Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (7 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (7 of 11)

p. 3083. Some there are, who passe out of trouble of mind for sinne, and Legall terrours, into a kind, as it were, of an artificiall, enforced, unsound, untimely, and counterfeit peace of conscience. I meane it thus, when a Mans carnall heart, wounded by the terrifying power of the Word, with sight and horrour of his former wicked wayes, but weary of the wound, impatient of spirituall heavinesse, wilfully set and resolved obstinately against the holy severities of the Schoole of Repentance, mortification, godly stricktnesse, walking with God, &c. And withall meeting with some Dawber with untempered mortar, who is very ready kkIer. 614.to heale his heart with sweet words, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace; I say in this case, llOthers have overgrowne them, (Hee meanes Legall terrors) by snatching hold of the promi…e of mercy and salvation, ere it belonged to them; thinking themselves good Christians, because they had felt some terrours. —But the Promise of salvaiton is not straight belonging to one, that is onelyonly terrified for his punishment, but is contrite-hearted for sinne, which is the worke of the Gospell, Rogers of Dedham in His Doctrine of Faith, pag. 108.snatches hold of comfort, and applies the Promises of mercy and salvation, before they belong unto Him: Before Hee bee searched to the quicke, sounded to the bottome, and soundly humbled; Before the spirit of Bondage hath, as it were, it's perfect worke, and Hee kindlily fitted for Iesus Christ. For this purpose they are wont to wrest, abuse, and misapply many places in the Booke of God; The unskilfull Physicions in application; and the deluded Patients p. 311in apprehension of them: Even such as these: Come unto mee all yee that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest: Matth. 11.28. Yea, but they are not weary of all their sinnes, but onelyonly troubled with the present terrour; nor willing to take upon them the Crosse of Christ: Well enough content they are to take Him as a Saviour to preserve them from Hell, but not as a mmPsal. 45.11. Hos. 2.19.Ps 45:11Hos 2:19Lord, a King, and an nnQuemadmodum fratres. si Sponsus seccrit Sponsae suae annulum, & illa acceptum annulum plus diligeret quàm Sponsum qui illl fecit annulum: nonne in ipso dono Sponsi adulterae anima deprehenderetur, quamvis hoc amaret, quod dedit Sponsus: tamen si diceret, Sufficit mihi annulus iste, iam illius faciem nolo videre, qualis esset? Quis non detestaretur hanc amentiam? Quis non adulterum animum convinceret? Amas aurum pro viro, amas annulum pro Sponse. August. in Epist. Ioan. Tract. 2. Cave ô anima, ne, quod absit, Meretrixdicaris, simunera Dantis plus, quā amantis affectum diligis. August Meditat. lib. 2. cap. 4.Husband, to serve, obey and love Him. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord, shall bee saved: Rom. 10.13. Yea, but they doe not consider, that many also shall cry, Lord, Lord, Matth. 7.22. and 25.11. and yet bee excluded from eternall blisse; and therefore all that call savingly upon the Name of Christ, must depart from iniquity: 2. Tim. 2.19. But they upon recovery, will by no meanes depart from their darling delight. Hee that beleeveth on the Sonne, hath everlasting life: Ioh. 3.36. Yea, but justifying Faith purifies the heart, Acts 15.9. fills it with deare affections unto heavenly things, deads it to the World, and divorces it quite from all former carnall pleasures, and companion-ship. I will giuegive to Him that is athirst, of the Fountaine of the Water of life, freely: Reu. 21.6. Yea, but they thirst onelyonly for salvation, not for sanctification; for mercy, not for grace; for happinesse, not for holinesse, &c. These men, as well as the second sort, will by no meanes thorow the pangs of the New-birth into the holy Path. They wickedly misconceiue out of the rotten Principles of their owne worldly wisedome, prejudice against the power of godlinesse, and pestilent perswasions of Pillow-sowers under their elbowes, that in so doing, they shalbee utterly undone, and never have good day afterward: But, to speake in their owne language, fall presently into the hands of the Puritanes, into the strict tortures, and Hypocriticall miseries of precisenesse, into fowrenesse, vnsociablenesse, dumps of Melancholy; and indeede, into a state, not past a step p. 312short of distraction and madnesse. And these therefore cast about to get out of trouble of minde, and sense of divine terrour with as great impatiency and precipitation, as the former; onelyonly more plausibly, and with seemingly fairer, but truly false satisfaction to their owne Soules. For the former rush with furious indignation out of these spirituall dejections of Conscience, as unmanly feares, not fit for worthy spirits, and men of Ioviall resolution, into greater excesse, and variety of worldly delights, and sensuall loosenesse; and so ordinarily become afterward very notorious, and more desperate enemies to the Kingdome of Christ: Because the power of the Word hath once stung their carnall hearts with some remorsefull terrour, they ever after heartily hate the sound and searching Ministry, and managers thereof, the Inflicters of their smart; for no other reason in the world, but that they tell them the truth, and thereupon torment them before their time; that so, if they be not wanting unto themselves, they may escape the torments of eternity hereafter. And they set themselves against godly Christians with incompatible estrangement, and implacable spite; onelyonly because they are Professours of Selfe-deniall, holy strictnesse, inconformity to the world, repentance, mortification, &c. the entertainement and exercise whereof they furiously more detest and flie from, then the death of their Bodies, and damnation of their Soules. But these latter, passe more plausibly out of trouble of conscience, and take a fairer course of the two, tho it proove but an imaginary and counterfeite Cure. For they labour to close up their spirituall wound, with comfort out of the Word; and promise peace to their troubled hearts from the promises of life: But herein they faile, and fearefully deceive themselves, in that they conceive, the first fits and qualmes, as it were, of Legall terrour, to bee saving repentance; a generall speculative apprehension of Christ's Passion, to procure a speciall pardon p. 313for all their sinnes; fruitlesse speculations of Faith to prevent and secure them from the wrath that is come; a meere verball profession to be forwardnesse enough, except a Man would bee too precise. VponUpon the first fright, and feeling the smart of a confused remorse and horrour for sinne, without any further penitent wading into Particulars, or thorow-search into their hearts, lives, consciences, and Callings; without suffering the worke of the spirit of Bondage, to drive them to Christ, and a resolution to sell all, &c. They presently, hand over-head, apply by the strong delusion of their owne idle groundlesse conceite, all the gracious promises and priviledges of Gods Childe to their un-humbled Soules; and enforce their understandings by a violent greedy error, to think they are justified by such an artificiall heartles Notion, which they falsely call Faith: and so resting in a counterfeite perswasion, that they are true Converts, ordinarily turne ooAnd let not these be weary of the yoke of God and the Law, and make over-much haste out of this state, for so may they undoe themselves: For as some withstanding their terrour, have withstood their salvation; so some have by hastening out, made waste of all; and beeing impatient of beeing in this case, and over-willing to catch hold of the promise straight, have prooved but loose, unsound and unsavory Christians in time, which if they had tarried the Lords leysure in it, might have come to sound and true comfort, which would have continued all their dayes. Rogers of Dedham in his Doctr. of Faith, pag. 110.carnall Professours.

Who are a kind of people, who have no more spirituall life, then a dead Faith can infuse into them: No more comfort in the communion of Saints, then an outward correspondence in Profession, speculative Discourses of religion, and meetings at the Meanes can yeeld: No more interest, or right to Heaven, then a bold presumptuous confidence; built first upon their owne wilfull fancy, and seconded with Satans lying suggestion, can give them. Whose sorrow for sinne at the most, is commonly no more, then afflicting their Soules for a Day, and bowing downe their heads like a Bul-rush, without loosing the bands of wickednesse, or departing from iniquity. Whose conversion is nothing, but onelyonly a speculative Passage from a confused apprehension of sinne, to a generall application of Christ; without any sensible, or saving alteration in their waies. Whose New-obedience consists onelyonly in a formall conformity to outward exercises of Religion, without all true Zeale, life, heartinesse, holinesse, or indeed honest p. 314dealing with their Brethren. But these men are to know, that Christs blood never pardoned any mans Soule from sinne, whose spirit the power thereof did not purge from guile. It never saves any one from Hell, whom it doth not first in some good measure season with holinesse and heavenly life. In vaine doe they build comfort upon his Passion, who doe not conscionably conforme to the practise of his Word. And let them further bee informed for a more cleare discovery of their grosse and damnable Selfe-deceit; that howsoever a dead Faith, according to it's name and nature, enters (if it hath any entitie at all) into the understanding, without any remarke-able motion, sense and alteration; yet that Faith, which truly justifies, pacifies, purifies, mortifies, sanctifies, and saves, is evidently discernable, by, first, Many stirring Preparatives; Sight and sense of a Mans miserable state by nature, of his sinfulnesse and cursednesse; Humbling himselfe in the sight of the Lord, fearefull apprehensions wrought by the spirit of bondage; Illumination, conviction, Legall terrours, &c. Secondly, Violent affections about the infusing of it, which are wont to bee raised in the humbled heart by the Holy Ghost; extreme thirst, inflamed desires, vehement longings, un-utter-able groanings of spirit, prizing and preferring the Person and Passion of Christ, before the Possession of infinite Worlds; willingnesse to sell all, to part with any thing for Him, tho neuer so deare, or so much doted upon heretofore; with pleasure, riches, preferments, a right hand, a right eye, liberty, life, &c. Nay, if in such a Case, if even Hell it selfe should stand betweene Iesus Christ and a poore Soule, He would most willingly passe thorow the very flames thereof to embrace His blessed crucified Lord, in the armes of a lively Faith. Thirdly, inseparable consequents and companions: first, an hearty and everlasting falling-out with all sinne: secondly, sanctification thorowout, in Body, Soule, Spirit, and Calling, and p. 315in every power, part and passage thereof, tho not in perfection of degrees, as they say, yet in truth and effectually: thirdly, A set and solmne course of New-obedience, spent principally in Selfe-sobriety, righteousnesse towards our Brethren, and holinesse towards God.

Many unfaithfull men in the Ministry, both in their publike teaching, and private visitations of the sicke, have much to answer-for in this Point: who for want of skill in that highest Art of saving soules, of familiarity with God, and secret workings of his Spirit, of experience in their owne change, and of the spirit of discerning, &c. many times concurre with such miserable men to marre all, in stife-ling the very first stirrings of Legall remorse, by healing the wounds of their conscience with sweet words, before they be searcht, and sounded to the bottome; and by an unseasonable and undiscreet heaping a great deale of comfort there, where as yet, a good ground-worke of true humiliation is not soundly laid. Many and lamentable are the spirituall miseries in those Places, where such Dawbers with untempered morter domineere; who never passed thorow the Pangs of the New-birth themselves, were never feelingly acquainted with the wonderfull dealings of God in that great Miracle of a Mans conversion; nor trained up experimentally in the Schoole of temptations, painefull exercises of mortification, and counter-minings against the Depths, Wiles, Devises, and stratagems of the Divell. The blessed Prophet paints them out to the life, and denounces a dreadfull woe against such flattering and foolish Prophets, Ezech. 13. A Ship-Master skilfull onelyonly in Astronomy, and other speculative Passages of the Art of Navigation, is no body in conducting Men safely over some dangerous Sea, to Him, that besides sufficiencies of Art, is furnisht also with experimentall skill in those Parts, by passing formerly that way Himselfe, and having discovered those dangers of ruine, and hidden Rockes, p. 316which the other Man might easily runne upon. Give me a Man, in whom variety and profoundnesse of best learning doth concurre in the highest degree of excellency, yet if his owne heart bee not soundly wrought upon, and seasoned with saving grace, Himselfe experimentally seene into the Mystery of Christ, and Secrets of sanctification, as Hee shall bee hardly able to wound other mens consciences, and pierce them to the quicke; so Hee will bee found very unfit to manage aright the spirituall miseries of a troubled Soule; and to transport it savingly thorow the tempestuous terrours and temptations incident to the New-creation, into the Port of true peace, and Paradise of the blessed Brother-hood. A right dreadfull and tender Point it is, to deale with distressed consciences; so many depths of Satan, and deceits of Mans heart mingle themselves with businesse of so great consequence. Even a well-meaning Man without much heedfulnesse, and good experience both in the Point, and the Party, may erre dangerously, and bee much deceived herein. I have heard from a Man of conscience and credit, besides many and many in the same kind, of a fearefull imposture to this purpose: A man, who for the world was well enough, visited with some trouble of minde for his sinnes, sent for a Minister to minister comfort. Hee, it seemes, not sounding Him to the bottome, or searching to the quicke, heaped upon Him unseasonably, and too soone, mercies, and hopes of spirituall safety. Amongst other things, Hee asked Him, whether formerly, Hee had ever felt testimonies and refreshings of Gods favour, and love; Yea, answered the Party; [and here take notice of a notorious depth of the Divell] Once riding alone upon the way in such a Place, I grew upon the sudden, very lightsome, and light-hearted, &c. [This was but a flash of Satans Angelicall glory, cunningly to lighten and leade him the way to further confusion]. Why then, replied the Minister, you may build upon it. God is constant in His favours; and p. 317whom Hee loves once. Hee loves for ever. Hereupon the Patient was presently healed of his wounded heart, and after fell unto his former courses, and grew fully as prophane, as Hee was before. Amongst the many important Passages of our Ministeriall imployments, I feare mee, this ppCùm nunquam graevioribus tentationibus expositi sint hominesquàm dum infirmitati, bus exer…entur, aut aegrotant, morbis cùm animi, tū corporis fracti; nunquam sanè conven…t Pastores ecclesiarum saluti suae gregis invigilare accuratiùs, quàm in huiusmodi morbis & infirmitatibus. Harmon. conf. pa. 1. Helvet. Conf. cap. 25. pag. 80.waighty affaire of visiting the sicke, is passed-over also (more is the pitty!) with much ignorance, slightnesse and neglect. It is incredible to consider, how fearefully many offend, and what a deale of hurt they doe, by observing one plodding generall forme, and that a poore one too, towards all Patients promiscuously: without any judicious discretion in distingvishing the variety of spirituall states, the different degrees of unregeneratenesse, former courses of life, &c. Commonly their carriage in such Cases is the same to the notorious sinner, the meere civill Man, grosse Hypocrite, carnall Gospeller, formall Professor, Back-slider; the weake and strong; the tempted and untempted Christian. If they but heare from the sicke Man a generall acknowledgement of his sinnes, formall cries for mercy and pardon, earnest desires to die the death of the righteous, &c. which may bee easily, and ordinarily found in a Pharisie, or foolish Virgine, as you have heard before; they will presently needs threape Him downe, that He is as sure a saved Man, as if Hee were in Heaven already. Herein resembling, saith qqVponUpon Psal 22. pag. 5.Ps 22Marbury, a foolish Shepheard, who wanting skill to helpe his poore sheepe out of the ditch, is driven to play the miserable comforter; and to take some other indirect course (as many use to doe in such case) to cut the sheepes throate in time, to make him Mans meate; left it should bee said, Hee died in a ditch. Many and many a time doe such fellowes as these, empty and discharge their common-Place Bookes of all the Places of mercy and comforte, collected curiously, and industriously for that purpose, upon those Men; who were never acquainted with the waies of God in their life-time, nor with the truth of humiliation, or truly p. 318with the great worke of Repentance upon their Beds of death.

Those formall Church-men, who stood about Marshall Biron, that great Peere and Pillar of France, at his death, did in this respect very ill offices of Ghostly Fathers unto Him in his greatest neede, and last extremitie. For when Hee behaved himselfe more like a rrVoisin said unto Him, that hee had too much care of his Body, which was no more his owne. Hee turned to Him in choller with an oath, saying; I will not have him (meaning the Executioner) touch mee, so long as I shall bee living: if they put mee into choller, I will strangle half the company that is here, and will force the rest to kill me, I will leape downe, if you thrust mee into despaire. History of France, pag. 1049. Sicut autem per omnem calamitatem protervè se atque impatientèr gesserat, sic vel tum maximè; aspecta truci, ac pene s…ente, v…ce, verbis, deniq…e totogestu animi in pocentiamindicans. … ad praestandam accincturo sese operam accedere volentem. minis ne se tangeret, abster…tt; circumspiciens undique, tanquam gladium, si vidisset, arrepturus. Specul. Tragi…. pag. 187.188.furious Divel, already amongst the damned spirits, in blasphemies impatiencies, and most raging passions, then a meeke and humble Saint of God, ready to passe into everlasting Mansions of peace; they notwithstanding out of their Popish divinity, gave him this absolution, assuring Him that His soule was ready to see God, and to bee Partaker of his glory in Heaven. When it had been farre fitter to have driven him to the sight of his sinnes, sense of that dreadfull houre, terrour of that strict Tribunall, to which hee was ready to passe, and fearefulnesse of that infernall fiery Lake, from which no greatnesse can priviledge gracelesse Men. I feare me, there are many Trencher-Chaplaines of the true Religion, also, who are ready to doe proportionable service, to ungodly great Ones, upon whom they depend, by promising them life. But many and dreadfull are the mistakings and miseries, which fall upon the Soules of Men, both Patients and By-standers, by these flattering, formall visitations, and Funerall Panegyricks, which ordinarily follow after. Happy then, and hopefull is that Man, who in the troubles of His Soule meetes with that ssSiquidem multis presbyteratus committitur dispensatio, se… ron omnes pariter commissae dispensationis inservi…nt Ministerio. Alius e…uidem commodis praesentibus, que s…a sunc, non quae Iesu Christi exquirens, inexplebiliter inbiat… alius praepe… … suffocatur ex ignorantiâ, & tamen ignorans ignorabitur: alius ve …, & temp…s explorat, respondet que probati vita, … Ministery. Ex his vocandi sunt, si noveris peritiores, & cu…ores. Si … morbis corporum Medici probatiores exquiruntur, quantò magis spiritalibus animarum putredinibus adhibendi sunt Medici subtiliores, & si dici liceat, spiritaliores. August. Tom. 9. p. 2. De visitatione infirmorum. lib. 2. cap. 7. An hundred to one then, These Ones of a thousand are never to bee found amongst worldly-minded and ambitious Ministers, negligent Ministers, or those that are ignorant: But amongst the most skilfull, searching, and spirituall, of such as are faithfull. As appeares by this ancient Passage in Austin.One of a thousand, Iob 33.23. with those Sonnes p. 317both of Consolation and thunder; who are as able, ready, and willing, rightly to binde up a bruised spirit with the Baulme of mercy, and promises of life, as to breake in pieces a stubborne heart with the terrours of the Law. Who, as they labour in the first Place to fright and fire men out of their sinfull courses, into penitent dejections of Conscience, a needfull preparative to a saving conversion; so they have learned both speculatively and experimentally, to conduct them thorow the Pangs of the New-birth, to sound comfort in Christ, mortification, New-obedience, walking with God, &c.

4. Others there are, who passe out of trouble of Conscience for sinne, into some more tolerable courses for the time to come; but yet not thorowly, and savingly into the truth and Trade of Christianity. For when Satan once perceives, that sorrow for sinne lies so heavie upon a Mans heart; and the rage of guiltinesse doth sting him still with such restlesse angvish, that in all likelihood, it will at length draw and drive him to some alteration at least, and worke out at last some measure of amendment; then doth hee out of an insatiable hellish thirst to hold him still in his clutches, bend and imploy all his power and policy, to make him satisfie himselfe; and rest finally, as sufficiently fitted for salvation, in some partiall, insufficient, halfe-conversion; and to sit downe contentedly with religious formes onelyonly, and some outward reformation. The Divels first desire in working our destruction, is to keepe a Man notoriously naught, in the highest straine of impiety. A Traitour in graine, as it were, and most desperate Rebell to the divine Majesty, wallowing still in all variety of villany and vanity. But if that will not bee, Hee is glad to detaine him, in what degree of prophanenesse, hee can most conveniently and with greatest safty, tho the least and the lowest; in any state of unregeneratenesse, tho furnished p. 318with the utmost perfections, …f which it is capable; so that Hee step not into the Kingdome of Christ. Rather then Hee will utterly lose him, and part with Him quite, Hee will leave possession of Him in part; and be willing, tho full sore against his will, to lose a great deale of his former more furious service; and something of the fullnesse of his conformity to the fashions of Hell, If Hee cannot doe as hee would, Hee will doe as hee may, as they say. When Hee sees him grumbling and grow discontent, and weary with the loathsomnesse of the Dungeon, and waight of his fetters; rather then Hee should escape, and breake quite away; Hee will knock off some of his irons, grant him the liberty of the Prison, the comfort of the walks; nay and suffer Him sometimes to walke abroade, so that Hee bee still watchfully attended by his Keeper; and continue a Retainer to the kingdome of darkenesse. Hee will bee content, to give him the benefit of the fewest stripes in Hell, and the least measure of damnation; tho that also be more then infinitely terrible, and intolerable, rather then Hee should bee undamned at all. And therefore in such a Case, Hee will easily suffer Him to proceede to some kinde of Repentance; and reformation, of some one or moe outward grosse notorious sinnes; remorse whereof, perhaps, did first raise the terrour and trouble in his minde; so that He wil there rest, and remaine unmortified and unamended in the rest. Or, Hee cares not much, tho He be universally, outwardly reformed; and unblameable, for the most part, in his visible carriage, and conversation; Tho Hee restore ill gotten goods with Iudas; say his praiers, give almes, fast often, give tythes of all that He possesses, with the Pharisee; hold out a Lamp of goodly professiō to the eie of the world, with the foolish Virgines; observe godly Ministers, reforme many things after their Preaching, and heare them gladly, with Herod; So that for all this plausible and unpernicious outside the heart continue unchast, impure, p. 319unholy, unheavenly still; and He still hug in his bosome, some secret lusts and sensuall corruptions, with willing delight, and loathnesse to leave them. Or, if a man, besides outward religious representations, and conformities, desires also to finde and feele in Himselfe some kinde of inward worke; Hee will not bee much troubled with addition of the spirit of uuSpiritualis benedictio duplex est; una imperfecta & manca, aliera, perfecta & plena, omniáque spiritualia dona comple…iens. Ill…i priori multi etiam reprobi donantur. Talis enim benedictio, est Fides temporaria, aliqua vera Dei cognitio, gustus aliquis Spiritus Sancti, aliquod initium honestae vitae; & id genus alia Dei dona, De quibus Apostolus scripsit, ad Heb 6. Zanchius in 1. ad Eph. v. 3. Some Temporaries besides profession, are mooved at the Word, affected with some kindes of griefe at such Doctrines, as serve to moove griefe, and joy in that, that mooves joy; yea, also reforme many things, cut away outward evils, take up many good duties publike, yea, and private, & yet fall short. —Men may have great knowledge, assent, Profession; yea, excellent gifts, and shewes of every grace (and goe a great way, to the deceiving of themselves, and many others); and yet for want of particular apprehension of Christ, they are not planted into Him, have no sap of grace and sanctification. Master Rogers of Dedham in His Doctrine of Faith, cap. 1. pag. 8.9.Heb 6Eph 5:3illumination, temporary Faith, some xxMatth. 13.20.Matt 13:20ioy in the Word, yyHeb. 6.5.Heb 6:5taste of the powers of the World to come, &c. So that the spirit of speciall sanctification bee wanting still, and that some darling delight bee maintained in heart, life, or calling; which the Man by no meanes would have meddled with, or mortified. Or that, which is a notable Depth of the Divell, of which take speciall notice: Whereas a Man heares many times out of the Ministry of the Word; that the abandoning of his bosome-sinne, is a good token of a true conversion; and the embracing of it still, is too sure a signe, that hee is Satans still: To the end Hee may blind Him in this important Point; Hee will suffer Him to exchange the visible forme, and outward exercise even of His beloved sinne. For the purpose; A mans Captaine and commanding sinne, is covetousnesse; and it is outwardly exercised in usury, bribery, sacriledge, &c. Hee is well enough content in this Case, to let Him bee frighted by the terrour of the Ministry, from those grosser acts of cruelty, for which the World cries shame on Him, (especially not restoring); so that Hee insensibly fall unto, and sec…etly practise some other cunning invisible oppressions, or any unlawfull waies of getting. His sweet sinne is voluptuousnesse; Hee hunts after it in the horrible villanies of adultery, or fornication; But at some Sermon or other, p. 320Hee is told and terrified; That by such sinnes He doth not onelyonly damne Himselfe, but also ever draw another to Hell with Him, &c. Whereupon Hee may grow into a slavish distaste, and dis-continuance from them; and Satan will not say much, so that there succede in their roomes, some other kinds of uncleannesse; perhaps immoderate abuse the marriage, without any checke, or remorse; or some other secret, Selfe-abominations, not to bee conceived without horrour, much lesse to bee named. Nay, Hee will yet yeeld further, and endure an utter cessation from the externall acts, and visible practise of a Mans predominant and reigning sinne; so that hee delightfully feede upon it still in his heart with speculative greedinesse; and spend the strength of his affections, and the most of His thoughts that way. Hee will give Him leave to leave off His Vsury, and to call-in his money, (but ordinarily ever without restitution) so that hee may hold his heart still exercised with covetousnesse. Hee can well enough abide, abandoning the grosse acts of uncleannesse; so that Hee lie frying in the flames of his owne scorching concupiscence; and consume his thoughts in the adulteries of the heart, and contemplative filth. O the endlesse Maze, unfathomed Depths, and deepest malice of that old red Dragon! Hee will yeeld unto any thing, take in the very darkest Nooke of Hell, for some cunning Devise, rather then part with a pretious Soule out of his Hellish Paw. If a Man bee so haunted with horrour of conscience, that hee dare not for his life lie any longer in his notoriousnesse, but will needs into some new course; Hee can put him into many new fashions, and yet no New-birth, no New-man. Hee will suffer him to passe into a more tolerable conversation, and yet come short of a true conversion. Hee can afford him a morall Change, or a formall Change, or a mentall Change; I meane it onelyonly in respect of the spirit of illumination, and generall graces; or a temporary p. 321Change, (of which see My Directions for walking with God, pag. 310.) And yet continue him still within the confines of His cursed kingdome, and in a damnable state. Hee doth improove to the utmost, as occasion of advantage is offered, both the grisseliest shape of a foule Fiend, and the most alluring light of His Angelicall glory; to doe us a mischiefe any way, either upon the right hand, or the left. How many thousands, Ah pitie! even in this clearest Noone-tide of the Gospell, doth Hee keepe in a presumptuous confidence, that they are converted; and yet most certainely his owne still, and in a willing slavery to some one or other predominant Lust at the least? Bee advised then in the Name of Christ, whosoever thou art, when the hand of God, great mercy, shall visit and vex thy conscience for sinne, by the piercing power of the Ministry: Bee sure to follow the direction and guidance of that blessed hand, without dawbing or diversion, out of the kingdome of darkenesse, thorow the Pangs of the New-birth, into the holy Path, wholly and for ever. Make sure worke, whatsoever it cost Thee; p. 322zzThousands lose their Soules, by thinking lesse will serve the turne, then wil. If One would buy a Iewell of five hundred pounds, and will give but foure hundred for it, hee might as well bid nothing. Nay, the doing something in Christianity, and not going thorow-stitch, hardens a Man by accident. Where, were there nothing but notoriousnesse, it might serve to humble us. Because Satan cannot keepe us quite from Religion, Hee deales with us, as wee with our children; when they cry for pieces of gold, wee still them with Counters and Rattles. DIP. Many a man loseth a great deale of labour, and his soule too, for want of a little more added; A small thing parts God and them: Many a time they lose heaven for one lust; as Iudas for his covetousnesse: God hath set downe, that hee will not abate a haires breadth of his price, and they thinke they offer faire, and will goe no further; if this will doe it, they will goe on with their bargaine, else not▪ &c. — Tho the Temporary offer faire, yet hee will not come up to the Lords price. O bee not so unwise, lose not all this labour you have taken, in hearing, reading, praying, professing; and it may bee, have been called Puritan, and been hated for your well-doing, and yet lose your soule for a little more. Master Rogers of Dedham, Doctrine of Faith, cap. 1. pag. 13.14. How neere come some, that yet shall never have Christ and salvation? They lose Heaven for some lust; If they could but yeeld up that One thing that was wanting, it might have been a bargaine Ibid. cap. 2. pag. 188.Have never any thing more to doe with the Divell; Give over the Trade of sinning quite, never more to turne agains unto Folly upon any termes. And if Satan set upon Thee with baites and allurements, to detaine Thee in his spirituall Bondage, but by one darling delight, to which thou hast been most addicted: Answer him in this Case with an un-shaken resolution, as Moses did Pharaoh in a Point of temporall Bondage;Exod. 10.26.Exod 10:26 There shall not so much as an hoofe bee left behind. Yeeld not an haires breadth upon any condition to that Hellish Pharaoh, especially in so great a matter, as the endlesse salvation, or damnation of thy Soule. If hee can keepe possession but by one reigning sinne, in which thou liest with delight, against the light of thy conscience, hating to bee reformed; Hee desires no more. One knot in a thread will stay the Needle's Passage, as wel as five hundred, &c. See to this purpose my Directions of walking with God, pag. 34. Beware then of closing up the wound of thy terrified and troubled conscience with any out-side, halfe, or unsound conversion: which I make the fourth Passage, out of trouble of mind for sin.

5. And why may not Satan sometimes, by Gods permission, bee suffered to inflict, and fasten his fiery darts of terrours and temptations upon a mans conscience; continue them there some while with much angvish and horrour, for some secret holy end seene, and seeming good to divine wisedome; and at length remoove and retire them, not upon succession of any sound comfort, or true peace, from the promises of life, and pardon of sinne; but onelyonly upon a meere cessation of the Divels pleasure to torment, and terrifie any longer? Not that Hee can hurt the least, or most contemptible creature that ever God made, when He please: but that it pleaseth God sometimes to give him the raines, and leave to rage. Quieting the conscience in this Case, is no comfortable cure from positive helpe: but a counterfeite palliation by ceasing to hurt. See Satans proportionable p. 323practises in matters of Witchcraft, in Giffards Dialogve concerning Witches and Witchcrafts, pag. 11.

6. Nay, Let mee here further, before I passe out of the Point, discover unto you a mysterie, but it is of iniquity and horrible Hypocrisie. I have knowne some (would you thinke it?), who have aaAs Divines affirme, that an Hypocrite may have shewes of every grace. See Master Rogers of Dedham, Doctr. of Faith▪ cap. 2. pag. 8. And doe outwardly all things which true Christians doe. See Perkins in his Treatise; How farre a Reprobate may goe, and feigne, whatsoever Gods children doe faithfully. Novimus hypocritas ea fingere comnia, quae fideles verè efficiunt. Chamier. Tom. 3. lib. 13. cap. 20. sect. 5. So I doubt not, but Hee may represent outwardly even the dejections, complaints, and sad behaviours of One truly troubled in Conscience. And that so cunningly, that He may for a while deceive judicious Ministers. Some Painters have had such a gift in the lively expressing of the formes of Birds and other Beasts, that true Birds and living Beasts have been deceived in taking them for their Mates. But the Hypocrite puts downe the Painter: for by his glozing, and glistering shewes in all outward workes, hee doth so perfectly resemble the true Christian, that hee deceiveth, not as the Painter, silly Birds, but reasonable Men; yea, learned and experienced Christians. Dike in his Discovery of the deceitfulnesse of Mans heart, cap. 2 pag. 29. Nay, may hee not therein out-goe them? As false gold in glistering goes beyond true; and hired mourners in lamentation beyond the deceased Parties owne friends; and fawning flatterers in outward complements of friendship, beyond true friends themselves: So may Hypocrites in outward workes seeme to carry it away from the soundest Christians Ibid.counterfeited even trouble of Conscience; and made shew, with out all truth or true touch, of sundry temptations, and spirituall distempers, incident onelyonly to the Saints. And have for that purpose addrest themselves with much industry and noise; and had recourse many times to some spirituall Physitions, with many teares, an heavy countenance, and other rufull circumstances; expressing almost exactly the scruples, doubts, distrusts, complaints of such as are truly grieved in spirit, and true of heart. O the wonderfull Depth, which lieth hid in the confluence of the Hypocrisies of mans false heart; and the Devises of that old bbRevel. 12.9.Rev 12:9Serpent, which deceiveth the whole world! Such as these, take upon them, and lay aside terrours of conscience, as ccHypoc i…a, hoc est histrio, vocatur is, qui in Theatro a…enam personam sumit. —sic & in hac vitâ ad suos mores orchestras atque theatrum exerc…nt …, qui alia corde gerentes, alia exirmsecùs hominibus prae se…serunt. Basil. Serm. 2. De …e junio.Players doe their apparell and Parts.

7. The passages past doe all mislead into By-paths: but there is One blessed way, besides all these, tho it be a narrow One, which conducts directly out of a naturall state through the pangs of the new-birth, with out diversion, or dawbing; with out any longer detainement in any lust, sensuall pleasure or beloued vanitie; in p. 324any kind of hypocrisie, or degree of unregeneration, into the Paradise of grace fully and for ever. This neither plunges a man into the Pit of Despaire, nor misguides him by carnall counsell, and his own wicked conceit, into the fooles Paradise, and tastlesse fooleries of outward mirth; nor pacifies unseasonably with untimely and counterfeit peace; nor leaves in the deceiving formes of an unsound conversion, and unsaving flourishes of generall graces only, &c. But convaies and transports him happily, by an universall, syncere, supernaturall, thorow-change into the holy Path: And that thus, and by such degrees as these:

1. The first is an Illumination of the minde, conviction of the conscience, terryfying the heart with sight, sense and horrour of sinne in some true measure. The first worke of the Spirit Iohn 16.8. is to convince of sin; which presupposeth illumination, and produceth terror. The Spirit of bondage must bee first set on worke, to shew us our spirituall misery, to humble us to prepare for Christ. And yet this worke in it selfe, is common to the Alien, with the child of the New-birth. And ordinarily here they part: The Alien and hee that hates to bee reformed, out of an inveterate, unhappy prejudice against the saving precisenesse of the Saints; and …othnesse to leave utterly his former courses, company, conversation, being obstinated against passing on forward into the way, which is called holy; (Regeneration, the new-birth, Repentance, mortification, sanctification, self-deniall, New-obedience, walking with God, turning Puritan, as they say, &c, are termes perhaps, of as great terrour unto him, as his present trouble of conscience) doth now here divert, and afterward willfully and wofully perish in some pestilent or plausible By-path. In this case hee labours and layes about him for ease any way, (yea sometimes he will have it from the Divell himself, if he can, by the help of a Wizzard, rather then misse of it) so that he may attaine and keepe it, without any great alteration p. 325of his former waies, or especially, without parting with his darling pleasure. And therefore he assaies, either, to conquer his spirituall affliction with worldly comforts, carnall counsell, choise contentments, &c. Or else to allay the present storme of his guilty rage with some counterfeit calme; or at best, to still the cry of his conscience, with putting forth his hand to some outward workes of Christianity, and some kinde of conversion; which may yet well enough consist with the secret enjoyment of his bosome-sin: Or by some other such indirect course, & unsound cure. But now the Other, whom the Lord doth purpose to prepare for himselfe by this first worke, and to call effectually; doth entertaine at the same time by the helpe of God, a strong, invincible resolution, not only never more to returne unto foolishnes, whatsoever comes of him; never upon any termes to fall back again into his former ddFor, peccare, & de Dei creatoris clementiâ praesumere, pelago iustitiae eius exponi est. Gregor. in 1. Reg. c. 3. Nec putent satis sibi esse, ut sua peccata displiceant, nisi etiam vigilantissimâ deinceps intentione vitentur: nec in eis vitandis vires suas existiment sufficere, nisi divinitùs adiuventur. August. Expos. Epist. ad Rom. inchoat.1 Kgs 3sinfull pleasures, which have now fastned so many fiery Scorpions stings in his conscience; but also, never to admit of any cure, recovery and comfort to his afflicted soule, but only by Iesus Christ; never to have the bleeding wounds of his bruised spirit bathed, bound up and healed, but in that Fountaine, opened to the house of David, and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem, for sinne and for uncleannesse: Nay rather then he will doe the one or the other, hee will abide upon the Racke of his spirituall torture unto his ending houre. Whereupon he directly addresseth and applies himselfe to the only meanes, appointed and sanctified by God, for working a sure, kindly and lasting cure in such a case, I meane, the Ministery of the Word. And, if hee may have his will▪ he would hit upon the most skilfull, experienced, searching, and sound-dealing Man, amongst all Gods faithfull Messengers.

2. And so in a second place, without all reservation, or any purpose ever to returne or divert; hee comes unto the Ministers of God, in the same minde, and with the same meaning, that Peters hearers did, Act. 2.37. p. 326having his heart pricked and rent in peeces with legall terrour, as theirs were: Men and bretheren what shall wee doe? if there bee any Instruction, direction, or duty, which upon good ground out of Gods blessed Booke, you can enjoyne; we will willingly follow it, embrace it, and rather die then not doe it. Prescribe any course, whereby wee may have the boyling rage of our guilty consciences some what asswaged, & we wil blesse God, that ever we saw your faces: Nay, that ever hee made you the happy instruments, to fasten these keene arrowes of truth and terrour, in our amazed and afflicted spirits. Alas! we see now, &c. See before p. 135. &c. And now here the Ministers of God have a strong & seasonable calling to set out in the height, the excellencie, amiablenes, and soule-saving sufficiency of Iesus Christ, blessed for ever: To amplifie and magnifie to the life, the heavenly beauty, unvaluablenesse, and sweeetnesse of his person, passion, promises. No sinne of so deepe a die, bee it scarlet or crimson, but his pretious blood can raze it out. No heart so darke or heavy, but one beame shining from his pleased face, can fill it as full of spirituall glory and joy, as the Sunne is of light, or the Sea of waters. No man so miserable, but if hee will goe out of himselfe, and the Devills slavery quite, and come-in, when hee is dearely invited, he will advance him without money, and without price, from depth of horrour to height of happinesse, &c.

3. By this time, being thus told and truly informed in the mystery and mercy of the Gospell, the poore wounded and weary soule begins to bee deepely and dearely enamored of Iesus Christ. To advance him highest in his thoughts; as the only jewell and joy of his heart; without which hee hath been heretofore, a deade man, and shall here after bee a damned miscreant; to preferre and prize him farre aboue the pleasures, riches and glory of the whole earth; to set his eye and longing so upon him, as to hold himselfe lost for ever without his p. 327love; Nay, in the case hee now stands, hee is most willing for a sound and saving cure, to passe through a peece of hell, if need were, to such a heavenly physition; in whose blessed person alone, as hee hea…es, all the riches of mercy, goodnesse, compassion, and comfort is to bee found; and in whom are hid and heaped up the fullnesse of grace, and treasures of all perfection So that now the current of his best affections, and all the powers of his humbled soule are wholly bent and directed toward him, as the Sun-flower towards the Sun; the iron to the load-stone; and the load-stone to the Pole-star. To whom the nearer hee drawes, the more heartily it grieves him; that ever he pierced so sweet and deare a Saviour, with such a former impure loathsome life, & so many abominable, & now most abhorred provocations.

4. VponUpon this discovery, survay and admiration of this pearle of great price, this rich treasure, the now truly broken, and contrite heart, doth cast about by all meanes, how to compasse it. O! what would he now giuegive, for the sweete fruition and ravishing possession of it? Hearts-blood, life, eeNunc incipio discipulus esse, cum nihil expetam visibilium, ut Iesum Christum assequar. Ignes, cruz, ferarum concursus, sectiones, lanionae, ossium discerptiones, membrorum concisiones, totius corpo…is solutio, Diaboli tormenta in me veniant, tantummodò ut Icsum nanciscar. Ignat Epist. 15. ad Rom. Come fire, come gibbet, come teating with wilde beasts, come crashing of my bone… in pieces, come drawing my foure quarters asunder, come grinding my whole body to powder; nay, come the torments of the Divell, so I may out winne Christ.lying in Hell for a season, were nothing in this case: The imperiall crownes and command of tenne thousand worlds, were they all extant, would bee in his conceit, but as dust in the Ballance, layd in the scale against Iesus Christ, &c. But these things are not required at his hands. At last he happily hitt's upon that, which God would have him: he even resolves to sell all that he hath: to part with all sinne, tho it should bee as deare, and as much doted upon, as that compared to a right eye or right hand: bee it that, which hath kept him longest in hell, most wasted the conscience, and stuck closest to his bosome; I meane his Captaine corruption, Master-lust, or Minion-delight; he will spare none, he will quite out of Sodome, hee will not leave so much as an hoofe behind. For hee p. 328well now remembers, what hee hath often heard heretofore, tho then hee tooke no heed; That the Lord Iesus, and any ffWhen a man comes to this passe, with indignation to bee willing to part with his sinnes; to have no more to doe with thē, (as hee must that will have part in Christ: he cānot have Christ, and keepe any one of his sinnes) that party shall have the Pearle. Master Rogers of Dedham, Doctrine of Faith, cap. 2. pag. 173. And surely well worthy is hee to loose his part in Christ, and all his benefits, that prefers any lust before him, and the favour of God; these set too base a price on Christ, ever to have any part in him. Ibid cap. 8. pag, 371. And whosoever lives in any one knowne sinne, let him know to his face, hee hath no true Faith. Ibid. pag. 380. Sunt plures quos poenitet pecc…sse, sed non omninò, reservantes sibi quaedam, in quibus delectentur: non anìmadvertentes Dominum simul surdum & mutum à daemonio liberâsse, per hoc docens no… nunquam nisi de omnibus sanari. Si enim vellet ex parte peccata reservari, habenti septem daemonia, manente uno proficere potuerat sex expulsis. Expulit autem septem, ut omnia crimina simuleucienda doceret. August. de verâ & falsâ poenit. cap. 9. Scio Deum inimicum omni criminoso. Quomodo creò qui crimen reservat, de alio recipiet veniam? Sine amore Dei consequeretur indulgentiam, sine quo nemo unquam invenit gratiam. Ibid. Vt exparte Dei datur universalis remissio peccatorum, sic debet etiam in nobis esse universalis detestatio peccatorum: atque illud procul dubiò verissimum est, in omni homine reconciliato semper reperiri odium omnium suorum peccatorum; propositum etiam & studium deinceps abstinendi ab omnibus. Nam qui remissionem omnium accepit, infusionem gratiae simul actepit, quae illum armat & munit contra omnia. Frust…a digitur blanditur sibi de peccatis remissis, qui amore… peccati cuius cunque, & propositum in codem permanendi, quasi in sinu cordis suisovet. Davenantius in expos. epist. ad Coloss. cap. a. vers. 13. pag. 271. Resipiscentia illa non est vera ac solida, quae non avertit bominem ab omni peccato cognito adomne bonum cognitum. Amefius Medull. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 16. There is no Word of comfort in the whole Booke of God intended for such as regard iniquity in their hearts, tho they doe not act it in their lives. Their onelyonly comfort is, that the sentence of damnation is not executed, and thereupon there is yet opportunity of safer thoughts and resolutions, otherwise they stand not only convicted, but condemned by the Word. Doctor Sibbes in the Preface. There is no more comfort to bee expected from Christ, then there is care to please Him. Ibid.one allowed Lust, are never woont to lodge together in the same Soule.

5. Fifthly, To the party thus legally afflicted, evangelically affected and fitted savingly, now doe all the promises of life in Gods blessed Booke, offer themselves, as so many Rockes of eternitie in faithfulnesse and truth, for his wearied soule, tossed with tempest, and full sorely bruised with stormes of terrour, sweetly to rest upon, with everlasting safety: God the Father, his bowells of tenderest compassion and bounty already stirring within him, runnes, that I may so say, as the Father in the Gospell, to fall upon it's necke, and to kisse it with the kisses of his sweetest mercy: Iesus Christ opens himselfe, as it were, upon the Crosse, to receive it graciously into his bleeding p. 329wounds; all which, hee beholding with a spiritually illightned eie, admiring and adoring, can not chuse but subscribe and seale unto them, that they are true; and so by the helpe of the Holy Ghost, casts himselfe with all the spirituall strength hee can, at least with infinite longings, most thirsty desires, and resolution never to part, into his blessed bosome; saying secretly to himselfe; Come life, come death, come Heaven, come Hell, come what come can, here will I sticke for ever. And if ever I perish, they shall plucke mee out of the hands, and rent mee from betweene the armes of this mighty, glorious, and dearest Redeemer of mine.

6. And having now taken Christ, as a Saviour, to free him from the miseries of sinne, ggQui peccata sua ex animo agnoscit, déque commissis verè dolet, is medicum salutis non solum admittet, sed omnium cupidissime expeter: à pristinae vilae delictis & à quibuscunque alys non modò abstinebit; sed summo studio quasvis illorum occasiones etiam vitabit, imò abborrebit vehementer: & ut anteà turpitudini vi…, ita iam puritati, innocentiae, & verae pictati singulari diligentiâ invigilabit. Musc. in cap. 3. Matth.hee is willing also to take him as a Lord, Husband, and King; to serve, love and obey him. For every one that is truly Christs, doth as well thirst heartily, and syncerely indeavour after mortification, conquest over corruptions, sanctification, purity, new-obedience, ability to do, or suffer any thing for Christ; as for pardon of sinne and salvation from hell. And therefore he willingly takes upon him his yoake; which tho so called, yet is hhOmnia ergò illa, quae commemoravit aspera & gravia, frequentiùs & abundantiùs sustinebat (Panlus scilicet); sed profectò aderat ei Spiritus Sanctus, qui in exterioris hominis corruptione, interiorem renovaret de die in diem, & gustatâ requie spiritali in affluentiâ deliciarum Dei, in spe futurae bentitudinis omnia praesentiâ deliniret, aspera & gravia omnia relevaret. Ecce quàm svave iugum Christi portabat, & quâm levem sarcina, ut omnia illa, quae superiùs enumerata, dura & immania omnis auditor horrescit, levem tribulationem diceret, intuens interioribus & fidelibus oculis quanto precio temporalium alium emenda sit aterna vita, non patilabores externos impiorum, & sinc ullâ solicitudine perfrui aeterná felicitate iustorum▪ Secari & uri se bomines patiuntur, ut dolores non aeterni, sed aliquantò diuturnioris ulceris acriorum dolorum precio redimantur, in langvidâ & incertâ vacationis brevissimae, atque ultimâ uitâ. Immanissimis bellis miles atteritur, &c. Quibus tempesta…ibus, & procellis, quàm horribili, & tremendâ saevitiâ coeli & maris importuni sunt Mercatores, ut divitias ventosas acquirant? &c. August de temp. Serm. 48. The service of God is the Path guiding us to perfect happinesse; and hath in it a true, though not compleate felicitie, yeelding such abundance of joy to the conscience, as doth easily countervaile all a…flictions whatsoever, though those brambles, that sometimes teare the skinne of such as walke in this blessed way, doe commonly lay hold upon them at such time, as they sit downe to take their case, and make them wi…h themselves at their journeys end, in the presence of their Lord, whom they faithfully serve. In whose presence is the fulnesse of joy, and at whole right hand are pleasures for ever more. Sa…. Rawl. Hist. of the World, lib. 2. pag. 458. Onus hoc est non onerans, sed allevians, sicut alain ave. Ames. Bellar. enerv. de Observ. Legis, Thesi primâ.easie and light; enters p. 330in earnest into the narrow way, which tho it bee every where spoken against, as it was in Pauls time. Act. 28.22. yet in truth and upon triall is most pretious, profitable, and pleasant. See Prov. 3. Happy is the man that findeth wisedome; to wit, in the word, to walke in the wayes of God.—Shee is more pretious then rubies: and all the things thou canst desire, are not to be compared unto her. Length of dayes is in her right hand; and in her left hand, iiFlagellanda igitur hominum perversitas, qui non tantum virtutempost nummos quaerunt; sed porrò arbitrantur, nullam viam magis compendiosam esse ad mendicitatem, aut infanuam, quàin si pictati, si verae sapientiae animum, applicent. Cartw. in loc.riches and honour. Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse, and all her pathes are peace. Hee now for the short remainder of his abode in this vale of teares, vowes and gives up the flower and prime of all his abilities, loves, joyes, endeavours, performances in any kinde, to the highest Majesty; and consecrates all the powers and possibilities of body and soule, to doe him the best and utmost service hee can any wayes devise, unto his dying day. And still grieves and walkes more humbly, because hee can doe no better. For then hee casts his eyes upon God the Fathers free love, and Christs deare passion; hee thinks with himselfe, and so hee well may, that if hee were able to doe him, as much service, as all the Saints doe, both in this and the Church above, with addition of all Angelicall obedience; it were all infinitely lesse then nothing, towards the discharge of his debt, and incomprehensible, everlasting obligation.

7. And being thus incorporated into Christ, he presently kkQui… ergo memhra Christi sactiestis, admoneovos, ti…o devolis, non tantùm à Paganis, non à Iudaeis, non ab haeretici…, quantum à malis Catholicu. Eligue vobis de populo Dei, quos im…ten… Nam si turbami…itari volueritis, inter paucos angustam viam ambulantes non eritis. August. de temp Secui. 164.associates himself to the brotherhood, to the Sect, ll1. Pet. 2.17.1 Pet 2:17that is every where spoken against. For so is profession accounted. Act. 28.22. After that Peters hearers were pricked in their hearts, they were counselled to repent, believe, be baptised, &c. and to mmActs 2.4.Acts 2:4save themselves from that untoward generation. He now beginnes to delight himselfe in them, whom hee heartily hated before, I meane the people of God, Professours of the truth and p. 331power of religion; and that, as the most excellent of the earth; the only true Noble Worthies of the World: worthy for ever, the flower, fervency, and dearenesse of his most melting affections and intimate love. And hee labours also might and maine, to ingratiate himselfe into their blessed communion, by all ingagements and obligations of a comfortable, fruitfull, and constant fellowship in the Gospell. By an humble mutuall entercourse and communication of holy conference, heavenly counsell, spirituall encouragements, consideration one of another, confirmation in grace, and in assurance of meeting in heaven, &c. resolved to live and die with these neglected happy Ones, in all faire and faithfull correspondence, sweetest offices of Christianity, and constant cleaving to the Lord Iesus, and his glorious cause: Nay, assured to raigne with them hereafter everlastingly in fullnesse and height of all glory, joy, and blisse. For if once this divine flame of brotherly love bee kindled by the Holy-ghost in the hearts of true hearted Christians, one towards another, it hath this propertie and priviledge above all other loves, that it is never after put out or quenched; but burnes in their brests with much affectionate fervor, with mutuall warmth of dearest sweetenes here upon earth; and shall blaze eternaly with Seraphicall heate in the highest heavens hereafter. In the meane time, he makes cōscience of sympathizing, both with their felicities and miseries. His heart is enlarged with lightsomenesse, or eclipsed with griefe; as hee heares of the prosperity or oppression of Gods people. I the rather here mention this marke of the true convert, because it is so much required; nay infinitely exacted at our hands, in these heavy times of the Church. And therefore may bee to every one of us an evident Touch-stone, to try whether our profession bee vitall or formall. If those terrours, which I have heretofore many times threatned out of Gods Booke against all p. 332those pittilesse and hard-hearted Caniballs, which take not the present troubles of the Church to heart, upon purpose to breake in pieces those flinty Rockes, which dwel in some mens brests, and to drive us all to compassionatenesse, prayer, dayes of humiliation and parting from our evill wayes; I say, if they have beene thought by any, to have been pressed too precisely and peremptorily, heare, what I have since seene in nnSi doles proillo (patiente scilicet tribulationem) in corpore Ecclesiae constitutus es, si non doles praecisus es. Hom. 15. cx 30. & sortè iam ideò non doles quia precisus es. Si enim ibi esses, sinedubio doleres. Ibid.Austin; and what a peremptory censure hee doth passe upon those, who want a fellow-feeling in such a case: If thou hast this fellow-feeling, thou art of that blessed body and brotherhood; if not, thou art not. And here, can I hardly hold, but were it incident, I should desire to cry out with a voice lifted vp like a trumpet, against all those prophane Esaus, swinish Gadarens, senselesse Earth-wormes; who all this while, that so many noble limbes of that great blessed body of the Reformed Churches have laine in teares and bloud, ooHeare how grievously they cōplaine of us beyond the Seaes: Non tam dolenda, quā sauguineis lachrymis deploranda venit aperta illa obduratio animorum, ac perfidia tam multorum fucalorum Christianorum, ac Iudae sociorum, interipsos Evangelicos; quos quidem malailla, quamvis ipsis proxima, & verticibus corum impendentia nondum infestârunt. Eorum namque perpauci (pro… dol…r!) sunt, qui contritione Iosephi, ac…ratrum suorum exitio, seriò afficiantur: quin imò maximus est eorum numerus, qui brutorum pecoruminstar, suis duntaxat cupiditatibus, voluptatibus, avaritiae & iniustitiae securè indulgent, non secùs ac si cum morte foedus pepigissent, at que cum orco sibi optimè prospexissent. Histor. Iesuit Prae fat. The words sound to this sense: It is a matter to bee lamented, nay, to bee deplored even with bloody teares, To see so many false-hearted Protestants, and Iudas-like in these fearefull and forlome times, when the same horrible confusions hang over their heads, ready to seize upon them, one of these yeeres; like so many besotted Beasts, to ply their filthy pleasures, profits, preferments, and their owne particulars in one kind or other, secure and carelesse; suffering the deare servants of Iesus Christ, and their owne Brethren, to sinke, or swimme in blood, and teares, without any fellow-feeling at all, commiseration or succour!did never take to heart to any purpose, or trouble themselves at all with their grievous troubles; but have sottishly and securely laine at ease in Zion, liable to that horrible curse denounced against Meroz: Curse yee Meroz (sayd the Angell of the Lord), curse yee bitterly the Inhabitants thereof: because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Iudg. 5.23. They have not helped the people of God, so much as with any hearty fellow-feeling, wrastling with God in praier, set daies to seeke the returne of Gods face and p. 333favour, &c. Men they are of the World, which have their portiō in this life: who feele nothing but worldly losses, know nothing but earthly sorrowes, rellish nothing but things of sense. If they be stung with a deare yeare, rot of cattel, losse by surety-ship, ship-wrack, robbery, fire, &c. they houle, and take-on immoderately. But let Ioseph bee afflicted, Gods people in disgrace, the Ministry hazarded, Christ spouse sit in the dust, the Daughter of Zion weepe bitterly, and have none to comfort her, &c. And these mercilesse mē are no whit moved; They have not a teare, a groane, or sigh to spend in such a ruful case. Whereby they infallibly remonstrate unto their owne consciences, that they are no living members of Christs mysticall body; have no part in the holy fellowship of the Saints, no spark of spiritual life, no acquaintance at all with the waies of God: but continue cursedly carelesse, what becomes of the Gospell, or Gods children; so that they may rise, grow rich, and sleepe in a whole skinne.

8. By this time now, is he become the ppVbi Deum in veritate coeperis quavere, necesse tibi erit super borum vel malorum hominum nequitiam sustinere, quia non sic ab illis colitur Christus, quomodo eis quotidiè praedicatur. Quoniam & quicquid volunt, quicquid petunt à Deo, in luxurijs suis & convivijs volunt consumere, in spectaculis, in nugis, in fornicationibus, in ebrietatibus. In his volunt consumer, quo desiderant abundare, & tunc putant, quòd bonus sit Deus, quando illis praestat unde corrumpantur. Sed dicet aliquis, Ecce tempora aspera sunt, & asperiora crunt. Per ista asperiora proficit magis ecclesia, proficiunt illi, qui surfùm cor habent, &c. — Omnes mali & amatores mundi quasi torcularia sunt. Sie enim in torcularibus, & uva premitur & oliva, ut vinum & oleum reponatur in caveâ; ita per nequitiam malorum hominum, qui boni & iusli sunt, multis tribulationibus corporaliter fatigantur, ut animae eorum tanquam oleuma… vinum recondi in aeterna tabernacula mereantur. [Note by the way, that mereantur here makes nothing for Popish Merit, but onelyonly intimates as much, as possint, or valeant. See Pareus his excellent Castigation of Bellarmine, de Iustific. lib. 5. Proaem. 1. Modò Mereri, Patribus idem est, quod posse, valere, &c. 2. Modò est idem quod Velle, &c. 3. Plerunque veròidem quod consequi, obtinere, impetrare, etiam gratis, &c. And Hee gives severall instances in them all. Heare Austins cleare judgement about the Point in an other Place: Maluit dicere, Gratia autem Dei, vita aeterna: ut hinc intelligeremus, non pro meritis nostris Deum nos ad aeternam vitam, sed pro suâ miseratione produ…ere. De gratiâ & lib. Arb. cap. 9. Hee also speakes to the same purpose, In Psal. 70. Conc. 2. And Serm. 15. De verb. Apost. Which Places are vindicated from Iesuiticall Cavils by Chamier. Tom. 3. lib. 14. cap. 22. Noli ergò de Dei misericordiâ, vel iustitiâ desperare, quoties te videris ab iniquis hominibus fatiga…i, sed considera quò illi, qui te persequuntur, apud Deum velut molae & torcularia deputantur. Tu verò quasi oliva, & quasi uva legitima parvo tempore pressutam malorum hominum sustinere cogeris. Sed posteà illis sine fine remanebit opprobrium, tu felici commutatione transibis ad regnum. August. Hom. 8. ex. 50.Ps 70drunkards p. 334song, table-talke to those that sit in the gate, Musicke to great men at their feasts, a By-word to the children of fooles, and the children of villaines, men viler then the earth, whose fathers hee would have disdained to have set with the doggs of his flocke. And what then? Even thus they dealt with **Psal. 79.12. Iob 30. Lament. 3.63.Ps 79:12Job 30Lam 3:63David, Iob, & Ieremie; Nay they told the Sonne of God himselfe, in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily, that he was a ****Ioh. 8.48.John 8:48Samaritane and had a Devill. What man of braine then, that gives his name to Christ, and lookes to bee saved, will looke for qqQuis ergo post buiusmodi vocem (scilicet Beati estis, cùm vos maledicent, &c. Mat. 5.) tentari se non sinat? Quis ab hominibus persequi se iustitiae causà non optet? Quis non tribulari vellet? Quis se non maledici desideret?—Vtinam ob Domini mei nomen, atque iustitiam cuncta infidelium turba me persequatur & tribulet. Vtinam in opprobrium meum slolidus hic mundus exurgat, &c.—Hominum opprobria detractionésque patientèr & levitèr toleremus, ut Domini laudibus digni esse possimus. Nam si humanam laudem quaerimus, divinam amittimus. —Satis iniquam, & impium est; si tu tibi pro eius nomine nec detrabi patiaris, qui propter te tanta perpessus est. —…rubescant ebriosi voraces, iniusti, raptores, adulteri, & quicunque suis gloriantur in malis, quos gebenna ignis expectat, & quibus suppliciae praeparantur aeterna. Facientes autem Domini voluntatem confundi non debent; in quibus nulla confusionis sunt opera. O quàm indignum est, at que praeposterum; ut iusti confundantur in bonis, & peccatores glorientur in malis. Videat ergo anima Deo devot…, ne insipientium risus …am, aut stultorum hominum vanissimus sermo confundat, & à suo proposito retrahat; in quo magis per dies singulos proficere debet in melius. Hieron. p. 3. Tract. 12. Epist. 63. Propter Deum nimis ista perpeteris, quia scilicet legem eius audisti. Hoc verò quo tandem digno honore pensandum est? Quibus diadematibus conferendum? Mihiverò magis proviniet inimicitias sustinere propter Deum, atque contemni, quàm velà sunct is regibus honorari. Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 18.Matt 5exemption? Especially, sith all the contumelies, and contemptes, all those nick-names of Puritan, Precisian, Hypocrite, Humorist, Factionist, &c. with which lewd tongues, are woont to load the Saints of God; are so many honourable badges of their worthy deportment in the holy path, and resolute standing on the Lords side. Some noble Romans having done some singular service to the state; and after, troubled and handled violently in some privat Cases, were woont to bare their bodies, and to shew in open court the scars and impressions of those woundes, which they had received in their Countries cause; as characters of speciall honour, and strongest motives to commiseration. So many lying imputations, unworthy usages, and persecutions in any kinde, for profession of godlinesse, which the faithfull Christian shall bring to the Iudgement seate of p. 335Christ; so many glorious and roiall representations of excellency of spirit and height of courage in Christian causes, shall they bee accounted in the sight and censure of almighty God, and the blessed Angels; and make him more amiable and admirable in the face of heaven and earth.

Thus much of the Theorie, as it were, I come now to the Practicke part. To a particular application of some speciall soveraigne Antidotes; to the most grievous ordinary maladies, incident to the soules of the Saints.

But first give mee leave to premise some generall well-heads, out of which do spring abundance of comfort, and overflowing rivers of refreshing for all intents, and effects in point of temptation and trouble of minde.

1. And first take a fruitfull cluster, and heavenly heape of them together; those twelve heads of extraordinary, immeasurable, comfortable matter for spirituall medicines; which I have heretofore erected, as so many invincible bulwarkes against all assaults of despaire, oppositions of Satan, exceptions of distrust.

1. The infinitenesse of Gods mercy sweetely intimated, Isa. 55.6.7.8. The mercy of God is like rrMisericordia in Deo nihil aliud reipsâ est, quàm ipsius essentia, quae una est, & quâ unâ sapiens, iustus, misericors est. Zanch. de naturâ Dei, lib. 4. cap. 4. …. 2. Deus est misericors suâ aeternâ et simplici essentiâ, non autem qualitate aliquâ, non affectu, non passione. Polan. Syntag. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 23.himselfe, infinite: All our sinnes are finite both in number and nature: Now betweene finite and infinite there is no proportion, and so no possibility of resistance. And therefore bee thy sinnes never so ssOppose against the greatnesse of thy sins, foreign Dei, and against the multitude of them foreign Dei. As Basil speakes.notorious, and numberlesse, yet in a truly broken heart, thirsting for, and throwing it selfe upon Christ, unfainedly resolving upon new-obedience, and his glorious service for the time to come, can no more withstand, or stand before Gods mercies, then a little ttCogita scintillam si in mare …eciderit, non poterit stare, aut apparere. Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet, tantū hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam pietatemque, imò verò non tantum modò, sed & longè suprà: Nam & pelagus, tamet si magnum sit, mensuram recipit; Dei verò clementia & pietas mensuram non habet. Haec dicam: non quò nos desidiores, sed promptiores reddam. Chrysost. tom. 5. poenit. Hom. 3. colum. 846.sparke the boundlesse and mighty p. 336Ocean, throwne into the midst of it, nay infinitely lesse. If uuDivina misericordia tanta est, ut si quis universa peccata totius mundi commisisset, & doleret, quòd tam bonum dominum tam superbè offendisset, firmitérque proponeret amplius abstinere, Deus talem nunquam damnaret, de Quin que partitâ conse. lib. 3. c. 44. Dei misericordia ma…or omnium peccatorum miseriâ. August. citante Laurentio, adversus desperat. pag. 102.all the sinnes, that all the Sonnes and daughters of Adam have committed, since the Creation to this time, were all upon one soule; yet so affected, as I have sayd, and put into such a new penitent, gracious temper, it should be most certainly upon good ground, and everlastingly safe. I speake not thus to make any secure; for any one sinne xxQuamvis sentiamus in nobis peccatum latitans, & Spiritui repugnans, tamen si non sit placens & reg nan…, non excludit spiritualem hanc vivificationem. Remissio enim peccatorum universali… tollit reatum universorum peccatorum nostrorum, infusio eti am gratiae bui… co…iuncta, tollit dominium universorum. Davenant in expos. epist ad Colos. c. 2. vers. 13.Col 2:13pleasing and raigning will ruine a soule for ever: But to assure of mercy enough, how great or many so ever the sinnes hauehave been; if the heart bee now truly humbled for them all, and wholly turned heaven-ward.

2. The unvaluablenesse of Christs meritorious blood. Which is call'd the blood of God; and therefore of inestimable price. Vnderstand mee aright: It was the blood of God, not of the God-head; but of him who was both God and man. For the man-hood of Christ was received into the union of the second person. And so it may bee called the blood of God, for so speakes S. Paul Act. 20.28. God purchased his Church with his owne blood; that is Christ, God incarnate. Our Devines expresse it thus: It was the Sonne of God, and Lord of life, that died for us upon the Crosse, but it was the nature of man, not of God, wherein he died; and it was the nature of God, and infinite excellency of the same, whence the price, valew and worth of his passion grew. This blessed blood then is of infinite yyInfinit… dupliciter dicitur, per aliud, vel per se; per aliud dicitur humanitatis Christi meritum & satisfactio & foreign pro nobis persolutum esse infinitae virtulis, quâ virtute infinitâ factum etiam est, vt expiata sint peccata mundi. Quomodo verò infinitae est virtutis? Non per & propter humanitatem, sed per & propter infinitam Deitatem, cui humanitas Christi est hypostatice unita. Polan. Synt. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 10. Obtulit Christus, ut Pontifex; carnem quidem & sanguinem suum quâ homo: sed victimae suae immensam efficaciam asspirat per spiritum aeternum, quâ Deus est. Par. in Epist. ad Hebr. cap. 9. vers. 14.Heb 9:14efficacie, and therefore if thou be now turning to the Lord, assure thy selfe; whatsoever thy sinnes have beene, they have not out-gone the price, that hath been payd for them. This blood upon repentance did take off the transcendent scarlet guilt from the soules, even of those that shed it. Act. 2. &c.

p. 3373. The riches of the Word in affording precedents of the Saints, and of the Sonne of God himselfe; who have surpassed thee; and that, perhaps, very farre in any kinde of miserie thou canst name.

Thou art perhaps consulting with the Prodigall to come-in, but there comes terribly into thy minde the extraordinary hainousnesse of thy former sinnes; and that hinders.2. Kings 21.16.2 Kgs 21:16 Cast thine eie then upon Manasses, a man of prodigious impiety and matchlesse villany:2. Chron. …3.2. &c.2 Chr 3:2 Hee shed innocent blood very much, till hee had filled Ierusalem from one end to another. Hee did that, which was evill in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. Hee caused his children to passe through the fir…, in the valley of the sonne of Hinnom: also Hee observed times, and used inchantments, and used witch-craft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizzards. Hee wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger, &c. And yet this great sinner humbling himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers, Vers. 12.13.was received to mercy.

Suppose, which yet were a horrible thing, that after conversion, by extraordinary violence of temptation, strong in-snarement of some sudden sensuall offer and opportunity, treacherous insinuation of thy owne false heart, and furious re-assault of thy former bosome-sin, Thou shouldest be overtaken grossely with some grievous sin and scandalous fal; and then upon illumination, remorse, and meditation of returne, reason thus within thy selfe; Alas! what shall I doe now? I have undone all: I have wofully againe defiled my soule, so fairely washed in my Saviours blood, with that dis-avowed sinne of my unregenerate time; I have shamed my profession, disgraced religion for ever; I have broke my vowes, lost my peace, and my woonted blessed communion with my God, &c. And therefore, what hope can I have, of any acceptation againe at the Throne of p. 338grace? I say in this case, to keepe thee from sinking, cast thine eie upon yyAaron author horrendae Idololatriae non ahijcitur, nec absorbetur ab …r à divinâ. Moller. in Psal. 77.Ps 77Aaron, David, Peter: who returning with sound and hearty repentance, were mercifully entertayned into as great favour, as they were before. But God forbid, that any professour of religion should ever fall so fowly, especially in this glorious mid-day of Evangelicall light!

Art thou langvishing under the heauy desolations▪ of a spirituall desertion, and deprived of thy former comfortable feelings of Gods favourable countenance? Looke upon David Psal. 77. I remembred God, and was troubled. I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. I am so troubled, that I can not speake. My soule refused to bee comforted. Nay, upon Iesus Christ himselfe, Mat. 27.46. crying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee?

Art thou haunted with some of Satans most hatefull and horrible injections, grissely to the eie even of corrupted nature, Thoughts framed by himself immediately, and put into thee; perhaps tending to Atheisme, or to the dishonour of God in the highest degree, or of his blessed word; to self-destruction, or the like? Thoughts, which thou canst not remember without horrour, and darest not reveale, or name for their strange and prodigious monstrousnesse. If it bee thus with thee: consider how this malicious Feind dealt with the Sonne of God himselfe. He offered to his most holy, and unspotted imagination, these propositions: First, Murder and make away thy selfe, Matth. 4.6. Secondly, Fall downe and worship the Divell: Vers. 9. Then which a fouler thought, I thinke, was never injected: that Iesus Christ blessed for ever, in whom the God head dwelt bodily, should fall downe and worship the Divell, the vilest of Creatures. And yet this was suggested to our blessed Saviour. To which his purest heart infinitely uncapeable of sinne, was as a brasse wall to an arrow, beating it backe presently with infinite contempt. And himselfe p. 339did utterly conquer and confound the tempter; and that for thee, and thy sake too. And therefore **All temptations are not sins in the tempted: for then Christ should have sinned. This may comfort those, that being vexed with fearefull suggestions of Satan, as to thinke amisse of God himselfe, &c. doe thereby thinke amisse of themselves, as if they were therefore most vile wretches. But they must remē ber, that this is no more their sinne, if they presently boate it backe, then if a man like thēselves, should wish them to the like. Satan must answer for this himselfe. Dike of Christs temptations, pag. 219.if thy humbled soule doe abominate and abandon them from the heart-roote to the pit of Hell, they shall never be laid to thy charge, but set on Satans score. Extremely then doe those wrong themselves, and gratifie the Divell to the height; who suffer such injections, which they heartily hate, and stand against, with all their strength, to hold their hearts still upon the racke of extraordinary astonishment and distraction; whereby they are unnecessarily discouraged and disabled for a chearefull discharge of both their callings. Which is the thing Satan specially aimes at, in vexing so many of Gods dearest servants with this fieri'st dart.

It may bee, that many yeares after thy new-birth, when thou thinkest the worst is past, thou maist bee revisited and afflicted afresh with (perhaps) sorer spirituall pangs, and more horrour, then at the first. And what then? Heare how David, a man after Gods owne heart, cries out: zzPsal. 32.Ps 32My bones waxed old; through my roaring all the day long; For day and night thy hand was heavie upon mee; My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. And Iob., a God-fearing man, and most upright: aaIob 13.24.25.26.Job 13:24Job 13:25Job 13:26Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest mee for thine enemie? Wilt thou breake a leafe driven to and fro? And wilt thou pursue the drie stubble? For thou writest bitter things against mee, and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth. bbCap. 6.4.The arrowes of the Almighty are within mee, the poison thereof drinkes up my spirit: The terrours of God doe set themselves in array against mee. ccIsai 38.13.14.Isa 38:13Isa 38:14Hezekiah, that walked before God in truth, and with a perfect heart: I reckoned till morning, that as a ddOportet flagellis Domini efficaciam inesse, quâ humiliemur, at que deijctamurusque adipfo… inferos, & consolatione propemodùm destituti omnia horroris plena concipiamus: que madmodum etiam horrores iftos descriptos à Davide cernimus, dumossa sua dinumerata, lectum sucum lachrymis made factum, animam suam turbatam, inferos aper…os esse dicit. Sic enim pios in…erdum i…dicio Dei terreri ne…sse est, ut bonitatis eius desiderio magis afficiamur. Calv. in loc.Lion, so will he breake all my bones: from day p. 340even to night wilt thou make an end of mee. Like a Crane or a Swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a Dove; mine eyes fayle with looking upward: O Lord, I am opprest, undertake for mee.

Doest thou day after day poure out thy soule in prayer, before The Throne of Grace, with all the earnestnesse, and instancy thy poore, dead heart (as thou callest it) can possibly; and do'st thou still rise up dull, heavy-hearted and uncomfortable; without any sensible answer from God, or comfortable sense of his favour and love shed into thy heart? Be it so; yet for all this, pray still in obedience unto thy God, against all discouragements and oppositions whatsoever. Presse hard unto still, and ply Gods Mercy-Seate, if it be but with sighes and groanings. Assuredly, at length, and in the fittest time, thou shalt bee gloriously refreshed, and registred in the remembrance of God, for a Christian of excellent Faith. See a patterne of rare and extraordinary patience this way, Mat. 15.23. There, that Woman of Canaan having received many grievous repulses, & cuting discouragements: the Solicited was silent; the Disciples grumble; she was not of the Fold; she was a Dog; yet for all this, by her constancy in crying after Christ, her petition at last was not only granted, but her self also crowned with a singular, and admirable Eulogie, from the Lords owne mouth: O Woman! great is thy Faith: be it unto thee, even as thou wilt, What an honour and comfort was this, to bee thus commended by Iesus Christ? and that with an admiration, O Woman!

Hath thy Faith lost it's feeling? Doest thou for the present feele nothing, but anger, wrath, and great indignation? Is Gods face and favour, wherein is life, turned away from thee, and quite hid from thy sight? Nay, hath hee broken thee a…under, taken thee by the necke, and shaken thee to pieces, and set thee up for his marke? Yet for all this, let thy truly humbled soule bee so farre from loosing, or leaving it's hold-fast, and sure repose p. 341upon the Person, Passion, and Promises of Iesus Christ; that in such a Case, it cleave and cling faster to that blessed Rocke, and farre more immoveablely. For therein specially is the strength and glory of Faith improved, and made illustrious. It is one of the most noble and heroicall acts of Faith, to beleeve without feeling. He, who beleeveth most, and feeleth least, is hee, who glorifieth God most. It is nothing to swimme in a warme Bath; but to endure the surges, and tumbling billowes of the Sea, that's the man. To beleeve, when God doth fairely and sensibly shine upon the soule, with the love and light of his countenance, is no great matter: But to rest invincibly upon his mercy thorow Christ; when he grinds thee to powder, that's the Faith. Thou hast before thee for this purpose a matchlesse precedent. Thus cries holy Iob, vexed not onelyonly with an unparalleld variety and extremity of outward afflictions, but also with the venome of the Almighties arrowes, drinking up his spirit. Th… hee slay mee, yet will I trust in him: Cap. 13.15. So Abraham: Rom. 4.18.

Hast thou given thy name stoutely to Religion, and do'st thou stand on Gods side with resolution? And art thou therefore villanously traduced with slanderous, odious, nick-names of Puritan, Precisian, Hypocrite, Humorist, Dissembler &c? Consider then for thy comfort, that gracelesse wretches, when hee was upon the earth, called thy blessed Lord and Saviour, Divell; See Matth. 10.25. Ioh. 7.20. which passeth all, I am perswaded, that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee. Contemne thou therefore for ever, and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience, all their contumelies and contempts. Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble, without wound or passion, the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue; the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard.

Doth the World, carnall men, thine owne friends, ormall Teachers suppose, and censure thee to be a dissembler p. 342in thy Profession▪ and will needes concurrently and confidently, yet falsely, fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie? An heavy charge! Yet for all this, Let thy truly-humble heart, conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services, like a strong pillar of brasse, beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way, without any dejection, or discouragement; OnelyOnly take occasion hereby to search more thorowly, and walke more warily. Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also. He had against him, not onelyonly the Divell his enemy, pushing at him with his poysoned weapons; but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues; His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye, yea, his owne God, running upon him like a Gya…, and his terrours setting themselves in aray against him… Powerfull motives, to make him suspect himselfe of former halting, and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God: yet notwithstanding, his good and honest heart, having been long before acquainted with, and knit unto his God … truth, makes him breake out boldly, and resolutely protest: Till I die, I will not remove my integrity from mee. My righteousnesse I hold fast, and will not let it goe: Chap. 27.5.6. Behold, my Witnesse is in Heaven, and my record is on high. Cap. 16.19.

Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children, and hast thou lost the dearest? The greatest outward crosse, I confesse, that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted, and goeth nearest to the heart: Yet thy sorrow is not singular, but out-gone in this also. For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by, and saw her owne, onelyonly, deare, innocent sonne, the Lord of life, most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes, Ioh. 19.25.

Hast thou lost thy goods or children? Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome, set her selfe against thee? Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely? Art thou p. 343pained extremely from top to toe? Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule? Thy affliction is grievous enough, if thou taste any of these severally. But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once? Hast thou lost all thy children, and all thy goods? Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions? &c. If this bee not thy Case, and rufull condition, thou commest yet short of Iob, a most just man, and one of Gods dearest Iewels.

4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises. foreign. 2. Pet. 1.4.2 Pet 1:4In every one of which, it is incredible to consider, what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies w…rp… up! Oh, how sweet are they to a thirsty soule, in the …me of angvish and trouble! They are like a cloud of raine, that commeth in the time of a drought. They are very glimpses of Heaven, shed into a heart, many times as darke as hell. They are even rockes of eternity, upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose, with impregnable safety. A truly humbled spirit, relishing spirituall things, would not exchange any one of them, for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies. Tell me, deare heart, thou that in thy unregenerate time, though now happily changed, lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood; whether that mercifull promise, Isai. 1.18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sinnes bee as sk…rlet, they shall bee as white as snow; though they bee red like crimson, they shall bee as wooll; bee not farre dearer unto thee, then thousands of gold and silver? Or thou, who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts, which now thou canst not remember without horrour, tell mee, if it were utterable by the Tongue of man, with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace, thy broken heart was bound up and revived; when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place, Ezech. 36.25. I will sprinkle water upon you, and you p. 344shall bee cleane: and from all your filthinesse, and from all your Idols will I cleanse you, &c.

There was beyond the Seas, as my Author reports, ccNo…i ego admodùm pu… mal… onani picta te, castitate & alijs sexus foeminci virtutibus praestantem, cuias desperationi dignatus est Deus, omnis censolationis author, med…, per haec prophetica a… …ta: Nam sic ait sublimis & elatus, cujus nomen est inhabitans aeternitatem, &c. Isai. 57. Inciderat illa post partum in morb…m valde diutur…m, & …ssicilem, in quo cumpers etuis Sata… tentationibus gravissime impete…etur, tandem post long…m certamen victa succumbit, & veniam desperavit, &c. Verum quia Sa…anae ignita tela, & irae divinae adversus peccata sensus & metu… intolerahiles cruciatus in conscientiâ excitabant, quaesitam saepiùs occasionem tollendi se emedio tandem nacta, ex alto promontorio in profundum mare se dedit praecipitem, depositis …men prius vestimentis omnibus, exceptâ tunicâ intimâ. Magno autem Dei miraculo, & clementi. … non solùm ex tam alto casunibil detrimenti sensit: sed etiam in aquis ita mirabilitier suslevitata est, ut submergi non potuerit, licèt aquâ marinâ se repleverit, & nihil non eg… rit, ut in und…s suffocaretur; & ultra duas horas in pelago iacu…rit. Post quam autem singulari Dei providenti…, indè vix aegrè extracta fuisse… incolumis, & in…egrum penè annum cum … desperatione collu…tata, factum est, Deo sic disponente, ut inter alia Esaiae hot caput. 57. à mari…o ei perlegeretur. Licèt autem invita pr…p…modùm initio …uscultavit … gentem: tamen Domin…s cor audientis (ut quondam Lydiae) aperuit, &c. Et Spiritus sancti instinctu cogitare coepit. Deus promittit se vivi…icaturum & consolaturum co… contritoru… & spiritum humil…m, nec se litigaturum, aut irat …m fore perpetuò. Ego habeo cor admod…m contritum, & spiritum humiliatum ex cognitione & sensi… peccatorum meorum, & iudicij di…ini adversus peccata. Ergò Deus fortè cor meum, & spiritum vivificare & consolari dignabitur▪ …ec me…um contendet, aut mi…i irascetur perpetuò, &c. Ex …isce initijs per Dei spiritum expulsa desperatione & superatis tentationibus, certissimè statuebat non solùm ante à commemoratas, sed etiam omnes reliqu…s Dei promissiones ratas sore, seque …abere redemptionem per Christi sangvinem▪ remissionem nempè peccatorum ex divite ipsius gratiâ. In qu… …ide (codem qui …a perat in ipsa hoc bonum opus per…iciente) constanter multos annos sapers…es persevera verit, donec in ardenti …ilij Dei invocatione foreign consequuta, in coelestem patriam emigravit, anno salutis 1595. Alexipharm▪ adversus desperationem. Authore M▪ Nicolao Laurentio. pag. 63. & seq.Isa 57Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety; who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations, wofully at length yeelded to despaire, and attempted the destruction of her selfe. After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact, at last having first put off her apparrell, threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea. But having received no hurt by her fall; shee was there, by a Miracle, and extraordinary mercy, strangely preserved, for the space of two houres at the least; though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe. Afterward drawne out with much adoe, and recovered, shee yet still did conflict with that extremest, desperate horrour almost a whole yeere. But p. 345by Gods good providence, which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things, listening on a time, though very unwillingly at first, to her husband reading amongst other places, that, Isa. 57.15. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I bee alwaies wroth: for the spirit should faile before mee, and the soules which I have made: I say, listening to these words, the Holy Ghost drawing her heart▪ shee begun to reason thus within her selfe: God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite, and spirit of the humble: and that hee will not contend for ever, neither b… alwayes wroth:

But I have a very contrite heart, and a spirit humbled … to the dust▪ one of the acknowledgement, and sense of my sinnes, and divine vengeance against them:

Therefore peradventure, God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit; and not contend with … for ever, nor bee wroth against mee still, &c.

Hereupon by little and little, there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart, abundance of life, lightsomnesse, spirituall strength, and assurance. In which she continued with constancy and comfort, many a yeere after; crowned those happy dayes, and a blessed old age, with a glorious and triumphant death, and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now, but Hers that felt it, can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary, un-utterable refreshing; which sprung out of that promise, upon her forlorne and fearefull soule; or the excesse of that love, which shee bore ever after to those blessed lines; to the mercy that made them, and to the blood that sealed them?

An other terrified in conscience for sinne, resolves to p. 346turne on Gods side; but the crie of his good-fellow companions, strength of corruption, and cunning of Satan, carrie him backe to his former courses. A good number of yeares after, hee was so throughly wounded, that whatsoever came of him, he would never returne againe unto folly. Then comes into his minde the first of the Proverbes: whence hee thus reasoned against himselfe: So many yeares agoe God called, and stretched out his hand in mercy, but I refused: and therefore now, th… I call upon him, hee will not answer; though I seeke him early, I shall not finde him. Whereupon was his heart filled with much griefe, terrour, and slavish feare. But the Spirit of God leading him at length to that place, Luke 17.4. If thy brother trespasse against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turne againe to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgiue him; He thence happily argued thus for himselfe: Must I a silly sinnefull man forgive my brother, as often as hee repents; and will not then the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, entertaine mee, seeking againe in truth, his face and …avour? God forbid. From▪ which hee blessedly drew such a deale of divine sweetnesse, and secret sense of Gods love; that his trembling heart at first received some good satisfaction, and afterward was setled in a sure and glorious peace.

An other godly man passing through his l…st sicknesse with such extraordinary calm…nesse of conscience, and absolute freedome from temptation; that some of his Christian friends observing, and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet, at that time especially, questioned him aboue it: He answered; that he had stedfastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise, Isa. 26.3. Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because hee trusteth in thee: And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soule.

And so must every Saint doe, who would sound the sweetnesse of a promise to the bottome; & make it the p. 347arme of God unto him for sound & thorow-comfort: Even settle his heart fixedly upon it, and set his Faith on worke, to broode it, as it were, with it's spirituall heate, that quickenesse and life may thence come into the soule indeed. For God is woont to make good his promises unto his children, ffTantum quisque habet, quantum credit, iuxta illud. Secundum fidem tuam tibi fiat. Zanch. in 5. ad Ephes. pag. 489. Non enim (quod beneficiorum terrestrium mos est) in capescendo munere coelesti, mensura ulla▪ vel modus est; Profluens largitèr Spirit us nullis finibus premitur, nec coercentibus claustris intra certa metarum spacia refraenatur. Manat iugitèr, exuperat afsluentèr, nostrum tantùm sitiat pectus, & pateat. Quantum illuc fidei capacis afferimus; tantum gratiae inundantis haurimus. Cyp. Epist. lib. 1. Epist. 2.proportionably to their trust in them, and dependance upon his truth and goodnesse for a seasonable performance of them.

Now all these promises in Gods blessed Booke, (which addes infinitely to their sweetnesse and certainty) are sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ: ggArgumentūper se est evidens. Doctrina insignis ad consolationem nostram. Si enim promissiones Evangelij sunt Testamentum Christi: certè ultimam eius voluntatem de nostrâ salute declarant, & immutabilē, quippe testatoris morte obsignatam. Dubitare igitur de veritate promissionum & certitudine salutis promissae nec possumus nec debemus. Par. in loc.Heb. 9.16. and confirmed with the Oath of Almighty God, Heb. 6.17.18. —God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise, the immutability of his counsell, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable hhPer quas? Videlicet quòd dicit & promittit, deinde & iuramentum addit promissioni. Quoniam enim apud homines hoc videtur certius esse, cui iuramentum interfuerit: proptereà etiam hoc addidit: vides quomodo dignitatem suam non attendit, sed ut hominibus persvadeat, indignáque de se patitur dici? hoc est satisfacere volens. Chrys. in loc. Inter homines ad foreign sufficit res una immutabilis, jus-jurandum. Deus verò ad foreign adhib… …on unam sed duas res immutabiles: non solùm promissionem immutabilem, nec solùm ius-iurandum inviolabile, impossibile siquidem Deum vel promittendo veliurando mentiri, sed utrumque simul: in quo sanè fuit foreign ingens. Par.things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, wee might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Oh what a mighty and pretious invitation is this, to beleeve perfectly! The speciall Aime of Gods oath, whereas his promise had been more then infinitely sufficient, was to strengthen our consolation. And therefore every heart true unto Christ, ought hence to hold fast, not a faint, wavering, inconstant; but a strong, stedfast, and unconquerable comfort. Otherwise it sacrilegiously, as it were, robs God of the glorious end, for which hee swore.

5. The free love of God. Which, how rich and p. 348glorious, how bottomlesse and boundlesse a treasure it is of all gracious sweetnesse, abundant comfort, and endlesse bounty, appeares in this, that Iesus Christ, blessed for ever, that unvalew-able, incomparable Iewell, came out of it. For God so loved the World, that hee gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne; that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life: Ioh. 3.16. And therefore every syncere servant of Christ, when upon a serious and sad survay of his Christian waies, finds himself to come so far short of that, which God requires, and himselfe desires; That his prayers are very faint, his sorrow for sinne very scant, his love unto the brethren too cold, His spending the Sabbaths very unfruitfull, His spirituall growth, since he gave his name to Christ, very poore, His profiting by the meanes hee enjoyes, most unanswerable to the power and excellency thereof, His New-obedience almost nothing, &c. (For so hee is wont to vilifie himselfe). Whereupon hee is much cast downe; and out of this apprehension of his manifold unworthinesse, concludes against himselfe, that hee hath little cause to bee confident in the promises of life▪ or to presume of any part and interest in Iesus Christ; and so begins to retire the trembling hand of his already very-weake Faith, from any more laying-hold of comfort: I say, in such a Case, being true-hearted, kkTen…amus nos hoc nostra salutis principium & fundamentum tutissimum, nimirùm Dei dilectionem gratuitam: cuius fiduci… quinitantur, … demùm in omni tex…a…one, salut is spem inconcussam, & infallib…l…m retinere poterunt. Gualt. in loc.he may safely, and upon sure ground, have recourse to this ever-springing Fountaine of immeasurable mercy; and raise up his drooping soule against all contrary oppositions, with unspeake-able and glorious refreshing, from such places as these: Hos. 14.4. I will love thee freely. Isai. 55. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters; and hee that hath no money: come y…e, buy and eate; yea, come, buy wine and milke without money, and without price. And Chap. 43.25. I, even I am hee, that blotteth one thy transgressions for my owne sake; and will not remember thy sinnes. Revel. 21.6. I will give unto him that is athirst, p. 349of the Fountaine of the water of life freely, &c. God never set the Promises on sale, or will ever sell his Sonne to any. Hee never said; Iust so much sorrow, so much sanctitie, so much service, or no Christ: But Hee ever gives Him freely. Every truly humbled heart, which will take him at the hands of Gods free love, as an Husband to bee saved by him, and to serve him in truth, may have him for nothing. Yet I must adde this: there was never any, who received the Lord Iesus savingly, but hee laboured syncerely to sorrow as much for sinne, to bee as holy, to doe him as much service as hee could possibly. And when hee reflected upon his best, hee ever desired, it had been infinitely better.

6. The sweete Name of the Lord. Which hee proclaimes, Exod. 34.6.7. wherein he first expresseth his essence in one word: The Lord, The Lord. Which doubled, is effectuall to stirre up Moses attention. Secondly, three Attributes: first, His power, in one word, Strong: Secondly, His justice, in two formes of speech: not making the wicked innocent; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon childrens children, unto the third and fourth generation: Thirdly, but his speciall goodnesse, and good affection towards repentant, and beleeving sinners, in seven: 1 Mercifull and 2 Gracious, 3 Long-suffering, and abundant in 4 Goodnesse and 5 Truth, 6 Keeping mercy for thousands, 7 Forgiving iniquity, transgression and sinne. In which there are implyed un-answerable replies to all the scruples, doubts, exceptions, objections, which may arise in a troubled soule.

1. Thou sayest perhaps, that thou art plunged into the depth of extremest spirituall misery, both in respect of s…fulnesse and cursednesse. The present sense whereof is ready to sinke thee into despaire. Be it so: Then take my counsell in this Case: Cast thine eye upon the first and fairest flowre in this heavenly-glorious Garland of divine goodnesse. And thou shalt finde a fame p. 350greater depth of mercy; 11foreign misericors à foreign Quod redditur gracè per foreign in N.T. passim, quod significat misericor did cō moveri summà & vehementi atque ex intimis visceribus profectâ.ready to swallow up thy depth of misery. The mercy of God and misery in this kind, are relatives: No misery, no mercy; much misery, much mercy; transcendent misery, transcendent mercy: the onelyonly difference is, the mercy of God is infinite, thy misery finite. And therefore how much spirituall misery soever thou bringest in a broken heart to the Throne of grace, Gods bountifull hand will weigh out to thee a proportionable measure of mercy; nay, a measure without measure, super-abundant, running-over. For where misery in a truly humbled soule aboundeth, there mercy doth much more abound.

2. Or suppose, that at thy first turning unto God, tho truly humbled, yet thou art tempted, not to take Christ; out of this ccōeit, because thou art but euen now come out of hell, and horrible courses, and as yet hast no good thing in thee at all: Or after some progresse in Christianity, reflecting in time of temptation upon thy whole carriage, since conversion; and finding it to have been so fruitlesse, and full of failings: Thou concludest, thy selfe in thy present feeling, to be extremely vile; of a very doubtfull state for thy soule; if not stark naught: That no Professour upon earth walkes so unworthily; and if Ministers knew thy heart, and weake performance of holy duties, they would not bee so forward to presse comfort upon thee, &c. I say, in these two cases, and the like, it is a great happinesse and sweetest comfort, that the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth hath proclaimed himselfe to bee Gracious; ****foreign gratiosus, à foreign benefic… gratuitò conferre: in gratiam recipere, excludit dignitatem, aut meritū. Pag….which imports thus much: to poure out abundance of extraordinary bounty, upon a most undeserving partie: To place dearest affection and desire of doing good there, where there is no desert at all. As if a King to make his royall favours more illustrious, should raise a worthlesse Wretch, a most contemptible Vassal, to be his worthi… Favorite, & highest in his love. And therefore bring … to the Throne of Grace, but a true sense of thy misery p. 351a syncere thirst for mercy, an humble acknowledgement of thine unworthinesse; and God hereupon, for his Christs sake, will thinke thee worthy of the riches of his grace, the righteousnesse of his Son; all the promises in his Booke, all the comforts of his Spirit, a Crowne of immortality and blisse: For hee is gracious; and an universall glorious confluence of blessednesse in all kinds, is promised to poverty in spirit; and shal most certainely, to the vtmost, bee made good unto it for ever.

3. But alas! I, saith an other, have most wretchedly mis-spent the flower and strength of mine age in vanity and pleasure; in lewdnesse and lust: The best of my time hath been wofully wasted in Satans notorious service, and sensuall serving my selfe, &c. And therefore, tho I bee now weary of my former waies, and looke backe upon them with a trembling heart, and grieved spirit; yet I am affraid, that God hath given over looking after mee; that His patience towards mee is expired, and my day of visitation out-stood; And that he will not vouchsafe to cast his eye of compassion upon such a Blackamore, & Leopard, as I am; so overgrowne with corruption, and growne old in sinne; especially, having so long neglected so great salvation, forsaken mine owne mercy so long, and so unthankefully despised the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance, leading mee to repentance. I confesse, it is something rare, to see men gone-on so long, and growne old in sinne, to returne, and give way to any saving worke of the Ministry; because too often in the meane time they so harden their hearts, that they cannot repent; yet notwithstanding, bee thou assured in the Word of life and truth, if now at length thou be truly touched indeed, and will comein, in earnest; the Father of mercies will receive thee freely to mercy, and embrace thy bleeding soule in the armes of his everlasting love through Christ. For it is a title of highest honour unto him, to be long-suffering. p. 352Hee all this while waited, Isai. 30▪18.Isa 30:18that hee might bee gracious unto thee; And now undoubtedly upon thy first resolution to returne in truth, hee will meete thee with infinitely more compassionate affectionatenesse, then the Father in the Gospell,Luke 15.Luke 15 his Prodigall: who when hee was a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck…, and kissed him, &c.

4. Yea, but saith an other; Though I have been a Professour long, yet many times my heart is full heavy, and more loth to beleive, when I seriously and sensibly call to minde, the hainousnesse of my unregenerate time; and see in my selfe besides, since I was illightned, and should have behaved my selfe in forwardnesse and fruitfullnesse for God, answerably to my former folly, and furiousnesse in evill; so many defects and imperfections every day: and such weake distracted discharging of commanded duties, both to God and man. Take then counsell and comfort in this Case, by casting thine eye upon Gods kindnesse: He is abundant in **foreign Multae misericordiae, vel potiùs multus benignitate, ut optimè nostri verterunt. Zanch. Nunc igitur si estis porrò exercituri foreign benignitatem. Iun. And now if yee will deale kindly, &c. In our last Translation, Gen. 24.49. Ergo filios verò Barzillai Gilbaditae exerceto foreign Benignitatem: But shew kindnesse unto the sonnes of Barzillai the Giliadite, 1. King 2.7.Gen 24:491 Kgs 2:7kindnesse ▪ which hath these foure pretious properties: First, To bee easily intreated: Secondly, To be intreated for the greatest: Thirdly, to passe by involuntary infirmities: Fourthly, to accept gratiously weake services. Even … fraile man, if of a more noble, generous, and kind disposition, will bee easily appeased for the unpurposed offences, errours, and over-sights; and well pleased with the good will, syncere indeavours, and utmost, especially, of those who hee knowes to bee true-hearted unto him; and desire heartily, if they were able, to doe all hee desires, even to the height of exactnesse and expectation. How much more then will our heavenly Father deale so with his children, who is in himselfe essentially kinde, and infinitely?

5. Yea, but saist thou, many times when I reach … the hand of my faith, to fetch some speciall promise into my soule for refreshing, and comfort; and weighing them well, and comparing advisedly my owne nothingnesse, p. 353worthlesnesse, vilenesse, with the riches of mercy, grace and glory shining in it; and marking the dis-proportion, I am overwhelmed with admiration and astonishment; and to tell you true, say sometimes to my selfe: Is it possible, that this should be so? That so glorious things should belong to such a wretch and worme, as I am! But turning thine eye from a distrustfull, and too much dejected dwelling upon thine owne desert, to what Christ hath done for thee, and to the Almightinesse and All-mercifullnesse of him that promiseth; consider with all, that God is also abundant in truth. Every promise in his Booke is as sure as Himselfe, sealed with his Sons Blood, and confirmed with his owne Oath. Hee must sooner cease to bee God, and deny himselfe; which is more, then infinitely impossible, and prodigious blasphemie to imagine; then faile in the least circumstance, or syllable of his immeasurable love, and promises of life, to any one that heartily loves him, and is true of heart. And therefore when thy thirsty soule makes towards the Well of life, by vertue of that promise; Rev. 21.6. I will give to him that is athirst, of the fountaine of the water of life freely; And upon survey of the overflowing Rivers of pleasures and blisse, which everlastingly spring thence, begins to retire from it, as too-good newes to bee true; I say, then steele thy Faith, and comfort thy selfe gloriously, by consideration of that abundant truth, with which hee hath crowned every word of His, stronger then a Rocke of brasse, far surer then the Pillars of the Earth, or Poles of Heaven; Nay, I speake an admirable thing, and of unutterable consolation, which cannot bee violated without Destruction of the Deity, most blessed and glorious for evermore. And let this ever banish, and beat backe all scruples, doubtes seares, which at any time offer themselves, and oppose thy unspeakeable joy, and peace in believing.

6. Well, saith an other, I easily acknowledge the p. 354incomprehensible goodnesse in this Name of God; and hold them most blessed, who have their part and portion therein. But for my part, I am affraid, I come too late. For I have observed the course of the Ministery amongst us, and the dispensation of Gods mercy in it. At first comming, our Towne being full of Ignorance, prophanesse, and much superstitious follies, having never before injoyed the Word with any life or power; wee all stood amazed a good whle, at the Majesty and Mysterie of this new heavenly Light. The first messages of the Ministry sounded in our eares, as the voyce of many waters, mighty, and great; but confused: not working in us either joy or terrour, but onelyonly an extraordinary wonder, and secret acknowledgement of a strange force, and more then humane power. But afterwards, when our Watchman was better acquainted with our waies, and had more fully discovered the state of our soules; the Word was unto us, as a voice of a great thunder, more distinct and particular; breeding not only admiration, but feare also; not filling our eares onelyonly with an uncouth sound, but our hearts also with a terrible searching. For the Sermons of every Sabbath came-home to our consciences, singling out our severall reigning corruptions; beating punctually upon our bosome-sinnes; manifesting clearely our spirituall misery, and certaine liablenesse to the extremest wrath of God, and endlesse woe. Whereupon, wee were all at our wits end what to doe, grew weary of our lives, wished with all our hearts, that such a Puritane-Preacher had never come amongst us; told every man, almost wee met, that wee had a Fellow at our Towne would drive us all to despaire, distraction, selfe-destruction, or some mischiefe, or other. That wee heard nothing from him but of damnation, and hell, and such horrible things, &c. Now in this second worke of the Word, there was a good number, even some out of that cursed crue and knot of Good-fellowship, wherein I have been insnared p. 355so long, wonne unto Iesus Christ. For beeing illightned, convinced and terrified in conscience for their former sinfull courses; the continued piercing of the Word, and worke of the spirit of bondage, keeping them upon the Racke, under the dreadfull sense of divine wrath, and their damnable state a good while: at last, they happily resolved without any more delay, diversion, by-path, or plunging againe into worldly pleasures, to passe on directly, by the light and guidance of the Gospell, into the holy path. And so undertooke, and hitherto have holden out in Profession; and a blessed conformity to the better side, But I, and the greater part a great deale, more was the pitty, hating heartily to bee reformed; and abhorring that precise way, so much spoken against every where; into which woe conceived, such severe Ministeriall counsell would have conducted us; I say, wee wickedly wrested out of our vexed consciences, those keene arrowes of truth and terrour, with great indignation; wee unhappily hardned our hearts and foreheads against the power of the Word, which particularly pursued us every Sabbath: Nay, alas! we persecuted the very meanes, which should sanctifie us; and men, which would have saved us. Here then is my Case and complaint; neglecting that blessed season, when I was first terrified and troubled in minde; when the Angell from Heaven, as it were, troubled the water; and when some, even of mine owne Companions in iniquity, were converted; I am affraid, I now come too late, that the mercy of God to doe mee spirituall good, is already expired; and that the Ministry, which I have so wretchedly opposed, is the very same to mee, that it was to the obstinate Iewes, Isa. 6.9.10. Nay, but yet say not so; though it bee with thee as thou hast sayd: For our gracious God keepeth mercy for thousands. hhNon dico tibi vsque septiès, sed usque septuagies septiès] Mat. 18.12. quâ phrasi numerus finitus pro infinito ponitur. Sic vocem mille modificant Hebraei, Exod. 34.7. Servans misericordiam millibus] Beumler. Rhetor. lib. 1. cap. 14.Matt 18:12Exod 34:7Here you must know, that a finite number is put Synecdochecally p. 356for an infinite, and an infinite indeed. And therefore if thou now bee in earnest, and willing to come-in, in truth; and those thine other brethren in Good fellowship, and hundreds, thousands, millions moe, or any whosoever to the worlds end, God hath mercy in store for you all; and being all weary of all your sinnes, unfainedly thirsting for the Well of life; resolving for the time to come, upon new courses, company, and conversation; you shall all be most welcome to Iesus Christ. Even the last man upon earth, bringing a truly broken heart to the Throne of grace, shall bee crowned as richly, and with as large a portion of Gods infinite mercy, and Christs un-valew able merit, as Adam and Eve, or whosoever layd first hold of that first promise: The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head.

7. Yea, but alas! I have been no ordinary sinner. My corruptions have carried mee beyond the villanies of the vilest you can name. Not only variety, but the notoriousnesse also, and enormity of my wicked waies, have set an infamous brand upon mee, even in the sight of the world; beside those secret pollutions, and sinfull practices, which no eie, but that, which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun, ever beheld. Had I not been extremely outragious, stayned with abominations of deepest die, and gone on thus with a high hand, I might have had some hope; But now I know not what to say! Take notice then, to the end that nothing at all may possibly hinder, or any way discourage any poore soule, that syncerely seekes for mercy, & desires to turne truly on Gods side, from assurance of gracious acceptation, and intertainement at his Throne of Grace; That it is naturall also to his Name, To forgive iniquity, transgression and sinne. That is,iiforeign pro tolà corruptione naturae, simpliciter accipio. foreign actu…lis est quae vis praeva…icatio, & rebellio atque des…ctus. foreign peccatum est sine timore, & sine fronte admissum. Zanch. de Naturâ Dei lib. 1. cap. 18. sinnes of all sorts, kindes and degrees whatsoever. There is none so hatefull and hainous; whether naturall corruption, or ordinary outward transgression, or highest presumption, but upon p. 357repentance, God is most able, ready, and willing to remit it.

7. God the Fathers compassionate pangs of infinite affection and forwardnesse to entertaine into his armes of mercy, all true Penitents. As I live, sayth the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and live: turne yee, turne yee from your evill wayes; for why will yee die, O house of Israell? Ezech. 33.11. Woe unto thee O Ierusalem, wilt thou not bee made cleane? When shall it once be? Ier. 13.27. They say, if a man put away his wife, and shee goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne to her againe? Shall not that Land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet returne againe to mee, sayth the Lord: Ier. 3.1. Oh that my people had hearkned unto mee, and Israel had walked in my waies! I would soone have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever; Hee should have fed them also with the finest of the wheate: and with honey out of the rocke should I have satisfyed thee: Psal. 81. O that thou hadst hearkned to my commandements, then had thy peace been as a River, and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the off-spring of thy howells like the gravell thereof: his name should not have been cut off, nor destroyed from before mee: Isa. 48.18.

8. His mercifull almightinesse, in putting life and lightsomnesse into the most dead and darkest heart. Seeke him, saith the Prophet, that maketh the seven Starres and Orion, and turneth the sh…dow of death into the morning: Amos 5.8. Suppose thou s…ttest thy selfe to seeke Gods face and favour: and art presently set upon with this temptation: But alas! My soule is so blacke with sinne, and darke with sorrow, that it is to no purpose for p. 358mee to proceed, &c. But now in this case, consider, who Hee is that thou seekest; it is He, that made of nothing those beautifull, shining, glorious constellations, Orion and the Pleiades (and nothing in the world is darker then nothing). Hee is Hee, that turneth the darkest midnight into the brightest morning, &c.

9. Christs sweetest, dearest, most melting invitations of all truly troubled soules for sinne, unto the Well of life, and their owne everlasting wellfare. Come unto mee all yee that labour, and are heavie laden, and I will give you rest: Mat. 11.28. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, &c. Mat. 23.37. And when hee was come neare, hee beheld the City, and wept over it, saying; Oh if thou hadst knowne, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! Luke. 19.41.42. In the last day, the great Day of the Feast, Iesus stood, and cried, saying; If any man thirst, let him come to mee, and drinke.

10. Precedents in Gods Booke of many hainous and horrible sinners received to mercy upon their humiliation. As Eve, Magdalen, Paul, Zacheus, Sodomits. 1. Cor. 6.9.11. Crucifiers of Christ. Acts. 2.

11. Experience perhaps of the Comforter, converted from a more wicked and desperate course, then the Patient himselfe. And it doth not a little refresh the heart of him, who grievosly wounded in conscience, and thereupon sending for a skillfull, and faithfull Messenger of God; and, when he hath opened his Case fully unto him, to heare him say, when he hath sayd all; My Case was farre worse then yours every way: Nay but besides those notorious sins, I have named unto you, I have defiled my selfe with many secret execrable lusts. Be it so, saith the spirituall Physition; yet in the daies of my vanity, I have been guilty of moe and more hainous p. 359crimes, then any, you have yet spoken of. Yea, but even now, when I have most need of, should most prize, reverence, and lay hold upon Gods blessed Word, Son and Promises; I am pestilently pestered with many abhorred, villanous, and prodigious injections about them. Not a man alive, replies the Man of God, hath had his head troubled with more hideous thoughts of such hellish nature, then I, &c.