immediately with God Himselfe: Fraile Man with Almighty God; sinfull Man with that most holy God,Habac 1.13. Nahum 1.6.Nah 1:6 Whose eyes are purer then to behold evill, and who cannot looke upon iniquity. Who then can stand before his indignation? Who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger? When his fury is powred out like fire, and the Rocks are throwne downe by Him: When hee comes against a man as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelpes, Hosea 13.8.Hos 13:8torent the very caule of His heart, and to devoure him like a Lion. No more then the driest stubble can resist p. 79the fierest flame; the ripe Corne, the Mowers sharpest sythe; or a garment, the Moath: no more, nay infinitely lesse can any power of Man or Angell withstand the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth, when Hee is angry for Sinne.Psal. 39.11.Ps 39:11 When thou, saith David, with rebukes correctest man for iniquity, thou as a **Sed primo intuitu absurda videri posset comparatio Dei cum tineâ. Quid enim assi… ne habet vermiculo immensa Dei majestas? Respondeo, aptissimè Davidem hac similitutudine suisse usum, ut sciamus, quamvis non palam …ulminete coelo Deus, non aliter tamen occulatâ ejus maledictione consumi reprob…s, actinea caeco morsu pannum, vel lignum absumit: & simul respicit ad excellentiam, quam duit quasi putredine corrumpi, ubi Deus infestus est, sicuti pretiosissimas quas que vestes, suâ tabe con…icit tinea. Calvin.Moath makest his beauty to consume. Alas! when a poore polluted wretch, upon some speciall illumination by the Word, or extraordinary stroke from the rod, doth once begin to behold Gods frowning face against Him, in the pure Glasse of His most holy Law; and to feele divine iustice by an invisible hand, taking secret vengeance upon his conscience; His heavy heart immediately melts away in his brest, and becomes as water. Hee faints and failes, both in the strength of his body, and stoutnesse of his minde. His bones, the pillars, and Master-timber of his earthly Tabernacle, are presently broken in pieces, and turn'd into rottennesse: His spirit the eye and excellency of his Soule, which should illighten, and make lightsome the whole Man, is quite put out, and utterly overwhelm'd, with excesse of horrour, and flashes of despaire. O this is it, which would not onelyonly crush the courage of the stoutest sonne of Adam, that ever breath'd upon earth; but even breake the backe of the most glorious Angell, that did ever shine in Heaven, should Hee lift up but one rebellious thought against his Creatour! This alone is able to make the tallest Cedar in L…banon, the strongest Oake in Basan; I meane the highest looke, and the proudest heart; the most boisterous Nimrod, or swaggering Belshazzar, to bow and bend, to stoope and tremble, as the leaves of the forrest, that are sh…ken with the winde.

2. In all other adversities, a man is still a friend unto himselfe, favours himselfe, and reaches out his best considerations to bring in comfort to his heavy heart. But in this, Hee is a scourge to Himselfe, at warre with Himselfe, an enemy to Himselfe. Hee doth greedily and industriously p. 80fetch in as much matter, as hee can possibly, both imaginary and true, to enlarge the rent, and aggravate his horrour. Hee gazes willingly in that false glasse, which Satan is woont in such Cases, to set before Him; wherein by his Hellish malice Hee makes an infinite addition both to the already un-numbred multitude, and to the too true hainousnesse of his sinnes; and would faine, if Hee will be lead by his lying cruelty, mis-represent to his affrighted imagination, every Gnat as a Camell; every Moate as a Mole-hill; every Mole-hill as a Mountaine; every lustfull thought as a Sodomiticall villany; every idle word as a desperate blasphemy; every angry looke as an actuall bloody murder; every intemperate passion, as an inexpiable provocation; every distraction in holy duties as a damnable rebellion; every transgression against light of conscience, as a sinne against the holy Ghost, &c. Nay, in this amazednesse of spirit, and disposition to despaire, Hee is apt even of his owne accord, and with great eagernesse, to arme every severall sinne, as it comes into his minde with a particular bloody sting, that it may strike deepe enough, and sticke fast enough in His already grieved Soule. Hee imployes and improoves, the excellency, and utmost of His learning, understanding, wit, memory, aaSed Franciscus Spira mir… sagacitate ad siagula responaebat — Q…ae un que adjerebantur, to…que…at, ageb itque…n contraria partem magna violenti… argumentorum, & admirandae orantionis…m pet…. —Nihil pot…it adeo ap…e proponi, nihil tama…co …odate adferri, quod non ille vel refel…eret argutissime, vel elu…et calli dissime, vel dissolveret promptissime. Saepè intrà meipsum cogitavi, eum nequaquam f…isse it a perspicacem in…ulicio dogmatum, ita porrò excercitatum in disputationibus Theologi…is, cum sanus esset. Hist. De Francis…. Spi…a, p. 120.121.to argue with all subtilty, with much Sophistry against the pardonablenes of his sins, and possibilitie of salvation. Hee wounds even his wounds, with a conceit, they are incurable, and vexes his very vexations, with refusing to bee comforted. Not onelyonly crosses, afflictions, temptations, and all matter of discontentment; but even the most desirable things also in this life, and those which minister most outward comfort; Wife, bbIt is said of the same Spira, that In tantis suis malis, Hee did, silieris suorū non aliter, vultus & manus, qua tortorū semper exborrescere ▪ Ibid. p. 84.Children, Friends; Gold, Goods, Great mens favours; p. 81Preferments, Honours, Offices, even ccMentem eripit timor hic, vultum totúmque corporis habitum immutat, cliā in delicijs. in tirpudijs, in Symposijs &c. carnisicinam exercet. Lemmius li. 4. cap. 21.Pleasures themselves every thing; whatsoever is within Him, or without Him, or ddContra me quaecun que sunt uspiam, in Coelo & sub Coelo consenser…nt, ut mihi molestiam faciant: coelum, elementa, mundus, Deus Angeli, homines, diaboli Hist. de Spira pag 112.about Him; whatsoever He thinkes upon, remembers, heares, sees, turne all to his torment. No marvaile then, tho the terrour of a wounded conscience bee so intolerable.

3. As the exultations of the Soule; and spirituall refreshments doe incomparably surpasse, both in excellency of Object, and sweetnesse of apprehension all pleasures of se…se, and bodily delights: so afflictions of the Soule, and spirituall pangs doe infinitely exceede, both in bitternesse of sense, and intension of sorrow the most exquisite tortures, can possibly bee inflicted upon the **Mul…o saeviorlonge que atrocior est anuni▪ quàm corporis cruciatus Lemmius. lib. 1. cap. 12. Tan ò poena intolerabilior, quantò spiritus corpore subtilior.Body For the Soule is a spirit, very subtile, quicke, active, stirring, all life, motion, sense, feeling; and therefore farre more capable and apprehensive, of all kinds of impressions, whether passions of pleasure, or inflictions of pa…e.

4. This extremest of miseries, a wounded spirit, is tempered with such strong, and strange ingredients of extraordinary feares;Ier. 20 4. Prov 28 1. Levit. 26 37. Psal. 53….Jer 20:4Prov 28:1Lev 26:37Ps 53 that it makes a man a terrour to himselfe, and to all his friends: To flee when none pursues, at the sound of a shaken leafe: To tremble at his owne shadow; to bee in great feare, where no feare is: Besides the insupportable burthen of too many true and causefull terrours, it fills His darke and dreadfull Fancy with a world of fained horrours, gastly apparitions, and imaginary Hells, which notwithstanding, have reall stings, and impresse true tortures upon his trembling and wofull heart. It is empoysoned with such restlesse anguish, and desperate paine, that tho life bee most sweete, and Hell most horrible; yet it makes a man wilfully to abandon the one, and willingly to embrace the other, that Hee may bee rid of it's rage. Hence it was, that Iudas preferred an Halter and Hell, before his present horrour. That Spira said often, (what heart quakes not to heare it?) that Hee envied p. 82eeSae…e dixit infelicissimus Spira se invidere Caino, Saulo & Iudae. Ibid. pag. 31. Optate se in loco Iudae & Caini esse. Ibid. p. 38. Ex ill… h…r… im…sit De…s tu cor e…us …erm…m c…r…dentem, ignem i…exting…thilem, ut horrine, con…si…ne, d…sp…ratione … ò repl…retur. Q…i vermis & ign…s nunquam ex…ude … dereliquerant, … deteriori in … quàm si separat… à corpore animà, cum Iuda, Caino & caeteris damnatis esset: desiderans se loco … mor…ui & damnati e…se potius, … corpore vivere. …. pag. 13. Asserebat, v…rmem illum rodentem, & ignem inextinctam ita cordis penetralia exedere, & adurere, … sit deterior s…a … qua vel … Iudae, & qui…em ma… se …am mort… … damnati… esse, qu…m in havita …. Nicol. Laurent. in Ale…ipharmaco adversus desperat…onis pestem. pag 31.Cain, Saul and Iudas: wishing rather any of their roomes, in the Dungeon of the damned, then to have his poore heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors, & fiery desperations upon his Bed of death. Whereupon at another time beeing ff… f…turos post han… …tiam cruciatus acerbiores, aut … s…se quidem, longe duriora, … & … expetere, ac desideraere, … nihil ipsi gravi…s pertimescendum sciret. Ibid. pag. 86.asked, Whether Hee feared more fearefull torments after this life: Yes, said Hee: But I desire nothing more, then to bee in that place, where I shall expect no more. Expectation, as it seemes of future, did infinitely aggravate and enrage His already intolerable torture.

5. The Heathens, who had no fuller sight of the foulenesse of sinne, or more smarting sense of divine vengeance for it, then the light of naturall conscience was able to afford and represent unto them; yet were woont in fiction to shadow out in some sort, and intimate unto us, the insufferable extremities of a minde troubled in this kinde; by hellish furies, following malefactors with burning fire-brands, and flames of torture: What understanding then is able to conceive, or tongue to report, in what case that sinfull conscience must needs bee, when it is once awakened; which besides, the notions of naturall light, hath also, the full Sun of Gods sacred Word, and that pure Eye, which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne, and cannot looke upon iniquity, to irradiate and enrage it to the height of guiltinesse, and depth of horrour? Both heart and tongue; Man and Angell must let that alone for ever. For none can take the true estimate of this immesurable spirituall misery, but hee that can comprehend the length, and breadth of that infinite unresistable wrath, which once implacably enkindled in the bosome of God, burnes to the very bottome of Hell, and p. 83there creates the extremity and endlesnesse of all those un-expressable torments, and fiery plagues, which afflict the Diuels and damned Soules in that horrible Pit.

6. Not onelyonly the desperate cries of Cain, Iudas, ggLatomus, cum ex ambitione contra conscientiam, veritatem Evangelij atrociter impugnasset, & inquisitor pravitatis hareti…ae factus, Christi fideles immanissimè esset persecutus; in corpore vegeto, & sano, subitâ trepid… tione, & te…roribus, itae est perculsus, ut quos ex amicis no…erat, doctissimos ad s… accerseret, suámque impietatem, in extremâ constitutus desperatione, ultrò fateretur. Grave est, inquiens, peccatum meum, qui prudens, sciensque in verbo Dei persequ…ndo, & opprimendo, alijs operam meam collocavi. Quare adversus Spiritum sanctum peccavi, nec ulla v…lin hâc vitâ, vel in aeternâ peccati mei condonatio speranda est Sed diaboli & corpore & animâ perpetuum sum mancipium, adeóque in regnum ejus incorporatus: atque ita inter horrendos mugitus mortuus est. Alexipharm. adversus Desperat. Authore Nicolao Laurentio.Latomus, and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope, but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare Children discover the truth of this Point, to wit, the terrours and intolerablenesse of a wounded Conscience. Heare how rufully three ancient Worthies in their times wrastled with the wrath of God in this kinde. I reckoned till morning, saith Hezekiah, that as a hhIsai. 38.13. Quòd autem Deum comparat Leoni, absurdum videri non debet.—Oportet enim flagellis Domini effi…aciam iness…, quà humiliomur at que deijciamur usque ad ipsos inferos, & consolatione propemodum destituto omnia horror is plena concipiamus: quemadmodum etiam horrores istos descriptos à Davide cernimus, dum ossa sua dinumerata, lectum suum lachrymis madefactum, an…mam suam turbatam, inferos apertos esse dicit. Sic enim pios interdum judicio Dei t…rreri necesse est, ut bonitatis ejus desiderio magis afficiantur. Calvin.Isa 38:13Lion, so will hee breake all my bones: Even as the weake and trembling limbes of some lesser neglected Beast are crusht and torne in pieces by the unresistable Paw of an unconquerable Lion; so was His troubled Soule terrified and broken with the anger of the Almighty. Hee could not speake for bitternesse of griefe, and anguish of heart; but chattered like a Crane or a Swallow, and mourned like a Dove. Thou iiIob 13 26.Job 13:26writest bitter things against mee, saith Iob, and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth. The kkIob 6, 4.8.Job 6:4Job 6:8arrowes of the Almighty are within mee, the poyson thereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against mee. O that I might have my request! And that God would grant mee the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy mee, that Hee would let loose his hand, and cut mee off. Nay yet worse: llIob 7.14, 15.Job 7:14Job 7:15Thou scarest mee with dreames, and terrifiest mee through visious. p. 84So that my Soule chuseth mmNon quòd de laqueo cogitárit, sed quòd in tantâ mili acerbitate, & inquietudine tam diurn…, quàm nocturnà, s…lterutri…s detur optio, l…gè malit laqueum, quà in talem …i tam…abisane vidoloris anactus hoc dicit sui oblitu…. Nam neq…e ho… excusa…i potest. Sed ita sibi in suo dolore, & ipse suo dolo…s ind…lget. Mere.strangling, and death rather then my life. Tho God in mercy preserves his servants from the monstrous and most abhorred Act of selfe-murder; yet in some melancholike moode, horrour of minde, and bitternesse of spirit, they are not quite freed from all impatient wishes that way, and sudden suggestions thereunto. nnPsal. 32.3, 4.Ps 32:3Ps 32:4My bones waxed old, saith David, through my roaring all the day long. Day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee: my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer. Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee, and thy hand presseth mee sore. There is no soundnesse in my flesh, because of thine anger: neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sinne. For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for mee.—I am troubled, I am bowed downe greatly; I goe mourning all the day long.—I am feeble, and sore broken. I have roared by reason of the disquj…tnesse of my heart. Heare also, into what a depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times, were plung'd and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne: Blessed Mistris ooSee the Discourse of the holy l…fe, and Ch…istian death of Mistris Katherin Brettergh.Brettergh upon Her last Bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death; the very griefe of Hell laid hold upon Her Soule; a roaring Wildernesse of woe was within Her, as She confessed of Her selfe. She said, her sinnes had made Her a prey to Satan; And wished that she had never been borne, or that shee had been made any other creature, rather then a Woman. Shee cryed out many times, Woe, woe, woe, &c. A weake, a wofull, a wretched, a forsaken woman; with teares continually trickling from her eyes. Master ppIn the narration of His dreadfull desertion upon his Bed of death.Peacock that man of God, in that His dreadfull visitation and desertion, recounting some smaller sinnes, burst out into these words. And for these, saith Hee, I feele now an Hell in my conscience. VponUpon other occasions, Hee cryed out, groaning most pitifully: Oh mee Wretch! Oh mine heart is miserable! Oh, Oh, miserable and wofull! The burthen of my sinne lyeth so p. 85heavy upon mee, I doubt it will breake my heart. Oh how wofull and miserable is my state, that thus must converse with Hell-hounds! When By-standers asked, if Hee would pray: Hee answered; I cannot. Suffer us, say they to pray for you. Take not, replyed Hee, the Name of God in vaine, by praying for a Reprobate. What grievous pangs, what sorrowfull torments, what boyling heates of the fire of Hell that blessed Saint of God, rrActs and Monum. I… the story of Master Robert Glover. p. 1551.Iohn Glover, felt inwardly in his spirit, saith Fox, no speech outwardly is able to expresse. Being young, saith Hee, I remember I was once or twice with Him, whom partly by His talke I perceived, and partly by mine owne eyes saw to bee so worne, and consumed by the space of five yeeres, that neither almost any brooking of meat, quietnes of sleep, pleasure of life, yea, and almost no kind of senses was left in Him. VponUpon apprehension of some back-sliding, Hee was so perplexed, that if Hee had been in the deepest Pit of Hell, Hee could almost have despaired no more of His salvation: saith the same Author: In which intolerable griefes of minde, saith Hee, although Hee neither had, nor could have any ioy of his meate, yet was Hee compelled to eate against his appetite, to the end to differre the time of His damnation, so long, as Hee might, thinking with Himselfe no lesse, but that Hee must needs bee throwne into Hell, the breath beeing once out of his Body. I dare not passe out of this Point, lest some Childe of God should bee here discouraged, before I tell you, that every One of these three last named, was at length blessedly recovered, and did rise most gloriously out of their severall Depths of extremest spirituall misery, before their end. Heare therefore also Mistris Bretterghs ssIn the fore-cited Discourse.triumphant Songs, and ravishments of spirit after the returne of Her Welbeloved: O Lord Iesu doest Thou pray for mee? O blessed and sweete Saviour, How wonderfull! How wonderfull! How wonderfull are thy mercies! Oh thy love is unspeakeable, that hast dealt so graciously with mee! O my Lord and my God, blessed bee thy Name for evermore, p. 86which hast s…wed mee the Path of life. Thou didst, O Lord, hide thy face from mee for a little season, but with everlasting mercy thou hast had compassion on mee: And now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come; yea Lord, thou hast had respect unto thine hand-maide, and art come with fulnesse of ioy, and abundance of consolations: O blessed bee thy Name my Lord and my God: O the ioyes! the ioyes! the ioyes, that I feele in my Soule! Oh they bee wonderfull! They bee wonderfull! They bee wonderfull! O Father, how mercifull, and marveilous gracious art thou unto mee! yea Lord, I feele thy mercy, and I am assured of thy love, and so certaine am I thereof, as Thou art the God of truth, even so sure doe I know my Selfe to bee thine, O Lord my God; and this my Soule knoweth right well, and this my Soule knoweth right well. O blessed bee the Lord; O blessed bee the Lord, that hath thus comforted mee, and hath brought mee now to a place more sweet unto mee, then the Garden of Eden. Oh the ioy, the ioy, the delightsome ioy that I feele! —O praise the Lord for his mercies, and for this ioy which my Soule feeleth full well, prayse His Name for evermore. Heare with what heavenly calmenesse, and sweete comforts, Master Peacocks heart was ttIn the above-named Narration.refresht and ravisht when the storme was over: Truly, my heart and Soule, saith Hee (when the tempest was something alayed) have been farre led, and deepely troubled with temptations, and stings of conscience, but I thanke God they are eased in good measure. Wherefore I desire that I bee not branded with the note of a cast-away, or reprobate. Such questions, oppositions, and all tending thereto, I renounce. Concerning mine inconsiderate speeches in my temptation, I humbly, and heartily aske mercy of God for them all. Afterward by little, and little, more light did arise in His heart, and Hee brake out into such speeches as these: I doe, God bee praised, feele such comfort, from that, what shall I call it? Agony, said One that stood by; Nay, quoth Hee, that is too little; That p. 87had I five hundred worlds, I could not make satisfaction for such an issue. Oh the Sea is not more full of water, nor the Sunne of light, then the Lord of mercy! yea His mercies are ten thousand times more. What great cause have I, to magnifie the great goodnesse of God, that hath humbled, …ay rather exalted, such a wretched Miscreant, and of so base condition, to an estate so glorious and stately! The Lord hath honoured me with His goodnesse? I am sure, Hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for me. The ioy that I feele in mine heart, is incredible. For the third, heare uuActs and Monum. Ibid.M. Fox: Tho this good Servant of God suffered many yeares so sharp temptations, and strong buffetings of Satan: yet the Lord, who graciously preserved Him all the while, not onelyonly at last did rid him out of all discomfort, but also framed him thereby to such mortification of life, as the like lightly hath not been seene; in such sort, as Hee b…eing like one placed in Heaven already, and d…ad in this world, both in word and meditation, led a life altogether celestiall, abhorring in His mind all prophane do…ngs.

7. No arme of flesh, or Art of man; no earthly comfort, or created power can possibly heale or helpe in this heaviest case, and extreamest horrour; Heaven and earth, Men and Angels, friends and Physicke; gold and silver, pleasures and preferments, fauour of Princes; nay the utmost possibility of the whole creation must let this alone for ever. An Almighty hand, and infinite skill must take this in hand; or else never any cure or recovery in this world or the world to come. Bodily diseases may be eased, and mollified by medicines: Surgery, as they say, hath a salve for every sore: Poverty may be repaired and releived by friends: There is no imprisonment without some hope of enlargement. Sute and favour may helpe home out of banishment. Innocency and neglect may weare-out disgrace: Griefe for losse of a wife, a Child, or other dearest friend, if not by reasons from Reason, that death is un-avoidable, p. 88necessary, an end of all earthly miseries, the common way of all Mankinde, &c. yet at last is lessened and utterly lost by length of time. Cordialls of Pearle, Saphyres, and Rubies, with such like, may recomfort the heart possest with Melancholy, and drown'd in the darkenesse of that sad, and irkesome humour, &c. But now not the most exquisite concurrence of all these, nor all the united abilities, which lie within the strength and sinewes of the Arme of flesh, can helpe any whit at all in this Case. Not the exactest quintessence extracted from all the joyes, glory and pleasures, that ever the world enjoyed, can procure, or minister one jote of ease to a Soule afflicted in this kinde, and thus trembling under the terrours of God. In such an Agony, and extremity haddest thou the utmost aide, and an universall attendance from Angels and men; couldest thou reach the top of the most aspiring humane ambition, after the excellency and variety of all worldly felicities: were thy possessions as large as East and West; were thy meate continually Manna from Heaven; every day, like the day of Christs resurrection: Were thy apparell as costly and orient as Aarons Ephod; nay, thy Body cloth'd with the beauty of the Sunne, and crownde with Starres; yet for all this, and a thousand more, thy heart within Thee would bee as cold as a stone, and tremble, infinitely above the heart of a woman, entring into travell of Her first Childe. For alas, who can stand before the mighty Lord God? Who dare pleade with Him, when Hee is angry? What spirit of man hath might, to wrastle with His Maker? Who is able to make an agreement with the Hells of Conscience? or to put to silence the voyce of desperation? Oh! in this conflict alone, and wofull wound of conscience, ssO miseri, in quanto errore, versamini. Patatisne hunc morbum ejusmod… esse, quipbar…acis, aut ope humanâ supera…i possit … Credite mihi, aliunu… petenda est medicina. Non prodest ad animae agritudines, peccati cognitione, & irae Dei pondere prostratae, nec potio, nec Cataplasma, nec deductio per Pharmacum: sed in hoc genere, Medicus Christus est, vox Evangelij Autidotum. Hist. de Spira, Pag. 106.no Electuary of Pearle or pretious Baulme, no p. 89Bezoars stone; or Vnicornes horne; Paracelsian quintessence, or Potable Gold; No new devise of the Knights of the Rosie-Crosse, nor the most exquisite extraction, which Alchymy, or Art it selfe can create, is able any whit, or at all to revive ease, or asswage. It is onelyonly the hand of the holy Ghost, by the blood of that blessed Lambe, Iesus Christ the holy, and the righteous, which can binde up such a bruise.

Vses. 1. Counsell to the unconverted: That they would take the stings out of their sinnes, and prevent the desperatenesse, and incurablenesse of this horrible wound, by an humble, sincere, universall turning unto the Lord, while it is called ttTempestivè incipiamus sentire conscientiae horrores, dum …empus est gratia, quâ vulnerata conscientia sanari potest suavissimus Christi promissio…ibus. Nam si sensum hunc differamus, &c. Rolloc. in loan 5. pag. 287.To Day. For assuredly in the meane time, all the sinnes they have heretofore committed in thought, word or deede; at any time, in any place, with any company, or to which they have bin any wayes accessary, are already upon record before the pure Eye of that high and everlasting Iudge, written exactly by the hand of divine Iustice in the Book of their consciences, with a pen of iron, with the claw of an Adamant, with the point of a Diamond, or if you can name any thing, which makes a stronger, deeper and more lasting impression: & there they lye, like so many Lions asleepe, and Giants refreshing with wine, gathering much desperate poyson, and s…inging points; that whensoever hereafter, they shall bee effectually and finally awaked by Gods angry hand, they may torment most ragingly, and teare their wofull Soules in pieces everlastingly, when there is none to helpe.

Now wee may see and observe many times, one little sin, at least in the worlds account, and conceite of carnall men, to plunge a guilty conscience into the depth of extremest horrour, and a very Hell upon Earth: As I have heard of, and knowne in many: One for a sudden, unadvised imprecation against Her owne Soule, in case She did so or so: Another, for a thought conceived of God, unworthy so great a Majesty: Another, for covetously p. 90keeping a thing found, and not restoring it, or not inquiring after the Owner: Another for an adulterous project, without any actuall pollution: Another, by concurring with a company of scoffing Ishmaels onelyonly once, and ere Hee was aware, by lifting up the hands, and casting up the eyes, in scorne of Gods people, &c. Yet afterwards they sadly revising these miscarriages in cold blood, some of them some five or sixe yeeres after, God beeing then pleased to represent them with terrour, and their native stings, were cast into that affliction of conscience, and confusion of spirit, that their very bones were broken; their faces fill'd with ghastlinesse and feare; their bodies possessed with strange tremblings and languishing distempers; their very vitall moysture turned into the drought of Summer: In which dreadfull perplexity they were in great danger of destroying themselves, and of being swallowed up of despaire. If the guilty sense then of one Sin, when God sets it on, and sayes unto it, Torment, drawes so many fiery points of stinging Scorpions after it; charges upon the excellency of the understanding with such hideous darkenesse; rents the heart in pieces with such desperate rage; grindes into powder, the arme and sinewes of all earthly succour; melts, like Dew before the Sunne, all those delights, and pleasures which the whole world offers, or affords to comfort in such a Case; In a word, makes a man so extreamely miserable, That Hee would make Himselfe away; wishes with unspeakeable griefe, that Hee had never been; that Hee might returne into the abhorred state of annihilation; that Hee were any other Creature; that Hee might lye hid world without End under some everlasting Rocke, from the face of God; Nay, that Hee were rather in Hell, then in His present horrour: I say it being thus, what unquenchable wrath; what streames of brimstone; what restlesse anguish; what gnashing of teeth; what knawing of conscience; what despairefull roarings; what horrible p. 91torments; what fiery Hells feeding upon His Soule and flesh for ever, may every impenitent wretch expect, when the whole blacke and bloudy Catalogue of all His sinnes shall bee marshold and mustered up together at once against Him? every one beeing keened with as much torturing fury, as the infinite anger of Almighty God can put into it▪ after that Hee hath accursedly with much incorrigible stubbornnesse out-stood the day of His gracious visitation, under this glorious Sunshine of the Gospell, wherein Hee either hath, or if Hee had been as uuAs if a foolish wretch should chuse rather to starve at the Bakers Stall, then lay out His penny in bread. So God knowes many a wretched man famisheth his Soule to spare His purse; contented to live in a barren and drie wildernes, where there is neither bread nor water of life; where there is no vision, no preaching; rather then to feede His Kids by the Tents of the Shepheards; that is, to dwell, where Hee may heare, or (which were more charitable) to procure that Hee▪ with others may heare, where hee dwelleth. S. Crooke.provident for His immortall Soule, as carking for His rotten Carkasse, might have enioyed very powerfull meanes all His life long: And yet all the while neglected so great salvation; forsooke his owne mercy; and so iudged Himselfe unworthy of everlasting life.

If a lighter Sinne many times lite so heavy, when the Conscience is illightened; How will thy poore Soule tremble under the terrible, and untolerable weight of all thy sinnes together? When all thy lyes, all thy oathes, all thy rotten speeches, and railings; All thy bedlam passions, and filthy thoughts; All thy Good-fellow-meetings, Ale-house-hauntings, and scoffings of Gods people; All the wrongs thou hast done, all the goods thou hast got ill, all the time thou hast mispent; Thy prophanation of every Sabbath, thy killing of Christ at every Sacrament, thy Non-proficiency at every Sermon; Thy ignorance, thy unbeliefe, thy worldlinesse, thy covetousnesse, thy pride, thy malice, thy lust, thy luke-warmenesse, impatiency, discontentment, vaine-glory, Selfe-love; The innumerable swarmes of vaine, idle, wandring, and wicked imaginations; In a word all the pollutions, distempers, and estrangednesse from God in thine heart: all the villanies, vanities, and rebellions of thy whole life; I say, when all these shall bee charged upon thy gracelesse Soule by the implacable indignation of that highest Majesty, whose mercy, p. 92Ministry, and long suffering, thou hast shamefully abused; whose anger, patience, and pure eye thou hast villanously provoked all thy life long; Alas what wilt thou doe then! What wings of the morning will then carry Thee out of the reach of Gods revenging hand? What Cave shall receive thee? What Mountaine canst Thou get by entreaty to fall upon Thee? What darkest Mid-night, or Hellish Dungeon shall hide thee from that wrath, which Thou shall bee neither able to abide, or to avoide? In this case, I would not have thy heart in my Brest one houre, for the riches, glory and pleasures often thousand worlds.

Neither blesse thy Selfe in the meane time, because Thou hast neither feare, fore-tast, or feeling of the wrath which is to come, the vengeance which hangs over thine Head, and the horrour which dog's Thee at the heeles▪ uuNe, quòd peccans non doles, parvi pendas: sed propter hoc saltem maxime gemas: quoniam peccatorū dolorem non sent is. Non enim hoc provenit, quòd peccatum nō mordeat, sed quòd anima peccans s…t insensata.—Peccantes non dolere magis eum indignari facit & irasci, quàm peccare. Chrysost. ad. pop Antioch. Hom. 46. Quòd si quis existet, qui Diaboli plag is non persentiat; nimirùmillius norbus ex illâ indolentiâ ingravesett. Quemcunque enim plaga una inflicta non mordet, neque attristat, is certè facile & alteram excipit: itemque & hac acceptâ, tertiam: ne que enim intermitit ad extremum usque spiritum feriens …efarius ille, quoties invenit animam supinam, prioresque plagas contemnenten. Idem de Sacerdotio. lib. 6. Isti quisanos seputabant, multò periculosius & desperatiùs aegrotahant. August de verbis Apost. Serm. 9. But Satan is not willing to deale so roughly with the unregenerate, if Hee could chuse: for Hee stands ever in most danger of losing them, when Hee carries Himselfe towards them, in so hard a fashion: wherefore Hee rather flatters, and faunes; endeavouring to rocke them asleepe still▪ if hee can, in the Cradle of securitie and presumption. Neither will Hee storme thus, (to wit, labour to pull them by the strength of utter despaire, as it were, quicke into Hell, and to make them kill themselves, or doe some other most grosse and unnaturall crime:) but when hee sees his advantage, in regard of some bodily crosse, or distemper; or that hee sees the Lord will needs awaken their sleepy consciences. Whately, New-birth Cap. 5. Qui jugum suscipiunt Diaboli, Diabolus eos delectat, & decipit, ne discedant à malo impij usque ad mortem suam. Incertus Author, In Mat. Cap. 11. Hom. 28.For that is the very complement of thy misery, and perfection of thy madnesse. To bee sicke, and senselesse of it, is the sorest sicknesse. To have Satan slash thy Soule with so many sinnes, one after another, and to feele no smart, is a most desperate securitie; To have all this misery towards, and to bee confident, p. 93and fearelesse, is the misery of miseries.

The reasons, why thou art at rest from their guilty rage in the meane time; and that so many sleeping Lions, I meane all thine unpardoned sinnes, doe not yet awake and stirre; terrific and teare in pieces, are such as these.

1. Satan is suttle, that Hee will not meddle much, or molest thee extreamely, untill Hee bee able to doe thee an irrecoverable mischiefe. Hee is woont not to appeare in His true likenesse, and so terribly; not so much to disquiet and trouble any of His owne, before Hee have them at some dead lift, and desperate advantage; as under some extraordinary Crosse, great disgrace, grievous sicknesse; In time of some deepe Melancholy, un-avoidable danger, universall confusion; When Hee conceives in all probabilitie, that they have out-stood the Day of their visitation, hardned their hearts, that they cannot repent, received the sentence of death against themselves; And at such other like times, when hee hopes, Hee shall bee able to crush, and confound them suddenly, utterly and for ever. And then hee playes the Divell indeed, and shewes Himselfe in His colours. For Hee then infinitely endeauours with all cunning and cruell industry, after Hee hath wafted them a while downe the current of the times, with as much carnall peace and pleasure, as Hee could possibly, to cast them upon the Rocke of a most dreadfull ruine, and swallow them up quicke in the gulphe of calamity and woe; of despaire, selfe-destruction, everlasting perdition of Body, and Soule. But you must know, that in the meane time, untill Hee can spie such an opportunity, Hee labours might and maine to keepe them in as merry a moode as may bee. Hee laies about Him, by all wayes and meanes, Hee can devise, to plot and provide for them, and that with great variety and curiosity, fresh successions and supplies continually, of pleasures, contentments, the countenance and favours of p. 94the times, sensuall satisfactions, all earthly prosperities. If Hee can helpe it, and have his will, they shall wallow still in all worldly felicity, and bee attended upon with all the delights their hearts can desire. And all this, to continue them with more easinesse and irresistance in the damned way: And lest otherwise, they should grow weary of His slavery, sensible of their guilded fetters, and so labour after liberty, and enlargement from His Hellish bondage. For Hee knowes full well, that if thy endured much hardship in His service, they might perhaps thinke of seeking after a new Master; that want of comfort in the world, might draw their hearts to delight in the Word; Not finding happinesse upon earth, might make them enquire after that which is in heaven. That crosses and crossing their courses, being sanctified for that purpose, may happily helpe to breake their hearts, and bring them to remorse for sin; which Hee mainely feares, and opposeth with all the craft and power, Hee can possibly; lest thereupon, they breake out of His fooles-Paradise, into the Garden of Grace; out of the warme Sunne, into Gods blessing.

In managing this maine policy, for the more secure detainement of His Vassals in the invisible chaines of darkenesse and damnation, and in an everlasting distast and dis-affection to the good way; by holding up their hearts in His sinfull service, and wooing them, to go on quietly towards Hell without any grumbling; Hee workes many wayes.

1. Hee plots all Hee can to procure them successe in their wicked enterprises; and unlawfull attempts, especially, against the faithfull Ministers, and people of God; for that doth infinitely confirme, harden, and encourage them in their prophane courses, and opposition to grace. Herein Hee doth many times mightily prevaile, by improving the oportunities, & pressing the advantages, which hee gaines, by the executions of Gods iustice, and rebellions of his Children. The sinnes even p. 95of His owne people doe many times provoke Gods just indignation against them; and enforces Him, to raise up their adversaries, as scourges, and to give them successe, for the humiliation, and chastisement of his chosen. See Psal. 81.14.15. Isai. 10.5 6. &c. Ezech. 22.19.20. Whereupon Satan fills the hearts of the wicked so prevailing, and conquering, with a great deale of pride, selfe-applause, insolency, contempt of godlinesse, selfe-conceitednesse of their owne righteousnesse and worth; and so hardens them extraordinarily, and holds them with much obstinated resolution in the wayes of death, and prejudice against the holy Path.

2. Hee helpes all hee can, to have them thrive and prosper by oppression, usury, simony, sacriledge, bribery, covetousnesse, cousoning, Machiavellian tricks, &c. That so His service may seeme more sweete and gainefull unto them. To the effecting whereof Hee receives notable assistance, and speciall advantage from the corruptions of the times, and conscionable simplicity of the Saints. For the first, These worst and ulcerous times, wherein so many Vines, Olive-trees, and Figge-trees wither away in obscurity; and so many Brambles brave it abroad in the world, tumbling themselves in the pleasures, splendour and glory of the present; wherein so many brave Princes are walking as servants upon the earth; and too many servants of luxurie and pride are mounted on horse-backe; I say they are the onelyonly season, for Satan to gratifie all▪ His gracelesse Ones; and to hoist them up by the common, but accursed staires and stirrops of bribing, basenesse, temporising, ill offices to humour greatnesse, and other such vile meanes, and accommodations, into eminency in the world, and high roomes; where hee keepes them in a golden captivity with great contentment, and lockes them full fast in the Scorners chaire, with much securitie to their owne sensuall hearts; and notorious service to p. 96Himselfe. Whereas indeed and truth to men that have eyes in their Heads the ascent is slippery, the Top shaking, the downefall desperate. For the second; It is incredible to consider, what a deale of advantage in worldly dealings, the covetous Dwell in a cruell and crafty worldling, doth sucke out of the single-heartednesse, plaine dealing & un-suspiciousnesse, of conscionable men, for their rising & enriching, if God crosse it not.

3. Hee drawes them by all the baites, Hee can devise, to all the incentives, and preservatives of carnal contentment: as to Tavernes, Ale-houses, Play-houses, Whore-houses, Gaming-houses; to May-games, Morricedances, Church Ales; to Cardes, to Dice, to Dancing; to Feasts, Wakes, Mis-rules, Drinking-matches, revelliu…s, and a world of such sinfull haunts,Galat. 5.21.Gal 5:21 Bedlam-fooleries, and Good-fellow-meetings. Wherein He is mightily furthered, by Wicked Mens impatiency of solitarinesse; and their enraged eagernesse of carrying with them to Hell, as many as may bee. For the first, Tho a good man, as Salomon sayes, bee satisfied from Himselfe; dare full well,Prov. 14.14.Prov 14:14 and desires full often to bee alone; because the bird of the bosome sings sweetely to His Soule in solitarinesse: yet all the Sonnes, and Daughters of pleasure, have no pleasure at all, nay ordinarily are most loth to bee by aaQuin & hinc est, …ur malus non libenter sit solus, nec libenter vivat secum, sed semper consortia quaerat & sodalitia bominum voluptuariorum, cum quibus possit tempus fallere. Est enim solitaria vita eipermolesta partim propter recordation…m sceleru: partim propter met um poenarum: partim deni que quia scit, quòd secum non consentiat; & quòd conscientia evigilatura, & ingentem eì moestitiam allatura sit. Kecker n. Syst. …th. lib. 1. cap. 3. Can 6. Quisquis incorde premitur malâ conscientiâ, quomode quisquis abstillicidon exit de demo suâ, out d fume, nonibi sepatitur babitare: sic qui non baber quietumcor, habit ar… incorde suo libentèr non potest. Talesfords exeunt à se…psis ani… intentione, & de hi… quae foris sun… circa corpus delectantur, quietemin nugis, inspectaculis, in luxirijs, in omnibus mal squaerunt. Quare for is volueruni sib: benè esse? Quia non est ill… ini…s bene, unde gaudeans inconscienti… su…. August. in Psal. 101. page. 288.Ps 101themselves. Solitarinesse puts them into their dumps, makes them extremely melancholike, and weary of themselves. They would rather bee any where, in any company, any wayes imploide, then alone. Mistake mee not, they can walke by themselves, p. 97to feede upon contemplative filth, speculative wantonnesse, & adulteries of the heart; to plot revenge, preferment, enlargement of their estate; to renew upon their sensuall hearts their youthfull pleasures, &c. But to bee alone, purposely, to deale with God, and their owne … about their spirituall bbBeati qui gaudent, quando merant in cors…um, & nihil mali ibi inventunt. Attendat sancticas vestra, quomo to noline intrare domus suas, qu… babent malas axores; quomod… exe…nt ad forum & gaudent; caepu hora esse quâ intraturi sunt in domum suam, & contristantur. Intraturi sun… enim ad taedia, ad murmura, ad amaritudines, ad eversiones; quta non est domus composita, abi intervirum & uxorem pax nud a est. Et melius illi est furis circumire. Si ergò mise…i sunt, qui cum redeunt ad parietes suos, timen ne aliquibus sunrum perturbationibus coertantur: quantò sunt …sertores qui ad conscientiam suam redire nolunt, ne ibi litibus pec…at…rum evertantur & Ergo ut possis libens redi…e ad cor tuum, munda illud. — Auser inde cupiditatumsordes, auser labem avaritiae, auser trabe▪ superstitionum, aufer sacrilegia, & malas cogitationes, odia, non dic…, adver… amitum, sed etiam adversus inimicum. Auser ista omnia, intra cor tuum & gaudebis. &c. August in Psal. 34.Ps 34stare; they abhorre, … endure, it is to them a tor…ure, a Racke, the very beginning of Hell. And that is the reason, to decline the tings of guiltnesse, and torment before their time; why they have so often recourse unto the arme of flesh, for refreshing; to the mirth and madnesse of wine, pleasures, and many other fugitive follies; That they cast themselves into such knots of good-fellowship; appoint so many set-matches of joviall meetings, and hunt after such variety of the times entertainment, as they call it: which they account the very life of their life and without which they would rather bee under ground, then aboue it. For the second, Heare, How swagge…ingly they cry unto their companions in iniquity, to make haste with them towards Hell. Come with us, let us lay waite for blood, let us lurke pr…vily for the innocent without caus…: Let us swallow them up alive, as the grave, and whole, as those that goe downe into the pit: wee shall finde all pretious substance, wee shall fill our houses with spoile. Cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse, Prov. 1.11. &c. Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth. Let us fill our selves with costly wine, and ointments: and let no flower of the Spring passe by us. Let us crowne our selves with Rose buds, before they bee withered. Let none of us goe without His part of our voluptuousnesse: let us leave tokens of our ioyfulnesse in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this, &c.

p. 984. And in all these cursed conventicles of good-fellowship, and furious combinations for prophanenesse, and against Piety, the Divell himselfe is ever present amongst them in His Pontificalibus, as they say: And there disposeth, enclines, manageth and accommodates all opportunities, circumsta… …, mens severall corruptions, and … wicked wits to make their meetings, as merry, as may bee; and to put all possible sensuall sweetnesse into their carnall delights.

5. Lastly, That which is principally for my purpose; Besides, that like a crafty Iugler, Hee casts a mist before the eyes of His slaves; and like a false Merchant, puts a counterfeite glosse upon the face of sinne; Hee also hides away the sting from them, and withholds the horrour untill afterward. Every sin in it's own nature, ever lookes fouler then the Divell Himselfe; O that the ougly, fearefull, and filthy shape of it could bee seene with bodily eyes, that thereby it might provoke all men to a mortall and immortall hate and detestation of it! The sting is pointed with the keene unquenchable wrath of God; the horror is heated with the very fire of Hell: And yet ordinarily Satan takes an order by His craft and industry, that these never appeare, untill it appeare unto Him, that in all probability, the sight of them will sinke their Soules into irrecoverable woe.

The not feeling then of their spirituall misery is so farre from making them not miserable, that it ministers occasion to the Divels malice, mightily to aggravate their misery, both present and future.

2. An other reason, why many are not troubled in the meane time, tho there bee infinite cause, and a world of woe to come, is, because their consciences by reason of surfet in sinne, and beeing drunke with worldly delights as with sweet wine, are cast into a dead sleep: And there lulled still, and lockt full fast in an imaginary Paradise of golden dreames and transitory fancies, by the p. 99charmes and enchantments of earthly pleasures. And if at any time, any noyse of terrour sound in their eares from the Lords Trumpeters in the Ministry of the Word, so that they begin to stirre, then the Divell begins to be stirre Himselfe, and to rocke them fast againe with His Syren-songs in the Cradle of security. Here therefore wee may take notice of a fourefold conscience: 1. That which is both ccThose Christians have this heaven upon Earth, who are come from under the storme and tempest of temptation, and … in the sweet … and feeling … mercies of their … in Christ Iesus, sealed unto them by the testimony of the Spirit of God. Yates.good and quiet; when it hath peace with God, and with it selfe; so that the happy Soule may sweetly sing in it's owne bosome; My belov…d is mine, and I am His. 2. That which is neither good, nor quiet; when it lyes forlorne under the sense of Gods wrath, and full of horrour in it selfe. As that of Iudas, Latomus, &c. 3. That which is ddIn the broken … contrite spirit; … the Lord will … despise. A … have his … uprightly … is painefu…ly … a good … may be… … and troubled. …good but not qui…t; when the pleased face of God doth shine upon it thorow the blood of Christ; and yet it feeles not the comfort of that blessed reconciliation: As in many new Converts, who beeing truly humbled for all sinne, cast themselves upon the Lord Iesus and his sure promises, for spirituall and eternall life; and yet are not as yet sensible of any assurance. 4. That which is quiet but not good; when it is as full of sinne as a Toade of venome, as Hell of darkenesse; and all those innumerable sinnes unrepented of, unpardoned, like so many mad Ban-dogs, and fell Mastives, tho asleepe for the present, will in the evill day, especially of sicknesse, death, iudgement, eeHujusmodi … est instarferae alicujus, quae quamdiu dormit, videtur esse cicur, & neminem l…dit: sed excitata in hominem involat, & dil…cerare con…. Diligenter itaque cavenda est …alie conscientia: qu…ppequae n…nnunquam per totum vitae curriculum quieta manet, & alto lethargo oppressa jacet: se… aegritudine aliqu… graviore, veletiam m…rte appropinquante excitatura Deo▪ & truculentâ suâ immanitate hominem terret. Alst. Theol. Casuum. Cap. 2.flye in the face of the proudest Nimrod, ready to plucke out his very throate and heart, and to torment with unspeakeable horrour; and yet for all this, it is untroubled, senselesse and secure. This kind of conscience, is to bee found, I feare mee, in the most that heare mee this day, and so generally over the Kingdome. It doth not in the meane time, trouble and terrifie.

p. 1001. A great number, by reason of their ignorance in the Booke of God; and by consequent un-acquaintednesse with the sinfulnesse and cursednesse of their spirituall state, revealed thereby. This is the very case of a world of poore ignorant besotted Soules amongst us; more is the pitty, especially now, when the glorious Sunne of Christs Gospell shines so faire, and fully in many places! For want of light in Gods Law, they looke upon their sinnes, as wee doe upon the Starres in a cloudy night; see onelyonly the great ones of the first magnitude; and here one, and there one: But if they were further illightned, and informed aright they might behold hem, as those infinite ones in the fairest, frosty winters Mid-night. A worthy Divine, sets out excellently the quietnesse of this ignorant conscience by a very fit res…mblance, thus: Men iudge of their ignorant consciences, saith Hee, as they doe of their blinde, dumbe and ignorant Ministers. Such neither doe, nor can preach; can neither tell men of their sinnes, nor of their duties. Aske such a blind-guides people, what their conceite is of him, and what a kind of Man their Minister is, and you shall have Him magnified for a passing, honest, harmelesse man, wondrous quiet amongst his neighbours. They may doe what they will for Him; Hee is none of these troublesome fellowes, that will bee reproving their faults, or complaining of their disorders in the Pulpit; Oh such an one is a quiet good Man indeed. Thus iudge many of their consciences. If their consciences bee quiet, and lye not grating upon them, and telling them, that their courses are sinfull and damnable, and that th…ir persons are in a dangerous condition: but rather by their sil…nce, ignorance, and vaine pretences doe justifie them, and tell them, all will bee well enough. Oh then what excellent consciences have these men! They make no conscience of Family-duties; once in the yeere to come to the Sacrament serues the turne; they are common swearers in their ordinary communication; make no p. 101conscience of sanctifying Sabbaths, &c. And their consciences let them alone in all these: doe not give them one syllable of ill language: Oh what gentle, and good-natured consciences thinke these men they have? But alas! what evill consciences have they?