MAN'S ACTIVE OBEDIENCE, OR THE POWER OF GODLINESS, especially in the Commandment of the Gospel, which requireth faith in every Christian: OR A TREATISE OF FAITH, WORTHILY CALLED PRECIOUS faith, as being in itself a most rare jewel of joy, and peerless Pearl, that excelleth in worth the highest price. Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Christ is, what properly is the object of it, what is the special operation of faith, by which it may be discerned; and the work about which it is principally employed, the subject wherein it is placed; what things are needful to the making it up, what to the being, and what to the well-being of it; with the differences that are between true believers and feigned in all of them, and the uses thereof. By Master WILLIAM NEGUS, lately Minister of God's Word at Lee in Essex. LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newberry, and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peter's Church in Cornhill, and in 〈◊〉- head Alley, at the sign of the Star. 1619 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, SIR THOMAS SMITH, KNIGHT, GOVERNOR of the worthy Companies of Merchants, traffiqueing in the East Indies, Moscovia, etc. increase of grace, and all good things here, and fullness of glory hereafter. RIght Worshipful, it was a preposterous custom of the Pharisees to sound a trumpet when they did their alms, as if the act could not be known, unless all the world were summoned to take notice: nay, that God which bids us give alms in secret, can find a time both to eclipse the glory of that action, published with so loud an alarm, and also to make the praise of well-doing break forth as the light, though before never so much hidden; and that not only at that day when the Lord shall come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and then shall every man have praise of God * 1. Cor. 4. 5. ; but even in this life often, the good works of some are manifest beforehand, to their praise among men. * 1. King. 18. 13. Was it not told my Lord (saith that Noble Courtier) how I hide an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water? Yes Obadiah; thou couldst not do it so privily, but Eliah knows it, and many more too, even all God's people, which shall therefore for ever call thee blessed. Renowned Sir, as God hath given you a large portion in this world's good, so (which is no less a gift * 2. Cor. 8. 1. ) have you an heart enlarged to communicate to the necessities of others. Your bounty extends to many (as I am credibly informed); one I can speak of, much obliged to your Worship in this kind, even mine own self, who for some years have had a liberal allowance from you. A work though not done by stealth as was Obadiahs (for God be thanked it is now no treason to feed the Prophets, or the sons of the Prophets), yet not so known as might be wished deeds of that nature were to the better provoking of this cold age: but God hath at length provided you an Obadiahs reward, a public commendation for a private good desert, occasion being offered me to bear witness of your charity before all the Church, even as many as to whom this book shall come. Which I mention as to testify my true thankfulness, which smothers not a benefit when it ought to be spoken of, so to show the world my warrant for presuming to dedicate the ensuing Treatise to a parsonage so eminent, so taken up with public affairs. But besides this, the good affection and respect you bore to the Author while he lived, makes me hope you will be as forward to patronage his Work, as you have been found willing to be helpful to his son. And indeed (Right Worshipful) the work for the subject matter of it is such, as may worthily challenge all readiness in you to countenance it: it treats chief of faith, that royal grace, the Elects peculiar, so pleasing to God, so contended for by the Saints, which to defend is the highest honour of Princes, to live by the chief glory of Christians. But why go I about to show the worth of that, which none can know but those that have it? Oh! those that have tasted how good the Lord is, whose souls are sweetly refreshed with that peace that passeth all understanding, ravished with those toys unspeakable and glorious, who are strong to overcome the evil one, the world, themselves, have power to work righteousness, obtain promises, yea, to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth them (and all this can believers do); such best know what faith is, and how much they own to God the Author, and the instruments it pleaseth him to use in this blessed work. Amongst other helps this Treatise may be one to all that list to use it; penned by one, who (to say no more) himself living by faith, and feeling in his own experience the saving effects of that heavenly gift, knew what he said when he entitled it, A Jewel of toy, and peerless pearl. The earthen vessel which brought this pearl is now broken; broken do I say? or rather made whole for ever, cast anew in the mould of immortality, and filled with that glory whereunto it was prepared. Had it pleased God to have spared him longer, my comfort had been the greater, and this work perfecter: yet such as it is, to God's people it was intended, and from them I for my part durst not detain it. It was no child's part in Micah to steal that silver, which his mother judg. 17. had dedicated to the Lord, (she pretended) though indeed to an idolatrous use; much less were it warrantable for me any way to seek to keep back, what my Father bequeathed to the Church, to so good an end. And this I say, though but a mite, yet if cast into the Lord's Treasury, when God accepts it, no good man will disdain it: though but a few barley loaves, yet it is good they should be distributed, when through Christ's blessing thousands may be fed thereby. If any man shall think the Treatise might be spared, because of the commonness of the subject, faith and repentance being the ordinary themes of men's Sermons and writings, I wish him to consider, whither the Israelites did well to be angry, when rising in the morning they found Mannah fallen again about their tents, of which before they had had such plenty. Well, * john 6. 32. 33 Moses gave them not that bread from heaven, but God the Father gives us the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is he that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the World, the same is received by faith, that bred by the Word; and this, how soever through God's unspeakable mercy to this Nation, the Press and Pulpit so much sound with it, is a blessing to be embraced with all thankfulness, not loathed for the commonnes. But if this suffice not, let him answer Christ's interrogatory; When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? If no faith, surely as little repentance? Shall then God's Seeds men withdraw their hand, because much hath been sown already, when as so little comes up? Nay verily, so many as truly believe on the name 1. john 5. 13. of the Son of God, will acknowledge they still need Saint John should write unto them, that they may believe on the name of the Son of God: as for the world that abides in unbelief, the truth of God where it shines most clearly, shall have that effect which Christ foretold the Spirit of Truth, the blessed Comforter should have at his coming, even to convince it of sin, because john 16. 19 they believed not on him. Neither, I hope, will the manner of handling used by the Author, and the kind of phrase far from affectation, or the enticing words of man's wisdom, I hope (I say) this will not offend any, who are content their faith should stand not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. But I return to you (most worthy Knight) to you principally I offer this Treatise, this field (if so I may call it) wherein the Pearl of faith is discovered. It is not for me to teach you how you are to account thereof; your wisdom cannot but approve that high estimation, the Merchant in the Gospel had of the Pearl. This only I wish, that as you abound in outward treasures, so you may be rich in the faith, and consequently heir of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him. And certainly if that be true, that faith works by love, then are you not without witness, being well reported of for your love to the truth, and such as walk in the truth. Only go on (honoured Sir) to deserve well, and hear well of the Church of God. If thus you shall be content with those 24 Elders (Apoc. 4.) to cast your earthly dignity at the feet of the Lamb, improving all to his behoof, to the advancing his glory, and countenancing Religion; If with that worthy King David, in way of thankfulness to the Lord, who hath done so great things for you, you shall reflect your goodness upon his Saints, those excellent on earth, this shall lift you up in true honour and reputation among men in this world, and be found to your immortal praise and glory in the day of the Lord jesus: yea, upon you shall come the blessing of those, who bless all such in the name of the Lord as are friends to Zion, and seek the peace of jerusalem. To this I from my heart say Amen, and the Lord out of Zion bless your Worship, and grant you to see the good of jerusalem all the days of your life. So for ever stands bound to pray, and in what he may to be serviceable to your Worship, JONATHAN NEOUS. THE PREFACE TO THE Christian Reader. TO prevent that prejudice, whereby the regard and benefit of many good books is much hindered; we have thought good to premit somewhat touching the Author, the treatise itself, and the reasons why it is committed to the press. First, for the Author, he may well be reckoned amongst the Worthies of God's Israel; who, while he lived, was (as another a Act. 18. 24. Apollo's) an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, and fervent in the spirit, and spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord: a man of indefatigable pains, both in his private studies and exercises; and also in the public work of his ministery; to the great benefit of the Church of God, over which the holy Ghost had made him an overseer: and finally he was a judicious and pious Divine, well seen and practised, especially in these points of faith and repentance, whereof he hath here written. So that the quality of the Author doth deservedly commend the treatise, as also the nature of the treatise may well commend the Author; with whom in the birth thereof it fared as with b Gen. 35. 11. Rachel, who died in travel: whereupon though this abortive orphan may, in regard of the parent thereof, well brook the name c The son of my sorrow. Benoni; yet for our due esteem & use thereof it may fitly by us be called d The son of my right hand. Benjamin. The reasons moving this our Author to write any thing for public use, as one of us hath observed them from his own mouth, was first, for that he being restrained from benefiting the Church by the ordinary course of his ministery, he was both willing and desirous to be serviceable and helpful to the same, in what he might, by this way and mean. Secondly, he seeing the people generally both pestered with many needless idle vain pamphlets, and multitudes of fabulous historical discourses; and also much encumbered with manifold polemical divinity tractates, of curious and litigious points, tending rather to contention and division, then to godly edifying, and that many good and necessary books were more framed to give satisfaction to the learned, then to edify the simple: therefore, that he might in a subservient manner endeavour to supply the preteritions of the latter sort of books, and to help to iussle the former rotten rhapsodies out of place; he thought it expedient, that treatises of such necessary matter, concerning the eternal salvation of all, handled in so plain a manner, that the meanest may understand, should also be obtruded upon the readers, at the least if it were but to interrupt and hinder somewhat the reading of such books as be either hurtful or unprofitable. Thirdly, that he might leave in special to that people and * Lee. congregation, to whom he was a careful Minister, a particular remembrancer to bring to their minds some chief points of his former doctrine, taught amongst them; which upon their second meditations thereof, they might the more affect and regard; and also to bequeath some note of his good affection to his loving friends and well deserving acquaintance; this treatise did he intend and fit for them, often to peruse and well to respect as the last farewell and love-token of their dear friend. Secondly, for the treatise itself; though it be imperfect both for the extent in parts and measure thereof, and also for the manner and form of the same, so that now it cometh far short of that perfection, which was intended, and would have been performed by the Author, if God had not taken him away before that he could finish or revise it: yet seeing for substance and matter, it is touching justifying faith and sound repentance; without which none can be saved; neither doth any perish but by defect and error in these two: therefore is this discourse thereof most worthy the diligent perusal and consideration of all; who may therein find a new discovery of the manifold slights of the devil, and deceits of the heart; whereby many men be cunningly cozened of their salvation: and here shall they have unfallible marks and sure direction, how both exactly to try and certainly know the soundness of their spiritual estates. The method and phrase of this discourse is indeed plain and familiar, fitted of purpose for the capacity of the meaner sort of people; for whose good especially it was intended. For though the simpler sort cannot understand even plain things in an artificial method, briefly expressed in proper and acquaint terms of eloquence and art; yet people of better understanding can easily conceive profound things unfolded but in an ordinary phrase of speech, and vulgar order: it being far easier for the stronger to yield and condescend to the weaker, then for the weaker to ascend, in things beyond the reach of their power, to the stronger: so that the same spiritual food is so diversly to be dressed, that to the one it may be strong meat, and to the other milk. In regard of the which plainness, with the evidency of truth, this treatise is the more to be esteemed; for that without all coloured masking, the naked truth is therein simply pronounded; with the pure beauty whereof all are to be enamoured: and seeing herein the Author hath more regarded the spiritual good of others, then to gain any worldly respect to himself; it is not the less, but the more remarkable and worthy of esteem. Thirdly, to come to the causes of publishing hereof, I (to whom the Author upon his deathbed did solemnly bequeath this Treatise, as a poor orphan under age, to be wholly at my disposing) had no small doubt and conflict within myself, whether it were best to keep it as a domestic servant in private, or to let it be made free and public. Two reasons did much move me to the former, first, respect to the Author, our reverend friend, for that in this knowing age this abortive birth not perfected fully to answer either his ability, or m●●s expectation, might somewhat disparaged him. Secondly, the many good and godly treatises already published upon the same subject, did deter me from doing so with this, for that it seemed to be needless; notwithstanding I have been persuaded to the latter, first, that I might clearly manifest my fidelity in that which was committed to my trust, for the use and benefit of others, who both earnestly expected, and often flagitated the same from me as their own, what or how ever it were. Secondly, that the Author's diligent endeavour and true intent not only while he lived, but also after his death, to edify the Church of God might be evident to all, for the help and encouragement of others in all good courses: whereupon I have surrendered this orphan unto the natural elder-brother of the same parent, by him to be sent abroad. The learnedness of the age is so far from being any just discouragement, that it is rather to be an encouragement to publish such necessary treatises, so long as they are orthodox for matter, though they do want some ornaments of garnishing, proceeding not from want of power in the Author, but of opportunity in time; seeing that then there shall not want sufficient and equal judges, both by the common law of verity, and also by the Chancery of charity, who will plead for equity▪ for never true knowledge, but ignorance is an enemy to truth. The diversity and multitude of several treatises upon one subject, (so long as none of them is so absolutely perfect, but that somewhat may be supplied by others thereunto, neither is any of them so universally fit for all persons, times and places, but that according to diversity of circumstances they may be various) is no bar to exclude others of the same nature: for so long as they do all agree in the same substance of truth, though they do differ in the manner of the frame, phrase, and application of the same, according to the variety and multiplicity of the graces of God's spirit in the Authors, and the divers dispositions, manners, and opinions of several people, in sundry places and ages, to whom they do write, thereby an unanimious and undeniable testimony is publicly given to the truth; and the Church and people of God still built up in goodness. And further, though there were sufficient already written, if men would carefully use it, and therewithal be content; yet seeing that old books, like old garments, are in time neglected and despised; and the new coveted and read rather for the novelty of the edition, then for any newness of matter contained in them; it is not amiss so to renew books of the same things, for the spreading and continuing of the truth, even as they say by new Phenixes rising out of the ashes of the old, their kind is still propagated. But blessed be God we do dwell in the land of Goshen, having the two great lights of preaching and printing, as the Sun and Moon to direct and comfort us, in the servile Egypt of this world: therefore while we have the light, oh how careful should we be as the children of light to walk in the light, that at the last we may reign with God for ever, who dwelleth in light, which cannot be approached unto; which the Father of mercies grant unto us. Amen. STEVEN EGERTON. JOHN SYME. THE PRINCIPAL HEADS and Contents of the Chapters. CHAP. I. Of the knowledge of God and ourselves in general. pag. 1 CHAP. II. Of the Christians practise according to his knowledge of God and his works. 5 CHAP. III. The Christians practise according to the knowledge of himself, and his own duty: and herein first of the legal Commandments. 13 CHAP. FOUR The evangelical commandment, with the Christians practice and use made thereof: wherein there is the definition of faith, with the proper object and special operations thereof. 20 CHAP. V The manner of the knowledge of Christ, with the persuasion that is necessary to faith. 25 CHAP. VI The use that is to be made of this, that God hath given the commandments both of the Law and Gospel, for the attaining of eternal life. 39 CHAP. VII. How men may be mistaken in this point of their believing, with the use thereof. 53 CHAP. VIII. How faith is discerned, and the true being thereof made manifest, both to the believer himself, and to others. 73 CHAP. IX. What remedy there is for the weak in faith: And withal, the excellency of faith is declared, with the practice or use to be made thereon. 86 CHAP. X. Two things propounded: first, the differences between saving and savelesse faith, and how far a reprobate may go in faith. Secondly, the notes and properties of true and precious faith: and here the main difference is entreated of. 95 CHAP. XI. Of the special differences in the principal graces appertaining to faith: and first, of the first grace, which is knowledge, with the use that is to be made of the difference herein. 104 CHAP. XII. The second difference, which is in their laying hold of Christ for salvation. 124 CHAP. XIII. Of the third difference, which is in the difference of their assurance to be saved: wherein is entreated of the want of feeling of true faith, or of the former or present comfort thereof. 137 CHAP. XIIII. Further differences between hypocrites and sound believers, in their assurance to be saved: and first in the whole building thereof; as also of the builders themselves. 153 CHAP. XV. The different uses they make of their persuasion. 162 CHAP. XVI. How easy it is to get a false persuasion, but difficult to attain sound assurance of salvation: which is another difference between them. 164 CHAP. XVII. Of another special difference, which is, that the misbeliever is free from the assaults of Satan, wherewith the true Christian is always troubled. 167 CHAP. XVIII. The fourth main difference between them is seen in their joy: where the soundness and stability of the joy of true believers, with the contrary of Temporizors is declared. 172 CHAP. XIX. Hypocrites differ from sound believers in all the dimensions of joy: whereof the first is, the height both from whence it cometh, and to which it reacheth to. 178 CHAP. XX. Of the second dimension of joy wherein they differ, which is the depth of a dejected and disconsolate estate. 187 CHAP. XXI. The difference of their joy in the third dimension or breadth of it, and how it is straightened or extended in them. 194 CHAP. XXII. Of the lets of true joy, and first of sin: and how the Lord raiseth thence matter of rejoicing to believers. 203 CHAP. XXIII. Of the second hindrance of joy, in Gods hiding his face, and how that is made an occasion of rejoicing unto a true and sound believer. 215 CHAP. XXIIII. Of the third let of true joy, which is the cross; and how their joy is augmented, through the much good that comes thereby. 219 CHAP. XXV. The difference of joy in the last dimension, or the longitude thereof; and how the joy of sound believers is permanent and enduring; the joy of hypocrites transitotorie and feigned. 240 CHAP. XXVI. The fifth main difference between sound believers and counterfeits is, in their repentance; and how far hypocrites may proceed therein. 259 CHAP. XXVII. The description of Repentance that is unto life; with the kinds of it: And how true believers and hypocrites differ in them; as also in the whole body and frame of Repentance. 264 CHAP. XXVIII. How they differ in all the parts of Repentance severally considered: and first in their sorrow for sin, and the effects of it: where also is showed the necessity of sorrow in repentance. 269 CHAP. XXIX. The diversity of sorrow, with the objects about which they are conversant. 276 CHAP. XXX. How they differ also in the effects which either do bring forth, and in the causes of either. 281 CHAP. XXXI. How the sorrow of true believers and hypocrites differeth in that which is caused by either. 287 CHAP. XXXII. Of the seven attendants on godly sorrow, in the heart of every true convert and unfeigned believer. 292 CHAP. XXXIII. How sorrow for sin causeth confession of sin, according to the divers kinds of it, and of the differences to be seen in men therein. 306 CHAP. XXXIIII. Of Satisfaction, and the divers kinds thereof: with the differences between true believers and Hypocrites therein. 328 The end of the Contents. MAN'S ACTIVE OBEDIENCE, OR THE POWER OF GODLINESS, especially in the commandment of the Gospel, which requireth faith of every Christian. CHAP. I. Of the knowledge of God and ourselves in general. Question. LEt me (I pray you) in the beginning of this our conference here shortly declared, what we are to propound for our chiefest end in this present discourse: and then show me therewithal, wherein the full and whole duty of every true Christian doth summarily consist. Ans. The main and chief end should be, our better learning how to fear God, and keep his commandments: Eccles. 12. 13. for this aught to be the whole of every man's chief endeavours, and best employments; whose duties all, if they be summed up together, may well be reduced unto these two heads, of Knowledge, and of Practice. Q. May not one of these be thought sufficient to show what a man's duty is, that you name both? A. Both are necessary to express all that is required: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Mark. 5. 12 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, skilful or knowing. for knowledge without practice makes men no better than devils; who know more than we do, but do not as they know: and practice without knowledge, makes Psal 49 20 & 73 22 & 32. 9 job 35. 11. Psal. 147. 15. Isal 48. 13. Psal. 148. 8. men differ little from brute beasts, yea, from the insensible creatures, who in their kind are more obedient; for the fire and hail, the snow and vapour, and stormy wind, they do his will, though they know not what they do. Q. What things are necessary for us to know? A. God and ourselves, his works and our duties. All the tongues of Men and Angels are not able to utter so significant a word, as should fully express what God is. Q. What are we to know concerning God? A. We are to know what God is in himself, and what he is to us. Q. What are we to know, as touching what God is in himself? A. We are taught out of the Scriptures, that he is a Exod. 3. 14. & 11. 7. 1. Tim. 6. 16. job 37. 23. Acts 17. 28. 1. Cor. 86. divine essence of unspeakable majesty and glory; who hath his being of himself, and doth give life and being to all things else that are; who is so high and excellent, omnipotent, eternal and infinite, as to the greatest understanding of the wisest and best of all his creatures, he is in glorious God good without quality, great without quantity, infinite without place, and everlasting without time. majesty most incomprehensible; and yet he hath made himself known to his creatures, to be only one God over all, distinct in three persons, the Father our Creator, the Son our Redeemer, and the holy Ghost our Comfortor, instructor and guider in all our ways. Q. What are we to know that God is to us? A. That God in the second Person in the Trinity, is Matth 28. 19 Mat. 1. 23. 1. Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 1. 3. Col. 1. 15. joh. 14. 7. & 1. 18. Exod. 23 21. Gal. 4. 5, 6. & 1. 4. so reconciled unto us in him, he is become God with us, even God manifested in the flesh, and made known unto us in the face of Christ jesus; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, he that hath seen and known him, hath seen and known the Father; yea, in and by him knoweth God also to be his Father, through the operation of the holy Ghost. Q. What are we to know touching the works of God? A. Generally that they are perfect and holy, all done Deut. 32. 4. Eccles. 3. 14. Psal. 145. 17. Psal. 33. 4. & 111. 8. Psal. 111. 3. Psal 92. 5. Psal. 139. 14. job 9 10. Psal. 104. 24. in truth and equity, that they are most honourable and glorious; yea, that marvelous are his works, and that in wisdom he hath made them all. Particularly, that they are either secret, and hidden from all other creatures, and only known to himself alone; or openly manifest and revealed in the world, and so appertaining to us to take knowledge of them. Q. What manner of works are those, which you do call the secret and hidden works of God, known to himself alone? A. Such as was his eternal decree and purpose with Ephes. 1. 11. Psal. 33. 11. & Rom. 11. 34. Rom. 9 11. 22 23. 1. Pet. 2. 8. Acts 4. 28. Acts 17. 31. Mark. 13. 32. Mat. 24. 36. himself before all beginnings, of making the whole world in the beginning, and of determining all that he should make, to such several ends as he had appointed. Such also, as is the appointment of time for the end of the world, and for the bringing all to judgement, the day and hour whereof is not known to the Angels; no, nor to the Son of man himself. Q. What are the revealed works of God, manifested and made known in the world, which it behoveth us to regard, and to take knowledge of? A. The works both of the creation of all things, out Heb. 11. 3. Isai. 44. 24. & 42. 5. Acts 17. 24. Gen. 1. 31. Luke 19 10. Rom. 3. 23, 24. 25. 2. Cor. 5. 19 Colos. 1. 20. joh. 5. 17. Eccles. 3. 11. Prou. 16. 4. of nothing made good in the beginning; as also the works of daily governing, ordering and disposing all things once made (whether they keep their goodness they were first made in, or have lost it, and are fallen from the same), so as yet out of all by his infinite wisdom, he never faileth to bring honour, and gain glory to his name. Q. What are we to know touching ourselves? A. We are to know what we were, and what we now are. Q. What is to be known touching what we were? A. We are to know, that we were once happy creatures, Eccles. 7. 29. o●. 31. made good in the beginning; yea, excelling in goodness many other creatures that were also made good; for we were made after the image of God: and so were no other Gen. 1. 27. creatures upon earth beside. Q. What is to be known of ourselves, touching what we now are? A. Two things in that respect are to be considered of us, namely, what we now are by nature, and what we are by grace. Q. What is that we now are by nature? A. That having lost our happiness by the fall of Adam, Rom. 3 23. job. 14. 1. 2. Ephes. 2. 3. we are become most miserable, and are all by nature the children of wrath one as well as another. Q. What may we know, that we are now by grace? A. That being justified freely by the grace of God, Rom. 3. 24. through the redemption that is in Christ jesus our Lord, power is now given unto us by him, to become the sons john, 1. 12. Rom. 8. 17. of God; yea, heirs and fellow-heirs with him of life and glory. Q. So much of the knowledge of ourselves; come now to show, what we are to know to be our duties, and wherein they do consist. A. Our duties do consist, in performing due obedience 1. Sam. 15. 22. jer. 7. 23. to God's holy will in all things. Q. What kind of obedience is it, which God requireth as our hands? A. Both active, in readily doing all that he hath commanded Deut. 6. 24. 25. & 10. 12. 13. Apoc. 3. 10. Mark, 8. 34. Luke, 21. 19 to be done; and passive, in patiently suffering and enduring all that he hath appointed to be abidden. Q. What is it that God hath commanded us to do? A. He hath commanded us to keep his precepts diligently; and those are either Legal precepts, commanding Psal. 119. 4. Exod. 20. 23. ●●. john, 3. 23. Mark, 1. 15. us to fulfil the righteousness of the Law; or evangelical, commanding us to believe on the name of his Son jesus Christ, and to embrace and believe the promises of the Gospel. Q. What is it that God hath appointed us contentedly and patiently to suffer? A. Whatsoever either by his own hand immediately shall be laid upon us, or through his providence and sufferance Psalm. 39 9 Levit. 10. 3. job 2. 10. 1. King. 12. 24. 1. Cor. 11. 32. job 37. 13. 1. Pet. 4. 12. Heb. 5. 8. by any other means shall befall unto us, either for our chastisement, or our trial; and that we learn obedience by all that we so do suffer. CHAP. II. Of the Christians practice, according to his knowledge of God and his works. Question. SO much touching the knowledge in general, which is required at the hands of every one; come now to the practice, and declare what ought to be the practice of every good Christian? A. The daily practice of a Christian ought to be (according The mind being lightened in knowledge, is not to rest in the sweetness of contemplation alone, but join practice therewithal. to his knowledge) so to labour to glorify God in all things; not knowing alone what is meet, but doing as he knoweth, that he may be blessed in his deed. Q. How is such practice termed in the Scriptures? A. It is called the power of godliness: for all that otherwise is held but in knowledge only, as it is floating and swimming in the brain may end in bare speech, and rest james 1. 5. 2. Tim. 3. 5. in a naked show or form of godliness; which being idle and weak for want of strength of grace to carry it further, the life for all that may be left unreformed; as in the 2. Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. examples instanced in by the Apostle, is manifest to be seen: but when practice is joined with knowledge, than james 1. 4. (as Saint james speaks of patience) godliness hath her perfect work, and powerfully breaketh out to manifest itself as well in the life outwardly, as in the heart within. Q. What kind of practice do you meant it to be, which you would have a Christian to join with his knowledge, thereby the better to glorify God? A. Both the labour of the mind by holy meditation inwardly had of that that he knoweth; and the travel of the body in works and actions outwardly, performed according to the same. Q. How far must this practice be extended? A. So far as a man's knowledge doth reach unto: for it is but the making use of knowledge, which otherwise would be fruitless and unprofitable. Q. Show this more particularly in those several points of knowledge, which you have set down to be needful for every Christian, to have his mind rightly to be informed in: and first, what practice or use you would have to be made Rom. 1. 21. Psal. 89. 7. Psalm. 68 35. Psal. 96. 9 Exod. 15. 11. job 11. 7. Psalm. ●6. 8, 10. job 9 4, 5. Psal. 77. 13. Ezeck. 43. 2. Psal. 89. 6. Isaiah 57 15. Psal. 8. 1. job. 37. 23. & 13. 11. job 26. 14. Psal. 76. 7. Psal. 66. 5. 7. Psal. 18. 31. Psal. 103. 17. Psal. 103. 8. Exod. 34. 6. Psal. 86. 15. Psal. 99 9 Isai. 41. ●4. 29. Deut. 32. 17. Psal. 97. 7. & 13. 6. Isaiah 6. 3. Tit. 1. 16. 1. Ti●. 3. 16. 2. Cor. 5. 19 Rom. 9 5. of that knowledge we are to have of God, that we know what he is in himself, which is the first point that is mentioned. A. That when we so know God, we then do glorify him as God; trembling before his fearful Majesty; wondering at his great Omnipotency; astonished with his infinite Glory; ravished with his incomparable Excellency; awed with his dreadful Power; comforted with his endless Love; cheered with his abounding Mercy; and falling low down before the throne of his glory (all false gods, and lying vanities of the Heathen being vile in our eyes), to say, He is holy, he is holy, he is holy, the Lord of Hosts, the earth is full of his glory. And as thus in our minds to worship him, and with our words to praise him; so to take heed, that in our deeds we do not deny him. Q. What use are we to make of that knowledge we ought to have of God, whereby we may know what he is to us? A. Thereby we are occasioned seriously to consider of, and daily to seek better to understand that great mystery of godliness, which concerneth the work of our redemption, that is by Christ jesus; how God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself: not imputing their trespasses unto them; and how Christ being God over all blessed for ever, became also man, to suffer what was due for man's transgression; that being both God and Man, he might make a perfect satisfaction unto 1. Tim. 2. 5. 6. God for man. And being sealed and sent of the Father, to be the attonement-maker between the two parties joh. 6. 27. & 5. 30. at variance, who were God and man, he might first get them inseparably joined together in himself. And these two Natures to be set at one: and by a happy union, to meet together in his own person; and then in the body of his flesh through death, and by the Coloss. 1. 20. 21. 22. blood of his Cross, to set all things at peace in heaven and in earth; so reconciling man to God, as he might be presented holy and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight. And thus was he made unto us jesus; that is, a full and perfect Saviour, to save us from our sins; Mat. 1. 21. Acts 2. 36. Heb. 5. 5, 6. Deut. 18. 18. Luke 4. 18, 21. Matth. 17. 5. Dan. 7. 14. 27. Zach. 9 9 Luke 1. 32, 33. God having for the same purpose first made him Christ, that is, anointed him with the holy Ghost, and with power to be a Priest, Prophet, and King, to purchase, publish and apply salvation for, and unto all that should believe in his name. Q. What practice or use of the knowledge of the works of God in general, are we to make? A. The same or like to that which is contained in the Song of Moses, the servant of the Lord; and in the Song of the Lamb, sung by those victorious Conquerors, that had the haps of God in their hands; the ditty whereof Apoc. 15. 3. was this, Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints! Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods? who is Exod. 15. 11. like thee? glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders! And in considering the great works of God in general, to say with David, the sweet singer of Israel; O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom Psal. 104. 24. hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches? Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who Psal. 72. 18. 19 only doth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. Q. Go on to show the like of the works of God more particularly, according as you have distinguished them. And first touching those works which you call the secret works of God: what is the practice or use we are to make of our knowledge we have, that there be such? A. First, because they belong not to us, but unto the Lord God himself alone; that therefore in all reverence we leave Deut. 29. 29. them unto him, and never dare presume to pry into the Lord's secrets, nor desire to understand above that which is meet; but keep ourselves within the lists and bounds Rom. 12. 3. which God hath set to rank and rail us in this way, under as great a penalty as ever he set bounds to the children of Israel at the giving of the Law; which they were Exod. 19 12. 21 not to pass, in any desire they had to gaze and see that, which the Lord would not have showed; as in the example of the men of Bethshemesh, prying into the Ark, 1. Sam. 6. 19 which was not lawful for them to do, may appear: accounting it a point of our best wisdom, and deepest knowledge; yea a very learned ignorance, not to know that which the Lord seethe not good to reveal: yet so, as we always do honour, in the works of God, that which we do not understand. And when we perceive the judgements of God to be as a great deep that cannot Psal. 36 6. Eccles. 8. 17. and 11. 5. Psal. 77. 19 be sounded, his ways to be past finding out, and that his footsteps cannot be known; that we then do stand and wonder at that we cannot comprehend; and with the Apostle cry out, Oh the depth of the riches Rom. 11. 33. both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! to the end that God may have the greater honour thereby. Q. What is the use we are to make, and practice of the knowledge we have, that there be other works of God that are openly manifested and revealed in the world? A. We are to remember (as Elihu speaketh to job), that we do magnify his works which men do behold. And seeing the revealed works of God are things job 36. 24. that do belong to us, and to our children for ever; that Deut. 29. 29. Deut. 6. 7. 20. Psal. 78. 5. 6. 7. we therefore do both labour and learn to know them ourselves; and that we likewise do teach them to our The Lords works (like the curtains of Solomon) have their beauty within; we had need hold our eyes near them, and put our heads (as it were) within them, to consider them aright. Expos. in Psal. children, and show to the generation to come, the praises of the Lord; his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done, that they may make them known to their children; and the children which yet are not borne may arise and declare them to their children, that all may set their hope in God, and not forget the works which he hath wrought. The works of God (saith the Psalmist) are honourable and glorious, to be sought out of all them that have pleasure therein: they are as scaling ladders, that are set up for us every where to climb up by them, the better to see God: and as books opened▪ in which we may learn better to know them; the dumb 111. 3. Psal. 111. 2. 3. Psal. 28. 5. job 12. 7. 8. 9 beasts, if they be asked, will teach man; the fowls of the heaven will tell him; the earth will show him; and the fishes of the sea will declare unto him, that the mighty God hath made them all. Q. Touching the work of the Creation, which is the first work of this kind wrought by God in the beginning: what use and practice are we to make of the knowledge thereof? A. That seeing it is the Lord that hath made us, and Psal. 100 3. Rom. 11. 36. not we ourselves; and that of him, through him, and for him, both we, and all things else have had our being; we therefore endeavour by ourselves, and by all things else, to bring glory to his name; that so the Lord may Psal. 104. 31. rejoice in his works: Often praying that prayer of David, Thy hands (O God) have made me and fashioned Psal. 119. 73. me; give me understanding therefore that I may learn thy Commandments. Besides, when we look upon the heavens, the work of God's fingers, the Moon and the Psal. 8. 3. stars which he hath ordained; and know, that by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. When we behold how the Lord hath sown and garnished the heavens Psal 33. 6. with stars above, and gloriously covered the earth with flowers, fruits, and all living creatures here below; job 26. 13. we who are set in this world (as upon a stage) to behold these things, and admire the eternal power and Godhead, the goodness, and greatness, and wisdom that is infinite, of him that did so make them; which Paul saith to be the invisible things of him, but by the creation Rom. 1. 20. are clearly to be seen. And that as those that are astonished with this his work full of wonders, we do cry out with the Psalmist, to the praise of him that hath done them: O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Psal. 8. ●. earth! among the gods there is none like thee, O Lord, there is none that can do like thy works. Psal. 86. 8. Q. What use may be made of the knowledge of the work of the redemption of mankind, and of the restoring of all things by the Messiah and Saviour of the world? A. Thereby as the manifold wisdom of God is manifested and made known to Angels, and to men: so the exceeding greatness of the power of God's might, Ephes. 3. 10. Luk. 1. 49. ●1. 69. and riches of his grace and goodness, especially to mankind, is clearly revealed, and ought freely to be acknowledged: Ephes. 1. 19 Ephes. 2. 7. that was able and willing, not only to make all things good out of nothing in the first Creation; but to restore that which was now become evil, and therefore worse than nothing, to a better perfection than it ever had in the first beginning: a work of greater difficulty than was the former. God, to make the first world, spoke the word, and it was made; he commanded, and it Psal. 33. 9 stood fast: but the same Lord, to restore the second, spoke many things, did marvelous things, and suffered unworthy things, even things most heavy and grievous. In regard whereof (this being done especially for man's salvation) we may cry out with the Psalmist, Lord, what Psal. 144. 3. is man that thou takest such knowledge of him, and the son of man that thou makest such account of him? and (as job speaketh) that thou shouldest thus magnify him, job 7. 17. and thus set thine heart upon him? and in respect of the Lord cry out, How great is his goodness, and how great is the beauty of his works towards us! Oh happy the redeemed! who is like unto them? a people that are thus saved of the Lord▪ The knowledge also of our redemption should be as a double bond unto us to bind us in duty unto him, that 1. Cor. 6. 19 20 Luk. 1. 74. 75. Tit. 2. 14. hath so loved and saved us by so great a deliverance, to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives: who having been our Creator, is also become hereby our Recreator; that hath twice given us our lives, once out of nothing, and the second time out of woeful destruction and most deadly damnation. Lastly, seeing we are bought with so great a price, we August. are not to make ourselves so vile, and so little worth, as to sell ourselves for a morsel of bread, or a piece of silver, Ezech. 13. 19 Heb. 12. 16. to become slaves unto Satan, and servants unto sin. Q. There is yet another work of God, his daily governing, ordering, and disposing all things by his providence: what use may the knowledge thereof be put unto by us? A. This may glad the hearts of all creatures in general, Mat. 28. 18. joh. 5. 17. 22. Ephes. 1. 20. 21. 22. but especially of the redeemed: to know that the Lord that saved them is the ruler of the world; who sitting in heaven doth whatsoever he will; that his is the Psal. 1 15. 3. Psal. 22. 8. Ezech. 33. 11. job 7. 20. Psal. 36. 6. power, and his is the might, and that the kingdom and the dominion is his: who as he hath made all things, and given them life and being; so doth he not delight in, nor desire the death of any; but is said to be the preserver of men: yea, vouchsafeth to let it be known to all, that it is he that saveth both man and beast. For this cause the Psal. 97. 1. and 98. 7. 8. 9 Psalmist willeth all the earth to be glad of it: yea not so much but the insensible creatures are called upon to be affected with it: the sea is willed to roar, the floods to clap their hands, and the hills to be joyful together. For since the Lord is king, all may reckon upon it, that he will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with equity. This also may put courage and boldness into the hearts Psal. 27. 1. of all Gods faithful servants, not to fear what all their enemies together, the greatest, mightiest, and proudest enemies that they have are able to do against them: no not what Satan himself, the very prince of darkness, nor all the power of hell can do against them, since all these have no power at all, but as it is given them; and so joh. 19 11. given them, as it is limited according to the good pleasure of his will: at his word they are sent forth, at his word they are called in again; he ruleth over their greatest rage, and maketh their maddest furic to turn to his own Psal. 76. 10. praise: without him none of them all can lift up hand or foot in all the world, but through the greatness of his power they are all made subject unto him, and for the glory of his Majesty they all tremble and fear before him: Psal. 66. 3. if he will give quietness, none of them all can make trouble; yea, such is the Sovereignty and superior command job 34. 29. ●e hath over them, as that for the safety of God's people, out of the hands of them all, every faithful servant of God may come and pray before him; as doth the Church in the Psalm, Thou art my king, O God, command deliverances Psal. 44. 4. for jacob. The knowledge also of this may quiet our minds in the greatest stirs that may happen in the world, and the most disordered confusions that can be seen to fall out among men; and cause us with patience, and in silence, to sit us down, waiting till we have seen the issue of them, and what may be the end which God (who ruleth by his power for ever, and stilleth the noise of the seas, the Psal. 66. 7. and 65. 7. noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people) will bring unto them: who in his infinite wisdom knoweth well how to make all things beautiful in time; yea out of the foulest facts, the vilest and shamefullest deeds that are done by men: so doth the Lords work appear beautiful to his servants, and the beauty of the Lord doth so shine out unto them, as they are not only made glad in seeing his works, but to triumph in the works of his Psal. 92. 4. hands, which they see him to have wrought before them. Lastly, the knowledge of this, that the Lord who is high above all nations, doth yet humble himself to behold, to care for▪ and to order the things that are done in Psal. 113. 3. 5. 6. heaven and 〈…〉 this should cause us to fear before the Lord, in whose hands are our lives, and in whose sight are all our ways; so to rest in, and be well contented with whatsoever in our whole life time, in any sort shall happen, as knowing that it is his hand that doth job 1. 21. guide every thing. CHAP. III. The Christians practice, according to the knowledge of himself and his own duty; and herein first of the legal Commandments. Question. SO much of the practice and use we are to make of the knowledge of God himself, and of his works: come now to show the like uses that we are to make of the knowledge of ourselves, and of our own duties. And first touching ourselves: what may this serve us instead to know, that we were once made so happy creatures, and so excelling in goodness? A. For so much as it is the Lord that so made us happy, and not we ourselves; all the excellency of that our estate serveth but to declare him to be most excellent, that first set us in it, and of whom we had it. For if the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show his Psal. 19 1. handy work, which yet are but a part of the great world made by God of nothing; man who is a creature so fearfully Ingens miraculum homa. and wonderfully made, and so curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, as he is alone a little world Psal. 139. 14. 1● Our souls and bodies are shops of his most notable works, when. in himself, and an abstract or model of the universal; how cannot the glory of God much more shine bright out of him; and the praise of his workmanship, his wisdom, his goodness, and his greatness be more abundantly in are wrought wonders, and things never enough admired. The Lord did moved and fashion man, a living image of his Deity. showed forth by a creature made so glorious, as had the very character and image of God his own glory put upon it, which the other never had. Beside, the glory of our first creation being so great (who as touching our bodily substance, were but creatures raised out of the dust; and as touching our souls, made something out of nothing, though a divine substance indeed Gen. 1. 7. of an excellent and happy condition) puts us in hope that these vile bodies of ours, though they must return again to their dust, & are to be laid down again with dishonour in the grave▪ yet shall be raised up again the second time to the fruition of a better perfection of glory in God's kingdom, and be made like the glorious body of the Son of God, by the mighty power of him Phil. 3. 21. that once did so make them: and that these sinful souls of ours, though now they be so laden, pestered, and poisoned with abundant corruption, as we know not of any goodness at all that can be found in them, shall by the same power not only be freed from all this load and Rom. 7. 18. burden of corruption; but recover again the first, if not a fuller purity, and greater perfection than they ever had, and be clothed upon again with a more enduring glory, 2. Cor. 5. 4. that will never fade. Lastly, the knowledge hereof serveth to stop the mouth of every man from complaining against God that made him, for that he is now so lamentably fallen; seeing God made him upright, but himself hath sought out that invention that hath caused this woeful ruin. Eccles. 7. 29. Q. And what use are we to make of the knowledge of our miserable estate, into which we that were once so happy, are now so plunged by the fall of Adam, as that we all by nature are become the children of wrath, one as well as another? A. By this we are taught to acknowledge that thing, which (by our lamentable experience) we have now learned, and found to be most true; namely, that no job 4. 18. 1. Sam. 2. 9 creature, how glorious soever it be, is able to sustain and uphold itself, if the hand of the Creator be once withdrawn. This serveth also to overthrow our pride, to cast down Rom. 3. 27. joh. 3. 3. 6. all our glory and confidence in ourselves, all boasting of our stock and blood in nature, how nobly soever we be borne; since all are shut up under this condemnation, to stand under the wrath of God by nature; and are become Ephes. 2. 3. by sin the basest and vilest of all other creatures, excepting the devils. Lastly, the knowledge hereof thus humbling and overwhelming us with shame, should stir up in us such a misliking of ourselves, as should cause us never to be Rom. 7. 24. ●5 quiet, till we might hear of some remedy; and set us a work, to seek out by all means, and with all diligence, for our full recovery. Q. What use may the knowledge of this be put unto by us, that after the loss of so great a happiness bestowed upon us in the first creation, and the throwing us down under so great a degree of misery through Adam's transgression; as to be made by nature the very children of wrath, that can look to inherit nothing but eternal destruction: we should yet so be restored by grace, through the redemption that is in Christ jesus, as power should be given unto us to become the sons of God; yea heirs, and fellow-heirs with him of life and glory? A. All this may worthily hold our minds in the continual admiration of this wonderful work of him, whose name is called wonderful, even God our Saviour; that Isa. 9 6. hath made this happy change for us: who in his infinite wisdom hath found out the way, to bring us the greatest gain, out of that most beavie loss; and to improve that our falling, to a better rising, and more sure standing for us then before; and out of the bottom and depth of that greatest and most woeful misery into which we were thrown, to raise us up to a higher height and degree of glory, and of advancement in royal dignity, than Ephes. 2. 6. ever man had bestowed upon him in the time of his first innocency: for by means thereof, he hath taken occasion to unite us more nearly to himself, than we were before; our Nature in Christ being taken into the fellowship of the Godhead, and personally joined to the divine Nature 1. john 1. 3. Mat●h. 1. 23. 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the Son of God himself: a degree of dignity above that ever any of the Angels were lifted up unto, or (for aught that can be known) ever shall be. Besides, we beholding, and with reverence wondering 1. john. 3. 1. at, what love of God this should be, that we who are children of wrath by nature, should now be thus called the sons of God: this great alteration and happy change of our estate, should cause us to be affected, like as were the people at their deliverance out of their captivity, when their mouth was filled with laughter, and their tongue with Psal. 126. 1. 2. 3. & 16. 9 Isa●. 49. 13. joy: this should cause our hearts to be glad, and our tongues to rejoice, the very heavens to sing for this, the earth to be joyful, the mountains also to break forth into singing; yea, all people in consideration hereof, may be called to clap their hands for joy of this so great salvation, and to sing aloud unto God with a joyful voice; to sing praises to God, to sing praises; yea, to call forth to the singing Psal. 47. 1. 6. 7. praises of every one that hath understanding; seeing the Angels themselves, who had not the like cause that we have, welcomed the birth and coming of the Saviour into the world, with their heavenly sweet melody, and Luke 2. 13. songs of great rejoicing. Lastly, the consideration of this love of God passing all knowledge, and of this bounty and goodness of Christ in our redemption, which is so great, as the Angels themselves cannot cease wondering, and marveling at the 1. Pet. 1. 12. same, aught to move and constrain us to duty; and cause us to offer up ourselves, our souls and bodies, as living sacrifices Rom. 12. 1. unto him by our daily serving of him; that our whole life may be a reciprocal loving of him. And that as we are called the sons of God, who look to inherit with Christ in glory, we show the naturalness of that our sonship to God our Father (after the manner that the only begotten Son of God himself did, in whom the Father Mal. 1. 6. was always well pleased), by our constant loving, fearing, and honouring of him; and for yielding obedience unto him, that the same mind may be found to be in us, which was in Christ jesus, who humbled himself, and Phil. 2. 5 6 8. became obedient to his Father unto the death, even to the death of the Cross. Q. Proceed now to sh●w, what use we are to make, as well of the knowledge of our duties which we are to perform, as you have done of the knowledge of ourselves in the several estates, where in we now either are, or formerly have been: and for so much as you have showed, that our duties in general do consist, in performing due obedience to God his holy will in all things, declare what use is to be made by us of the knowledge hereof? A. This should set us awork, first, with all earnestness Rom. 12 2. and diligence, to inquire, prove, and find out, what that good, that acceptable, and perfect will of God is in all things, 1. Thes. 4. 1. that so we may know how to walk and please him. Secondly, to the end this known will of God may be the better For a man to obey God, the way is to command his unruly appetites; and to command them, is for a man to be master of him●●lfe; and for ●●e to be master of himself, is ●he most soveraigue principality. obeyed by us, and fulfilled in all things; that we learn and labour daily to deny ourselves, breaking ourselves of our own wills, that Gods will may the better be done; and taking ourselves from ourselves, give up and present ourselves, our souls and our bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God; which is our reasonable serving of God; no more remaining our own, much less abiding to become the servants of men. Q. Seeing the will of God (which we are to obey unto) is either in requiring us to do that he hath commanded, or to endure and suffer that which he hath appointed; show first 1. Cor. 6. 19 20. what ought to be the use we are to make of our knowing it to be our dutil, to observe all that God doth command us, both in the affirmative and negative commandments which he hath given? A. This should cause us with all readiness and forwardness Psal▪ 119. 60. & 40. 8. simply to obey, and fully and wholly to do, whatsoever we can learn God commands us to do; and to forbear to do, whatsoever we can learn he hath forbidden, without any further demurring upon the point, or consulting with flesh and blood; without ask any Gal. 1. 16. question either of our own hearts, or of any others else concerning the same. And that whether we can see into the reason of that which is commanded, or cannot sound to the depth or bottom of the same, even when such a thing is commanded, as is both against nature of man, and promise of God, as was that given to Abraham; as knowing, Gen. 22. 3. 10. 1. Kin. 20. 35. 36 Levit. 15. 37. that the commandment of the Lord requiring it at our hands, is reason great enough to cause us to obey (his will being the rule of all righteousness), and that commandment of God shall evermore be our sufficient warrant, for whatsoever after that manner we shall attempt. Q. Come more particularly to the consideration of such duties as God hath commanded unto us in his Word. And first, seeing God doth command us to fulfil all the righteousness which is set done in his Law, annexing both promises and threatenings, the better to have it performed by us; show what is the use that may be made of the knowledge hereof. A. The knowledge of this serveth most pregnantly, first, to urge us, and call upon us, not to content ourselves with serving God by halves, doing something, and leaving the rest undone; or doing many things with Herod, Mark. 6. 20. though not all things, not yet many times the chiefest things that should be done: but that we knowing how it is written concerning us, in the volume of God's book, that we are to do all his will: we answer out of the willingness Psal. 40. 7. ●. and ready obedience of our hearts with him, that was a man after Gods own heart, My God I am contented to do it; or, I delight to do thy will, Oh my God. For which cause, we are with him to get the Law of God into Psal. 119. 6. our hearts, having respect not to some only, but to all the commandments of the Law, and to all the contents of those commandments; so striving hard after perfection, and endeavouring with all our might, to fulfil the whole righteousness which God doth require at our hands; whilst we make conscience of all our ways, and of doing one duty as well as another, and shunning all sin alike; avoiding one evil as well as another, as those that desire to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in Coloss. 1. 10. every good work. Secondly, the knowledge of this, that God requireth at our hands such absolute and perfect obedience, to be performed by us unto the whole Law, which he hath given us as a most perfect rule of fulfilling all righteousness, it being the very staple of all justice and Legal worship required; calleth to our remembrance, what was the happiness of that first estate of ours, wherein we were set before Adam's fall; and what was the measure of holiness and righteousness, wherewith we then were endued, and according whereunto we were made after God's image; even such, as answereth to the greatest perfection of holiness and righteousness, which this perfect Law of liberty can exact, and require at our hands in the greatest rigour that it hath. It calleth well to our remembrance, what was the strength and power of grace that we then had in us; whereby we were perfectly able to do the whole will of God, and keep all this Law, without feeling any of the commandments grievous or burdensome to us. For doubtless God would never require the performance and fulfilling of all the righteousness of this Law at the hands of man, as he now doth (especially under so great a penalty of the transgression thereof); unless he had first given power and ability unto man, sufficiently and well to perform and fulfil the same. 3. Further, the knowledge of so great a degree of righteousness, and perfection of obedience to be required at our hands, as is contained in this Law, and therein commanded unto us (we knowing by all experience our great inability to be any way answering thereunto, it being now become unto us a thing wholly impossible in regard of the weakness that is in our flesh): this may Rom. 8. 3. serve much to humble us, and cast us down with sorrow and grief, to bewail the misery of our present estate, into which we are now fallen; as upon whom most heavily doth lie the guilt of the breaking of the whole Law, we being found transgressors of all the Commandments; and for whom all the punishment, that is threatened for such transgression, doth daily abide; and at all times justly may be feared, lest it should be executed to our utter destruction, and everlasting confusion, if pardon and forgiveness be not had. 4. Lastly, the knowledge of all that is thus required at our hands, joined with our own knowledge by daily experience, how little, yea, how nothing at all is performed by us, as aught to be done of us (we knowing withal, what is the danger of every transgression) should make us restless, until we might know how to be discharged; and how, and by whom to have all this righteousness fulfilled for us, and all our sins and transgressions clearly remitted, and for ever pardoned and forgiven unto us; the Law so being our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Gal. 3. 24. Christ. CHAP. FOUR The evangelical Commandment, with the Christians practice and use made thereof; wherein there is the definition of faith, with the proper object and special operations thereof. Question. YOu mentioned other commandments which are enjoined by God unto us to observe, beside these Legal precepts, which do respect the fulfilling of the righteousness of the law: namely evangelical, whereby we are commanded to believe on the name of jesus Christ the son of God (promise being made to all that believe in him that they shall have life everlasting); show what may be the good use and practice that we are to make of the knowledge hereof. A. Before we come to that, it will not be amiss, first briefly to consider, what faith in Christ is, and what properly is the object of it; what is the special operation of faith by which it may be discerned, and the work about which it is principally employed, and the subject wherein it is placed. What things are needful to the making it up, what to the being, and what to the well being and perfecting of it. Then will we consider what uses may be made of the knowledge of this, that God hath thus commanded us to believe. Q. Show then first of all, what is true faith in Christ? A. Faith is a true and saving knowledge of Christ, Faith. which causeth us to lay hold and rely upon him alone for salvation, with a comfortable persuasion of the favour and love of God towards us in and through him. Q. What is the proper object of true faith, and what is the operation of it, and work about which this faith is specially employed? A. Faith hath for her object the most pure and always 1. Pet. 1. 21. being truth, which is God himself and Christ our Saviour, who is the way, the truth, and the life: the holy joh. 14. 1. 16. Scriptures also and promises of the Gospel, which is the word of truth, are the proper objects which faith hath Act. 24. 14. Mark 1. 15. respect to, and is the ground it settleth upon. Therefore is the word called the word of faith: the special operation Rom. 10 8. and working of it is to let the souls and hearts of those men, in whom it is placed, to know and to feel that they are now brought near unto God, and have fellowship Eph. 2. 12. 13. with him, who were but strangers before and far off by reason of their sin; that is, to settle and 'stablish our minds in a comfortable persuasion of God's favour and towards us in and through Christ jesus: and that by him, God's heart for ever is so won unto us, as nothing shall be able more to separate us from his love. It quieteth Rom. 8. 38. and cheereth the heart with undoubted assurance, that whatsoever was the odds and enmity that was between God and us before, by means of our sins; yet Coloss. 1. 21. so are we now received into favour, and so is all agreed and set through between God and us, that we are at Rom. 5. 1. Luke 2. 14. peace with God, and God with us. They that have great ventures abroad are always thinking of them, how they may be got safely home, they give much for assurance, they cannot sleep till that be done, their minds are ever so running upon them. Of all adventures there are none like to the adventure that we bear of ourselves, our souls and our bodies, while we live in this most perilous and dangerous world, that they be got well home, and be brought to eternal safety in the end. Now faith secureth our hearts herein, and giveth us good assurance that we shall never perish, but have in the end everlasting john 3. 16. life with God in Christ jesus. Faith setteth the heart at peace, and secureth the conscience: it giveth better and more strong assurance than any bond of the best Merchant, though made in Statute-merchant: nay, then can do the bond or assurance of any Prince, though they should lay their Crowns in pawn, or be bound in the forfeiture of their kingdoms. For faith hath God's truth laid in pawn for the making good the assurance: and God hath bound himself in the forfeiture of his truth (which he will not lose for the whole world, and is unto God's majesty of greater weight and regard, then is the state of a kingdom to any Prince), that he will be accounted no more a God of truth if he fail in his promise. This giveth us boldness for the present to enter in before God, even into the holiest of holy places; and to Heb. 10. 19 Heb. 4. 16. come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. But for so much as all this could never have been effected or brought to pass for us, otherwise then that by the hand of some meet Mediator this atonement might be made, and peace might be wrought for us thus to reconcile us unto God. And seeing that neither in heaven nor in earth there could any other be heard of or found, that ever could be fit and able to undertake, and thoroughly and perfectly to go through with this so great a work of reconciling the world unto God; but he alone whom the Father had sealed, who is Christ the Lord, who is our Eph. 2. 14. Isai 9 6. peace, even the Prince of peace. Therefore the work of faith is, before it can thus justify us and set us at peace with God, to seek and find out Christ for us, and to get the true and saving knowledge of him: yea to seize and lay such hold upon him, as we may apprehend him, and embrace him for our own; appropriating and after a sort engrossing him for ourselves, that so causing us to rejoice with the joy of God's people in his fruition, and to Psal. 106. 5. glory with God's inheritance. And with the Spouse in the Canticles (we once truly believing with the heart) imboldening us in most joyful and gladsome manner to profess with the mouth, as doth she in that place, My Cantic. 2. 16. & 7. 10. beloved is mine, and I am his, and his desire is unto me. That thus having found and apprehended Christ, embracing and holding him in the arms of our faith, as our blessed Advocate and attonement-maker unto God; we may so come before the Lord and treat with him for our peace, as did old Simeon (when he had Christ in his arms, and Luk. 2. 28. 29. 30. his eyes did see his salvation) desire the Lord then to let him departed in peace. Yea we may then with less fear and much more comfortable boldness show ourselves in God's presence, and appear in his sight; then could Hester (though never so well beloved of the King) adventure Hest. 5. 2. to go in before Ahashuerosh, who did kindly accept of her, when he held out the golden sceptre unto her. Yea far more warrantably and safely may we (bearing Christ with us in the arms of our faith) approach and come near to the throne of the greatest majesty of him that is the highest Lord and Sovereign ruler of the world (who hath prepared his throne for judgement, and shall judge the world in righteousness), reckoning upon Psal. 97. 8. 9 a more kind welcome and gracious acceptation at his hands, than ever durst the Patriarches jacobs' sons, show themselves before joseph then Lord of Egypt, though they did carry their younger brother Benjamin in their Gen 43. 15. 16. 30. hands; at the sight of whom the heart of joseph yearned within him, and his eyes burst out a weeping, that he could not forbear any longer, but manifest himself and show his brotherly affection unto them, and falling upon their necks, kissed and embraced them, forgetting and Gen. 45. 2. 3. 14 15. forgiving all the injury and wrong that ever before they had done unto him. Thus, yea far more than thus, yea far above all that can be uttered, conceived or comprehended, is that love of God in Christ, which he beareth to Eph. 3. 19 all the faithful; and wherewith he standeth most kindly and fatherly affected to his redeemed, in and through Christ jesus: as to accept of their persons, and be delighted Eph. 1. 6. Cantic. 2. 14. Isai. 63. 7. 9 jerem. 31. 20. Hosea 11. 8. 9 john 16. 23. with their presence; so to be most affectionately moved towards them in all fatherly kindness and compassion that he hath of them; as also to hear all their prayers; and to deny them nothing which they shall ask, when they come to the Father in the name of his Son. Yea so is the heart of God the Father won to all, that truly do believe in jesus Christ his Son, as though Christ jesus Ioh 16. 26. 27. himself should seem not to pray for them, yet would he deny them nothing. Nay so doth it please him to unbowel himself, and to open and manifest the love of his heart which he beareth to his children, that as touching their good and concerning them, he saith after a sort, they may Isai. 45, 10. command him. By all which it may appear, before we can warrantably believe in God, as reckoning upon his favour and love to find mercy at his hands, for the pardon of our sins, and our own gracious acceptation with him: or for the receiving any blessing from him, or any righteousness as from the God of our salvation; we Psal. 24▪ 5. must first get the knowledge of Christ jesus, and by faith seek to apprehend him: that being first engrafted into Christ jesus by faith, and admitted to a holy union and communion ●ith the Son, we may have fellowship with the Father, and so be brought to God by him: according joh. 14▪ 6. as he is said to be perfectly able to save all that do Heb. 7. 25. come to God by him. And this is that which Peter speaketh of, when he saith, that the faithful do by Christ believe in God; who raised him up from the dead, and 1. Pet. 1. 21. gave him glory, that their faith and hope might be in God. CHAP. V. The manner of knowledge of Christ, with the persuasion that is necessary to faith. Question. WHat manner of knowledge is that, which is necessary for us to have of Christ jesus, that so we may the better believe in him? A. Not a confused or a general knowledge Knowledge of Christ. of Christ alone; not a bare speculative knowledge of him, and of the mystery of salvation by him, which is the best knowledge that the most have of Christ; which is yet but idle and unfruitful, and availeth Mat. 7. 21. Luk. 6. 46. nothing to salvation. But a clear and distinct knowledge of the mystery of salvation in Christ jesus, as the same is revealed in the Gospel; whereby we may know assuredly that it is he, and he only, whom the Father hath sealed & sent into the world, that the world by him might be saved: who (being foreordained to this great 1. Pet. 1. 20. and blessed work of man's redemption and saving the world, before the very foundation of the world itself was laid, and promised to the Fathers, as God spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since Luk. 1. 70. the world began) was sent of God; when the fullness of time was come; though being his own Son, to become Galath. 4. 4. also the Son of man, and to be made of a woman. And as concerning the flesh, to descend of the Fathers; though from all eternity in himself, he is God over all, blessed Rom. 9 5. for ever. A person truly that hath no peer; most admirable and wonderful, who is the only Phoenix in the world, that hath no fellow: even as the work was great and difficult; yea very admirable, and wholly impossible by any other ever to have been effected, about which he was to be employed: which was, the redeeming of the world, and reconciling of man to God. This will better appear, if we consider, first, that God himself was the party that was wronged; man was the party that had offended: God was to be satisfied; man stood in need to be saved: necessary it was that there should come satisfaction to God for man; that man being saved, God's justice might not be lost. Now the infinite Majesty of God being wronged, there could be no satisfaction made sufficient, by any that were but finite: none therefore could thus satisfy but God, as none ought to satisfy but man. For which cause our Saviour Christ jesus was the only meet person, that was to be employed about this work, which unto all others was wholly impossible: who being God, became also man, and took our nature upon him; that as he was man he might offer the sacrifice; and as he was God he might make it precious, and confer worthiness and dignity unto it, that it might every way be sufficient: that so by that one sacrifice Heb. 9 26. 28. of himself once offered (that being a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God), he might satisfy God Ephes. 5. 2. Heb. 5. 9 for man, and become the author of eternal salvation to all them that will obey him. Secondly, and as we are to know, that in person he was right wonderful, and in work no less powerful; yea most singular, most glorious and excellent: so are we to know that the offices were most high and honourable, unto which he was assigned; and which he bore upon him for the accomplishment of the same: as being anointed of God to those offices of greatest dignity and respect, both before God and man, of being our high Priest, King, and Prophet; by whom we might be reconciled unto God, delivered from the hands of our enemies, ruled by his laws, guided by his teaching, and showed the path and way of life, that so in the end we might be saved by Psal. 16. 11. him. A high Priest indeed, but made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, in a policy that was perishable, Heb. 7. 16. but after the power of an endless life, in the promise of a dignity that should be everlasting. A King of greatest Apoc. 1. 5. and 17. 14. Heb. 12. 27. 28. 1. Tim. 1. 17. Luk. 1. 33. Majesty and glory, but not such a one as ever may be deposed or put out of his throne; not such a one whose kingdom can ever be shaken; but who is a King everlasting and immortal, and of whose kingdom and government there shall never be end. A Prophet mighty indeed, and in word; doing such works as no other Luk. 24. 19 joh. 15. 24. joh. 7. 46. man did; and speaking such words as never man spoke: who was anointed to that holy function, as well as others; but yet with the oil of gladness above all his fellows. Who received not the Spirit by measure as Psal. 45. 7. do others; for it pleased the Father, that in him all fullness should dwell, of whose fullness we have all received, joh. 3. 34. Colos. 1. 19 joh. 1. 16. Mat. 17. 5. Isa. 42. 4. even grace for grace: him are we willed to hear, and the Isles are to wait for his law. Now we are to pray without ceasing, that the God of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give unto us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true knowledge of him, making daily more and more manifest this great mystery of Christ, Ephes. 1. 17. which in other ages was not made known to the sons Ephes. 3. 5. of men, as it is now revealed by the Spirit, that we may after this manner both know and acknowledge him. Q. Beside the true knowledge of Christ, in the description you made of faith, you said there must be a laying hold of Christ, with a persuasion that God will be favourable to us, in and through him? A. Indeed that laying hold of Christ is most necessary To lay held on Christ. to be joined with our knowledge, and in no case may be wanting: for therein is the main difference found to be, consisting between true justifying and saving faith, 2. Pet. 1. 1. Tit. 1. 1. which is called precious faith, or the faith of Gods elect; from such a faith as men may have, and yet perish with it: which is very unsound, and but temporary, when it is at the best, either false or feigned, or but the faith of the history, to believe that which the Gospel setteth down touching Christ jesus the Saviour of mankind: which is the common faith, and (as I may say) every body's faith: yea no better than the devils faith; for they believe all this, and yet shall never be saved; they get no comfort jam. 2. 19 by it, but are made to tremble, and to be more tormented for it. This laying hold of Christ, that we may rest upon him to make him our own, and to get our part of salvation out of him, is the chiefest work about which true justifying and saving faith is to be occupied, and most busily to be employed: which is no other than a placing of our affiance, and reposing our whole trust and confidence in Christ for salvation. We first knowing and apprehending him to be given us of God, to the end that we joh. 3. 16. so believing in him, should never perish but be saved by him. These two we must have to be joined together, for the making up of that faith that must save us, to know Christ, and to believe, that is, to lay hold of, and apply to our comfort, that which we know of Christ, as relying and resting upon the same. We believe and know (saith joh. 6. 69. Peter to our Saviour, that thou art Christ the Son of the living God: we are with the Spouse in the Canticles, first to seek the knowledge of Christ, to seek his acquaintance, Cant. 1. 27. and more familiarly to know him daily: and therefore to entreat him, as doth she, that he will show himself unto us, According as elsewhere he doth promise himself, that he will so do to all that do love joh. 14. 21. him. And when we have once found him, we are, with her, to lay sure hold of him, and not to let him go, till we Canti●. 3. 1. 4. have brought him to the best rooms and chambers of our hearts, there to have him resident, and evermore dwelling in our hearts by faith. Christ by his death and Ephes. 3. 17. suffering hath prepared medicine to cure our deadly disease: he hath given his flesh to be broken, and his blood to be shed, to make a plaster and a bath to heal and to supple the stiff and stark wounds of our souls, which have been made by our sins. Medicines will do no good if they be not applied: plasters will heal no wounds, if they be not taken hold on by the hand, and laid upon the sores. So is it with all that Christ hath done for us, if it be not laid hold upon and applied by us for our own benefit. There is indeed a different laying hold of Christ, according to the differing degrees of faith, that are found to be among them that do believe: according to the free dispensation of this grace given out unto every one by him that is the author and finisher of the faith of all the Heb. 12. 1. elect of God; who best knoweth what is the meetest and fittest portion for every one to receive. To some is given a greater, to some a lesser measure of it: some there be that are strong, others that are but weak in faith: as some 1. Cor. 3. 1. are but babes in Christ, when others are come nearer to the measure of the fullness of Christ: and yet all true believers; Ephes 4. 13. Faith, though it be not perfect, so it be true: though it be feeble like a young borne babe, and that sore diseased too, is sufficient for salvation. Faith doth not save because it is a perfect virtue, but because it apprehends a perfect object. having faith in the truth of it alike, though not in the measure and degree of the strength of it alike; and therefore all shall undoubtedly, and most assuredly in the end be saved alike; for the least measure of saving faith doth give title to men to all the merciful promises of God: the weakest shall as certainly and as soon be saved as the strongest; because it is not by the measure, but by the manner and kind of faith (it being precious faith, and faith not feigned) whereby men are saved. Yea more, because men are not saved by faith at all (otherwise then after a figurative manner of speaking), but by the object of faith, and that which faith layeth hold upon, which is Christ jesus alone, in whom our life and salvation 1. joh. 5. 11. Colos. 3. 4. is wholly abiding. Now Christ (who is our life) may be laid hold upon, according to the differing strength that is in the hands of them that do apprehend him. Those that are younglings and babes in Christ, cannot lay so strong hold of Christ, as those that are ancient, and men grown in Christ; but though they hold him not so strongly, yet may they hold him as truly as do the other. A child that eateth the meat which is put into the hand that holdeth that meat, holdeth it as truly, and is nourished by it as sound, and as certainly, as a strong man or a Giant that doth the like: though there is great difference for the strong manner of holding of that which both do eat, and are in like manner nourished by. Q. But what is to be done of them, who as touching their own feeling seem to have no manner of strength to lay any hold of Christ, yet indeed do: only they know that he is the alone Saviour of mankind, and do desire that they (with others) might have part in that salvation which he hath purchased? A. If they cannot with Simeon, take Christ in their arms, and as Mary did in her womb; yet they conceive How feeling of faith may be attained. him in their hearts, until Christ be form in them (as the Apostle speaketh); there to hold him, as dwelling in their Luk. 2. 28. Luk. 1. 31. Galath. 4. 19 Ephes. 3. 17. Mat. 11. 12. hearts by faith. Secondly, if they cannot as violent persons press strongly upon him; and as those that will have no nay, but be saved in spite of the devils teeth, offer violence unto Christ, by plucking him unto them, and pulling life and salvation with a strong hand out of him. If they cannot as strong men, set fast hand upon him, and take a full gripe of him: as did Paul by his full persuasion: and Abraham, Rom. 8. 38. the father of the faithful, a grown man in the strength of his faith: who staggered not at the promise of Rom. 4. 20. 21. God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, and so gave glory to God. Yet let them, with the poor bashful woman in the Gospel, that was sick of the disease of a Mat. 9 20. bloody issue, who durst not for shame come before him; come yet creeping behind him, and see if by any means possible they may get unto him, stretching out their hand, though it be a weak and shaking hand; and (as I may say) a short hand, so as they have much ado to reach unto Christ. Thirdly, and though they cannot take hold of Christ, yet if in any sort they can join themselves unto him, so as they can but truly touch him: such is his virtue, and so full of grace is he, that the least touch of him will draw life and virtue out of him to save their souls. If they Luk. 8. 46. fear to press to him, and cannot come to touch him; yet let them see if they can at the least touch privily the hem of his garment: let them go to his ordinances, his Word, and his Sacraments; they are his covering, and (as I may say) a kind of garment, under which he is hidden, and in which he may be found; that by those ordinances of his, and out of them they may draw virtue from him; and feel the powerful operation of his Spirit thereby working such grace in their hearts, as may cause them more steadfastly to believe, and to have (at the length) much joy and peace in their so believing. Let them take hold of the skirt of some jew, going to some worthy servant Zach. 8. 23. of Christ, and holy man, in whom Christ his virtue doth shine out; that he may carry them, and by his prayers commend them to a merciful Lord: for by such (many times) the Lord putteth forth his power, and giveth help to others. The servant was made to live for the faith of the master, who was the Centurion; and the Luk. 7. 9 10. Matth. 9 2. poor palsie-man helped, when Christ saw the faith of them that brought him. If they cannot for weakness come to touch Christ, yet as the young children were brought unto Christ; so Mark. 10. 13. 16 let them as babes in Christ jesus, be brought unto him, that he may touch them: if he do but put his hands upon them, he will undoubtedly bless them: if they cannot feel in their hearts with comfort, that they apprehend him, yet let them desire to be comprehended of him: thence shall they be sure to fetch comfort for their sure stay: for therein especially standeth all their safety. If they can neither use their hands to touch him and lay hold upon him themselves, nor their feet to come unto him, though creeping as upon hands and feet together; but are forced to he still as poor cripples, so maimed and broken even from the womb, by the fall they took in Adam's first transgression, as all the joints of their souls are utterly loosened; and all the powers and parts of mind and of members are strucken so quite out of frame, as they can neither stir hand nor foot to help themselves any way herein, nor can be helped by any other to be thus brought unto him: yet as Peter and john willed the poor cripple (lying at the beautiful gate of the Temple) to look upon them (when he desired to receive some Act. 3. 4. comfort from them); so let them look unto Christ, and fix their eyes wholly and only upon him (in whose name, and by whose only power, that poor cripple was made strong, and had perfect soundness given unto him in the sight of all men); let them so cast their eye upon Christ, and look unto him, and to none but to him, to be helped and saved by him (though it were but with a squint eye, that hath much weakness and lameness in it, as well as the other parts that are all out of frame), and this shall fetch help and procure healing and safety to be bestowed upon them. We know, that but the looking upon the brazen serpent in the wilderness by the wounded Israelite, Numb. 21. 9 though he could not come at him to touch him, was enough for his curing. And we may perceive how much such a casting of an eye and looking after Christ, doth affect that our blessed Saviour, and wo●●e upon him, by that which he speaketh to the Spouse in the Canticles: Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my Spouse; Cantic. 4. 9 thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes. We know Enery true believer hath two eyes; one, the Eagle-eye of faith, whereby he seethe him that is invisible, and maketh present that which is not scene: another, the eye of hope, whereby he wishly looketh for what saith believeth. there is nothing that will more, or sooner move a tenderhearted mother to bestir herself to help her child in the weakness thereof; then when it is so much decayed in strength, as it can neither stiree hand to reach unto her, nor utter voice to speak to be helped by her, but always looketh wishfully upon her, and follows her with the eye which way soever she goeth. This was the course that jehoshaphat took, when he was overflowed of his enemies, having no power to withstand them, neither knowing what to do, he cried unto the Lord, and said, there is no might in us to stand against this great multitude, neither know we what to do, only our eyes 2. Chron. 20. 12 Psal. 121. 1. & 123. 1. 2. are unto thee, O Lord! Thus did the servants of God lift up their eyes unto the hills, from whence their help did come; professing that their eyes should wait upon the Lord, till he had mercy upon them, even as the eyes of the servants did look to the hands of their masters. And no more than this doth the Lord himself require from all the ends of the earth, that they might be saved by him, Isai. 45. 22. then that they do look unto him. This looking upon Christ, is a kind of laying hold upon him, and of uniting ourselves unto him. We know the eye can as well apprehend and fasten hold upon the object that it seethe, as the ear can do upon the Word that it heareth, or the hand lay hold upon the thing that it toucheth. When a word is spoken to the ear, the ear catcheth hold upon the sound that is uttered; and at the same time the mind apprehendeth that which is meant thereby, and so both the ear and the mind do lay hold of one and the same speech at one instant together. In like manner, when any thing is looked upon by the eye, the object that is looked upon, is in the eye that doth see it; and at the same time in the mind and understanding, that doth discern that which is seen; and so the same object is both in the eye, and in the mind at one and the same instant apprehended together; the eye by looking on a thing, becometh one with it after a manner: to look then to Christ, is after a fort to lay hold of him; and such a kind of looking to him, as causeth a distressed soul in greatest extremities to look for help from him alone, doth so affect him, as it doth ravish his heart, and in a manner overcome him (faith being the beautiful eye of the Church, that woundeth the heart of Christ with love to the same). Therefore doth Christ himself will the Spouse to turn her eyes upon him (as Tremelius doth read it); which if she shall Cantic. 6. 2. do, she shall even lift him up with great joy and gladness after Tremelius reading. to see her, so to believe in him, and to depend upon him. Now who would not be glad to cast up such an eye to the Lord, as he might be thus delighted withal? If this also seemeth to be more, than well can be performed by them, they being in their own conceiving, as those that are past all hope of recovery, and as men that are already dead; yet seeing there is no name under heaven Acts 4. 12. that is given, nor any other means in the whole World beside to be used, by which any can be saved, but only by the name of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour. Let them (as knowing there is no other for them to rest upon for salvation, but upon him, & him alone) by some means or other, get themselves to be rolled & cast upon him; and let them not fear, but that as the dead man that was cast into the Sepulchre of Elisha, so soon as he touched the 2. King. 13. 21. bones of the Prophet, he was made to stand upon his feet, and to live again; so such being cast upon Christ, though they were dead, yet should they surely live (there being john 11. 25. infinitely more virtue in Christ that was crucified, then ever was in the bones of the Prophet that was dead, to revive and cause to live again all that are cast upon him, as seeking so to have life from him). Lastly, if they be able no manner of way to do any thing to help themselves, and further their own salvation, but only desire to be helped, and desire that they might be saved by Christ jesus; let them make of that desire, keeping it, and nourishing it, and comforting themselves yet in this, that God hath given them a desiring heart, to hunger, thirst, and long after the salvation that is in Christ jesus. He that giveth them so to desire, will also in due time give them to have the thing so desired; only let them wait for Christ his helping hand, using the best means that possibly they can, and let them keep themselves within the compass of Christ his walk where he useth to come; loving and resorting to the habitation Psal. 26. 8. of his house, and the place where his honour dwelleth, that he may see them there. And they shall find by good experience in the end, that as our Saviour going by the Pool of Bethesda, saw that impotent man, who had an infirmity 38 years, and hearing him complain of his unableness joh. 5. 5. 6. 7. 8. to help himself, and that there was no other that would help to put him into the Pool, but while he was a coming, some other was more ready to step in before him; our Saviour having compassion, put no other task upon him, but only to desire to be made whole, ask him if he would be made whole; and so presently restored him to his desired strength again, willing him to take up his bed and walk: So doubtless these weaklings in faith, that can do no more for themselves through their great infirmity, then desire to be helped, and to have salvation from him; our blessed, loving, and most merciful Saviour (who will not break a bruised reed, nor Matth. 12. 20. quench the flax that smoketh) beholding their great distress, and lamentable plight that they are in, will be moved in pity to relieve them. And knowing, that they are able to do no more in the matter of believing in him for their salvation, then to desire they could believe better, and depend more upon him, that they might be saved, will accept of such a desire, in stead of the deed itself; and as undoubtedly save them with such an earnest and true desire of believing better, as they shall ever be saved that believe best of all. Q. In the description of faith which you made at the first, beside the true knowledge of Christ, and laying hold of him, you joined therewith a comfortable persuasion also of the favour and love of God towards us, in and through him. Do you take it, that this comfortable persuasion of God's favour towards us, as it is felt and perceived by us, doth always accompany true and saving faith in Christ, and that it is so necessary to the essence and being of faith, as without it true faith cannot at all consist? A. Not so; but I take such a settled persuasion of Persuasion of God's favour. God's unalterable love towards us in and through Christ jesus, to be necessary rather to the well-being of faith, and even to the finishing and perfecting of it, when it is grown to the greatest strength and perfection, that it can come unto in this life, then to the being of faith at all: for to a higher pitch or degree of greater perfection, faith cannot grow nor rise up unto, so long as we have any being in this life (even then when it hath made the best proceed, and prospered most happily, increasing with the increasings of God, and hath run through all the degrees that are set unto faith in this life, till the best and highest be attained unto), then for faith to settle the heart in a clear, full, and undoubted persuasion of God's love and favour towards us in Christ jesus; to be so sure and unchangeable, as nothing shall ever be able to separate us Rom. 8. 38. from the same again; like to that of the Apostles: but that true faith may have existence, and being in the heart of a good Christian, where such an undoubted and comfortable persuasion, is either very seldom, or peradventure never at all felt by the true believer (especially in such a degree of clearness and undoubtednesse of assurance, as had the Apostle) may appear; first, if we consider the first beginnings of faith, with what great feebleness and imbecility it hath his being in us, when it is new begotten, and (as I may say) first bred and borne, lying in the swathing clouts under as great weakness, and with as little feeling and apprehending of the operation of God Coloss 2. 12. in giving itself being, as doth the infant that is new borne, either know or apprehend the time or the means, in and by which it came to be first brought forth into the world; though being once borne, and endued with all the powers and faculties of the mind, and made in every part proportionable with all the members of the body (howsoever it cannot well use either), it is even at the very first as absolutely and perfectly a true man, as ever it shall be afterward, when it can put the understanding that is in the mind to the greatest use and work, with the members of the body to the best purpose that it ever shall be able. So is it with the faith of Gods elect, that is once Jude 3. given to the Saints, it is as true faith at the first, and as truly existing and being, after it is once begotten by the working of God's Spirit, and thereby planted and put into the heart of a Christian (though in never so great weakness), as ever it is, or shall be, when it is grown to the greatest strength it ever can attain unto; or be of the most effectual and mightiest operation and working that it possibly can be of. Again, if we consider faith how it may be assailed (even after it hath been once sound wrought in us, and planted in our hearts) by the strength of tentation, and the forcible Luke 22. 31. working of Satan, who desireth to have us, that he may winnow and sift us as wheat; daily experience maketh manifest the truth of this, that so may a man's faith be shaken, and all feeling of comfort be made wholly to fail him; that he who once with great joy did apprehend the love and favour of God towards him in Christ jesus, may be as far from such feeling and comfortable persuasion (either so far as others can judge, or himself can any way apprehend) as ever was Peter from that worthy confession of Christ, and of the faith he had in him, which he once made profession of, and which was so greatly approved Matth. 16. 16. 17. 18. and applauded by our Saviour himself; when afterwards he did most unfaithfully, cowardly, and dastardly deny him, and falsely forswear him; yea, curse and ban himself Matth. 26. 70. 72. 74. if ever he knew him. And yet (through the unchangeableness of God's purpose and grace, whose ways are ever mercy and truth to such as fear him, and his works without repentance, never to be called back again; who never can deny himself, though we may be unfaithful, 2. Tim. 2. 13. and hardly can believe) the faith of such a Christian, howsoever soarely it may be shaken, by the force and strength of tentation; so as unbelief may seem to have gotten the upper hand, and feeling to be quite lost, that having wholly let go the hold thereof: yet is it no more destroyed from having any further being, nor can be more made finally to fail him, in whom it was ever sound wrought at all, then did the faith of Peter utterly fail; which was so upheld by the promise and prayer of Luke 22. 32. Christ our Saviour, as it was not possible for all the gates of hell to prevail against the same, though they sifted it Matth. 16. 18. never so, & winnowed it to the full. This comfortable persuasion then in the heart of a believing Christian, which accompanieth the true knowledge and laying hold of Christ, and riseth and floweth from them both, it is not so much felt and perceived at the first being and beginning of faith, as after some time of continuance; when faith by daily growing, hath attained to some good measure of strength, it than is found to manifest itself, to the much quieting of the heart, in the which it is so felt. This is but the comfortable progress and growing of faith, the proceeding of it on (as I may say) from faith to faith (as the Apostle speaketh.) And as in a word was noted before Rom. 1. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 21. out of that which is set down by Peter, from the faith that we have by believing in Christ, to come to believe in God, and to have faith and hope in him, reckoning upon all favour and mercy from him. CHAP. VI The use that is to be made of this, that God hath given the Commandments both of the Law and Gospel, for the attaining of eternal life. Question. COme now to show, what use we are to make of the knowledge of this, that beside the commandments set down in the Law, for the fulfilling the righteousness thereof (promise being made, that if we shall so do, we shall live thereby), we have another commandment enjoined unto us in the Gospel, for our believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God, with promise likewise made in the same Gospel, that all that believe in him shall never perish, but have life everlasting? A. We are occasioned hereby, to observe the inestimable goodness of God towards mankind for his salvation, so many ways being used by the Lord, for the recovering of this most woeful creature so lamentably fallen, that yet he might not perish for ever, but live and be saved in the end. First, for that in giving forth his Law, he would ever treat about life with so rebellious a traitor, as man had showed himself to be against his Creator; and would offer any conditions of peace, or make any covenant at all for life and safety with such a rebel, deserving so often to die, yea, and that everlastingly: but such was the first covenant of the Law, given by the Lord unto Deut. 4. 13. 8. all mankind to be observed by them; wherein it pleased the Lord to enter into this covenant with man, that (howsoever by his transgression, he had deserved to die without any mercy; yet) if he would now observe these his Statutes, and keep the commandments which he had set down in his Law, he should for all that live and be saved thereby: Do this (saith the Lord) and thou shalt Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 5. live: which was done, to let man see his unability to keep this Law, and thereby to drive him to seek for life by the new Covenant made in Christ. Secondly, whereas the conditions of this first covenant Rom 8. 3. Gal. 3. 21. 22. Heb 7. 18. 19 Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 7. 10. of the Law, were found much too hard to be stood unto, and to be kept by any man, that so he might live, and be saved by so doing (for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can ever be saved): for by reason of sin, that commandment which was ordained to life, is found to be unto us to death. Herein the goodness of God did yet superabound, that it would please him to covenant with man the second time for life and salvation, making a new covenant; which is said to be a better covenant than the jer. 31. 31. 32. former, because it is established upon better promises (our Saviour Christ jesus himself being the Mediator thereof), Heb. 8. 6. 7. 8. 9 even the Covenant of grace, for the obtaining of life and salvation freely by his grace, through the redemption Rom. 3 24. 25. that is in Christ jesus, and through faith in his name: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, and price of redemption for all that believe, with this promise made to every such a one, that whosoever do believe in him, they shall never perish, but have life everlasting. And john 3. 16. that by Christ all that do believe, shall be justified for ever from all things, from which by the works of the Law, Acts 13. 39 none could be justified. Now this being the second covenant for life, the promises whereupon this is established, are said to be better promises then the former, because it is not said, do this, and thou shalt live; but believe this, and thou shalt live (there being a possibility of obtaining power at the hands of God to believe, if we be not wanting to ourselves). Thirdly, though this second covenant for life and salvation, be a better and more favourable covenant, than was the first; and the condition thereof more easy to be performed through the aid of God's grace, which is ordinarily given to such as shall be saved: yet (lest any should fail to do that, which otherwise he hath means to be made able to do, and so might do, namely, believe) herein Gods exceeding goodness unto man seemeth more abundantly to be set forth, in that he leaveth it not as a thing indifferent to the choice of every man whither they will believe or not, but as that which is most needful for all, he chargeth all that they do believe; that is, that they be not wanting to themselves in using all possible means, whereby they may come truly to believe. So that if any shall now perish under the Gospel, wherein salvation is offered unto us, under the condition of our believing, such shall perish; not so much for their other sins, as for their unbelief, because they believed not in the john 3. 18. name of the only begotten Son of God; and they shall die twice damned as double transgressors of all the commandments, both of the Law commanding them to do, and of the commandments of the Gospel commanding Heb. 2. 23. & 4. 1. 6. them to believe; and as violaters of both covenants of works and of faith, not keeping the conditions of either; neither doing that which the Law commandeth, nor believing that which the Gospel promiseth. Unutterable therefore is this goodness of God, that commands us to believe, that we might be saved; who thus thought it not enough to prepare salvation for us, and to proffer it unto us, but presseth it upon us, and urgeth us to take it, charging and commanding us to believe: which is the only hand, by which salvation is to be laid hold upon. Fourthly, the knowledge of this, that God commandeth us to believe, may be our warrant for our making sure to ourselves our own salvation, and for our steadfastly 2. Pet. 1. 10. believing, without all manner of doubting to be saved by Christ jesus, and to have redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of all our sins: as also to free us from that false imputation charged upon us by our adversaries, of being too presumptuous thus boldly and confidently to believe (and not to remain as they do ever in some doubt), since it is obedience, and not presumption, to do that we are commanded, God thus commanding us to believe. Lastly, the practice of this knowledge that it is our duty to believe, aught to be seen in our careful endeavouring by taking all possible pains, and using with all diligence the good means of reading the Scriptures, of hearing of Sermons, of often partaking at the holy Sacraments, of private conference, of holy meditation, of fervent and continual prayers; so to get the saving knowledge of Christ, as we may bring our hearts to rest, and rely upon him and upon him alone for our salvation; apprehending him to be our Saviour, and laying hold upon all that he hath done and suffered for us, as that whereby a full satisfaction hath been made for our sins, and a price hath been paid of value sufficient for our perfect redemption: that so we having Christ with his merits by faith to be ours, in having him we may have life by him: for God hath given us eternal life, and that life is in his 1. joh. 5. 11. Son. We are every where counseled and called upon to get faith and to labour to believe. It is the special work that our Saviour set the people about, which he said to be the work of God, to labour to believe. We are Mark. 11. 22. john 6. 29. willed to have faith in ourselves, whatsoever else we should want beside. And no marvel, for of all other graces it is that which is most needful, without which even Christ himself should profit us nothing. It is the mother grace of all the rest, and root from whence all virtues beside do spring and flourish out: it is a jewel of unvaluable worth, and pearl of an unspeakable price. Among precious stones, the fairest tincture is given to Excellency of faith. the Ruby, and the quickest light unto the Diamond: but there is no Ruby, no Diamond nor sapphire, how costly and precious soever they be, that may be compared with it for brightness and beauty; or that can in like manner enrich, deck and set forth the outward man, as this doth in rich the heart, beautify, deck and adorn the hid man thereof. There is not the like precious stone ever to be heard of, having such virtue to be found in it, as hath precious faith, which is the faith of Gods elect. No not that stone (if ever such there were) which being cast into the sea when the storm is at the highest, and the waves thereof most troublesome and horribly raging, (as some have conceited and stick not to report) to quiet and to calm all the boisterousnes thereof: yet were not that work so wonderful and change so great and marvelous, that thus should be seen done in the foaming wild sea, as is that which is most certainly and that usually and daily found to be wrought and done by this precious faith in the afflicted conscience, in the perplexed souls and trembling hearts of the distressed servants of God. Who encountering with the temptations of the devil, and wrestling in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God, as for life and death, are sorely shaken with the terrors of God, and blasted with the whirlwind of his displeasure; which is able to drive the whole frame of our nature into extreme misery and utter confusion: especially when Satan with all (taking the advantage of such opportunity) most furiously doth break in upon those distressed hearts with such force and violent rage of his dreadful temptations, as is able to lift the mind off the hinges, and to tear up the very foundations of comfort from the bottom; the storm of temptations being so at the highest, the poor distracted and distressed soul is then as the raging sea that cannot be quiet; but is like to Psal. 88 6. 7. 15. 16. 17. 18. Psal. 69. 14. 15. be overwhelmed and swallowed up in those tempestuous waves which threaten to drown all in the gulf of despair, when neither bank nor bottom can be seen, nor any thing before them but present death and utter perishing: yet if in all this extremity faith can find but any entertainment, and if any way can be made in the heart for the same to have footing, and that place may be given unto it there to work in; so will it keep the heart, the hands, the voice and the eyes upward, as it will keep all safe from drowning, or final miscarrying in the end; and will never give over working in the effectualness of the operation thereof, till it hath obtained help from God, and till safety and deliverance be fully come; till by his help who stilleth the rage of the sea, the noise of the waters Psal. 65. 7. and tumults of the people, these heavy tempests and storms of temptations may be made wholly to cease, and all be made peaceable and comfortable, yea joyful again: assuaging all sorrows, expelling all fears, bringing quietness to the conscience, refresh to the soul, setting the heart at peace with God, and causing that the peace of conscience as a sweet sleep, may fall upon such Rom. 5. 1. tired and wearied souls, that were well near worn up and wasted with distressful griefs and sorrows before, that so they may now return to their own rest again. Psal. 116. 3. 6. 7. These be indeed worthy of the name to be called the fair Havens, into which faith (where it may be allowed Act. 27. 8. to be Pilot) will bring out of the greatest flaws and fearfullest storms (that can happen) the poor distressed soul ready to wrack; that so in all safety at the length, the same may be thrust in here, and most quietly and joyfully again rest therein, as in a most sure haven. These with the like being the effects, which are wrought in the hearts of true believers by this precious faith (even in the hearts of so many, as it can find way and place given unto it to show the operation thereof), they are such as are most worthy both to be marked and to be marveled at: when as in the stead of the horrors of conscience, and the sound of fears which affrighted them before in the times of their troubles, Gods servants are yet again so cheered and comforted in the end, as their change seemeth worthy to be celebrated with the songs of Angels and the rejoicings of men. We wonder at the virtue of the Loadstone that it should ever be pointing at the North-pole, Called Magnes of the great virtue that is in it. and that it should draw so forcibly the heavy iron up to itself, contrary to the natural motion thereof. God hath put this admirable virtue into faith, that it is ever looking unto Christ alone, and pointing us only unto him; it faileth not to draw home most effectually Christ jesus our Saviour into every soul in the which it is placed, and lifteth up again unto him the heart of every true believer (how heavy soever), coupling them together by an union, though true and unseparable, yet every way strange and most unutterable. Faith followeth Christ as doth the flower follow the Sun, which hath the name given it upon the same to be called the flower of the Sun: because it is ever seen turning itself to the Sun, when it doth arise and when it doth decline. Thus doth faith ever turn itself unto Christ, it looketh Gal. 2. 16. after him alone, and after none but him; which worthily is therefore called the faith of Christ, and the faith of his name. This saving grace which cometh from above, Acts 3. 16. and hath his beginning from on high, as it cometh from God, so doth it lead us to God again; it mounteth us above the world, and setteth us upon the power and providence of God, assuredly to look for and steadfastly to believe to have (without failing) all that he hath promised, who speaketh in righteousness and is mighty Isai. 63. 1. to save: it stayeth and settleth the heart from unconstantly wavering and doubtfully staggering or reeling in uncertainty to this side or to that: it is a sure arch-pillar of strength to lean unto, we may be bold with all our weight to stay ourselves by it. Mighty is the working of that faith that is not feigned, to get help and saving from Christ for every soul that hath it: yea so powerful and effectual is the working of it in this behalf, as nothing can stand in the way to hinder it from Christ which it will not remove, nothing can be able to keep it from Christ. It bursteth through all things, not only that we have in ourselves, but whatsoever else is in earth, heaven or hell, until it come to Christ crucified, and to the eternal sweet mercies of God in Christ jesus. Here here is the only resting place thereof, and no where but here. By how much the greater be the unlikelihoods and impediments that lay before faith, by so much the more glorious and excellent doth faith show itself to be in the working thereof, and wrestling to overcome all that stands against; still rising up from under all her burdens, and running on with greater force when it meeteth with lets in the way to stop her course, taking strength ever from resistance. If way be not made for it to get unto Christ, it will make way for itself, whosoever or whatsoever it is that may seem to resist. It is not a poor silly garment, that can stand in the way of it to hinder it from touching Christ to draw virtue out of him, but it will Mark. 5. 27. 28. 30. 34. Luk. 6. 19 Mark. 6. 56. reach through all coats and coverings that Christ can put upon him: he cannot so hide himself under any covering or garment, how strange soever it may seem to be that he may put upon him, but faith will find him out: though he should kill me, yet would I trust in him, job. 13. 15. saith the constant believer. Christ cannot so convey Mark. 7. 24. 25. himself away into any place, or go into other company, Whether shall I go from thy presence, saith David? so of God it may be said, whether shall he go and not be followed and found, of hungering and thirsting souls? and get among the throng and thick of the multitude, but faith will strive and wrestle to come near unto him. He cannot so shut himself within the walls of any house, but faith will break in upon him: if other entry will not be allowed unto it, it will uncover the house and pluck down the tiles, but it will have passage unto him. If Christ be any where upon earth, it will be with him: yea though he hath left the earth, yet faith hath not forsaken him; but it followeth him through the clouds, as Mark. 2. 4. 5. Mark. 6. 31. 32. 33. 1. Pet. 1. 8. it were with the wings of an Eagle, entering the heavens after him. Where Christ giveth it leave to have access unto him, there is no keeping it from him, no force nor violence this way can serve the turn: not armies of men nor troops of soldiers, not closing up in prisons, not castles and holds, be they never so strong, though the walls and the gates were all of brass; not all the force of the world, if it were all joined together against one poor man, were able to keep back from out of the sight of Christ jesus that party, whom and whose case faith hath once undertaken to present and bring before him. The whole world is too weak to strive against faith: for this is our victory whereby we overcome the world, 1. joh. 5. 4. 5. even our faith; yea, all the gates of hell shall never be able Matth. 16. 18. to resist faith, or to prevail against the same: so wondrous is the force thereof in our souls, as by it all things Mark. 9 23. are made possible unto us, whither to suffer or overcome. O most incomparable and victorious grace of faith! that is thus impregnable and unconquerable, which cannot be resisted of any thing, but overcometh all things that it striveth withal. How safe is it with that soul, that this grace doth once inhabit in? How well is it with that man, to whom is ever given the power of believing? for who so findeth this precious faith, findeth life, and hath 2. Cor. 5. 7. Rom. 11. 20. Gal 2. 20. john 3. 36. john 5 24. obtained mercy and favour from God for ever to be saved: by it we walk, by it we stand, by it we live; yea, he that truly believeth, doth so live as he hath now eternal life, & shall never see death; where every one that believeth not, is condemned already. How then is the merchandise of this better, than the merchandise of silver? and the gain of this grace better, than the gain of the finest gold? It is Laeta mercatura fides. Cyrill. a gladsome and merry merchandise to be trafficked about, and a gainful commodity to be got: for he that hath it, hath all things to be his: God for his Father, Christ jesus for his Saviour, the holy Ghost for his Comforter, the Angels in heaven, the Ministers in earth, the world itself, things present and to come; all is his, he is 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. 23. Christ's, and Christ is Gods. What cause is there then, that all should be set awork, to labour about the obtaining and getting of this grace, that is so precious, and even to be rich in this? and that every one do make provision for believing, that true faith do not fail us; that should be all our care. How well may that be spoken of getting faith in particular, which is spoken of wisdom in general Prou. 4. 5. 7. by Solomon in his Proverbs; Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not: wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom with all thy get, get understanding: So may it be truly said, get faith, get the power of believing, forget it not; faith is the principal thing, Heb. 12. 2. Phil. 1. 29. Ephes. 2 8. therefore get faith, and with all thy get, get the grace of true believing. Faith we know is the gift of God, a Faith, God's gift by word. commodity engrossed into his own hand alone, it is not to be had elsewhere at the hand of any other, then only at his hand, whose prerogative royal it is to be the Father of light, from whom every good and perfect gift doth come; james 1. 17. particularly touching this gift of faith, he is known to be the only author, and the only finisher of it. The Ministers of the Gospel, they indeed may be said (as Paul speaketh of himself and of Apollo's) to be Ministers, by whom 1. Cor. 3. 5. the people do believe (God using the ministery of the Gospel, as a powerful means and ordinance of his own, to work faith in the hearts of them that shall believe); but they are not the Ministers of whom, as of the authors of it, the people receive their faith, as though they were Masters & Lords of their faith: which the Apostle elsewhere doth utterly disclaim; but only helpers (as he there speaketh) 2. Cor. 1. 24. of the people's joy. The Ministers in this work, they are indeed labourers and workers together with God: but yet 2. Cor. 6. 1. in an inferior degree, and in such a low place, as the same Apostle saith, they neither are any thing, nor can do any 1. Cor. 3. 7. thing without the Lord, who alone doth all; their labour is but as the labour of them that do plant, and that do water, it is the Lord alone that is the blesser, and he that giveth the increase to come: in saying therefore they are the Ministers by whom the people do believe, he presently showeth how; notwithstanding they came to have their faith, even (saith he) as the Lord gave to every man. 1. Cor. 3. 5. To come then to have faith, we must first attend upon God's ordinance in the ministery of his Word, watching daily at wisdoms gates, & giving attendance at the posts Prou. 8. 33. Isai. 55. 3. of her doors: we must incline our ears and come; we must hear, that our souls may live; faith is said to come by hearing; they that have lost and left hearing, how should they look to find faith, or ever come to believing? Yet this is not all: for have not men heard, and do not men daily hear? Yes verily: for the sound of the Gospel is gone abroad in all the earth, and the Rom. 10. 18. 1. Thes. 3. 2. word of this preaching unto the ends of the world: yet all men have not faith. And the Ministers of the Gospel may take up Isaiahs' complaint again, and say, Lord Isa. 53. 1. Mat. 3. 11. who hath believed our report? Ministers may offer grace to all, but they cannot confer or give grace to any. Paul may speak to the women that resorted to prayer and to preaching; but if God had not opened Lydia's Act. 16. 13. 14. heart to believe what was spoken, they should have gone away as they first came. We must then, beside our hearing, send up to heaven for help in this thing, that we may believe. We must pluck down that power of God by earnest begging, that may strengthen us unto this thing: for it is no easy matter to have faith wrought sound in any man's heart: it is such a work, as standeth in need of no less than the mighty power of God to be set a work about the effecting of it. Which the Apostle knew full well; which made him speak as he doth, when he prayed for the Thessalonians, that God would fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness towards them, 2. Thes. 1. 11. and the work of faith with power. Like unto this, is the manner of his praying for the Ephesians, that God would open the eyes of their understanding, that they might know Ephes. 1. 18. 19 what is the exceeding greatness of the power of God to them that do believe, according to the working of his mighty power. In both which places, for the work of faith in the hearts of believers, he maketh mention of the power of God, the mighty power of God, and exceeding greatness of the power of God, and all but needful: for there is so great an opposition against our believing, and so many lets lying in the way to hinder the working of faith in our hearts, as less than all this would not be sufficient thoroughly to effect it. The heart is bound up so in unbelief; in bonds as strong as bonds of brass, that no power Rom. 11. 32. can possibly loosen them, but the Almighty power of God. The devil holdeth men in so straight a bondage, Heb. 2. 14. 15. and 3. 12. 13. Isa. 61. 1. and doth shut up men's hearts so in unbelief, as none can break in upon the heart to work any faith there, but he, whose power is such as cannot be withstood, and who only can loosen the works of the devil: if the Lord 1. joh. 3. 8. himself do not open the door of our hearts for faith to be got in; even he who only hath the key of the house of David, who openeth and no man shutteth. & shutteth when Apoe. 3. 7. no man can open: all the gates and doors of our hearts are so barred up, that there is no passage for faith to have entrance. The heart is fast locked up in the devils gail of blindness and ignorance, he hath rampired up every Mat. 13. 15. gate there, to keep grace out; he dealeth as enemies that labour the destruction of a place, who take all passages that no victual may be brought, nor help to give them secure. The devil doth thus; he takes the passages of the soul, by which, comfort, knowledge, and grace might be derived unto it, and faith might be there wrought, that would put him to flight. As he blinds 2. Cor. 44. up men's eyes, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ jesus should not shine unto them; so he stops their ears, as with clay, and with earth, that they can listen after nothing but earthly matters, and things belonging unto this life: they hear not God's word; or if they do, they do not regard; they are as the deaf adder that heareth not the voice of the charmer. The devil fitteth Psal. 58. 4. 5. in men's hearts; he hath so erected his throne there, as no grace will be suffered to come in. The only remedy in this case, is to fly to God for succour, to lift up our voices, and cry loud unto him; to importune him by earnest prayer night and day, till help do come. We are to set out our throats and cry; yea with a holy kind of impudency; as did blind Bartimeus, cry out to the son of David, and not hold our peace, that he would have mercy Mar. 10. 47. 48. upon us, and open our eyes that we may receive our sight; not withstanding the devil would keep us still in blindness, we are to bring our deaf ears unto him, that Mark. 7. 32. 33. 34. 35. he may boar them open, that we may hear God's blessed word; and in hearing, may come to believe, that faith may be begotten in us, by that immortal seed of God's everlasting word, and that God himself will become the worker, and the author of this true saving grace of precious faith in us. Neither are we to rest in the first beginnings of this grace, but follow on with our best endeavours, using all good means for the daily increases thereof; plying God still with uncessant prayers, that he who hath been the author, will now also be the finisher of Prayer is the exercise of faith, her recreation, and means to keep it alone. faith in us; that he will bless us with happy growth and increases in this grace, carrying us on from faith to faith. This is that which our Saviour himself hath taught us to do, ever to pray, O Lord increase our faith. We Rom. 1. 17. are to follow herein the example of the poor man in the Gospel, that came to Christ to have his son healed; who showed great faith in his unbelief, in that though he doubted whether Christ could heal his child, yet he Mark. 9 24. believed he could heal his faith; crying with him, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Neither are we to rest in so doing alone, but to do what we can ourselves, that the small How to nourish faith. measure of this grace being once thus begun, may ever be increased, by our more diligent using the means of the Word, Sacraments, & Prayer; stirring it up by meditating, endeavouring, striving, ask, seeking, knocking; when we feel any sparkles of true and lively faith lie glowing in our hearts within, they must be cherished, succoured, and much made of: that holy fire must not be quenched, nor let to go out for want of tending, and blowing up the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 1. 6. coal, as Paul speaketh to Timothy. When we perceive any light of faith to break forth and shine out, we must look well to our lamps, that oil be poured in and be never lacking. When the fire of this burning is once kindled upon the altar of our hearts, every one must do, the office of the Priest to himself, to keep this fire still a burning; and to trim these lights that they may never Exod. 2●. 20. 21 leave shining: yea, this fire is not only to be kept in, but to be blown up and made to flame: prayer is in stead of bellows to the fire; the Word and Sacraments rightly and reverently used, are as oil to make this holy fire to flame; conference with others, and holy meetings with God's servants, for the comforting of themselves together, by the mutual faith both of one and of another (as the Apostle speaketh), are as the bringing together Rom. 1. 12. of firebrands that do set one another a burning; as the two disciples that went to Emmaus said one to another, did not our hearts burn within us, while he was talking to Luk. 24. 32. us? heavenly meditations, as we are alone by ourselves, when the heart is rapt up to heaven, flaming up in the desires thereof, to receive grace from above; they are as a fiery chariot, which carrieth us up with Eliah, from this earth, unto heaven. If after this manner we shall be diligent in using all good means, both for the beginning and increasing of precious and true saving faith in our hearts, and shall be found no way to be wanting to ourselves; God will not be wanting to give his blessing, but do that for us in this behalf, which Paul craved of him in the behalf of the Thessalonians; namely, Fulfil 2. Thes. 1. 11. all the good pleasure of his goodness, and perfect the whole work of faith in our hearts, with power to our eternal salvation in this life; and in that which is to come. CHAP. VII. How men may be mistaken in this point, of their believing, with the use thereof. Question. But may not men be mistaken about this point of their believing, and think they have obtained like precious faith with God's Elect, looking to be saved as soon, and as well as the best (as many may be heard so to speak); and yet miss of all in the end, and fall short of their reckoning, both deceiving others by their so confident boasting, and to their everlasting woe, proving by lamentable experience, that they are worst and most of all deceived themselves? A. Yes undoubtedly; and in nothing sooner than in Many deceived. this, according as there is no one saving grace (though Satan be an enemy to all), against which that vowed enemy of our salvation, doth more bend all his force Satan beguiles with false faith. to the overthrowing of it, where he findeth it to be in truth: or about which that deceiver of the world doth more bear his brain, or set a work his seven heads, to use greater cozenage, or more sleighty working, and cunning craftiness to deceive, then about this one grace of faith: either for the keeping of men from having faith, or caring to have it (if he seethe they be without it); or else in making them believe (when he perceiveth they are of mind that faith is needful to be had), that they have faith without all doubt, and that even of the best and strongest faith that is in the world beside, than the which no better can be had; when their faith scarce hath so much to be seen in it as the very shadow or show of a true faith; or when it is at the best, it is but a counterfeit mocke-faith, even a false feigned faith; which he well knoweth can do them at all no good, nor stand them in any manner of stead. This is his subtlety and devilish policy, with the shows of nothing, to make men believe they have all things; and when they are empty, to think they are full. This is truly said to be one of the chain-shot, wherewith he slayeth thousands upon thousands: and with which (as it were) with the jaw bone of an Ass (Sampson-like) he daily doth make heaps upon heaps. Men are foully and fond deceived, and most childishly cozened by the devil in this point of their believing: which yet is a case of so great weight, and a matter of such importance and consequence, as to be mistaken about it, proveth to be the utter undoing of men, and their final ruin. For altogether lamentable it is to see, that men should trust so much to their broken & bankrupt estate in their soul's affairs; and should so hazard their souls, and bear so great an adventure of their lives for ever, upon the hope of being saved by such a faith as can no way help them, but will utterly fail them in the end. They are like foolish and desperate persons, that dare go to sea in a rotten or riven ship: or like the foolish man, of whom our Saviour speaketh in the Gospel, that buildeth his house upon the sand, looking to be sheltered there, and saved from all harm against every storm; but when the storm cometh & beateth upon his building, all falleth about his ears; and the fall thereof is the greater, by how much the more he hoped, and was conceited in himself that he had built it so strong, as it could never fail him in any need. True and precious saving faith is not so common True faith rare. a grace, nor so easy to come by, as many do think for. There be that do travel as painfully to bring it forth, and do with as great difficulty and hardness come to find and to feel that they have it; as any weak woman by her forest labour when she endureth the sharpest brunts, and strongest pains of travel in childbirth, cometh at the length to bring forth her fruit. So that in respect of their hard coming by it, and the pains they endure for it, and charge that it cost them at the length to obtain it, & become owners of it, it may well be called and reckoned in their account to be indeed precious faith (according as it is in itself, in regard of the inestimable worth that is found to be in it, and of the admirable effects that it causeth, and of the precious fruits that it doth bring forth, it most worthily and deservedly hath that honourable style and title put upon it, to be called precious faith), for it is unto some the price (in a manner) 2. Pet. 1. 1. of their dearest life. And I doubt not but as Rachel having hard labour, died herself when Benjamin was Gen. 35 16. 18. borne: so some may as well die in the throws of the new birth, and pangs and pains of their travel about having faith to be borne, and getting that fruit to be brought forth (which yet being once borne, and so brought forth, will never fail to save them that bear it, though they die themselves in the birth thereof). And therefore in regard of their own feeling, they may seem to have cause with Rachel, to call it their Ben-oni, even the son of their sorrow: though as jacob changed the name of that son whom Rachel called Ben-oni, for the sorrowful travel she brought him forth with, and called him Benjamin: so in regard of the powerful and blessed effects that faith worketh, for the undoubted saving and bringing to eternal life such as truly do believe, he that is the author of this precious faith, and the only true father that hath begot it in them, may justly have it named, not Ben-oni, but Benjamin, that is, the ●●n of strength, against which no power of the enemic can prevail; or the son of the right hand, even such a hand as layeth hold of life, and such life as never will have an end. I know there be a company, who resting upon a vain and false feigned faith; that may be truly said of them, in regard of their speedy and easy coming by such faith (which they yet conceit to be as good as any body's faith is beside), which the Egyptian midwives said of the women of Exod. 1. 19 the Hebrews, that they were not like other women of Egypt, but were so lively, so lusty and strong, as they needed not their help, but were delivered before ever they could come at them. So this sort of people they are delivered of this kind of faith, without any aid of God's Ministers; they are so healthy, so lusty, and so strong, as themselves do deem, that they need none of their help: for they are not acquainted with the pangs of conscience in the new birth, whereby others are hazarded: there being many a poor weak Christian that is seen to lie traveling, to bring out true saving faith in such weakness, as they are ready to faint and give over before ever that can be brought forth and seem to be borne. But these of a sudden, growing great, and swelling big with a windy conceit that puffeth them up, make their reckoning that faith is form in them: they travel indeed about it, but (as the Prophet speaketh) they travel with the wind, and bring out nothing but the Hos. 8. 7. Isa. 33. 11. Psal. 7. 14. whirlwind: they conceive chaff, and shall bring forth stubble; they travel with falsehood, and bring forth a lie; their surest faith being nothing else but most dangerous presuming. There is then great mistaking about this question of faith. Some thinking their faith to be less than it is; and though it be in them in truth, yet that it is not in them at all. Others thinking their faith to be greater than it is, and that they are richly stored therewith, when they are wholly empty of it, and have not of it in quantity so much as is the least grain of mustardseed. Who therefore have no cause to be so secure as they are, and to reckon upon such safety as they do: for undoubtedly their faith so failing them, & they from mistaken grounds deceiving themselves, they cannot but perish in the end, and woefully at the length miscarry for altogether. Q. This then being a matter of so great importance and case, which many times on both sides is so much mistaken (as you have already spoken), me thinks it were worth the labour to have this thing somewhat better scanned upon, for the clearing of the doubts that may arise about the same, And first, where you made mention of some, who think worse of themselves then there is cause; in whom though there is true faith indeed, they yet feel it not to be so, but are as much dismayed, as though they had no faith at all. I desire to hear what you conceive of the estate of such, and what you think may be the reason why faith being given unto them, they yet should not have given unto them the feeling of the same? A. When God the only author and finisher of precious Faith without feeling. and saving faith in all his elect, hath begun to put his hand to this blessed work of giving life and being to this indelible and never-failing grace, till the last end thereof be attained unto, which is the eternal salvation of every soul that hath it: when (I say) God hath once infused this grace into us, and planted it in our hearts, that it hath a true being there, though we be not aware thereof (for God who can work without us, without our merit and desert, without all manner of help and aid from us; can also work within us, without our discerning of his work, or his making us privy to that he is in hand with, or any way acquainting us with what he is a doing, and a working for us, till in his wisdom he seethe it fit and meet to have this made known unto us, for our greater comfort), then and from thenceforth for ever, may it be said of that soul which was said of Zacheus Luk. 19 9 house, after Christ jesus once set his foot within the doors thereof, this day is salvation come into this house: so that day and hour, that instant time wherein faith had any entrance & way made for it to be planted, & to have being in the soul that once hath it wrought therein; it may be said of that soul, this day is salvation come to this soul, and that salvation that will be everlasting: so as it is thenceforth safe for ever, from finally perishing, or ever miscarrying. And the safety of such a soul is as sure by the true being of it, without the sensible ceiling and discerning of such a being, as ever it shall be safe either by the most lively and comfortable feeling of the being of faith. Yea or of the having of that for which faith ever had such being, namely, salvation itself, when we shall be most surely and fully possessed of it in God's kingdom. We are (I say) from that very instant of time as sure to be saved, as if we were saved already and were even now in heaven. It is therefore no small favour from God unto us, when our estate is thus most certainly in itself become an estate of salvation; and most evidently many times discernible so to be by others to whom a spirit of discerning is given: though in like manner, not so believed, so felt or perceived to be by ourselves. And though the Lord for good respects and causes best known to himself, doth see it meet not to exempt us from staggering and doubting, and still calling into question the state of our own salvation: yea letting us abide under great fear and much trembling, lest that we should not at all belong unto him: that so we may give the better diligence to make our election, which is ever sure 2. Pet. 1. 10. in itself, to be also sure to us; yet ought we herein to submit ourselves. And if it shall please him (lest we should become lazy and idle and carnally secure, by knowing too soon, before we are fitted to use well that which in this behalf we so should know, even the certainty of our salvation) to keep us from knowing for a time, that which is and hath been known to himself before 2. Tim. 2. 19 all beginnings; to the end he may set us a work about the more diligent using of all such means, and careful endeavouring to do all such things as are needful to be used, and done by every one for the attainment of salvation: and that not without great fear and trembling also, lest (especially if we should in any respect herein be found wanting) we should miss of our desired salvation in the end. And if he will that, by such our painful endeavours in the discharge of all Christian duties, we shall so work out our own salvation as with our own hands; Phil. 2. 12. that is to say, labour that our own selves may at the length come to know that which always was known to God before; which is that we with the rest of God's elect shall undoubtedly also be saved, that so that salvation may (after a sort) by such our endeavours be wrought out by us: which yet was fully accomplished & wrought out before for us by him, which was thereunto appointed before the world had a beginning; and who therefore came into the world in the fullness of time, that he might become the author of salvation to all that should believe Heb. 5. 9 in him: who is jesus▪ our Lord. Who are we, that we should control the wisdom of our heavenly Father, in thus dispensing out his own gifts, which are always most freely bestowed, and can never by any be deserved? especially seeing the Lord is God only wise, who alone knoweth both what is meetest for the measure; and when 1. Tim. 1. 17. is fittest for the time for any to receive grace from his hands, upon whom it shall be his good pleasure to bestow Why faith is not seen. any grace at all. It is not unknown to the Lord how depraved our nature is, how deeply infected and envenomed we are with most poisonful and deadly corruption; so as it is hard for any grace to be put into us, which we shall not be found to spot and defile: we are apt to abuse not only the gifts of nature which God hath given us; but the supernatural graces also, and gifts of his spirit bestowed upon us: yea even this gift and grace of faith itself, which is a gift of gifts and grace most gracious that God doth bestow upon those, whom he loveth best; then the which none is either more precious or excellent in self, nor none is more sovereign or saving unto us. Which howsoever it hath virtue in it, according to the natural working thereof, to purify our hearts; yet Acts 15. 9 being once placed and planted in our hearts (such is the strength of corruption that it meeteth with there), as it becometh polluted itself, and that with all other graces put into us: as our best works that do go from us, and are done by us, they all by being once in us, and by coming so from us, are but as spotted and polluted Isai. 64. 6. clothes are. Let the Lord bestow this most precious faith upon us, which is called the faith of Gods elect (which Tit. 1. 1. is so precious, as whosoever hath once received it, can never perish afterward), if always upon the first bestowing of it upon us, and at the very first being of faith in us, we should undoubtedly know that we had true saving faith, which is available even in the least measure and degree thereof to save every soul that truly is possessed with it; it were possible, yea and that very likely too (unless we were better aided with a second grace given), that we might abuse this first, so as the knowledge thereof might cause us become negligent in further using good means to attain to greater degrees of faith and increases thereof, because we would think a little would be sufficient and serve our turn well enough. Contrary to that which he that is the author of our faith would have to be done of us, who setteth us a work ever to desire and daily to pray to God for the more increasing of our faith. Even as we are also willed not to be wanting to ourselves in building up and edifying ourselves in our most holy faith. Jude 20. Not without just cause then is it, that the Lord is found to take this usual course with many of his children, whom he full dearly doth love; that in this point of having the assurance of their salvation by the lively feeling of saving faith to be in them, he holdeth them off for a long time before he granteth them herein their desire; though they desire nothing more earnestly, and long for the finding and feeling thereof, even to the very fainting of their hearts; giving to them that which is most needful for them to have (which is faith to be saved), though withholding from them that which might be thought most comfortable for them to have in regard of their own feeling, namely the assurance of faith for salvation. And though the Lord knoweth that such his children desire to know nothing sooner, nor nothing more, then to know themselves to be of that number that are appointed to life and salvation for ever; yet doth he see it fit not to acquaint them too soon with what he either hath done for them, in the free electing of them Eph. 1. 4. before ever the world had any beginning, or what he hath now wrought in them, by putting faith into them, for the making their estate safe for ever, in the matter of their so much desired and longed-for salvation; because he well foreseeth (such is our proneness and readiness to abuse, even God's best favours and mercies bestowed upon us), that if we should know too soon, that all were wrought and made sure by God himself for our everlasting salvation, we ourselves would take little pains to make sure our own salvation to ourselves: whereas the Lord would have this to be the work of every man, that we ourselves should work out our own salvation, as with our own hands, and that not without fear and trembling too. This is a work enjoined unto all, and a duty that is to be done and practised by all, not only of them that are the weakest younglings, that are but as infants in the faith, and babes in Christ; but of those also that 1. Cor. 3. 1. Eph. 4. 13. 14. are the strongest and of ripest age, that are grown men in the faith, and have attained to the greatest degrees therein. For though the Lord (as seemeth best to his wisdom) doth in a differing manner dispense of this grace of saving faith to such, as shall be heirs of eternal salvation: to some he giveth to have a lesser, and to some to have a greater measure therein; some to have great doubting remaining with their true believing; others to be more comfortably persuaded, and at times also most undoubtedly Rom. 8. 38. 39 assured of their obtaining salvation with God for ever; and that with so great a certainty and clearness, as nothing can make them at all to doubt, or call the matter once into question; yet who so hath the greatest assurance of all, hath no such assurance, as will allow him to be carnally secure, or exempt him from passing the time of his 1. Pet. 1. 17. dwelling here infeare, or free him from an awful kind of trembling also, even then when he hath his greatest comfort, and is in the midst of his chiefest rejoicing; seeing these are both coupled and commended unto us to be used together, to serve the Lord with fear, and to rejoice Psal. 2. 11. with trembling: which may occasion the very best never to be idle nor unfruitful in the Christian conversation, never to slack their diligence; by adding virtue to virtue, still to make sure to themselves their eternal election, and never to withdraw their hand from the labour of this blessed work, of ever working out their own salvation, and that not without some fear and trembling also. Which if they should be wanting in, and fail to do, and by abusing the assurance they have at one time become secure at another, growing to presume by an overweening that should be within them; there is no such promise to be found in the whole book of God made to any, that are most preferred in God's favour, and that have allowed them the best assurance that may be, of their salvation The strong faith may have fears and doubts. for ever: but through such default, that assurance may be overtaken with fear and trembling again; yea, with a horrible fear coming upon them, and they shaken with another manner of trembling, then before would have been sufficient, and have served the turn. We read of no man's faith better graced, or more secured, or unto which greater promises were made, even by our Saviour himself, than was the faith of Peter, and profession that he made thereof; which was not only approved of by him, but Peter was pronounced blessed for the same out of Christ his own mouth, and the same secured by a most gracious promise made thereunto; that Mat. 16. 16. 17. 18. the gates of hell should never prevail against it. Howbeit, when Peter began to presume, and to have an overweening Mark. 14. 31. 37. 38. 68 70. 71. of himself, when he became careless and secure, neglecting by prayer and watching to safeguard his faith, he entered into tentation, his faith was dangerously winnowed, and most soarely shaken. David, who was a man of an invincible courage, and of a most noble and heroical spirit, a man of that resolution, and so strongly holding fast the confidence of the hope he had in God, as he cared not for thousands, nor ten thousands of them Psal 3. 6. that should set themselves against him; who feared not, though he should walk through the valley of the shadow Psal. 23. 4. 6. dow of death; but reckoned, that goodness and mercy should follow him all his days, and that he should dwell under God's protection in his house for ever. All this was during such time as he kept his integrity, and continued his diligence and pains taking in such religious exercises and holy endeavours, whereunto he had been wont to enure himself; which made grace so happily to grow in him, and his comfort so greatly to abound: But when he once came to give overt is so blessed a course, and began to grow careless and negligent in the best things, setting himself to seek after his sinful pleasures, and the satisfying of his lusts; when in his prosperity his heart began to be lifted up, & by an overweening of his estate promised unto himself, and presumed that he should never be removed: then God hide his face, and withdrew his Psal. 30. 6. 7. comforts from him, and how then became he troubled? then were the joys that he was wont to have in God utterly Psal. 51. 8. 11. 12 to seek; then in stead of all that confident and comfortable boldness he was wont to have in his heart, fearfulness and trembling began to come upon him, and an horrible fear to overwhelm him; then began the Psal. 55. 5. arrows of the Almighty to be shot at him, which stuck so fast in his sides, that he was made to roar out for the Psal. 38. 28. very disquietness of his soul; then he that was wont to call others to praise God for his mercies, began to doubt of God's mercies for himself, whether they were not come wholly to an end; whether he were not cast off for ever, Psal. 31. 22, which in his haste he did not stick both to think, and also to speak. Yea, that great Apostle Paul himself, that elect and chosen vessel of the Lord, who so gloriously did triumph and insult over all the greatest enemies of Rom 8. 33. 34. 35. 37. our salvation that we have; challenging them all to do their best and their worst, for doing us any harm; and shutting up that whole matter with that great assurance of faith, that constant resolution, that full and undoubted persuasion, that there was nothing present, nor to come, that ever should be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus; he was not void of all manner of weakness, he was not freed from all kind of fearing and trembling; but as have other the servants of God, he had also his weakness which he could not be freed from: when Satan's messenger was sent to buffet him, though he 2. Cor. 12. 7. 8. prayed earnestly unto God for the removing of the same: he felt that strength of natural corruption at sometimes Rom. 7. 24. overmastering him, that made him cry out of himself, as of a most miserable man: He served the Lord in all humility Acts 20. 19 at Ephesus (as himself saith) with many tears and temptations: he professeth, he was among the Corinthians in 1. Cor. 2. 3. weakness, in fear, and in much trembling: he saith, when he was come into Macedonia, he had no rest in his flesh, but was troubled on every side: he met with fightings without, 2. Cor. 7. 5. and felt terrors and fears within: he had care, and took pains as well as do other the servants of God, to look to the main point of the safety of his own salvation, by taming and keeping under his own body, and bringing it into 1. Cor. 9 27. subjection; left by any means when he had preached unto others, he himself should become a castaway. It is not for None must be secure. any then (let their assurance be what it will be) to cast off all manner of fear or care, but let every one that thinketh he standeth, take heed that he fall not: nay, he that standeth indeed, and standeth by faith, yet let him listen to the counsel given by the Apostle, thou standest (saith he) by Rom. 11. 20. faith, be not highminded, but fear. Though such cannot fall finally away, and their faith fail for altogether; yet may they fall so fearfully, and into such a decay of their faith, as in regard of their own feeling, the comfort of their faith may be wholly gone and lost for a time: yea, and it is possible (so lamentable may their fall be), that for so great a degree of assurance of faith and measure of comfortable feeling, as they had before, they shall never have again; nor during their whole lifetime fully recover all their losses, which they have sustained by so woefully falling. And who would not fear and tremble, if it were but at the thoughts of this thing, that through a man's own careless negligence, such a case as this may too truly befall him? This then is the work which every one, be he weaker or stronger in the faith, must be ready to put his hand unto, and must never be willing to pull his hand from it again, after he hath once begun to fall a working, namely, to work out with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. his own salvation. Not that the salvation of any doth depend upon the work and labour of his own hand; for it is a thing put out of all question, that no man can redeem his own soul, or make agreement with God for his sin: it cost more to redeem a soul, than the whole world ●ither hath, or is worth beside; so that he must l●t it alone for over. God in his infinite love hath provided Psal. 49 7. 8. us a redeemer, and sent us into the world a mighty Saviour, Heb. 7. 25. that hath been perfectly able by himself alone to save all that will come to God by him; and this work he hath fully finished, and so hath perfected and accomplished this work of our salvation, as in itself it is most safe and sure. But he that hath thus purchased and prepared salvation for us, howsoever he keepeth in his own hand Coloss. 3. 3. that, which he so dearly hath bought and paid for; yet hath he prescribed and appointed a way, which must be taken of us for the coming by it, if ever we desire to have the comfort of the fruition of it; he hath set us a race 2. Tim. 47. 8. Phil. 3. 13. 14. to run, and a course for us to finish, at the end where of he hath laid the crown of righteousness, and this eternal salvation, as a rich recompense of reward for the travel that shall be taken therein: but so, as except that race be run all out, and that course be fully finished▪ there is no looking Heb. 12. 1. for any to be saved. Every one therefore must fit himself with the Apostle, so to run as he may obtain, endeavouring 1. Cor. 9 24. with him to sight a good sight, to finish his course, and to keep the faith; and so he may make reckoning to wear the crown, when thus he hath won it by such a 2. Tim. 2. 5. lawful kind of striving. Q. Seeing you have rendered this as a probable reason, why the Lord doth many times withhold from some of his children the comfortable feeling of that saving grace of precious faith, which by the work of his spirit he hath once wrought in them, and shall never more (till salvation itself be obtained) be taken from them, though they cannot so feel and apprehend the same: namely that they might hereunto give all diligence to make their election sure, and by their painful endeavours work out their salvation, even with fear and trembling. And seeing upon this occasion you have begun to show how needful a work this is for every one (without exception of any, be they stronger or weaker) to put his hand unto, and diligently to be employed about. I pray you before you go from this point, show somewhat more particularly, what is to be done by every man that would work out his own salvation, thereby the better to get comfort to his heart, and to secure and sustain the faith that is in him whereby he believeth, or desireth to believe better, to be saved in the end? A. This is the work and travail that every such a one must principally set himself about, and never give What is to be done for getting more feeling of faith. over to be laborious and painful therein. First and above all things he must take pains and bestow labour about his faith. If he thinks he hath it not, he is by all possible means to seek to get the feeling of it, and to get daily increases in it: and when he hath once obtained it, his labour must be no less to keep and maintain the same Jude 3. , that it may not fail him in his greatest need. This is said to be the work of God, and the chiefest work that he john 6. 29. would set us about, if we would have the question answered from out of Christ's own mouth. When faith is thus gotten and well provided for, then is he forth with to join virtue with his faith, and to learn the course and 2. Pet. 1. 5. way of a godly life; standing and inquiring after the old jere. 6. 16. way, which is the good way that he may walk forward in it; doing wisely in that perfect way, by setting strait steps to his feet; still walking before God in the uprightness Psal. 101. 2. Prou. 4. 26. of his heart; and ever pondering the path of his feet, seeing that all his ways be ordered aright. And having Matth. 24. 13. thus well begun, he is to hold out to the end without any letting, still labouring to increase more and more, as he hath received how to walk and please God: that his way 1. Thes. 4. 1. in well doing may be as the way of the light, which shineth clearer and clearer till the perfect day come. He is to Prou. 4. 18. labour lustily in putting forward himself, evermore gathering strength as he goeth on in his way, till he hath finished the whole task that is put upon him, and till all may be done that is required of him. For which purpose let him look upon that worthy leader that hath so well led the way before him, and so follow on, doing herein as he hath him for an example: (I mean the Apostle Paul) let him ever forget the things that are behind, Phil. 3. 13. 14. and reach forth and strain on to the things which are before, pressing hard towards the mark, and contending with all his might for the price of the high calling of God: never turning head for any opposition of enemies, that will (like as did the Amalekites) come out to make resistance, and seek to let and stop him in the way from going on in such a course: but arming himself with the armour of righteousness (on the right hand and on the 2. Cor. 6. 7. 1. Tim. 6. 12. 2. Tim. 1. 8. left) be always provided to fight that good fight of faith, and make ready to partake in the afflictions of the Gospel, since none can make reckoning without suffering persecutions to hold out in well doing. And thus having 2. Tim. 3. 12. finished all things, and overcome the whole labour of this worthy work in working out his own salvation, let him be assured that when his work is well brought to an end; then shall his full felicity most happily begin, then shall the wages of his work be fully paid him, and that recompense of reward be given that will fully answer all the expectation of his hope, and far go beyond all that ever he could look for too; then shall he receive the full end of his faith, even the fruition of that salvation whereof before he had the promise. And faith being thus come to an end, from believing he shall come to having, and to enjoying of that which he believed, even his promised salvation, and that eternally in God's kingdom. Q. This is indeed a happy end of a hard labour, and a royal amends for all pains that have been taken in the Christian course, all the days of a man's life time: but what is this to the strengthening of a man's faith, or to the furthering of his comfort while he doth line? or how doth it help a man to better assurance of his salvation against fear and doubting? A. Yes doubtless; this work yieldeth sweet comfort, it will quit well all the cost of whatsoever pains shall be taken about the same; a man may very comfortably reap and eat the fruit of these his holy labours, even all the while he is in the travail of them; who working the work of God, by labouring to believe for the obtaining of salvation, and joining virtuous living with his true believing, the more laborious he is in taking pains about this work, and the better it is wrought, the more doth his comfort increase: (the confidence of his hope ever growing stronger, as his life is found to be made better), if to faith be added virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (several labours to be bestowed about the ending and finishing up of the whole and great work of our salvation): if 2. Pet. 1. 5. 6 7. 8. 10. these things be in you (saith the Apostle Peter) and abound, as you shall not be idle and unfruitful, so shall you be sure never to fall. There is a common and most dangerous disease that taketh hold of the whole stock and race of all mankind, wherewith all are tainted and infected without exception of any (he only being excepted, that is higher than the heavens, and ever separated from sinners); which is the harder to be helped, because it is an hereditary evil, and we have taken it from our parents. We all are sick of that sore disease of the falling Falling sickness. sickness; we are in danger of falling in every place; we know not where, we know not when, nor we know not how we may fall. How would men troubled with that kind of disease make of a receipt, that were good against the falling sickness to keep them from falling? Peter hath here given us such an excellent receipt, as will make a preservative remedy most sovereign to keep us from falling: we may be bold upon it the better, and the more comfortably receive it from his hands, because he that prescribeth it was one that was sick of the disease himself, and that fell grievously, and yet was cured of it. The remedy is made of these simples that are here set down. How then are these graces worthy the looking after, that we may gather them and get them (the greater quantity is ever the better), and put them all together, that they may have their kindly working in us, and we by them may so work in our own salvation? How comfortable is the labour we take about them in daily practising of them, since Peter doth warrant us that so long as we are found so doing, we shall be sure never to fall? If after this manner than we shall keep a working, we see that good assurance may be gotten by our so doing, and we shall be sure comfortably to work out our own salvation, till that which is most sure in itself be also fully assured unto us. The further a man goeth holding on this course, and keeping still his hand at this blessed labour, as his salvation doth still gather upon him, and is much nearer unto him then when he first believed; Rom. 13. 11. so doth he by thus proceeding gather also upon his own salvation, and fasteneth every day better hold upon the same: for to be more undoubtedly assured of obtaining it in the end, so that the longer he thus liveth, the more comfort he still reapeth, and the more groweth he to be setledly confirmed in that that he first believed. Q. But if the working out of our own salvation, after the manner as you have spoken, would bring us any comfort, or further increase our assurance of salvation: why doth the Apostle add, that we must do it in fear and trembling? A. That fear and trembling which the Apostle there Fear and trembling needful. speaketh of, is not contrary to the boldness of faith, or to the assurance of salvation, and of God his unchangeable election: whereby those that are once known to be the Lords, are sure for ever to remain his: but dependeth rather upon these, and is to be joined with the same. For as the salvation of the faithful is safe and sure in itself: so hath the Lord appointed, that in such as shall be saved by means of this awful fearing and trembling, which as a double bridle holdeth them hard in, and keepeth them from sinning, and by this careful endeavouring and working the things that are good and meet to be done; both that same assurance of salvation shall be ever maintained in itself, and likewise be made the more sure unro them that are most strict to hold on in this course, and keep themselves close within the compass of these lists and limits thus set them, without daring once wilfully to adventure any way to break out of them. This fear and trembling may well have (and indeed aught to have) this good and holy use to humble us, and to breed a watchful circumspection and care over ourselves in all our ways, and cause us by a holy jealousy of the hidden corruption that is within us, and of the many infirmities that hang about us, to prevent the danger of those sins that otherwise we might fall into: but not wholly to dismay us, or put us out of heart, which might enfeeble our hands to go on with this work. This should work a care that may drive away security, not a fear to take away the boldness of faith; but a fear of falling into sin, lest thereby we should offend our merciful father, and he hiding his countenance, we should then become troubled, and lose our former comfort: not a fear of falling from grace, and from out of God's favour for ever, that so he should take his mercy from us for altogether. Fear and trembling in the working out of our own salvation may stand us in this stead, the better to look about us, that nothing be wanting which is necessary in this respect to be done, lest we should fail in the end, and fall short of our reckoning. When we have once begun to take up this course, and are entered upon that way that should bring us to life and happiness; or passing on with fear and trembling as we are a going, may become a good means to cause us to set strait steps, and make even Heb. 12. 13. paths to our feet, lest that which is halting should be turned out of the way. They may well serve as two sharp spurs to both our sides to prick us forward, and cause us to travel the harder, & ply us the faster, making speed in our way, lest we should be cast too much behind; or so run, that we should not obtain. Our case by our sinning, and by God's mercy providing a remedy to save us from perishing (if we will look out for it in time) is not unlike the case of one among the jews, that had unwillingly slain a man, and Gods merciful indulgence unto such a one for the saving of him, by appointing Cities of Deut. 4. 41. 42. refuge for him to fly unto, that there he might be rescued and saved out of the hands of the revenger of blood: now we may well think there was no need to bid such a man run to that City; for if he were taken before he came thither, he was in danger to be slain: and though he ran toward that City never so fast, yet we may easily conceive he ran not without fear and trembling all the way as he ran, lest the revenger of blood should have over taken him before he should have gotten thither. So is it with us; Christ is our only refuge and propitiation 1. joh. 2. 1. 2. for our sins: if we be taken out of Christ, we are lost for ever. Should we not ply us then with all possible haste to get us unto Christ; and labour with the Apostle, above all things in the world to take such a course as we may be found in him, not having our own righteousness, but Phil. 3. 9 the righteousness which is by faith in his name? Now who shall be found to be in Christ, but those that shall be found walking in this good way; not walking after the Rom. 8. 1. flesh, but after the spirit? have we not cause then by faith to get us into this way with all the speed that may be, and to ply us as fast on in it after we be once entered, as possibly we can? and will any blame us if we do not all this without fear and trembling, seeing there is so much danger on every hand? For if either we should mistake the way at our first entering, or go out of the way again after we had once well begun, or slack our pace as we are a going, that heaven gate should be shut before we come, all were lost with us, and we were utterly gone; if we had a thousand lives they would perish all without any redemption. Is not fear and trembling then worthily remembered by the Apostle in this case; and not without great need commended unto us, which are so good helps for us, and fit means to remedy all this, that will not suffer us to abide secure, but stir us up with all carefulness to look well about us in every respect? And where it is conceived that such fearing and trembling would hinder our Christian rejoicing, and dash all our comfort; let me add this for a conclusion about this point; that as the sweetest joys do many times spring out of the bitterest griefs, and out of the lowest bottoms of the deepest sorrows, the highest springs of the liveliest and most lasting comforts do oftentimes fall out to be found and fetched forth: so out of this fear and trembling, lest in any thing we should be wanting that were needful to be done for our attaining to salvation, a most comfortable boldness and most assurance of our firm standing in the state of grace and salvation, will at the length be fetched and wrought out as by a strong hand. For what should make us to doubt or cause us to fear any more, if God's spirit hath pronounced peace to all such as walk according Gal. 6. 16. to the rule that himself hath set down for their direction, giving his word and promise that there shall be no condemnation to such, as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. And our own consciences which have been witnesses with us in all our ways, are ready to comfort us in this behalf, and to say for us, that such hath been our most usual and most ordinary course: who shall then stand up to make us afraid; or what should hinder the stableness of our comfort, and the assurance of our peace? Nay, having warrant from God to go with this message, and to say to him that walketh in his righteousness, it shall be well with him: I would meeting Isa. 3. 10. with such, greet and salute them: as did the children of Benjamin greet and encourage David, saying, Thine are we O David, and with thee thou son of Ishai, Peace, 1. Chro. 12. 18. peace be unto thee, and peace to all thy helpers, for thy God helpeth thee. CHAP. VIII. How faith is discerned, and the true being thereof made manifest, both to the believer himself, and to others. Question. NOw if it please you to return again to your former speech you were in hand with, I would be glad to hear somewhat more of that point: how faith (which you have said) may have a being in a man's heart, when yet it is not felt, cometh at all to be discerned; and how at length the true being thereof may be made manifest? A. When the seed of God his Word, which is immortal How faith is discerned, and abideth ever, whereof this precious faith is begotten, is once sown in our hearts, and becometh so blessed there, and prospered from above, as it shooteth out this blessed bud, and causeth this pleasant plant of saving faith (how tender soever it may appear to be at the first), to spring up as from a most sure lasting and lively root, full of sap and good nurture, so to feed and cherish it always, as it can never die afterward, till we be saved. In whom it is so planted, that this saving faith hath once given unto it a sound beginning of the true being thereof, that it is now habituated and incorporated into the mind of the true believer (which is called the first act of faith); when (I say) we once become to have the habit of this grace put into us, and sound planted and seated in our hearts: the knowledge of this (if it can be truly discerned, and undoubtedly fastened upon), is questionless the surest and safest to trust unto, for them that are able to find out such a work thus to be wrought in them: for this work being once done, is never to do again, because it cannot be undone for ever any more; for such grace once truly had, never faileth the haver afterward, it being a part of the regeneration and newbirth of a Christian, whereby power is given unto him to become the Son of God; now once borne the child of God he remaineth so ever, he is no more to be borne again the second time: even as Baptism (the outward Sacrament of the newbirth) is once only administered, and so is sufficient for all our whole life time, and is no more reiterated at any time again. But though this be the surest, yet because it is the hardest to find out, otherwise then by the second act, which is the more lively and effectual working of this grace, the same is most evidently and manifestly discerned and made known, to have a true and lively being in that subject, wherein so effectually it is seen to have that manner of working. Even as it is a far readier and easier way for one to know in himself, or make manifest to another that he hath life in him, and is indeed a living man; by speaking, by walking, by working, and doing the actions of one that is living: then by the apprehending the time of his first conceiving or quickening in the womb; or of his first entering into the world when he was new borne. Therefore it is usual in the Scripture for men to be directed in this case, to find out and manifest their faith by the fruits and works that it doth bring forth: to discern the sureness of their graces, by the effectualness of their operation, and by the soundness of all that which is seen to come from them: every man being willed to consider his own ways in his heart, and to look upon the works of his hands, and thereby to give judgement how the case doth stand with him as touching his salvation. Which is an easy way of trial, and ready course taken to find out this matter by: for even a blind man will truly judge by the effects which he can sensibly feel, the certain and undoubted being of such a thing as necessarily doth cause such effects as he so doth feel, though in regard of his blindness he cannot see the same thing, nor discern where it should be. As bring him to the fire, and let him feel the heat thereof, he will as certainly apprehend, and as undoubtedly conclude that there is fire, as those that by seeing it, are able by their sight best of all to discern it. And otherwise without a feeling of some manner of the working of faith, I think it to be most rare and difficult for any to find that he hath faith in himself at all. I deny not but faith may have a being, where the working of it is not felt; but so long as the working of it is not felt, I hold that the being of it is not found; and doubtless true and saving faith Faith may be without feeling. hath no sooner given unto it a true being at all, than it hath also given unto it some kind of acting and working together with the being at the very same time, though not always seen. For it is a living and a lively faith, and not a dead faith, which must be a saving faith: now in every thing that hath the being of it in life, there is an act of living in that thing that hath such a being: and as the Apostle saith, that works are to faith, as is the spirit and jam. 2. 26. breath of life to the body: and concludeth thereupon, that as the body without the spirit is dead; so faith, without some kind of working and operation, is dead also. It is true a body may have life remaining in it, though the spirit and breath of life cannot be seen nor perceived to have any stirring or motion at all in the same; but than that remaining of life, and being in this world in such a body, is neither found nor felt by itself, but in such an ecstasy seemeth to itself to be as in another world; neither is judged by others that look upon it, to be otherwise then if it were truly dead, and had no life at all in it: and yet for all this such a party having his life still remaining in him, may recover and get strength again. Thus may it far with saving faith in the heart of a true believer, it may have such weakness come upon it, such faintness and feebleness may overtake it, it may fall into such an exstacie, and into such qualms and swoonings away, that shall so stint the sensible working thereof, as no remainder of the life of it, by any working that can be perceived to come from it, may either be felt by the haver, or any way discerned by the beholder that standeth & looketh upon such a weak Christian so fallen & fainted away; and yet for all that, true faith is always living faith, having ever the truth of life, and being remaining in it, though many times with much fainting, yet never wholly failing for altogether. Q. But if I may be so bold as to lead you on a little further in this digression from your former speech, before you return to it again; I demand (if it be possible, that it may far thus with saving faith in the heart of a true believer, that it may remain in life and being, when there can be perceived no manner of operation and working to come from the same), how that will stand true which you affirmed before, that faith hath no sooner given unto it to have life and being, than it is also in hand with some kind of action and working, which do never cease so long as that remains to be: for what kind of working can you show faith to be in hand withal then, when it is in such a case, as lastly was mentioned and set down? A. Even the work of living, as I said before, it is in hand with the continuing of the act of life, till life itself shall cease to be (for life so long as it lasteth, is a continued act of that that so hath life in it), and beside by this means of the living of it that is in hand, with another most blessed and happy work of the preservation Weakest faith saveth. of the soul in which it liveth, that it may keep that safe from perishing for ever, so long as that may have any abiding and remaining in the same. The living and being of precious faith, how weakly so ever, it doth live in the heart of a true believer, standeth that soul in as great stead (so long as it abideth in it) as doth the spirit of life, or the lively spirit stand the body in stead so long as it remaineth and abideth in the same: which being that golden clasp which handfasteth the soul with the body, keepeth the body from being a dead carcase; and is as salt to keep the body sweet (so long as it abideth in it) from stinking, rotting and corrupting, which quickly otherwise it would do, if it were once dissolved and gone from out of the same. So doth true and saving faith, which is the golden button and clasp of our souls, that claspeth and handfasteth us unto Christ, and will never let go the hold that it hath of him, till he hath taken us to himself, and set us safe in his kingdom, past all peradventure of more miscarrying. So long as this faith liveth and hath any being, it assuredly preserveth that soul, in which it so liveth, from all possibility of ever perishing; yea though it should abide in the heart of a true believer in all such weakness, as before was spoken of, until the very time of the dissolution of the soul and the body; and that a true believer should die in all that weakness and feebleness of his faith: yet were it not possible that such a believer could miscarry, because he dieth in Christ his faith, holding him fast in Christ, and holding Christ fast to him; faith being of that nature that having once taken hold of Christ, in the greatest weakness that can come upon it, it never letteth go the hold it hath taken (though being benumbed for a time by some disease of tentation, it may not feel the hold it truly hath), till that soul be saved that once hath entertained it, and had it abiding and dwelling therein; it dieth not in death, till it seethe that soul that so hath it to be put into life. And to show yet further, how mighty and powerful this grace is to save every one that doth truly believe, it dealeth with us and for us towards Christ in the office that it hath to save us by Christ, as Christ himself dealeth for us towards God his Father, in being our Mediator, that we might be brought to God by him. Now we know he never will give over the office of his Mediatorship for us, till having finished all things for the perfecting of the work of our full salvation, putting down and subduing all the enemies that we have unto the very last of them all which is death; drawing up all his members even to the last and to the least that belong to his body, himself being the head, that all together may be glorified with him; and then shall be the end of this his office of Mediatorship in the manner as now he doth execute the same, and never till then: when the kingdom shall be delivered up even to God the Father, and he himself as Mediator become subject unto 1. Cor. 15. 24. 28. him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all: we being inseparably joined to him, and unto God by him, that so we may reign for ever in his kingdom. After some such manner doth precious faith, which is the faith of Gods elect, discharge the office assigned unto it. Christ is the only Saviour of mankind, there is no name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, Acts 4. 12. but only by him; he alone by himself hath fully perfected and finished that work of our salvation, and by the price of his blood hath purchased eternal redemption for us at the hands of God his Father. The benefit of this purchased redemption is effectually communicated only to such as do truly believe: whom he mindeth to bestow salvation upon, he never faileth to give faith unto, that they may have a hand to receive that which he hath a heart most freely and willingly to bestow: the office of faith is to apprehend Christ, and never more to let him go: to lay hold of salvation which Christ bringeth with him, and never to see it lost till the soul be set safe for ever, into which for this purpose it is once put, and wherein it was wrought at the first. Faith is most faithful in discharging all the trust that is thus committed unto it; and performeth to the full, the office that it is appointed unto: for which cause it setteth upon our enemies that would let our salvation, and never giveth them over, till it hath subdued them: it repelleth what would hurt us; it removeth out of our way what would hinder our good; it feareth not our arch enemy, the devil himself, but courageously Power of faith. and stoutly it dareth set upon him, and encounter him, and buckle with him, and faileth not to foil him, and in the end most valiantly and victoriously to triumph over him, conquering him in the combat, and forcing james 4. 7. 1. Pet. 5. 9 him to flight: it dareth take the whole world to task, & overcome it too in the end; for this is the victory whereby Eph. 5. 4. we overcome the world, even our believing: it stoppeth so the mouth of the Law, and putteth sin so to silence, that they can have nothing to say against us: it justifieth the soul in which it is, and setteth it at peace with God: it bringeth us unto Christ, and so ingrafteth us into him, as it suffereth us not evermore to be separated from him by any kind of dis-union that can happen: it purifieth and purgeth the heart while we live: it comforteth and cheereth the heart, when we come to die: it once being entertained of us, abideth with us for our safety and comfort, even to the end: it never giveth us over, so long as we have a day to live; and when death that must part us doth appear, it yieldeth not to death, till we be be put into life; and lets us not go, till it hath resigned us up unto Christ, who then taketh us to himself for ever out of the hand of faith, Thus faith having finished the whole work of our salvation, that was to be done by it, and brought it to so happy an end, it than taketh a most sweet and happy farewell of us for ever after, as not being able any more to stand us in any further stead. Oh happy and blessed work of faith, that it thus doth work for us! Oh grace most gracious and precious indeed of saving faith, which being once given to the Saints, they can never value the worthiness of the gift that is so given, nor the good will of the giver, that most freely hath bestowed it, who can never be enough loved of us, nor his name sufficiently magnified by us, and praised for the same! Q. I will withhold you no longer, by moving any further questions hereabout; nor draw you any further away from going on to speak your judgement about that matter you were in hand with; namely, how faith which is a spiritual grace, that is inwardly seated and ro●ted in the heart, cometh yet at the length to be plainly discerned, and made manifest. But I desire to know further your mind in this, what you think to be the readiest and best course for a man to take, that is desirous to work out his own salvation, and m●k● his election sure, whereby to find out that he hath sauin●●aith, even that precious faith, which is the faith of Gods elect? A. I find, that the most general course in the Scriptures throughout, taken by the Spirit of God himself (who is only wise, and searcheth the heart and the reins, and knoweth all men thoroughly both behind and before, within them and without them, what they are in most exact manner, so as nothing can escape his knowledge), when he would make the hid things of man's heart manifest, Usual trial of faith is by life, not heart. and would make men either known to themselves, or manifest them what they are unto others, or would overcome them himself, and convince them to be such, as he doth challenge them for, and charge them to be, what time he doth enter into plea with them, or hold and maintain any controversy against them; that then his course is to put this more upon the trial of such men's lives, then upon the disposition of their hearts; more to stand upon what is seen to come from them, then to stand arguing the case, whether it be true that they say they have, or have not this or that virtue or vice within them. Like as it will also be the course, that the righteous judge of the whole world will take in that great assize (according as himself in part hath made it known aforehand unto us); when all men shall be made to appear, and shall be put upon their last trial, even the trial of life and of death, the trial will pass, and the judgement will be given upon them, either for guilty or guiltless, not so expressly according to what hath been in their hearts, as according to what hath appeared in their lives, and what hath been found to have been the deed and works of their hands, as namely, he telleth us, they that have done john 5. 29. good, shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil unto everlasting fire; and it will be said, go you cursed, Mat. 25. 34. 41. you gave me no meat, you did not visit me: come you blessed, you fed me, and you clothed me. And this is that which the Apostle also saith, we must give an account, 2. Cor. 5. 10. according to that we have done in our bodies. He saith not, according to that we have had dwelling, and abiding in our hearts: for the plain manifesting of the one will be sufficient and enough, to make the other well enough known: So that though we are not justified by our works, yet shall we be judged by them, they being the infallible testimonies of our unfeigned faith in Christ jesus; and though works do not justify us, yet works do justify that, that must justify us, even our faith by which we believe to be saved; that it is a lively faith, and a faith that is not feigned: therefore doth james bring forth his works to manifest his faith by, as the directest course that can be taken, and the most ready to have faith made known by. Now if any think he can do otherwise, and without works get his faith, to which he trusteth to be manifested and made known to be God; he calls him forth to do his best, in showing how that can be performed: show me (saith he) thy faith without james 2. 18. works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Which he so speaketh, not that any can possibly do it, but that their folly may the rather be laid open, and the more discovered that so do think it. They be the works which come from faith, that must both show faith, and justify it to be true. Faith is operative, and worketh by love: if any will find out faith, let him seek after the measures Gal. 5. 6. of his love to God, and to his Saints. If any would know whether he be elect or no to eternal life, let him gather the knowledge thereof from the effectualness of his calling and sanctification of his life: for by these Pcter leadeth the Christians as by the hand to the finding it 1. Pet. 12. out. We must not soar aloft, to know whether or no we be elected. If any man would know whether the Sun shineth or no, let him look upon the ground, to see the reflection of the Sunbeams from thence, and not upon the body of the Sun, which will but dazzle the more his sight. As than we gather the cause by the effect, the pattern by the picture, and by the form of a seal printed in wax, we easily understand what is the very form and fashion of the seal itself: so by the true and proper effects of lively faith, we conclude the existence and being of true faith itself; and the same effects like seals, do imprint and stamp the image of God's election in us. Q. But may not faith as well be found out by the causes which causeth faith, as by the effects which faith worketh and bringeth forth. As for example, the publication of the promises of the Gospel made to poor sinners, calling all that are weary and heavy laden with the burden of their sins to come to Christ, promising they shall be eased, and promising that all that do believe in Christ, they shall never perish, but have everlasting life; and withal commanding us, that we do believe in the name of jesus Christ, the Son of God. 1. john 3. 23. Now if with the publishing of such promises out of the Gospel preached and declaration of such acommandement given, the Spirit of God (who is the only efficient cause and worker of this grace), shall be pleased to join his own working with the word of that preaching and so open a door of faith to the poor sinner that heareth such promises, as he shall not only assent unto them, but lay hold of them also, and assume them to himself, and taking God at his wora, believe indeed that he shall have his sins pardoned, and his soul for ever saved. May not a poor sinner so believing find out this way, that he hath true faith indeed, without any further enquiring, or making any more question about the same? A Yes doubtless, and no way better than thus, if so be he Faith known by causes. can after this manner, apprehend and feel that so he doth believe, for now he hath set his foot upon that rock, that will never fail under him, but bear up his whole building, and give him a sure standing for his faith to rest upon, now hath he come to the very ground work of his believing, and hath laid open to himself the foundation to the bottom, whereupon his faith is set so firm & sure, that it is not possible it shall be moved to the overwhelming thereof for evermore. And therefore he may comfortably cheer up his heart (as did the Apostle) against every object of fear or discomfort, that might stand before him at any time to dismay him, and say with him, I am not ashamed, neither do I pass at all for this, for I 2. Tim. 1. 12. know whom I have believed▪ and upon what I have grounded my so believing; and I am persuaded, that he that hath thus promised, is both able and faithful to do that he hath promised, and that he will also perform it. But if it be well marked, this faith even by this search, is not found out by the causes alone, but by that which is caused by it, and by that which it is in hand with to effect, and work in the heart of that believer in whom it is so wrought; for it is in hand with this work, to bring the sinner to his Saviour, to join the soul that hath sinned to Christ that hath saved it, by an unseparable union, that shall never more be parted: yea, to take such hold of Christ, as he may dwell in that heart for ever. And can there be a greater, a more powerful, or more comfortable work wrought by faith in a man's whole lifetime, than this handfasting of Christ, and the believer once for ever together? and can there a more blessed effect ever flow from faith, then so to apprehend Christ by our believing in him, that now with Peter we do so believe and know him to be our Saviour, as we can go away rejoicing, and chant it out with the Spouse, in that Song of Songs, My beloved is mine, and I am his, and his desire is unto me. Howbeit, Cantic. 2 16. & 7. 10. it is not every body's case for faith thus to manifest itself in them at the first, so soon as ever it hath any manner of being at all in the heart into which it is put, every body that have faith, cannot thus clearly and readily find out the faith, that they have so soon as they have it at the first, neither yet at all times after they have once truly received it, when they would be glad to have the comfort of it. The faith of every one cometh not to grow up so speedily, and to attain to that ripeness of the sudden, as they that have it can have such present refreshing by it, and the like benefit to shelter and shadow themselves under the comfortable covering and shadow thereof, in the fervent aching and fainting of their hearts, as had jonah jonah 4. 6. 10. under the shadow of the Gourd, which God made to grow up in a night, and prepared ready against the morning to come over his head, to deliver him from the fervent scorching of the Sun, and vehement Eastwind that did beat upon him (which yet was the case of some in the beginnings of the Gospel, unto whom both faith and the comfort of faith was given to be felt together, as the Eunuch, the jailor, Lydian, and some other.) But though some may have comfort of their faith at the first, and for some good time together, yet is it as possible for that course to be interrupted again, and they as much deprived of that comfortable working of their faith, for the cheering and refreshing of their hearts afterwards for a time, through the strength of some sore tentation assailing the same; as jonah was deprived of the benefit of his Gourd for altogether, that refreshed him so well with the shadow thereof, when once God had prepared a worm to smite that gourd, so as it perished in one night again, and became then more distressed then at the first; in so much that his heart fainted in him, which made him wish in himself now to die, and no longer to live. So fareth it with many who have once been sweetly refreshed with the consolations of Gods, and have felt much comfort and gladness of heart in their new Feeling lost. conversion; and have been filled with joy and peace in their first believing: who yet have afterwards had all the light of their comforts so greatly eclipsed, their faith so sorely shaken, their hearts so troubled and deeply distressed, and they cast into such labyrinths of spiritual sorrows: as out of which they no way have been able to dispatch themselves; but have been forced to yield over, and fall down flat, oppressed with their burdens, & overwhelmed with their griefs; the weight of their sorrows, and burden of their fears, exceeding for a time the strength of their faith; and so breaking it down, that all comfort faileth them for the present; and their faith can be no more felt, then if at all it never had been. Then are they more troubled, then if they had never before known what comfort had meant: like Rebeckah, Gen. 25. 22. who was more troubled that she had ever conceived, when she felt those strugglings in her womb. Such comforts once had, but lost again, which (the sorrows so coming upon them, have eaten up and devoured, as Pharaohs lean kine did the fat) serve but to strengthen their present griefs, and to make them twice more grievous than otherwise they would have been felt, if they had not tasted how joyous and how comfortable the former consolations and refresh of their hearts had been. Then begin they to call all things into question, which before they found so great comfort in, their conversion is doubted of, either never to have been sound wrought, or else that that which was once happily begun, now to be untimely brought to an end, and wholly to be undone again. Their faith is suspected, either to have been but a mere fancy, & they all the while deluded, when they thought they had true faith wrought in them, and did best of all believe; or else that which was once true, for want of strength to be now perished from them, & to fail them for altogether, & wholly to be lost & gone. Then as Rachel's voice was heard in Rama, when she wept for her children, and would not be comforted because they were not: so are their lamentable voices heard in the Churches, of weeping and mourning and great lamentation; they weeping for the want of these graces, and will not be comforted, because (to their sense and feeling as themselves so do think) they now are not, but are quite lost and gone. CHAP. IX. What remedy there is for the weak in faith, and withal the excellency of faith is declared, with the practice or use to be made thereon. Question. WHat course is then to be taken for help and remedy in this case, that such may be succoured and supported in this their great weakness, & not seen to faint & give over for altogether? A. They to whom God hath given Isa. 50. 4. tongue of the learned, so as they know how to speak a Comforts to weak faith. word in season to them that are weary: had need to strengthen such with their mouth, and tempering their words with a certain sweetness of speaking; by the comfort of their lips, to assuage their griefs. These, job 16. 5. whose hearts are thus dismayed and discomforted; languishing and fearing, and ready to faint within them, had Cant. 2. 4. 5. need to be carried into the Lord's wine cellars of the holy Scriptures, that they may be refreshed and stayed with Isa. 66. 11. his flagons, and comforted with his apples; that thence they may suck, and be satisfied with the consolations of God, to get strength in the inner man again: that so they faint not in these their fearing, through the enemy's temptations. Such are to be directed to got and listen how graciously the Lord himself (who is the father of mercies, and God of all consolation) vouchsafeth even in that place to speak comfortably to the heart of her that jere. 31. 13. 15. 16. 17. would not be comforted (in a case not much unlike to that which theirs now is): promising that he would turn their mourning into joy, that he would comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow; willing Rachel to refrain her voice from weeping, and her eyes from tears, for her children (which she thought were not) should come again from the land of the enemy, and there was hope left for her that in the end the same her children (whom she so mourned for) should come again to their own border. Thus did the Lord create the fruit of the lips to be peace to sorrowful Rachel in her uncomfortable mourning, speaking such words as were the best and most easing lenitives that could possibly be desired or wished for, to be applied for the easing the smart of her grieved heart, in the case about which she was so much disquieted and perplexed. They were words spoken to Rachel no better fitting her turn, to lift up her heart in comfort again that was before so much cast down; then being applied as a most sovereign medicine (than the which there cannot be a more fit prepared for the cure of such a wound) unto these mournful and sorrowful souls, whose hearts are so much cast down within them, as they are ready to faint and give over their hope, for fear that all saving grace in them is quite extinct and gone: they being (I say) applied and fitted to the case and state they now are in; they will be able so to revive them in comfort again, as their hearts shall be made to rejoice, and their very bones to flourish like an herb (as the Prophet speaketh), and they themselves Isai. 66. 14. to laugh and sing: yea they will bring them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment Isai. 61. 3. of gladness for the spirit of heaviness: that they may cry out with that joyful acclamation, how good is a word spoken in due season? they are even like apples of gold in pictures of silver: for doubtless if these saving Prou. 25. 11. graces of faith unfeigned, of true conversion, and beginning of the work of regeneration; could ever be found to have been wrought in their hearts by the finger of God's spirit, and manifested in their lives by any kindly and natural working, any way discernible to a spiritual eye; that it may be known they had once a sound beginning and a true being in them; howsoever by means of the weakness of such graces, and strength of some grievous tentation, the course of their effectual working may seem to be interrupted too soon: yet may they be willed (and that warrantably too) with Rachel, to refrain their voice from weeping, and their eyes from tears; for these graces which they think are not, but to be quite perished and gone, are surely living and remain fast rooted within them; and in due time will spring forth and show out their effectual working. Again, grace in time of some grievous tentation, may be driven into some narrow corner of the heart; as they that are in a Castle besieged, may for saving their lives fly into some corner, some inward and secret place, and yet after come forth and show themselves again. There is hope therefore for such in the end (whatsoever they either fear or feel to be for the present) that these gifts of God which Fidem nemo unquam perdidit, nisi qui non babuit. are without repentance, and graces which are indelible, and never fail the havers of them, since they are begotten of seed that is immortal, and never can die; howsoever by the force of tentation they now are so nipped, and bitten, as herbs and plants are with the icy teeth of the winter, so as they are feign to keep their sap close in the root, out of which they do grow; yet when the winter shall be passed, the storm of temptations be over and gone; and the joyful spring time of consolation be once come, that it is as when the singing of the birds be come, Cant. 2. 11. 12. and when the voice of the Turtle be heard in the land; (as Christ speaketh to the Spouse) then shall these saving graces with fresh vigour revive and get strength again; then shall they sprout and flourish goodly, and shooting out their buds, and bearing out their blossoms, and yielding forth their fruit in all abundance; even the fruit of sure and lasting joy, which shall satiate the souls of those heavy mourners as with fatness, and make them become jere. 31. 14. satisfied with goodness; then shall the light of comfort break forth upon these cloudy and dark hearts, even as the morning; and the health of these languishing and fainting souls shall grow speedily: light shall arise unto them out of all their obscurity, and their darkness shall be as the noon day, their souls shall be satisfied in all this drought of theirs; and their bones be made fat; their hearts Isai. 58. 8. 10. 11 shall be like gardens that are watered, and their comforts like springs of water, whose waters fail not. Q. But if these graces may have but their working only interrupted and letted for a time, and their being not wholly destroyed, nor they at any time so extinguished, as to be made to fail for altogether (as you seem to affirm): why is it that many of God's worthy servants, whom God hath given great measure of such saving grace unto; have yet at times complained of the want of such grace, as if they had wholly lost them; and all were so quenched, as if there were no one sparkle of them remaining any more. As look upon David's faith, who for a while believed, and then he spoke confidently; but within a little time after that, that faith of his seemed so to fail him; as if God's promises had had little certainty in him, and the Prophets themselves that brought them, and published them unto him, were no better than liars: I said in my haste (saith he) that all men are liars. Again, see the Psal. 116. 10. 11. failing of his comfort, and the hope he had in God when he said in his haste; I am cut off, or cast out of the sight of thine Psal. 31. 22. eyes: and how doth he pray to God elsewhere that he would not cast him away from out of his presence, nor take his holy Psal. 51. 11. spirit from him. As though these were but looseable graces, gifts and favours; which God for some time had bestowed upon him, so as they might when he pleased be yet taken from him again. A. I would instance in no other example to make good my former assertion, then in that, and the like unto Faith never lost. it which you have now produced, to make it be doubted of and called into question whether it should be so or not. For that those in whom precious faith and repentance unto life have been ever sound wrought, and the work of regeneration in any measure hath once been truly begun: that such (I say) being so in the state of grace, are sure never quite to fall from God, for any thing that afterwards can happen; and that such saving graces can neither totally nor finally be lost of them that have once received them. We may see it true by the examples of those against whom Satan hath bend all his force, and laid as it were his cannon shot; endeavouring (if it had been possible) to have overthrown them: as of David, Solomon, Peter, and such other men, who have been in the greatest danger that way, in whom their faith and life of grace have seemed in a manner to have been quite extinguished: partly by security, partly by the strength of tentation, wherewith they were sorely assailed: and yet we know these were the Lords Worthies, whom no power of the enemy was ever able to prevail against, or finally to overcome, and their graces, though much eclipsed for a time, yet gloriously recovering themselves again, and shining out with a more perfect brightness in some of them, than ever before was seen. The reason of it is, for Certainty. that God is the Lord and changeth not, his gifts and calling Mal. 3. 6. Rom. 11. 29. to his children are without repentance, he will not take his saving mercies and graces from them for evermore, but whom he loveth he loveth to the end. And because God's servants john 13. 1. stand not by their own strength, but by the power of God (as the Apostle speaketh): they are kept by the 1. Pet. 1. 5. power of God, as in a castle strongly fenced: this second being a benefit equal to the first, to keep us in a happy state after we once are brought into it. For what benefit were it to a man to have possession given him of a rich City, or strong Tower or Hold, and the enemy to beat him him out again the next day? Touching those instances you brought in of the failing of David's graces, there was never any total abolition of such graces in David when he was so fallen, but a soporation only, and a spiritual slumber that came upon them (as one of the Fathers Bernard. speaketh): his faith indeed seemed to fail him for a time, and the comfort of his hope for a while to have been gone: but this was neither conceived nor uttered of him out of any mature deliberation, or stayed and settled judgement, when he was well advised with himself what to determine; but out of a hasty infirmity, when strength of tentation had overset him; for he professed, he speaking Psal. 31. 22. and 116. 11. thus, did but speak it in his haste. And that David being a worthy Prophet, and a man of great and heavenly knowledge, and of a sound judgement in the truth; yet in his heaviness did pray that God would not cast him out of his presence, nor take his holy spirit from him: this showed a diseased mind to be then in him, and a heart much distempered through his great distress. So hard a thing is it for a man to keep himself sound, no not in the chief points and principles of religion, in times of sore affliction and strong tentation. For trouble and grief will sorely shatter a man: when a man's eyes are full of tears, it is no marvel if he be found to miss even in reading his own pardon. We know the Lord had sworn by his holiness, that he would never fail David; and his mercies bestowed upon him were called the sure mercies of David: and though David might fear in his weakness, yet God had made a faithful promise that he would not take his spirit from David, as he had taken him away from him that was before him. To conclude then this point, as wine failed even in that banquet john 2. 3. at which Christ himself was present; so comfort is sometimes interrupted in that heart in which Christ himself dwelleth: and as in the one he turned water into wine in the end; so in the other he will turn all sorrow into endless joy and peace at the last. The comforts then of the godly are everlasting, the state of grace they stand in is sure and will never fail them. Faith is an everabiding and unconquerable grace; which all the force of the enemy can never destroy, nor cause to miscarry; which once being planted in the heart, can never be quite plucked up again, till that soul be saved, in which it ever did first take root. Q. If all this be so which you have spoken and set down touching true faith, which is the faith of God's Elect (according as for mine own part I see no great reason to make any further doubt therein): namely, that true faith, whensoever it is wrought and planted in a man's heart, it never faileth to save every soul that hath it: and that the least measure of saving faith, is as true faith as is the greatest. And that true faith being once had, howsoever it may be winnowed and assailed, yet can it never be afterward lost; till that soul be saved that ever truly had it, and was possessed thereof. I see that Excellency of faith. this grace of faith is most excellent, that thus bringeth salvation to every soul that so hath it; and that worthily it is called precious for it? how well may all that be said of it which job speaketh of wisdom, in the praising and extolling job 28. 13. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 of the same, that man knoweth not the price thereof: Gold shall not be given for it, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It shall not be valued with the wedge of the gold of Ophir; nor with the precious Onyx, nor the sapphire: no mention is to be made of Coral, nor of the Gabish; for faith is more precious than all these: the Topaz of Ethiopia shall not be equal unto it; neither shall it be valued with the wedge of the most puregold. And (to conclude with that which you made the beginning, for exhorting all to labour about getting faith), I see the speech may well be applied and spoken in particular for Prou. 4. 5. 7. the getting of faith, which you so remembered Solomon in his Proverbs spoke in general of wisdom for getting of understanding, viz. fully, justly, and truly may it be said to all; get faith, get the power of believing, forget it not; faith is the principal thing, therefore get faith, and with all thy get get the grace of true believing. According as the Apostle himself putteth also this task upon every Christian diligently 2. Cor. 13. 5. to examine himself; to sift, try, and prove himself whether he be in the faith or no: setting every one a work about searching and finding out the true being of faith in them, under no less penalty and damage, then is the loss of all their comfort of their being in Christ, and of the whole claim they do make unto salvation by him; and of their abiding otherwise in no better estate then in the state of plain reprobates, that are sure to be damned. A. It is most true that you say this grace of faith is of an invaluable worth; it is the very hinge, upon which the gate of heaven turns, which openeth itself to give entrance to every one that hath it; but always stands shut, keeping them out that come without it. Worthily therefore did the Apostle enjoin this unto us, to give all diligence to make sure work about our faith, proving and examining ourselves how the case standeth with us, touching the matter of our faith and true believing; for he knew full well, that faith (of all other the graces of God's spirit) is a grace most necessary to be had of every one that desireth to be saved, and that it is well worth the looking after, and labouring for, if happily with all our labour, our looking, and our seeking, it may be found and light upon: for it is a pearl of that price that who so is a wise Merchant, will sell all that ever he hath to purchase and to get it. It is a find-all, and a jewel of that worth and value, as who so knoweth it, will never give over seeking till he hath found it; for he that findeth it, is made for ever by it: in finding it, he findeth life, and is sure for ever to be saved by it. Such may rejoice indeed with the joy of God's people, and glory with God's inheritance; yea, they may rejoice and triumph for evermore: and not only themselves, but call in others of God's servants to rejoice together with them, and praise God heartily for his mercy this way showed unto them, upon more weighty and just occasion, than did that woman mentioned in the parable in the Gospel; who lighting a Luk. 15. 8. 9 candle, and sweeping her house, and finding her Groat, called in her neighbours to rejoice▪ with her, because that her Groat that was lost before, was now found again. Neither is it more comfortable than it is possible to have this effected; that by proving we may find that we have true faith, and so by consequent come to have assurance of being saved; otherwise should we never be Faith may be known. commanded thus to endeavour to go about to do it; for howsoever under the law precepts were given of things that were impossible, that we might know our own weakness: yet under the gospel precepts are given of things though hard to be done, yet of things that possibly may be done, and well may be attained unto, that the power of Christ his grace may thereby be made the more manifest, and the better to appear: as when we are commanded to believe and to prove and to try ourselves whither we truly do believe. But though it be true that faith by searching may be felt, and found out; being once undoubtedly had, that it cannot finally and for ever be lost again: yet it is as true that through the default of the haver, neglecting to use the means to have it go well with his faith, whereby the vigour of it, and lively operation and working of the same may be showed forth: the comfortable feeling of the presence of faith may be so lost to such a man: and through his no better Feeling may be lost. looking to it, nor looking after it; so may faith itself be to seek, as if neither were at all, nor never had been before in such a heart; neither will the comfort of it be had again, nor faith itself be ever light upon and discerned to have any residence or certain being there, tillby a long labour of seeking, looking, ransacking, and searching all the rooms and corners of the heart, all the courses and carriages of the life, having also the light of best direction out of the word of God lighted up unto us for our furtherance herein; the same may happily at length be discerned where it is remaining, and to have (though in weak manner) yet still a true being; which may seem in some sort to be exemplified by this phrase and manner of speaking thus used by the Apostle, willing us to prove ourselves whether we be in the faith; and again, to examine ourselves, and to know ourselves; doubling and re-doubling the charge upon us. Which may give us to understand, that as false faith may easily, without good examination and trial, be taken for true faith; so that true faith itself is not so readily to be discerned, unless there be some narrow search and trial made about it, and proof to find it out: for otherwise, what need should there be of all this proving, examining, and trying whether we be in the faith or not; which the Apostle here so earnestly doth enjoin, if it were obvious, and a thing always ready to be found out and received by us? CHAP. X. Two things propounded: first the differences between saving and savelesse faith, and how far a reprobate may go in faith: secondly, the notes and properties of true and precious faith: and here the main difference is entreated of. Question. IF you would then but resolve me of these two points: first, what be the chiefest and plainest differences between saving and savelesse faith, which is a faith of no worth nor validity to do them any good that have it, and trust most unto it, but with which they may, and undoubtedly shall, certainly perish, if they labour not and seek not after the having of a better. Secondly, for the better discerning of that which is precious faith indeed, even the faith of Gods elect, to show what be the undoubted notes and marks whereby a man may know assuredly that he hath it. I will trouble you no further to make any longer discourse about this point of faith, but rest in that which already hath been said and set down concerning the same: this only being more added, which I thus do entreat and request to be done? A. I will not be unwilling to do the best I can herein, and plainly to show what I think concerning either of them. And to begin with the first: Among all other the True and false faith differ. differences between good and bad faith, there is none that is a mainer or a greater difference, none that from the first to the last keepeth them further asunder, or causeth a more general or universal disagreement, a more stronger opposition, or a more direct and plain contrariety between them; then is the truth of the one, and the falsehood of the other: the one being sound and unfeigned, the other having guile in it, and coloured with much counterfeit dissembling that may be found to be in it. And these two differences and contrary qualities, do always keep the fences several between them, as howsoever there may be a very near neighbourhood between them, a bordering and an abutting of the one hard by the other, yet can they never commune together, nor the one be suffered to come within the other, by means of this strong fence and partition wall, that from the first to the last runneth throughout between them, evermore to keep them asunder. For as soon will God and the devil agree in one; light and darkness be made to accord, as truth and falsehood can ever meet together. it is true that as the devil is said to be God's Ape, who after an Apish fashion being the God of the world, can, and Ephes. 2. 2. doth forge in the shop wherein he worketh (that is, the hearts of the children of disobedience) the counterfeit of all such graces as God's Spirit doth frame and work in the hearts of the Elect; so this false faith may well be the counterfeit of true faith, and may have an Apish imitation of it in every respect; but it cometh no more near to be like it, then is a dead carcase to a living body; or a fire that is painted, to a true fire that doth burn indeed: and therefore it is but a mocke-faith that will beguile them sorest and soon, who do trust unto it most. Q. But how may this difference be discerned, and the truth of the one, and falsehood of the other be best found out? A. To find out which is the true faith, and which is the false (besides other manifest signs whereby the same may be discerned), there is none more pregnant to make that clear and evident, than that true faith is sure and firm, constant and abiding to the end; which never faileth 1. Differenco is continuance. till it hath attained that end for which it had first a beginning and a being given unto it, which is the saving of every soul that once hath had it. Whereas false faith is uncertain, not to trust unto, unconstant and but temporary, when it is at the best, which will last but a season, and will then fail a man most, when he should have the greatest use of it: as in the day of battle, when he should stand in the face of his enemy; than it will start aside like a broken bow, that he can make no shot; and like a broken staff, that will leave a man in the ditch, when he adventureth to leap over with it. Now this being worthily held for a main difference between saving and savelesse faith, whereby they are clearly distinguished, and plainly may be discerned, the one of them from the other: that this difference may the better be discerned and made manifest, Time is herein to lend her help; for all things are made manifest by time: as the Apostle speaking 1. Cor. 3. 13. of the divers manner of working and labouring by the builders that build in the Church of God upon the foundation; some building gold, silver, precious stones; others timber, hay, and stubble; he saith, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day (saith he) shall declare it. Truth is said to be the daughter of Time, and so is falsehood also: Time traveling with them both, bringeth them both forth at the last, and showeth them as they are, to the view of every man. Truth may be blamed Laborare potest vinci non potest. , but shamed it will never be. True faith may be hazarded and sorely shaken for a time, but vanquished can Luk. 22. 32. it never be, nor fail finally, or be overcome: for it is of nature invincible, and the trial of true faith showeth it 1. Pet. 1. 7. self in the end to be more precious than gold that perisheth; and redoundeth to the greater praise, honour and glory of the true believer. On the contrary, falsehood may for a time be covered and masked under the viso and vail of truth; but at the length time will cause it to be discerned, for it is full of cracks and rents on every side, which can never be so made up; but the dissimulation thereof will thereby break out at the last, and easily be descried. For truth pierceth through falsehood on every part, which opposing itself to sound sincerity, and innocent simplicity; is found to melt away as snow doth against the Sun. False and feigned faith may indeed show goodly and flourishing fair for a time; it may shine out with such a lustre and glistering brightness, as may seem to dazzle the eyes of all that are the beholders of it, as though it were among other virtues, as Lucifer is among other stars; which coming next before the Sun, is filled full of light, and brighteth the day before him; when in the end, for all such shining, time will make it appear to be no better than the light that cometh but from rotten wood, which when it is once discerned, every one doth contemn as a thing of no worth, but to be spurned away, and to be trodden under his feet. In like manner all the light of joy and comfort which seemed to be given out from that faith which is not sound, will at the length be put in obscure darkness, the heart being left destitute of all manner of cheer and comfort, both hopeless and joy less, when times of trial and of sore affliction Mat. 13. 21. do happen to to come: as our Saviour showeth manifestly in the parable, and daily experience also witnesseth to be most true. Neither doth the unsoundness and and falseness of faith only appear at the end, when once the end of it is come, showing it to have been but temporary which did not long endure: but before the end be come, even when it is in the prime of the chiefest working, if it be well observed, there is a clear difference evidently discerneable between the sincerity and entire working of true faith that abideth, & the much hollowness & hypocrisy of this temporary & truthless faith that is not to be trusted unto, though it be taken even then when it is at the best, and when all things may be found to be in it as gloriously appearing in outward show, as can be found to be in that faith which is most true indeed. And this difference may readily be discerned, if men rightly considering their own ways in their hearts, will be unpartial judges to give a right sentence according to such evidence as they may well gather from that which they can find to be done and wrought in themselves. For true faith dealeth truly in all that it doth, how weak and imperfect Secondly, if true faith deals truly. soever it be that it doth; yet it is true, and ever purgeth the heart, as from other dross and filth of sin, so from that pernicious plague and pestilent poison, which is the venom of all virtue, and as a fretting canker that eateth out the very heart of all grace, and extinguisheth the life of all sincerity that is therein; I mean close and privy hypocrisy and guile of heart: for where guile and falsehood is found to bear rule, there plain truth of believing and of faith that is unfeigned can abide no longer. On the other side, false and feigned faith, though in show that seemeth to be very good which it worketh; yet may there much guile and deceit be found to be in it, and the work will appear to be unsound and falsely wrought, if good trial thereof be made, that only having guile for the refuge, and under falsehood and vanity it Isai. 28. 15. delighting ever to lie hid, for there it resteth and settleth it self, there it findeth best cherishing and kindliest being, as the dorrs do in the dung. But this may better be considered in some particulars. Temporary faith (which yet is as good as no faith (if it be not worse) for if any withdraw himself, the Lord will have no pleasure in Heb. 10. 38. 39 2. Pet. 2. 21. him. And Peter saith, it had been better not to have known, then to turn away again) seemeth to have all the compliments that can be found in true faith, and that in as goodly a show, and in as glorious a manner, as the most precious and saving faith hath or can have (if goodly shows and appearances might be sufficient to serve the turn): for if we consider the nature of true faith, and what be the parts whereof it doth consist; if we mark well what be the graces which principally do concur in true believers, for the making up of that faith in them How true saith is wrought. which is true and unfeigned, and by which they assuredly shall be saved, it will be found that, first their minds come to be illuminated and lightened from above with divine Acts 26. 18. Eph. 1. 17. 18. Col 1. 9 26. 27. and ●. 2 2. Cor 4. 6. john 17. 3. Acts 28. 24. Ioh 6. 68 69. Acts 15. 11. john 1. 12. Phil. 3. 12. 1. Tim. 6. 12. 2. Tim. 2. 14. Rom. 4. 20. 21. Rom. 8. 38. john 3. 16. Rom. 15. 13. Acts 8. 39 1. Pet. 1. 7. 'tis 3. 8. 14. Coloss. 1. 10. Gal 5. 16. 22. 2. Pet. 1. 8. Phil. 1. 11. Rom. 12 2. 1. Cor. 6. 11. Eph 4. 22. 24. Eph▪ 4. 20. 21. knowledge of God's truth, especially with the saving knowledge of Christ jesus, whom to know is eternal life. Secondly, than their hearts are strengthened, as to assent to that they know, so to rely upon Christ whom they know, apprehending him, and laying hold of the promises of life and salvation which are made in him. Fourthly, from thence they proceed further, and do grow at the length to be assured in the truth, and setledly persuaded of God his unchangeable love towards them in and through Christ jesus, so as they believe comfortably they shall never perish, but have eternal life by him. Whereupon next followeth, fifthly, joy and gladness to be bred in their hearts, even such as is said to be unspeakable and glorious. All which former graces have following and accompanying them the fruits of the Spirit. Sixthly, in good works, breaking out in their lives: which may plainly be discerned by the general change of their whole course of life from evil to good, casting off the old man, which is corrupt through the deceivable lusts, and putting on the new, which is created after God in holiness and righteousness. And thus have true believers learned Christ, heard him and been taught by him, as the truth is in jesus, as the Apostle saith. Now a temporary believer, who is but a cunning reprobate and a true believers counterfeit, may have the shadow and resemblance of all these graces, and that with so lively colours, so workmanly set out, and painted forth, as shall cause them to carry a goodly gloss, and to shine out with such a glistering brightness, as if they were comparable with the best, when there is nothing at all sound, but How far areprobate may go. all is bastardized, adulterated, and no better than plain counterfeit stuff; such a man may have common graces in so good a degree, as a natural man may in the possibility of his nature be capable of, even so much as his nature not renewed may permit him to have. As (to instance in the former particulars) he may have great measure Heb. 6. 4. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Isai. 42. 20. 1. Cor. 1. 19 20. & 8. 2. Rom. 2. 13. 19 20. Acts 26. 27. james 2. 19 john 12. 42. 43. Luke 8. 13. Mat. 23. 2. 3. Rom. 2. 20. 21. Rom. 1. 31. & 3. 19 20. Phillip 1. 16. Mat. 7. 21. 22. of illumination, and may attain to much knowledge not alone human, but divine also; to know the truth of God, to understand the Scriptures, to believe the Word of God to be true, crediting it in his judgement, and approving of it in his affection, he may not alone become expert in the understanding and opening of the Law, thereby to know himself and all others to be guilty of sin, but he may grow also acquainted with the mysteries of the Gospel thereout, to know Christ and him crucified for the sins of the world, and to know him to be the one and only Saviour of all mankind, he may have a confused persuasion and conceit in his mind (though unwarrantably) that Christ and all his benefits do belong to him; and laying claim to them, (as the woman that was not the mother, did to the child that was not hers) apprehend 1. King 3. 22. and lay hold of them all as his own. He may out of this conceit, that he is now in the state of grace, and in the Luke 8. 13. way of life, have his heart rapt and lift up with much joy; he may take delight, and after a manner grow proud of the good estate, which (as he doth think) he now standeth Luke 18. 11. in: as in regard of the outward reformation of his life, the unclean spirit may be said to be gone out of him, Mat. 12. 43. and another spirit to be given unto him, as was given to Saul, when another heart was given unto him, after Samuel 1. Sam. 10. 6. 9 10. had once anointed him, after which it is also said, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. He may be found much humbled before the Lord with Ahab, for many 1. Kin. 21. 27. 29. evils he hath done; and much commended before men with Herod, for many good things he hath done, of Mark 6. 20. whom it is said, that he heard john gladly, and that he did many things after that he had heard him. These also many several gifts and graces, which are very glorious to look upon, and fair in show, may concur and meet together in one man, and yet never a one of them right, nor the man himself sound at the heart. All these thus coupled, thus compact and joined together, meeting in one person, may seem to carry before them a fair resemblance of the comely feature of true saving faith; when yet it is but as a dead image, which having all parts and lineaments of a well proportioned body, wanteth the spirit and breath of life to animate the whole, and agitate all the parts with lively motion and vigour of effectual operation, to be seen working and coming from the same. So this goodly and glorious imaginary dead ceremonial and seeming faith, which thus may be seen to have all the parts and lineaments of the well proportioned body of true and lively faith, it may well be said to have indeed the shape and image of saving faith, but yet all this while it is no better than a dead image, wanting the soul of faith, and spirit of life that should breathe in it, even the spirit of sanctification and holiness to inspire these common graces, as parts and lineaments of this image and body with holy motion, and life of sanctifying grace, which might derive holiness and purity so into every part, for the seasoning and sanctifying of all, that all might be made pleasing and acceptable unto God by the same. Now for the want of this, which is the very soul and lively life of true and lively faith itself, all the rest is but as the body without the soul, which is dead, and is no more than the image or outside and rotten carcase of a true faith, but is not true faith indeed. And therefore as one faith of the knowledge of the Heathen, who did excel in all literature and humane learning, O fortunatos Ethnicos fides si accesserit: O happy Heathen, if to other learning the grace of faith and true believing had also been added. So would I say of these temporary believers; O thrice happy Christians, if with these common gifts and graces of God's Spirit bestowed upon them, wherein many of them so greatly do excel, they might have also that gift of sanctifying grace given up to them to sanctify the rest and themselves throughout, that as for Grace sanctified, is grace refined. outward parts, they seem and appear to be much beautified, so they might in like manner be all glorious within, sound sanctified in their inmost affections, and renewed in the powers of their souls, the spirit of grace and holiness, reinuesting them with such a measure of sanctity and integrity, as they might be found entire and sincere before God in all that they do: but this being wanting, all the rest is nothing. For the want whereof, the like may be said of these in particular, which the Apostle saith of all other 1. Cor. 13. 1. 2. 3. graces where love is wanting; though they had such learning and knowledge, as they might seem to speak with the tongues not of men, but of Angels; and yet had not their knowledge sanctified, they should be but as sounding brass, or as tinkling Cymbals. And if they had never so strong faith and steadfastness of beleèuing in their own opinion; if they were never so much rapt up with the joy they have conceived, and should become most secure in their so confident boasting; if they did never so many things with Herod, and should be found so to be changed and altered in their lives, that they might seem to be as holy as Saints, and were become most glorious in show as are the Angels of light, into whose shape it is no hard thing for Satan, when he will transform himself; yet for the want of this one grace of true and sound holiness, which alone should grace all the rest, both they themselves are nothing, and all that they do shall profit them nothing, for the causing either themselves to be had in any reckoning with God, or for any account to be had of whatsoever they possibly can do without it in his gracious acceptation. CHAP. XI. Of the special differences in the principal graces appertaining to faith; and first, of the first grace, which is knowledge, with the use that is to be made of the difference herein. Question. SEeing you have thus made mention, that there must be a concurrence of some principal and particular graces in true believers, to the making up of true faith in them; as namely, the mind to be enlightened with knowledge, the heart strengthened by grace, to apprehend for their own comfort that which it so knoweth, with persuasion thereupon of God's favour for itself, which causeth great joy to be felt: with all which must be joined a sound and thorough reformation of life in like manner to be wrought: and have likewise showed, that temporary believers, who are no better than plain reprobates, may have the counterfeit and a near resemblance of all these: I desire to hear further declared, what special differences in these particulars on both parts may be observed, that if there be no agreement in the parts nor like proportion held in any of the particulars, the difference may be known to be the stronger in the whole, and the odds perceived to be the greater in the general, when they are compared together. First therefore (if it please you) show what differences may be discerned between the knowledge of him that is unsanctified and unsound, and the knowledge of a true believer, inwhom may be found the faith of Gods elect? A. The knowledge of these two may be found to differ Difference of knowledge. in that which is common between them both, and in that which is private and peculiar but to one alone, which the other can never at all have any part in: even very reprobates may obtain from God very large allowance to In Reprobates. be made unto them in common gifts, and of those of the best kind, as not only to speak with tongues, but likewise 1. Cor. 12. 10. to prophesy and preach learnedly, and like great Clerks: they may be endued with most rare and excellent gifts this way, and graces of God's Spirit; they may excel in them, and peradventure go beyond some of the elect, to whom Christ yet wili say, he never knew them. The secrets of Nature Matth. 7. 23. we know have been most found out by them, that have had nothing but Nature in them, and they have in a manner excelled this way. God hath given them the excellency of skill in their own element: but the secrets of grace he hath more abundantly revealed to such as do fear him, upon whom he hath bestowed the riches of his grace, making them to excel therein. Though unregenerate men may know much, yet they are ever defective in the chief, they have more of such knowledge as is less necessary, then have many true believers: but in that which is most necessary, that maketh men not only learneder, but better, therein they come far behind; though they may have great illumination, yet something in all their knowledge is ever wanting, and kept from them, which is as the quintessence of all knowledge, The sanctification of grace is the quintessence of grace. namely, to have their knowledge sanctified, and to have true saving knowledge given unto them; this the Lord doth never bestow upon them. He that hath not sanctifying grace in him, as showeth the Apostle Peter, let him be never so learned, and so great 2. Pet. 1. 9 a Clerk otherwise; yet he is blind, and cannot see a far off; he cannot see the happiness to come, the glory that shall be revealed, the honour that shall be to the Saints, the end of God's servants how happy it will be, nor the vengeance prepared for the wicked, to be warned in time to shun and avoid it; nay, they many times do not see things that are present, though so clear and palpable, as might be groped and felt by blind men, and not only discerned Isai. 26. 13. & cap. 5. 12. by such as have eyes to look upon them; such as are judgements that are present, & benefits that are present, & cap. 42. 25. that they might profit by them. They have therefore but an obscure knowledge, and there is darkness in their greatest light; the Sun going down upon them even at job 5. 14. Micha. 3. 6. Isai. 28. 7. noon, and the day itself being dark over them. No marvel then though they err in vision, & stumble in judgement; as the Prophet speaketh. Here then standeth the greatest preferment that men unregenerate, can ever look to be brought unto, and largest allowance of gifts, that they may ever hope to receive at the hands of God, that they may peradventure be equalled with the most of God's faithful servants, and often preferred too before many of them in the common gifts and graces of God's Spirit: as in the gift of knowledge, to have much human learning given them, yea, and a deep insight too into much of that knowledge that is divine; yet all these gifts and knowledge not being sanctified, it may be truly said of them, they are but as offals cast to dogg●; the other being children's bread, and as Manchet made of the finest of the Wheat. As for true believers, and such as are sound in the faith Knowledge of true believers. indeed, besides that they are Commoners with the rest, and Commoners with the best, in the best gifts that they have (though in the very things which the godly have in common with the wicked, they have them in a far better kind, and far more sanctifiedly, than any of the wicked have, there being ever a tincture of holiness put upon them, when they are given to them), they have some things peculiarly bestowed upon them, whereunto the unregenerate shall never attain, nor have the like: for as they are the Lords peculiar ones, so will he grace them Tit. 2. 14. Psal. 135. 4. with peculiar favours and gifts given unto them, whereby they shall do some singular thing (which our Saviour Mat. 5 47. would have his true disciples always to endeavour themselves to do) the like whereunto no reprobate shall ever be able to do, do what he can. He may go about to colour and counterfeit, and sample it as near as may be; but there will ever be as great a difference between them, as between that which is coloured and counterfeited, and that which is most kindly and natural of itself. They have the grace of true sanctification given unto joh. 17. 17. 19 them, sanctifiedly to do that which they do, which the other want: a grace that graceth all the graces they have. Beside, their knowledge they have is sanctified, and so it becometh saving, the like whereunto can never have any wicked man. But more than this, the Lord revealeth some things to Some things revealed to God's children, not to the wicked. them, which the other sort shall never know on (like as he dealt with his Disciples whom he told every thing apart unto), even the hid wisdom of God; the unregenerate Mark. 4. 34. Luk. 10. 23. 1. Cor. 7. 8. man is not so far trusted of God, as to have his secrets made known unto him: the Lord dealeth with them, as we deal with some whom we do not greatly trust: we communicate not all that is in our hearts unto them, but only such things as we care not who hear us, and whether they tell it or tell it not. Men will know them well whom they impart their secrets unto. King's will not make every subject to be of their privy Council, they are privileged men that are preferred to such a favour. The Lord maketh not all of his Counsel; he will know them well, whom he will tell all his mind unto; he telleth it to his beloved ones, he telleth all things to them apart; yea, he knoweth how to tell them apart, when others are in presence, giving an understanding heart to one to understand the teaching, when another that heareth is never the wiser for that he heareth; but all is kept secret still and hidden from him. The secret of the Lord is said to be revealed to such as do fear him: and they are job 17. 4. Isa. 29. 14. Psal. 25. 14. Ephos. 1. 9 Luk. 24. 45. Ephes. 1. 4. Mat. 13. 43. Mat. 25. 34. promised that he will show them his Covenant. He opened the minds of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures. The Lord will show to such, great secrets, what he did for them before the beginning of the world in their Election; what he will do for them after the world hath an end, in their glorification: and what he will do for them in the day of judgement, for their clearing. And joh. 5. 29. joh. 16. 13. this is according to that Christ promised his Disciples, that the Spirit should show them things to come. The true believers then have such a peculiar kind of know ledge of God, and from him, as they know of his fatherly, yea husbandly kindness unto them: they have such an inward acquaintance with him, as the wife hath with her Hos. 2. 16. 19 20 husband that lieth in his bosom, which knoweth all his secrets, from whom her loving husband will conceal nothing: if his call unto him, he promiseth to show to them great and mighty things, which they know not; the jer. 33. 3. Amos 3. 7. Lord will do nothing but he will reveal it to his servants the Prophets. As for the wicked they shall be nothing so, it is not so between God and them: but as they are Psal. 1. 4. Psal. 58. 3. strangers from the womb, so shall they be kept strangers from knowing of such things to their dying day. That heavy judgement is sentenced out against them, which Isaiah speaketh of, and was sent to pronounce against Isa. 6. 9 10. them: Their hearts are made fat, their ears are made heavy, and their eyes are shut up; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert and be healed. Such things as the Lord in special favour to his elect revealeth to babes, and those that are of little regard and account in the world, he yet hideth from the wise and prudent in the Isa. 29. 14. Mat. 11. 25. and 13. 11. 13. 14. 16. world, even because it is the good pleasure of his will, so to privilege and prefer such as once he hath received into his favour, showing mercy to whom he will show mercy, and whom he will he contrarily doth harden. Rom. 9 18. Now the use of the knowledge of such a difference to be between the gifts and graces given to the reprobate, and to the elect, should move Gods true faithful servants not to content themselves with having such graces and gifts of God's spirit as cannot save them that have them, but though they be had, yet the havers of them may be lost themselves: not to content themselves with such a kind of knowledge of God and of Christ, as though they say in words, and think in theirt hearts, that they have the knowledge of God; yet Christ in the last day shall say unto them, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you: But to labour to get such a spiritual, effectual; particular, and distinct, experimental, practical, lively and saving knowledge of God and of Christ, as may be sure to bring them to life: ever coucting after the best gifts, if there be any better than others, and desiring to hear of that more perfect way which the Apostle speaketh of, and promiseth to show; which is, not to be content to prophesy and speak with tongues, but to follow love 1. Cor. 12. 31. which is the chief, and to practise holiness: they must labour to join with all gifts and graces that they have, In every part of God's service there is some hidden thing, which if it be wanting, the whole action is nothing worth. and add to the performance of all religious duties they do; a singularity of holiness, and of pureness, of sincerity, and entireness; that they may be sound and sincere in them; doing that they do with all integrity and uprightness, in a sanctified manner, in all the powers, and with all the parts of soul and body, that so they may do some singular thing, so exceeding the righteousness of all reprobates and hypocrites. But to give you yet further and more fuller satisfaction, in showing more particularly some differences which may be observed to be between the knowledge of a true believer, and of one that is but hollow and unsound in his faith. I think they may in these particulars be well differenced one from another. First, in the original, whence their knowledge is fetched. Secondly, in the end, to which it tendeth. Thirdly, in the object, about which it is occupied. Fourthly, in the subject, in which it abideth and is seated. Fifthly, in the kinds, wherein they are much severed. Sixthly and lastly, in the uses to which they are put. For the first, the one sort fetch their learning no higher, then that the reach of human understanding may well Original of knowledge. be extended unto, and is found able to comprehend by the power and strength that it hath given thereunto; Wisd. 9 15. 16. and therefore in some respect may be still said to be but natural and human, though the things that are known are above the course of nature, and truth in themselves may be said to be divine. The other sort fetch their knowledge far higher, and therefore their wisdom is said to be wisdom descending from above, which is supernatural and spiritual, jam. 3. 17. transcending all that nature can reach unto, being the hid wisdom of God, which is wisdom among them that 1. Cor. 2. 6. 7. are perfect; of whom (as being the true and only children Luk. 7. 35. of wisdom, it alone is justified, the Lord revealing to such by his spirit those things which neither the eye of 1. Cor. 2. 9 10. man can see, nor their ears hear, neither can it enter into their hearts in such manner to conceive of them; and therefore of all others is the true, , eternal, and every way most divine wisdom, as being especially given job. 32. 8. and 38. 36. by divine inspiration. They in coming by their knowledge, are either their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. own teachers (as they are their own scholars, who love to hear themselves speak, and their own admirers, who like of nothing but what is done by themselves, as being wise in their own eyes) or else their learning Isa. 5. 21. Galath. 1. 11. is of man, and after man (as the Apostle speaketh) they being taught it by man, because they are of the 1. joh. 4. 5. world, they have them for their masters that are of the world, if any come in his own name they are ready to hear joh. 5. 43. him, as our Saviour told the jews. These are all taught of God, because they are of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. they hear his word; because they are of Christ his stock, Isa. 54. 13. joh. 6. 45. joh. 8. 47. and 10. 5. 27. joh. 6. 45. Psal. 119. 102. they hear his voice, but a stranger, they will not hear, they hear and learn of the father, and so their knowledge brings them to Christ. They are taught of God, and therefore they live well, and decline not from his judgements. 2. And as the beginnings are divers from whence divers ends of knowledge. both these derive their knowledge, so are not the ends the same for which they labour to come by knowledge. They, that is, the unsanctified and unsound in the faith, seek to know either but that they may know; which (as is said by one) is but mecre curiosity: or that they may Bernard. thereby come to preferment, dignities, and greater livings, which savoureth of ambition, worldly-mindednes, and filthy avarice. These seek to get knowledge to far better ends; as not alone to know, but to do as they know: they desire knowledge as for it own sake, and for the excellency which they see to be therein, so for the good of others, and of themselves also; that thereby they may teach others, which is charity; and also teach themselves, which Phil. 3. 8. to do is piety. But above all, they labour to get the true Vtque alios alij de religione docerent. Contiguas pietas jussit habere domos. knowledge of God, that they may know how to honour him, to fear God and keep his Commandments, which is the whole duty of every man. 3. The third difference is in respect of the object of their knowledge. Eccles. 12. 13. The unsanctified Christian, and the men that are unregenerate, In matters to be known. they care and study more to know all other things that may be known in the world beside, then either truly to know God or themselves as they ought: they bestow more precious time about hearkening for all manner of tidings that may be known throughout all countries abroad; to know the state of all other people of kingdoms and commonwealths, though never so far remote, to search what things are done a far off, though nothing at all appertaining unto them: then to know how things go with themselves at home in their own bosom, or to take intelligence, and grow acquainted with the state and commonwealth of their own souls, or once to think of those things that are done in their own breasts, which appertain to none but themselves alone. They delight to tell and to talk of the trouble and business of this or that country, when in the mean time they care not to take any knowledge what trouble is made in their own breasts, by wrath, envy, bodily lust, ambition, and the like; in so much as they may be said to be more strangers to their own nature, to their own souls, and to the things that do concern themselves most nearly and peculiarly, than they be to the deserts of India, or to the seas that are furthest off, worst to be sailed upon, and hardliest to be known. Of whom in respect of such kind of knowledges, that may be spoken and well applied unto them, which a learned man spoke of some, of whom he said, that in Melancthon. omnibus sciunt aliquid & in toto nihil: In all things they will seem to know something, and yet in the whole they know nothing; and so they know nothing to any purpose. The godly on the other side and true believers esteem with the Apostle to know nothing, saving Christ and him crucified, and so to know themselves, as they may the better know how to be saved by him: and this is their chiefest and profoundest learning that they look after. Besides, the carnal men desire to be well read in any book, rather than in the book of their own conscience, preferring pamphlets, and books of idle discourse written by men of corrupt and vain minds, who have more wit, than wisdom how well to use it; (of whom it may truly be said, that spider-like they draw out their bowels for the ctching but of flies), before the wholesome and savoury writings of men, both godly and learned, which afford much good help to them that are well exercised in them, for their better profiting and furtherance of their godly edification. Yea, before the most sacred and holy word of God itself, and the divine Scriptures, which are the only religious, and most royal sanctuaries of the truth, there being the wisdom of God revealed unto us in them, and that urim and Thummim, whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in all our controversies: yea, God himself in them is made known unto us, who drawing as it were the curtains of heaven, doth out of them reveal his own majesty unto us as with open 2. Cor. 3. 18. face. If they can light upon any thing that is extant, published and brought forth, dressed and (as I may say) dished out and set before them, which being once tasted of, both in regard of the agreeableness of the matter, which they find therein to be handled, and pleasantness of the manner and style of writing in which it is delivered, the same be found to be meat (as we use to say) for their own teeth, and as well pleasing the appetite of the old man that is vainly and carnally minded, as ever did old Isaac (who desired to eat of the flesh of venison) take delight to eat of his sons venison, being prepared after the manner of Rebeckahs fine dressing: then, as among the jews, if any would prophecy to them of wine and Mich. 2. 11. strong drink, he should be a Prophet alone for that people. Such books are the only books in these times for such sort of readers, such writing they think most worthy their reading, and are never weary in so doing. The man famished with hunger, doth not more eagerly fly upon, or more greedily devour the meat that is before him, than these do the things that are so written, till having eaten thereof to the full, and satiated themselves with that windy stuff, they may blow it out again into the ears of the next company they come into, and be able to discourse and hold talk and babble with all sorts of men of all manner of businesses, save of those only which of all others it were most fit for them to busy themselves about. But that which Seneca complained Seneca ep. 88 of in his time touching things that were unprofitable, written and taught then, may well be the complaint of these times, that many things are written and set forth which were worthy to be unlearned, if at all they were known, and to be chopped off with hatchets, rather than not to have them gone. These contrarily neglect not to look to their conscience, and daily to turn over the leaves of that book to see what is written there, as well as to read other writings for the getting of other knowledges; yea they above all things labour to keep faith, and the knowledge they have in a good conscience both towards God and men always: and as for their choice of reading books, and things that are written for their getting of sound knowledge and better profiting in good learning, they prefer the reading of one line of the sacred Bible and holy Scriptures, and one leaf of other good books found consonant to the Scriptures, sanctifiedly and savourly written by such as are Orthodox, containing in them wholesome doctrine and profitable instruction that do tend to spiritual edification, before whole legends and vast volumes of idle and unprofitable discourses contained in books, though judged never so witty, and found never so pleasing and plausible to the palate and liking of unsanctified men. The misbelieving professors know the Scriptures and Acts 13. 10. 2. Pet. 3. 16. abuse them, and so are the worse for their knowledge, perverting the Scriptures to their own destruction: and 2. Pet. 2. 20. 21. though they know the truth and the way of righteousness, yet they turn away from the holy commandment, and therefore they had been better never to have known the same; their knowledge serving but to increase their sins, and to further the more their just condemnation: and as is said by the Prophet, their wisdom and knowledge Isai. 47. 10. doth pervert them, and cause them to err. The true believers know the Scriptures, and are guided Psal. 119. 133. 2. Tim. 3. 25. by them, ordering their steps in the word of God, and so are made wise by them to salvation, they know God's jam. 1. 25. word and do it, and so become blessed in their deed. They know Christ, and so do these: but in a differing manner. They know Christ, and perish with their knowledge of him, they knowing him but as the Devils know him, who knew him to confess him, saying, We know who Mark. 1. 24. thou art, even the holy one of God: but they do not willingly obey him, nor sound believe in him: and therefore shall never be saved by him. These have the saving knowledge of Christ, they know him to acknowledge him, as did Peter when he did confess john 6. 69. him, We believe and know thou art Christ the Son of the living God: so forsaking all to follow him, and truly and steadfastly believing in him, their faith is so strengthened, as the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Mat. 16. 18. same. Their knowledge of Christ hath guile and deceit in it, making them more bold in sinning, because they know Christ hath done all away by his suffering, abusing the knowledge they have of him to a more liberty of licentious living. These know Christ as the truth is in jesus to become new creatures in him, casting off the old man, and putting on Eph. 4. 21. 22▪ 24 the new. 4 In respect of the subject, in which the knowledge of these two abideth and is seated, this difference may be observed. Their knowledge is swimming in the brain, in an idle and bare speculation only. These have their knowledge descending and sinking lower down into their hearts, to work upon the affections, to breed the hatred of sin there, and the love of goodness. They keep the word of God in their ears to hear it, and in their tongues to talk of it: they get knowledge out of the word of God to tip their tongues with fine and eloquent speech, and to dispute learnedly about points that are intricate. These lay up the word of God in their hearts, that it may dwell plentifully there in all wisdom; they hide up Coloss. 3. 16. the word of God in their hearts with David, that it may Psal. 119. 11. keep them from sinning: they get knowledge not so much to tip their tongues with speech, as to season their hearts with grace, and to liquor their whole lives with holiness, that all their actions may relish and savour of some goodness. 5 There is great difference between the knowledge of these two, in respect of the kinds of their knowledge: which are very divers. All the knowledge and wisdom of men unregenerate, that is to say of natural men, it doth most lighten the understanding downward: and let it be of things never so high and heavenly, yet being once in them, it becometh drossy and polluted with their corruption. But the knowledge which is inspired and infused into the hearts of men regenerate by the spirit of sanctification, is both most holy and pure in itself, and in like manner sanctifieth them into whose hearts it is put; and john 17. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 22. being far more divine, setteth before their minds a heavenly great and lightsome Torch shining upwards, to make their minds more heavenly, and their affections to Coloss. 3. 2. be set upon things above. Of the greatest excellency of their unsanctified knowledge (in regard of themselves, and of the hurt also thereby done to others) that may be said of it that was said of the knowledge of Novatus, that it was but venenata facundia, but a poisoned and venomous finesse and elegancy of their skill and speech. These have the wholesome knowledge of the truth, for Tit. 2. 8. the safety of their own souls, and they speak the words of truth and soberness unto others also, whom they do instruct. Acts 26. 25. Their knowledge many times, is an affecting to know above that which is meet, and so are found exercising themselves Rom. 12. 3. 16. Psal. 131. 1. in things that are too high. These understand according to sobriety, keeping themselves within due compass, not stretching themselves beyond their line. 2. Cor. 10. 13. 14. They have much obscure, confused, general, and theorical knowledge, wherein many of them do excel: they have plenty of illumination without change of affection, and so remain but carnal still; their heart and life being left wholly unreformed. These have a much more clear, distinct, special, effectual, and experimental knowledge, their minds being so enlightened by the Spirit of God, with the knowledge of God out of his Word, as thereupon they are transformed 2. Cor. 3. 18. into the image of God from glory to glory. They have much verbal and literal knowledge in Tit. 1. 16. word, to say they know God, but in their deeds to deny him, so being in the mean time (as one justly calleth them) but believing Atheists. These have powerful and spiritual knowledge, knowing Phil. 3. 10. Christ with the power of his resurrection, which causeth the power of godliness to be seen in their lives. 6 And lastly, in respect of the use that these put their knowledge unto, much is the difference between the knowledge that is had on both sides. The unregenerate and unsanctified men have knowledge, jer. 10. 14. Amos 3. 10. jer. 4. 22 but (as the Prophet speaketh) they are brutish in their knowledge, they know not how to do right: they have knowledge and they are wise for the doing of evil, but to do well they have no knowledge at all. The true believer and sanctified Christian hath knowledge and his understanding is unto him as a wellspring Prou. 16. 22. and fountain of life, to cause him to departed from the snares of death. The wisdom of the prudent (saith Solomon) Prou. 14. 8. Psal. 101. 2. Prou. 11. 9 Psal. 47. 10. is to understand his way, that with David, he may know how to behave himself wisely in a perfect way. The just by his knowledge is delivered from the error and deceit of the hypocrite, who with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour. They having knowledge, many times their wisdom and knowledge doth pervert them, that being wise in their own eyes, they fall into heresy, maintain errors, and they having knowledge and utterance of speech, as they are of the world themselves; so (saith the Apostle) they 1. john 4. 5. speak of the world, and the world through them. These having light of knowledge, do ponder the path of their feet, to order their ways aright, and thereby are Prou. 4. 26. better established in the truth. These put their knowledge to a better use, they having the tongue of the learned, Isai. 50. 4. know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: when they speak, their lips do spread abroad knowledge, and their tongue talketh of wisdom; for the Law of Prou. 15. 7. Psal. 37. 30. 31. God is in their heart. The tongue of the wise (saith Solomon) Prou. 15. 2. useth knowledge aright, where the mouth of fools doth nothing but pour out foolishness. They having knowledge of things that are in their nature 2. Cor. 2. 17. divine, do yet handle divine things in a devilish manner, and handle the word of God deceitfully. 2. Cor. 4. 2. These handle the Word of God purely, as with washed hands; they do with David, wash their hands in innocency, Psal. 26. 6. and so compass the Altar: they speaking God's Word, speak it as the word of God; yea, their speech is 1. Pet. 4. 11. Colo●●. 4. 6. ordinarily gracious, and powdered with salt. They by their knowledge may preach: but either they preach themselves, and not Christ; or preaching Christ, Phil. 1. 15. 16. preach him of contention, and not sincerely, but of strife and envy. These having knowledge to preach, preach not themselves, but Christ jesus the Lord, and themselves servants 2. Cor. 4. 5. to the people for Christ his sake: they preach Christ, not as the other do of envy, but of good will. Their knowledge puffeth them up, and maketh their 1. Cor. 8. 2. minds to swell, they being wise in their own eyes, think job 12. 2. themselves the only, and that wisdom must needs die with them. The knowledge of these pulleth them down, and maketh Prou. 30. 23. Gen. 18. 27. job 9 20 30. 31 1. Cor. 8. 2. job 89. 1. Cor. 3. 18. men more vile in their own eyes, as they have more knowledge of themselves: their knowledge teacheth them to know, that they know nothing as they ought to know; and to say with Bildad, We are but of yesterday, and Nihilignotum in coelo nihil no tum in terrâ. know nothing? learning from the Apostle to become fools in their own eyes, that they may be wise. Their knowledge is idle knowledge, they know and do not with the pharisees, and as evil and naughty servants, Matth. 23. 3. knowing their masters will refuse to do it, and therefore Luke 12. 47. are like to be beaten with many stripes. The knowledge of these is fruitful, causing them to join with their knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, 2. Pet. 1. 6. 7. 8. etc. and so they are neither idle nor unfruitful: it teacheth them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, Tit. 2. 11. 12. righteously, and godlily in this present world, that they may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, as they do increase in the Coloss. 1. 10. knowledge of God. And this doth the Apostle john make to be the trial of the knowledge of Christ to be good, and that we may know, we do know him aright, if we 1. john 2. 3. keep his commandments. Their knowledge serveth but to make them wiser and learneder, teaching them how to discourse well, and how to dispute well. The knowledge of these serveth not only to make them learneder, but to make them better, teaching them how to live well. Their knowledge is often abused to wrong the truth, Nihil inimicum magis veritati acumine nimio. they by learning being as enemies that are armed; many that have had great learning, and great wits, often proving great enemies unto goodness. These can do nothing against the truth at all, but all the 2. Cor. 13. 8. learning and knowledge they have, is employed and set awork to defend the truth: but they have no knowledge to do any thing against the truth. These and the like are found to be the sundry and divers uses, whereunto both the one and the other do make their knowledge to serve, by which it may evidently enough be discerned how greatly, as in other respects; so in respect of the use of knowledge, the knowledge of either doth differ from the knowledge of the other. And so to conclude this point, concerning the differing knowledge in them that are unsound and unsanctified, and in them that shall be saved, by that which hath been said (I think) it may plainly enough appear, that in God's matters the greatest Clerks (according to that which is said in the proverb) are not always found to be the wisest men: neither Nil prosunt lecta nisi teipsum legas. will much learning alone be sufficient to bring men to eternal salvation, unless their learning be good learning, that may make them not only wiser, but better men, and their knowledge be sanctified and saving, causing them as to know Christ with his sufferings that he died for their sins, so to know by their own experience, and feeling in themselves, what is the power of his resurrection, for the quickening and reviving of them to all righteousness and holiness of living. If men had all other knowledges, if they had skill in all Arts and Sciences that could be attained unto; and were so great Doctors, and deep Divines, as they could discuss the hardest points in Divinity, and answer all questions, and resolve clearly all doubts that might be moved; if they were never so cunning disputers, yet if they have not learned to know Christ, 1. Cor. 1. 20. as the truth is in jesus; which is, that all that say they are in him must be new creatures, that is, be renewed in mind, 2. Cor. 5. 17. thoughts, purposes, desires, affections, speeches, actions and whole behaviour, and this be so known, as it rest not alone in idle speculation, but in like manner be brought into action, and known by practice in life and conversation; for want of the knowledge of this one truth all such knowledges (be they never so absolute and exact (of all manner of truths that are to be known beside, which by their earnest studies, their uncessant pains of their days labours, their nights watchings, their unknown travels all their lifetime taken, they have now at the length so hardly come by, shall yet profit them nothing. In so much Isai 29. 14. as (which were a strange saying, even a marvelous work and a wonder to see it done, and who will believe the report of it, if it should be spoken), yet I dare be bold to say, let men be failing but in that one point alone, and though they were the greatest learned men that were in the whole world beside, whom all did admire for their most absolute and most excellent skill and knowledge in all good literature, wherein beside they were seen never so to excel; yet should they undoubtedly with all their knowledge perish, for the want of knowledge: the wisdom of such wise men should perish, and the understanding Hosea 4. 6. Isai. 29. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 14. Vers. 27. 28. of such prudent men be hid; and the poorest idiot, being a sound Christian, wanting other knowledges, but knowing this may worthily be said, to go beyond the profoundest Clerk of them all, that is not sanctified. It were good therefore, that learned men upon this consideration would do, as it is said Augustine did, hearing of Anthony the Eremite his holy life, who speaking to his companion Alipius, cried out to him, saying, Quid hoc est? quid patimur? Lib. confess. 8. cap. 1. surgunt indocti & coelum rapiunt & nos cum doctrinis nostris sine cord ecce ubi volutamur in carne & in sanguine? What meaneth all this? what is it that we suffer? thus tyrannised over by our lusts, the unlearned getting up, are before us in getting of heaven, while we with all our learning, as without heart, lie still groveling and wallowing in flesh & blood. It were good that they would think of joining with their 2. Pet. 1. 6. 7. 10. knowledge, virtue, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, & the like, as Peter counseleth; that so as they might neither be idle nor unfruitful, so these things being in them, and abounding, they may become sure they shall never fall. Their danger of perishing for want of knowledge, is not for want of literal, theorical, and speculative knowledge, but for want of lively, effectual & practical knowledge; their Rom. 6. 23. Psal. 125. 5. Psal. 9 17. Heb. 12. 14. minds are enlightened sufficiently in general to know, that the reward of all sin is death; that all workers of iniquity must perish, that the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God; and that without holiness no man shall see God: but I fear many are deceived in this point (who know much otherwise) to think that there may be virtutis ni●ium, men may be too precise, and too strict in their holiness; and in that they dream of a greater liberty, and make larger grants & licenses to themselves to continue in their sins, than they can find warrant for out of God's Word, and yet hope for all that to come well enough to heaven. And others, when they see them that are learned so to take liberty, and so to live, they follow after without either fear or wit (as we use to speak), holding it for a principle, that tutum est errare authoribus illis: these men (say they) know as much as the best; if they knew they might not do it, they would not do as they do; if such men err, we dare at a venture err with them for company. If there be any thing hidden & kept secret from men in these knowing and understanding times, wherein the world and age we live in, may be said after a sort to be as full of knowledge, as the sea is of water; it is in things not so much appertaining to the information of men's minds, as to the reformation 2. Cor. 4. 4. of men's manners, the god of the world so blinding the eyes of the most, even among them that are professors of the faith, that the light of the glorious Gospel (though it shine clearly enough to make known this whole matter) yet it should not shine unto them, to let them see how absolutely necessary it is to the attainment of salvation, for all that nameth the name of Christ, to departed from all manner of 2. Tim. 2 19 iniquity, and so to be changed and throughout sanctified, as not to rest with Agrippa, in being almost or half persuaded Acts 26. 28. 29. to leave their sins, and reform their lives, but wholly to be like Paul, and altogether of his practice, who bestowed labour upon himself, for the taming of his body, 1. Cor. 9 27. and bringing it under, lest by any means when he had preached to others, he himself should be a castaway. That which was a secret in David's time, or whosoever else it was that made the Psalm for the Sabbath, is still a secret to this day unto men of the like fashion, that is, an unwise or brutish Psal. 92. 6. 7. man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this, that all the workers of iniquity, even when they flourish most, shall be destroyed for ever; and that many who know Christ to profess him, and know Christ to preach him, yet shall not be known of Christ in that day of his appearing, Matth. 7. 22. but be sent away with this answer given them, Depart from me I know you not, and all because they have been workers of iniquity: and then they shall (though too late) see their own folly in the end, and how much (for all their good knowledge that in other things they have had), they yet have been deceived in this; when they shall have cause (too justly) to complain, that destruction and Rom. 3. 16. 17. unhappiness have been in their ways, and the ways of truth they have not known. Let men have what knowledge they may, if they fail in obedience to God's commandments, there is not a dram of sound wisdom, and saving knowledge in them at all, as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet, How do you say, we are wise, and the Law of the I●r. 8. 8. 9 Lord is with us; they have rejected the word of God, and then what wisdom is there in them? That was good learning Seneca ep. 95. which a Heathen Philosopher could say, was the learning and wisdom of old time, which taught nothing more job 28. 28. than what was fit to be done, and what to be left undone. Now we are taught more how to dispute well, how men were much better, though not so learned: now men, since they are grown more learned, have left of to be so good. Of all learning it is the best learning, truly to know God, and fear him, the fear of the Lord being true wisdom, and the departing from evil being the best understanding: according to that which the Psalmist speaketh, that a good understanding Psal. 111. 10. have they that do thereafter, and the praise thereof will endure for ever. If any desire to know, how with all their other knowledges they might come to know this last, and of all the rest, the best, and most needful point of knowledge, namely, so to know Christ, as there withal to know also, that all that are in Christ, and look to be saved by him, of necessity must be new creatures, and purge themselves as he is pure, let them with prayer and Psal. 25. 9 holy meditation, learn in humility the way of living well: in learning it, let them obey it; and in obeying, they shall still learn it better, as our Saviour himself hath promised to them, that will do the will of his Father. And so much john 7. 17. & 8. 31. 32. let be said concerning this point of the difference of the knowledges that may be discerned, and found to be among men. CHAP. XII. The second difference, which is in their laying hold of Christ for salvation. Question. BEside knowledge you have showed, there must be also a laying hold of Christ, with a persuasion that God will be favourable to us in and through him: and for as much as in hypocrites, these also may seem to be found as well as the knowledge of Christ; I pray you show what difference may be put between the apprehension of Christ for salvation by a true believer, and the persuasion he hath of obtaining salvation by him, and that which can be found in one that is not currant nor sound in his believing. A. The one layeth hold of Christ in imagination and divers apprehension of Christ. conceit only; and therefore is never the better: the other in truth and certainty, and so undoubtedly becometh saved thereby. The apprehension of Christ by an hypocrite in his own imagination, is but as the holding of an Angel of gold in the hand of one, that is deceived by a juggler, that hath his senses prestigiated by the cunning working of the devil: such a one is made to believe he hath that he hath not; the juggler in show, and to his seeming, puts an Angel into his hand, bids him shut his hand, and hold it fast; the man now thinks he hath it sure, but when he openeth his hand to take out his piece of gold, he either finds nothing there; or if any thing at all, nothing better than a slip, a piece of copper, or a counter that will go for no payment, and so finds himself to be never the better for it, nor never the richer, but merely cozened and deluded by a false conceit. There is a history related (if the matter be not mistaken) of an Apostatate professor, who coming to the table of the Lord to receive the Sacrament, when he had received the bread into his hand, it became turned into ashes by and by. Which (if it were so) did plainly enough show that Christ would feed no such; but as he had withdrawn his heart from Christ, so Christ could well enough withdraw himself from him, that he should never apprehend him, and have no part in him: the devil made such a one believe, and his own false heart beguiled him as well as did the devil, causing him to think, that if he could come to the Lords table and partake in the Sacrament, he should receive Christ well enough: as it is the conceit of the most to this day, who never do go further; but he found by lamentable experience, that the deceiver had beguiled him: for, opening his hand for bread to put into his mouth, there was nothing but ashes found, and so nothing to eat; he might starve well enough for any nourishment that was there to be had. Though all hypocrites in coming to the Sacrament, there to apprehend Christ, and to receive (as they use to speak) their Maker, have not always such a visible sign put into their hands of receiving nothing, as had this backslider; yet let them look into their hearts, and there they shall find (if they be well ransacked and searched) as true nothing to be there; no presence of Christ, of his flesh, and his blood, for their spiritual nourishment; as that man had no bread remaining but ashes in stead of bread for him to feed upon: a lie being in their right Isa. 44. 20. hand through a seduced heart beguiling them, as speaketh the Prophet. And so their case paralelleth the case of that man, whose senses the cozening juggler by Satan's so powerful working had so prestigiated, as he was made to believe he had a piece of gold put into his hands, but when he looked to take it out, there he found nothing, but all was gone. In like manner these, with those of Laodicea, who were professors as well as the best, and Apoc. 3. 17. thought they had their part in Christ as plentifully as who had most: that thought they were rich enough and wanted nothing; when in the mean time they knew not that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, wanting all things; till the matter at length came to be tried, and then it was proved to be so indeed: so these think they have laid good hold of Christ, and are so surely possessed of him, as there is no fear at all of their ever perishing for their being out of him. But when trial shall be made thereof at the day of judgement, or at the hour of death, when they shall begin to cry, Lord, Lord, unto Christ, Master, master, now help and save us! he will then stand aloof off, and make the matter very strange unto them, as though he had never known them. Then shall it appear that there was never any sound nor true acquaintance between Christ and them; they never in Christ, because they were not new creatures: Christ never in them; and therefore they will be found to be no better then plain reprobates. Q. But of such professors coming to the Sacrament there to receive Christ, and to be partakers of him, you cannot say they receive nothing, for they receive the holy signs and seals of Christ his body and blood, stamped with the true and uncounterfait impression of Gods own Ordinance and institution, to make them more reverend in our eyes and estimation: yea they are styled and named by the institutor and ordainer of himself: not the signs and seals of his body and blood, but they are called his body and blood, that we Mat. 26. 26. 28. might know to our comfort, the Lord his plain and full meaning is not to present only the signs to be received by us, but the thing that is signified, as well as the signs in like manner to be offered unto us, to become ours? A. True, and so it proveth to be to the worthy receiver, who bringeth with him as well a spiritual hand of faith, to receive and lay hold of the thing that is signified, as a bodily hand of flesh to receive the outward sign thereof, and bringeth as well the vessel of his heart purged and made clean for the flesh and blood of Christ to be put into, for the spiritual nourishing of him to eternal life, as his mouth is prepared, and readily opened to receive the bread and wine for the bodily nourishing of this temporary life. And for all that hypocrites and misbelievers in receiving the Sacrament, either receive nothing, or that which to them is as good as nothing, if it be not worse, making themselves thereby guilty of the body and blood of Christ, and so receiving their own damnation, but Christ to salvation I am sure they do not receive, neither at all apprehend to have him to be theirs. They may receive, as judas is said to receive panem domini, but not panem dominum; the bread of the Lord, but not the bread which is the Lord. The Word and Sacraments by God's ordinance are as Christ's vestments and garments wherewith he is covered, unto which the true believers coming, taking them, and touching them with the hand of faith, they reach further than to the outward garment and covering, touching Christ himself, and taking hold of him; and so with the woman in the Gospel, they draw Mark. 5. 27. 28. 30. virtue out of him for their healing. But unbelievers that want this true faith, they can catch hold of nothing but the bare garments, and outward coverings alone, they coming to seek Christ there, find him no more there present unto them, than Peter and john found Christ in the sepulchre when they went to seek him after he was joh. 20. 5. 6. 7. risen; they found indeed the linen clothes in which he was wrapped, but him they found not, for he was risen and gone from thence. They find in the Sacraments the outward elements of Christ's outward vestments and garments he useth to be clothed withal; but him they shall be sure never to find coming in that fashion to seek him; no, though they should go after him with their bullocks, goats and offerings, so seeking his acquaintance Hos. 5. 6. , and to get a countenance at his hands, the Lord so justly requiting them, that as they like hypocrites draw near to them with their lips only, their hearts in the mean time being removed far from him: Isa. 29. 13. so he will be seen to take no pleasure in them, not to be found of them, when they do seek him, or to show at all any countenance unto them: according to that, If any man withdraw himself, my soul shall have no pleasure in Heb. 10. 38. him. Indeed I cannot deny they have received the Lords holy Sacraments, of God his own institution, and that they are not a little proud on; they think they are well enough for that day, and it may be for that year, till that day twelvemonth come again: they think, having admittance from the Minister, and gotten the Sacrament once into their hands; they have wealth enough, and are rich enough to defray all charges, and to pay all debts, that either God their Creditor, or the devil their accuser can burden them withal; for Christ (they make reckoning) shall now answer for all; they make no doubt they have received him when they received the Sacrament, and so having had him, they still hold him fast. Indeed if this were so, that opening their hands of faith, they might see him there held fast, and opening the door of their hearts, they could find him truly present, and there dwelling in their hearts by that faith, then were they rich indeed, both to pay all that were owing, and to live of that which remained beside. But in stead of this Angel of gold, that which they have, proveth to be no better than a very slip or counter, which they took in stead of good gold or silver, which will go for no payment, that will buy them no bread, nor pay any penny debt; they may starve for hunger for any thing that with that they can buy at God's hands: they may be cast into prison, and there lie till they rot, for any shortening of their debt they own unto God with making such payment: for these to plead before God, the receiving of his Sacraments, will be so far from cleared of the debt-book, as it will run them further into arrearages with him, and bring them deeper into his danger: nothing is for them to be hoped for, that this way can be gotten. But now on the other side, a true Christian that is sound in the faith, doth by his faith so truly apprehend Christ, that he hath real and true union and communion 1. Cor. 6. 17. with him to become one with him, and is so nearly and inseparably joined unto him, so engrafted by faith, and thereby so incorporated into him, as he is in Christ, and joh. 14. 20. Rom. 8. 1. 10. Christ in him. The meat that ●● feed upon is not more truly made one with our substance, after once we have eaten john 6. 56. it, and God hath blessed it for our nourishing. The plant that is well grafted and set into a stock, becometh john 15. 5. not more one with the stock, after once it hath flourished and grown up with the tree. The husband and the wife Ephes. 5. 30. 31. of two are not more truly become one flesh, after marriage be consummate. The body and the head are not more Ephes. 1. 22. 23. nearly united and conjoined together in a man that is living, then is Christ with a true Christian, after that by faith he hath once laid hold on him. Yea, so is a true Christian really and undoubtedly possessed of Christ by his steadfast believing, as that he hath him dwelling in his Ephes. 3. 17. heart by faith, and that in so lively a sort, and after so effectual a manner of working in him, as that thenceforth, not so much the Christian doth live, as Christ himself Gal. 2 20. doth live in him, and the life which a true believer doth afterward live in the flesh, he doth live by the faith of the Son of God, from whom as from his head he draweth and deriveth by his faith such influence of grace, as doth strengthen and sustain him in his spiritual life. Their conceits of apprehending Christ and of eating his flesh and his blood in the Sacrament, to be nourished thereby to life eternal, is but as when a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth, but when he awaketh, his Isai. 29 8. soul is still empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drink●th, but when he awaketh behold he is faint, and his soul hath still appetite, and he is yet a thirst. So these men they are but in a dream when they have such contentment, and seem to have such satisfying in their manner of having Christ, which is but in fantasy and conceit alone: for when they shall awake out of their dream in the morning of the resurrection, they shall not find according to that David reckoned Psal. 17. 5. upon, that when he should awake up, he should be satisfied with God's image: and find fullness of joy in God's presence, Psal. 16. 11. and pleasures at his right hand for evermore: But rather as vagrant and needy rogues that have nothing and can get no entertainment, and as hungry dogs run about Psal. 59 14. 15. the streets snarling and grinning, and grudging because they are not satisfied: and as it is said in Isaiah, They shall then be hungry and thirsty, ashamed and confounded, crying Isai. 65. 13. 14. & 8. 21. 22. out for sorrow of heart, and howling for vexation of spirit, leaving their name for a curse to Gods chosen in the day that the Lord shall slay them. Contrarily, sound-hearted Christians and true believers indeed, whose souls with David do thirst for God, even for the living God: who hunger and thirst after righteousness, Psal. 42. 1. 2. Matth. 5. 6. and the salvation that is to be had in Christ jesus: wheresoever that dead carcase may be light upon of Christ crucified, of his flesh and blood broken and powered out and prepared for their spiritual nourishment; whether in the word preached or Sacraments administered, thither as the Eagles of heaven do they swiftly fly Matth. 24. 28. and resort, that prey do they light upon, there do they seize and lay hold upon Christ, even upon him crucified, seeking their repast in him; there do they feed upon him with fresh appetite, and take their fill of such dainties, as in him they find to be prepared for them. Neither do they this in a fantasy alone, and mere imagination, as do those that dream, but with as joyful a feeling and as great a rejoicing, as those that are made most merry at a banquet of wine: for there find they a most sumptuous banquet and princely feast prepared for them upon the Lord's mountain, even a feast of fat things and of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on Isai. 25. 6. the lees well refined. The Lord his table being furnished as the royal table of a King at the marriage of his Son, Matth. 22. 2. with the sweet bread of the finest of the wheat, even the bread and man of God that came down from heaven, john 6. 58. and with wine of the grape of a most noble kind: that is, with the precious body and blood of our Saviour Christ jesus. There are they so abundantly satisfied with the fatness of God's house, and the Lord doth make them Psal. 36. 8. Psal. 65. 13. 14. so to drink their fill out of the rivers of his pleasures there, that they cannot but be merry and much rejoice, yea sing for very joy of heart. And the effect of their true feeding upon this spiritual nourishment, and of the comfortable refreshing they feel themselves to be cheered withal, after they have sucked and been satisfied with such honey combs of all God's mercies, as they have found and plucked out of the carcase of that dead Lion of the tribe of judah, doth as manifestly appear in the carriage of their lives following (which is sufficient to show they have fed in deed, and not in fantasy), while their spirits are found to be revived in them, they waxing lusty and strong thereby, fat and well liking, and fresh in doing duty, and in bearing out their labour as strong men in Christ jesus, and the eyes of their understanding so cleared and made lightsome to see their way, and to understand God's will▪ that they may know how to walk and please him: as ever the effect of Samsons drinking of waters after his great thirst, and of jonathans' tasting of honey after his great weariness, was seen and perceived in the refreshing of either of them thereby. Of Samson it is said that his spirit came again, and he revived after his great thirst, when once he had drunk of that water which the Lord caused to flow out of the hollow place of the jaw, judg. 15. 19 with which he slew so many of the Philistims. And of jonathan it is said, that when he and all the people were faint with much fasting, his eyes were cleared and enlightened after he had once dipped the end of the rod that was in his hand in an honey comb, and putting it 1. Sam. 14. 27. to his mouth had tasted of the same. Though a temporary believer may be said to apprehend and lay hold upon after a sort, of the promises of salvation, and upon the merits of Christ for salvation: yet there is guile also in this, for both it is upon wrong grounds, misapplying the promises and after a wrong manner, more laying hold upon the merits of Christ, then upon Christ himself, and therefore laying hold upon the streams and missing the fountain; whatsoever their comfort may be for a time, yet their hearts at length are as the dry cisterns that want water, because they are cut off from the fountain: and so their candle and the light of all their comfort is quite extinct and put out again. True believers lay hold of Christ himself who is their life; they apprehend him for their Saviour, and they find salvation in him: God having given us life, that life is in 1 Ioh 5. 11. 1. joh. 5. 12. his Son; they that have the Son, have life: the true believer hath Christ dwelling in his heart by faith; they have the fountain of life and comfort in themselves: and as john saith, they have the witness in themselves: their comfort 1. Ioh 5. 10. joh. 7. 38. therefore is sure, and it is lasting, rivers of water of life slow out of their bellies, they never are dry. As the manner of their apprehending is faulty, so the ends which they aim at in apprehending of Christ are not right. They seek to have Christ and to have his acquaintance, and to be known to be towards him, that they might be honoured among men, and the better thought on for the professing of him, as Saul desired samuel's 1. Sam. 15. 30. company and presence, that thereby he might the more be honoured before the people. The most they seek in s●eking to him is but themselves: they wish with Baalam to die the death of the righteous: salvation they would have from him, and that they catch at, but Christ himself they do not so much seize upon, nor care so much to have that either he should be in them by the power of his death, crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof; or they be in him to become new creatures in him. Their dealing herein is like to the dealing of thieves and malefactors, who look for no other benefit by a Parliament, but to hear of a pardon, never desiring to hear of any good laws to govern better their lives: they that mind to live by thievery carry such a mind. The true believers desire and seek to have Christ, not alone in respect of their own salvation, but for the surpassing excellency that is seen to be in himself: they know him to be the chief of the choice of men; yea to be the chiefest of ten thousand, and in himself to be every way wholly delectable; and therefore their hearts are so affectionated towards him, as that he, and he alone is their only well-beloved; his name is as sweet ointment powered out, and therefore with the virgins they do love him, and with the Spouse they run after him, seeking for him in every corner, because it is he whom their soul loveth and delighteth in: yea with the Spouse they do grow sick of love, until they may enjoy him. In seeking Cantic. 5. 8. him they seek not their own honour, but that they might honour him, and are willing to be subject to him as to be saved by him; and therefore renouncing all others they betake themselves only unto him, and say (as it is in the Prophet) O Lord, other Lords beside thee have had Isai. 26. 13. dominion over us, but we will make mention of thee and of thy name only. They laying hold of Christ, lay hold of him that layeth no hold of them; they cry Master, Master unto him, seeking and scraping acquaintance of him that renounceth them, and wholly doth disclaim them; bidding them departed from him, for he doth not know them: they lay hold of Christ as Saul did of Samuel, that took no delight 1. Sam. 15. 26. 27. ●8. in him, but turned away from him, as having no heart to abide longer with him; he was therefore feign to offer violence to Samuel, and to rend his garment, though he got no more by it but to hear, God had rend away his kingdom from him: these rend and tear the Scriptures by misapplying of them, and all to pull Christ to them, who cares not for them; who shall get no more by that reading, than Saul did by his; for their names shall therefore be rend out of the book of life, because they have wronged and abused God's book, and pulled and rend the Scriptures to a clean contrary end and purpose than was meant, or they ever were written for. These apprehend Christ, because he first did apprehend them, and knew them for his own, as a good shepherd knoweth his flock, so the Lord knoweth who are Ioh 10. 14. 2. Tim. 2. 19 his, and he giveth then again to know that he is theirs, and so to make claim unto him: according to the stipulation of the new Covenant between Christ and the redeemed; he saith to them, you are my people; and they Hos. 223. saying to him, thou art our Lord; thou art our Christ, thou art our Redeemer. It is well observed by a godly Perkins in Gal. 4. 9 man and learned Divine of our time, that the works of grace and favour in God, imprint their image in the hearts of them that belong to God in whom they are wrought. There is a knowledge in God whereby he knows who are his: this knowledge brings forth another knowledge in us, whereby we know God to be our God. There is an election in God, whereby he chooseth the Elect to be his people; which worketh in them another election, whereby they choose God to be their God. The love whereby God loves us, works in us another love whereby we love God again. Christ apprehends 1. joh. 4. 19 Phil. 3. 12. us to be his redeemed, that works in us the apprehension of faith whereby we lay hold upon him to be our reredeemer: and by this (saith he) we may know that we belong to God, if we find any such impression of God's grace in us. These than know Christ to be their Saviour, because he first knew them to be his own whom he would redeem; they are his, and he calleth them by name, and cheereth them at the heart, by saying unto them, as it is in the Prophet, Fear not, I have redeemed thee, thou art Isa. 43. 1. mine. They lay hold of him, because he layeth hold of them, holding them by his right hand, and holding also Isa. 41. 10. 13. Psal. 73 23. 1. Sam. 15. 26. 27. 28. Luk. 19 5. 9 their right hand, that he may ever help them. They do not lay hold of him as Saul did upon Samuel, that turned away from him and would have been gone: but as Zacheus did welcome Christ unto his house, who first bespoke his own entertainment, and was desirous to come to his house, and brought salvation with him when he came. They laying hold of Christ, lay hold of him who doth not at all belong to them, not was ever given them, or appointed for them, no more than children's bread belong Mat. 15. 26. to dogs, though they stick not to snatch it from them: for though Christ died for the sins of the world, yet intentionally he did never lay down his life for hypocrites and unbelievers, who shall die and perish for all him (though he hath done enough to save them) only by means of their own unbelief, because they do not truly and rightly believe in his name: and therefore their joh. 3. 18. challenging of Christ to be their Saviour, and claim that they make to the benefit of his redemption, is no more just, then was the claim that the harlot made, who was not the own mother to the live child that was none of 1. King. 3. 22. hers. These lay hold of him, and by faith do apprehend him, as having of all others the greatest interest in him, and all lawful right to claim him for their own, as who was prepared, set apart, and appointed for them before the world had any beginning; and in the fullness of time Galath. 4. 4. Luk. 2. 11. was sent to be borne of a woman, and to be borne a Saviour unto them; and therefore they may justly say, and joyfully proclaim it before Angels and men, as Isaiah sets it down, that unto us a child is borne, and unto us a son is Isa. 9 6. joh. 3. 16. Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 5. 25. given, even given by a double donation; one from the the Father, another from himself: which gift hath been published by proclamation throughout all the world; established in blood, sealed in Sacraments, and the performance thereof witnessed unfeignedly, both by Angels and men. Now what is more free than gift? and who is more faithful than God, and Christ, who are the givers, to see the grant and gift performed. Every good Christian therefore and true believer have a free deed of gift to show out of the Courtrolles of the Scriptures, whereby to prove the title and claim they make to Christ for being theirs▪ to be most lawful and just; and therefore they may challenge and claim him by as good right to be their own, as may the bride challenge the bridegroom to be hers after he hath given himself to her; and she on the other side given herself unto him, by mutual promises, and by faith and truth to each other plighted, in which those promises are given and received, and that before sufficient witnesses, that are able to witness and testify the same: and so may sing joyfully with the Spouse in the Canticles, without fear of controlment by any, my beloved is mine, and I am his, and his desire is unto Cant. 2. 16. and 7. 10. me. They, as temporary believers and time-servers, do Mat. 13. 21. lay hold of Christ, and let him go again, as Apostatates, and backsliders revolt from him and fall away, so making joh. 2. 19 themselves liable to that danger which our Saviour Christ threateneth will befall to such as abide not in him, joh. 15. 6. which is the true vine, which is that as withered branches they shall be cast into the fire and burned, and culpable of Heb. 10. 26. 27. 29. and 6. 4. 5. 6. ● Cant. 3. 4. such a sin as will never be forgiven. These lay such fast hold of him with the Spouse, as having once found him, and gotten to lay hold upon him, they never more will let him go, not giving him over till they have brought him home, and carried him into the inmost rooms and chiefest chambers of their hearts, that they may have him dwelling in their hearts by faith: that they so enjoying his presence there, and happy fruition Mat. 28 20. joh. 14. 18. (according as our Saviour himself hath promised to be ever with his to the end of the world, and never to leave them Orphans) may have the sweet lasting comfort thereof, and solace themselves therein with infinite and unspeakable contentment. If there should be question made to them, as our Saviour made to Peter and the rest, whether they also with others would go away? their answer joh. 6. 67. 68 69. unto him will be as Peter was, Lord to whom should we go, thou hast the words of eternallife, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God: for whom hath a faithful believer in heaven but Christ? neither is there any in earth whom he careth for, Psal. 73. 25. or doth desire but him alone. CHAP. XIII. Of the third difference, which is in the difference of their assurance to be saved: wherein is entreated of, the want of feeling of true faith, or of the former or present comfort thereof. Question. YOu having showed thus much difference to be between the apprehension of Christ by a counterfeit believer, and of one that is sound in the faith; go on in like manner to show what difference there is (if there be any) between the assurance and persuasion, that the one hath of being saved by Christ, upon his so apprehending of him; and the assurance of the other? A. The difference between them in this, is no less Difference of assurance. than was found to be in the other. The difference between misbelievers, and the true faithful that are called the Israel of God, in the point of their assurance, and comfortable persuasion of their being saved by Christ jesus (they both bearing the venture of the lives of their souls, in the passage that they have through the wild sea of this world, in hope of their safe arrival and landing at that happy port of all safety in God's kingdom and heavenly Canaan in the end), is not unlike to the difference that was between the Israelites and Egyptians for their passing thorongh the red sea; both of them ventured and went into the sea; the one got well through, the other came short home; the one had Gods word for their warrant, they therefore were saved, and gained the port and land which they ventured for; the other were blinded with pride and presumption, and ventured without all warrant from God, as being found rather fighters against God in disobeying his word: and therefore they miscarried all, and were drowned in the midst of the sea, and sunk to the bottom as a stone. True believers are persuaded of God's mercies in Christ, that they shall never perish, but have everlasting life; their faith and hope they have in God doth never fail them, for it is grounded upon the truth of God's promise, and the rock Christ jesus. They escape therefore in all dangers, and happily are saved in the end; for the just shall live by his faith. Heb. 2. 4. Misbelievers and hypocrites they also are bold and confident in their persuasion; it may more justly be said, in their proud presuming; for they are but as the fools, that believe every thing: they believe they cannot Prou. 14. 15. tell what, they having nothing to ground their persuasion upon; they have neither word nor writing from God, to show why they should so believe: their is neither bill nor scroll, nor any tittle in the Bible, if it be rightly understood, that doth make for them, and yet they flush themselves as though all were theirs; they flatter themselves, and beguile their own hearts with misapplying promises out of God's word. They are ignorant, and yet most confident: according to that, Who so bold as blind Bayard: they fear nothing, they defy the devil; they have (they say) a strong faith, and are sure to be saved: they never doubted of their salvation in all their life, neither would they doubt for all the world. Which boldness of theirs, being rather blindness, then good boldness, cometh not through the abundance of faith believing more strongly than others do, the promises which God hath made them, but through abundance of folly, making promises ro themselves, where God never made any; and reckoning to receive that, which God never minded to give; so building without a foundation, and believing without any word spoken or promise that was ever given; the Lord sending them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, and so go on in their dangerous security, that they may stumble and fall, and rise no more. They both seem to be assured, and to stand persuaded, that they shall be saved by God in the end, but upon far differing grounds. The ground of the ones persuasion is found only to be in himself, and to be laid upon himself alone, and his own conceit, and may be rather said to be the assurance of man so persuading himself, than any certainty of the thing, whereof he is persuaded that ever it shall so fall out, as he doth make reckoning. The ground of the others persuasion is laid out of himself, even upon God and the truth of his promise, as knowing 2. Tim. 1. 12. whom he hath believed, and may rather be said to stand more in the certainty and infallibility of the thing promised, then in the strength of the mans assured believing and standing persuaded that it shall be so performed that doth believe it. The ground of the persuasion of an hypocrite, and such as is unsound in the faith, is laid only within himself, for out of himself he findeth nothing to bear up such a confident boasting withal, but it is only resting in his own bosom, and all the weight of his building hath no surer ground to be set upon, then are the imaginations, thoughts, and conceits of his own heart alone; which is deceitful above all things, and so false and unsound, as none is able to know the hollowness that is therein. And therefore a ground (for any to think it possible ever to lay a steady, and sure foundation therein, or set a strong building upon the same, which he desireth to see remain firm, and unmovable for himself to dwell safe in), that is more movable, then is either sea or wind, where all is seen to flow and blow away; as well may a man reckon upon building Castles in the air, and walled Cities upon the rolling and ragged seas, safely to inhabit in, as sure persuasions that a man may trust too, and not be deceived in, and upon the vain imaginations, conceits and affections of his seducing and seduced heart; which are so unstaid, and so unsettled, that the affections are not unfitly said to be the very waves and storms of men's souls, that toss and turmoil them upside down. And otherwise beside their own conceits and imaginations of their own hearts, that makes them thus peremptory, and thus bold in presuming, there is nothing at all in the world, that can else warrantably assure them, that they shall ever have that salvation, which they so much do reckon up. For that in itself is so far from being certain unto them, as there is a certainty of the clean contrary; and they may be sure, when they shall once come to make trial, they shall find it clean otherwise to fall out, than they looked for; they may be bold and build upon it, there is no peace at all from God for such Isai. 57 21. ever to receive in, nor salvation at his hands for them to have; though at the last, when it shall be too late, they should as earnestly crave it, and seek for it by their crying unto him, as ever did Esau seek his father's blessing, when he came too late, and then he could find no place of repentance with him, though he sought it with tears: for the Heb. 12. 17. Lord hath assigned another manner of estate and condition to hypocrites and unbelievers, and declared in his word so great a condemnation to abide them in the pit of destruction, as he thinketh it threatening great enough unto other kind of sinners to tell them, they shall have their Mat. 24. 51. portion with unbelievers, and with hypocrites. For them then to persuade themselves they shall be saved, contrary to all that which the Lord doth otherwise plainly set down in his word; and when they hear the words of his so great a curse, to promise to themselves for all that, that they shall have peace; it is not only to delude their own Deut. 29. 19 20 hearts with lying and false conceits, but to set God the more against them, that he may never be merciful unto them, but cause his wrath more fiercely, and more furiously to smoke out against them. This is not the boldness of good assurance, and of a warrantable persuasion, that hath God's word to rely upon; but the blindness of a most damnable pride, and presuming against all that God himself hath spoken, when (as though they had made Isai. 28. 15. a covenant with death, and were at an agreement with hell, that they should never take any hold of them) they do not only promise to themselves safety and deliverance from perishing, but high advancement in glory, and life eternal in God's kingdom: as if when the King hath proclaimed them all to be traitors, that were conspirators in the late Gun powder-treason, and that so many as can be proved to have been of that conspiracy, are as traitors to be hanged, drawn and quartered; if some principal traitor of them all, having to this day scaped, should now be apprehended and attached for his treason, and being to be carried up to the Court, that it might be known what should be done with him; he all this while should bear himself as bold, as the best subject in the kingdom, in such sort, as none can make him believe, there is any danger towards him; but he still promiseth to himself, that coming once at the Court, he shall not only escape punishment, and be freed from all manner of blame and rebuke, but be lifted up to much higher advancement, and made some great Duke or Lord in the and: every one would think, that some spirit of frenzy or madness had strongly possessed such a man. So are these men strangely bewitched, & enchanted by the devil, to take for sure truths those things, which are but Satan's mere delusions; and when the best is made of them, no better then are waking men's dreams. The foundation whereupon a true believing Christian doth build his assurance and persuasion that he hath, of being saved in the end, is that which the Apostle calleth, the foundation of God; and therefore a most strong and 2. Tim. 2. 19 sure foundation, having this seal, the Lord knoweth who are his; the knowledge of God being perpetual and unchangeable: for whom the Lord knows once, he never after Isai. 49. 15. doth forget. and this is the most firm, steady, and immovable foundation, that any possibly can build upon; Zach. 6. 1. strong as those mountains of brass, which Zacharie maketh mention of, to bear up all that is set upon the same, which makes it impossible, that a true believer should ever perish. It is not the strength of his faith (though he do truly believe, as looking thereby always to hold the comfort which he now hath) that works up this assurance; but the faithfulness of him, whom this faith doth rely upon; which is such, as though we cannot believe, 2. Tim. 2. 13. Tit. 1. 2. yet he abideth faithful, and cannot deny himself, for he is God that cannot lie. The comfortable and confident persuasion of a true believing Christian, for his obtaining of salvation through Christ jesus, standeth more in that he knoweth whom he doth believe to receive salvation from (as that which he hath purchased, and that which he hath promised, and which he is both able and faithful to perform), then in knowing that he doth believe, and what he looks for to receive by his believing, which is to be saved by his faith. His assurance is more in the assurance of the thing believed, through the steadfastness of him that hath promised the same, then in his own steadfastness, that he always shall so believe, or in the steadfastness of his faith by which he doth believe, that it never more shall be overtaken with any fear or doubting. For our faith may Psal. 118. 13. be dangerously assailed, and thrust soar at, that it might fall: it may be shaken, but God's promise is unfaileable, and the truth of his Word, as a rock that cannot be moved nor shaken, whatsoever be the surges that beat against the same. His assurance is more, in that he knows Phil. 3. 12. Christ comprehends him, who will never let go his hold, because he is stronger than all, that none can pull any out joh. 10 28. 29. joh. 6. 39 of his hand; and because he is most faithful to answer that trust he is put in by his father, whose will it is, that of all that he hath given him, he must not lose one: then in the knowledge that he hath, that he doth apprehend Christ, and doth lay hold upon him by his believing; for he may let go his hold, and let slip that handfasting which he holds him by; at least in regard of his own feeling, it may be gone: for feeling may fail a true believer, and then there is no other help, but for hope to hold fast, and still to stand persuaded, that though we cannot apprehend him, yet he doth still comprehend us; who as he was yesterday, Heb. 13. 8. Mal. 3. 6. joh. 13. 1. is even so to day, and will be the same for evermore; for he is the Lord, and changeth not: therefore was it that the sons of jacob were not consumed; and therefore it is, that whom he once hath loved, to the end he will love them still: this we are to remember, and to fetch comfort from the same; yea, to hope also, that howsoever our feeling may be forth present, yet ourselves shall find it to be otherwise afterward again. Q. You are light upon a point that many good Christians are much troubled about, who for want of feeling the comfort they have had, fear they are quite given over, and for saken of God. I pray you therefore let me be bold to interrupt your other speech a little, and to crave of you, that you would speak your mind somewhat in this matter, what you would think were fittest to be done by such, or to be conceived of the estate of such a Christian that cannot have such feeling of his faith, and standing in the favour of God after the manner as before sometime he hath had? A. Such are to labour by judgement, to convince and control their abused sense and feeling, who sometimes Want of feeling. to their own sense and feeling, may think God to have forsaken them; Christ jesus to have quite left them, and to be departed and gone from them; when as yet he is still where he was, and as touching his favour and his love, unalterable, remaining still the same towards them that he was; the alteration being found only to be in themselves, by reason of the strong temptations that are upon them. Men are therefore not to measure their estate by sense and feeling: for many times in natural things, reason is able to control our sense, as if I being in a ship that is driven with a fair wind and tide, do sail by a Tower or Castle standing upon a bank, when I look upon the Tower, as the ship doth swiftly pass by, my sense of seeing thinketh that the Tower goeth away, while I myself stand still in the ship: but my judgement and understanding telleth me, that it is otherwise in truth, and that the Tower standeth still and moveth not, but it is I and the ship that do go away from it, though to my sense of seeing it seems otherwise to be. In like manner as touching, feeling, a man that hath but raging pain in one tooth, or hath but a felon on the uttermost joint of his finger, or the pain of the gout only in his toe; though all his body should be sound and in good health beside, he feeleth more the pain of that one little member of his tooth, or of his toe, than the sound health of his whole body beside, though the health of the whole body be much more, then is the pain of that one member. In like manner doth it many times fall out with good Christians, if they be endued and enriched with never so many good graces of God's Spirit, having true faith, and joined therewith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, hope, humility meekness, repentance, and the rest that are links of that golden chain, wherewith the virtues are chained and linked one to another, if it should happen not to be well with them in any one of the said graces (according as these several graces of the mind, as well as the several members of the body, may be put out of their right frame, and have distemper and disease bred in them, and brought upon them), though in the mean while it were never so well with them in all the rest, yet is it found usual for them more to feel the disquiet of the distemper, and hurt of some one of these graces so out of frame, then to feel the content and comfort of the abiding in good estate of all the rest beside; and to be more grieved with the disease that is grown upon that one, than joyed with the health that doth still remain in all the other. As if a good man being sore provoked and set upon of the sudden, should be so much distempered, and put out of all patience, as he should break forth to much fury and rage in his hasty anger (which is no better than a short madness), and being come to his right mind again, his fit being once over (for all that while beside himself), he should then bethink himself what he had done: so would he be out of conceit with himself, he would be so cast down in his own eyes, so smitten in heart, so pricked in conscience, so wounded in his soul with grief for his sin, he would cry out and complain for being thus overseen, as that the distemper of that one grace of patience, and the weakness thereof, which could then bear no more, would more be felt of him with grief, and work him greater woe, and disquiet him much more, than he should feel comfort, or have contentment in the good estate which all the rest did abide in beside, and yet that one slip of his for a time is not so blameworthy, as is commendable the ordinary course of goodness, constantly held on in the well-using and practising of other his graces: wherein much soundness is found still to be remaining. And as among the members and parts of the body, some are more necessary than are others, and so more hardly can be spared; some are more dangerous to take hurt in, or for any disease to breed upon them, because they are the vital parts of the body, such as is the heart, the liver and the brain, which if they should be perished, the life itself would be lost: when such parts are affected, men are found to be more troubled about the hearts of such, and the diseases bred upon them, then upon any other there the parts of their bodies beside, they are most suspicious and doubtful of the recovering of them above, that they are of all the rest, ever fearing lest those hurts should not be well healed, or those diseases sound cured and recpiered again. As if one should have among other the outward parts and members of his body, his right hand so maimed, as it should be in danger to be quite cut off, and so lost; and of all the inward parts should have a disease breeding in him, that should dangerously affect the heart, which being a most vital part, even the very fountain and seat of life, that doth send forth the vital spirits, and life itself to the other parts, if that should be perished, than the very life itself would vetterly be lost. Much after this manner is it found to be with good Christians, in respect of the differing graces of God's Spirit, which they have received from God, though all very useful for the Christian life, yet some are more absolutely needful, as being unto the soul, not only the hand by which it worketh: but as the heart which is the very receptacle and seat of life, by which it liveth, which if they should miscarry, all would be lost, such as is faith, and love and repentance unto life. If these should receive any dangerous hurt, or fall into any deadly disease, whereof they should not be again well recovered, there must needs follow the utter ruin of such a Christian. When therefore their faith is mightily assailed, and by the strength of tentation sorely shaken: when their repentance is challenged not to be sound, and such as it ought; Oh, then how solicitous is a careful Christian, about the having of these well cured and recovered again? how fearful and doubtful is he, lest these should fail him, and never be helped? how doth he inquire after the best Physicians, to hear the best counsel that in this case may be given? yea, if a whole College of Physicians should all meet together to confer about his disease, they all would scarce be able to give him satisfying that his disease were curable, and might well be helped; he would doubt, that all the Balm in the Lords Gilead would not suffice to make for him a remedy, that should be sovereign and saving enough; nor that all they together, should have sufficient skill how to apply it, so as he might have good recovery thereby. Yea, if it once grow ill with them in their faith and repentance, and that these graces are smitten at, strooken, and wounded by some soar and dangerous tentation, then in stead of complaining of the weakness and hurt of their faith and repentance, they fall to entertain a conceit into their minds, which troubleth them worse than did all the rest; namely, that they have no faith at all, that they have no true repentance, nor ever yet had. But I would demand, if they had not some remainder of the life of these graces of faith and repentance, by which they feel the wounds and hurts, that these affected members and parts of the inner man have received? how come they to make complaint in particular, about their faith and repentance, that it is not well with them? Can a man that hath his legs cut off, so having no legs, be affected with the aching, or painful dolour of the wounds and hurts which are in his legs? he may complain of pains in other parts, but griefs in his legs he can neither feel nor complain of, for he hath none at all to be pained in. But if a man having indeed a leg that is now hurt and wounded, then were it mere folly and madness for him to complain and say, that he hath no leg, because his leg is so maimed and hurt, for that proveth that he hath a leg, in that he complaineth, all his pain is in his leg, and complains not of his arm, nor of his head, which both may be well for all that. Q. True: but may not a man complain he hath no legs at all, if his legs indeed be once cut off? A. But I demand again: Can a man in like manner Of feeling. complain that he hath no heart at all, if his heart be plucked out? We know that then he is but a dead man: for the heart is the most vital part of the body, and the very seat of life, which being principally in it, the life itself by it is communicated to all the rest: destroy therefore and pluck out the heart, and then tell me what life will be remaining in that body for it to complain it hath no heart? Faith is as vital a part for the life of the soul, as the heart is for the life of the body: for it is the only organ and receptacle of all the life of the soul, that it receiveth from Christ the only fountain of true life, and by it that spiritual life which is received from Christ is communicated to every power and part of the soul beside. It is the very soul of our soul: for we live by faith, we walk and work by it, and not by sight: the life of faith is that which doth animate all other virtues beside that are in us. Pluck this faith away and destroy faith which is the life of the soul, and then what life will there be remaining in that soul, for a man to feel by it that he hath no faith? or to complain of the weakness and wants of his faith? for than he should be as a dead man that should have no feeling in him; as unbelievers and wicked persons are said to be dead, even while they live; 1. Tim. 5. 6. Jude 12. yea twice dead and plucked up by the roots, and are past feeling, as the Apostle speaketh. Nay, the complaining by weak Christians about their faith for the weakness thereof, or for the want of their faith, argueth the presence and being in life of their faith, by which they have such feeling and make such complaining; as one complaining that he feeleth pain at his heart, that doth argue that he hath a heart, and that his heart is in life which maketh him so to complain. These are not unlike unto that melancholic person, Treatise of Melancholy▪ pa. 215 who being over borne and overset with that dangerous humour of melancholy, complained he had no head, nor could not possibly be otherwise persuaded, then by that course which that prudent Physician Phylotimus did take with him when he caused to be made a cap of lead very weighty and heavy, and the same to be put upon his head, that feeling the weight thereof upon his head, he might be brought to conceive otherwise, and be persuaded that he had a head. And as they are not much unlike that melancholic for kind of disease, who was deluded with melancholy conceits, to think that he wanted that which indeed he had; so do I think the like kind of remedy in this case not unfit to be used for their cure, which was used for his. I would therefore lay upon these weak Christians no other burden, but the weight of their own burden, of holy sorrow and grief and doubtful despair for their wanting of faith (as themselves do deem), which is so weighty, as they are like to sink under it, & wholly to be broken down with the load thereof, yet that being laid upon the head of their faith, they may be asked whether they feel any such burden, and are pressed under the heavy weight of the same? which if they do, let them never make doubt more but that they have faith, and their faith hath both head and heart too, that hath life in it, which moveth that sense, and causeth that feeling, and worketh that holy grief and sorrow so to complain, the whole soul being quickened thereby throughout, and all the graces of God's spirit that are therein. There is no life of spiritual graces otherwise to be had, then as the same be derived from Christ, who is our life and the fountain thereof: there is no passage for this life to flow into our souls, but as by faith the same be let in, which only is the instrument of the union that is between Christ and us, and the proper hand to receive all grace from him: the very receptacle, and (as I may say) the cistern to hold the grace it hath received from him as out of the fountain, and so to distribute it to all the rest of the graces that are in that soul wherein it is seated. If therefore there be any lively feeling of our want of faith and mourning for our want; if we complain of the want of faith, feeling it to be a burden unto us that is too heavy for us to bear: if we sigh and groan under that burden, with earnest long and daily prayers to be eased, and with such desires of obtaining that which we want, as willingly we neglect no means that we can know, is to be used for our better coming by it: doubtless there is the presence of holy grace (for such a true desire of grace in the want of grace is grace itself) and there is the evidence of the life of grace manifestly to be seen. Now that life of grace cannot otherwise be had but as from faith, and by means thereof it be received, which drawing life from Christ, and taking it from him doth replenish the whole soul therewith, and quickeneth every grace with the same that is found therein. So that such a lively feeling of the want of faith, and complaining of that want, with desire of having that want supplied, do no other in truth but argue the presence of lively faith, howsoever it be not felt. Faith as well may be present in the soul, though it be not felt, and though having it we be not for a time privy Feeling. to our so having of it, as Christ himself may be present with a true Christian, when yet being strongly set upon by some sore tentation, he may think himself for the time, wholly to be given over and to be quite forsaken. Christ, once received by a believing Christian to dwell in his heart by faith, may be and doubtless (according to his promise) will be with his to the end of the world, still Matth. 28. remaining and abiding with every such a believing christian, dwelling in that heart which once received him, though so closely keeping himself hidden, that the same Christian may for a time seek him, as much sorrowing for not finding of him, as ever did Mary his mother sorrowfully Luke 2. 4. 8. seek him when he was missing, and hunt as much after him with as longing a desire to light upon him, as ever did the Spouse (when she was most sick of love) Cantic. 5. 8. long for and look after her well-beloved, and yet with her for a good time never find nor light upon him, when all the while he is (though very secretly, yet most certainly) remaining with them and abiding in them. For the Lord knoweth how to be present with his children, and yet they themselves shall not be aware of his so being: as jacob spoke of God's presence with him at Bethel, God (saith he) was here, and I was not aware. The Lord can tell (saith one of the ancient Fathers) how to be wholly every August. epist. 3. ad Volusianum. where, and yet contained in no one place; he knoweth how to come to one, by not leaving that place from whence he so came; he knoweth how to go away again, and not to leave him from whom he is so gone. And again, speaking of the marvelous manner of Christ his being borne of a woman, she being yet a virgin, and so of his coming into the house, the doors yet being shut, saith further, If a reason of this could be found, it should not be wonderful; if an example of the like it should not be singular. We must know (saith he) and believe, God can do some things which we can never find out the manner and the way by which they are so done. And in such things, the greatest reason of the doing of them is, the only power and might of him by whom they are done. There are two ways after which the Lord may be said to be with his children, while they remain in this world: one, which may be perceived and well may be felt: another, which is secret and cannot be known but by the event and effect, as they by proof find themselves to have been sustained and upheld in all their greatest troubles, though they know not how, and could not then perceive by whom; but it was the Lord that sustained them with the one hand, while he was putting them down with the other. After such a manner may faith be known to be present in the heart, when yet it cannot sensibly be felt: namely, as it may be followed, discovered, and found out by the working. It is well worth the observing, that it is promised in the Gospel, that whosoever believeth shall john 4. 16. never perish, but have life everlasting. Now it is to be marked, that it is not said, Who so hath the comfort of believing, and the feeling of his faith, and so knoweth undoubtedly that he hath true faith; he, and he only is the ●an that shall be saved: but he that indeed believeth, that is, he whom God (who only knoweth the hearts of all, and knoweth them better than we know them ourselves) knoweth that he doth truly, though never so weakly, believe; and who hath faith in God's account, though it be not so in his own, though he have not the feeling of his faith, nor the comfort of his own believing, nor can no more apprehend how the Lord can in any favour be present with him, than could Gideon conceive how that could be so which the Angel spoke unto judg. 6. 12. 13. him, telling him that the Lord was with him (they being in the mean while oppressed by the hands of the Midianites), yet that man is undoubtedly in the state of salvation, such a one can never perish in the end. For there may be as blessed a believing, without some kind of seeing and feeling: as was Thomas his believing blessed, when once he had seen his Saviour present with his eyes, and sensibly had felt him, and laid hold upon him with his hand: witness that which our Saviour Christ answered unto Thomas, upon that occasion; Thou hast seen and joh. 20. 29. hast believed; blessed are they have not seen, and yet have believed. And thus much for the interpretation of that my speech I was in hand with, for showing how the assurance of a true believing Christian, is more in the assurance of the thing believed, then in the person that doth believe: and so much for answer inaway of some satisfaction to your request, who desired to hear some thing spoken touching that point, of a Christians not feeling the comfort he hath had, and of his not feeling that he hath faith at all, nor any comfort of his present true believing. CHAP. XIIII. Further differences between hypocrites and sound believers, in their assurance to be saved: and first, in the whole building thereof; as also of the builders themselves. NOw to prosecute my former speech, and to show some further differences that are discernible between the assurance of hypocrites and misbelievers, and such as sound and truly do believe. As therefore there hath been showed a manifest difference to be in the foundation and ground work of either of their assurances; so is there as clear a difference to be discerned in the whole frame and manner of the building and working up of such assurance; the workmanship being as Difference in building assurance. differing, as are the workmen that do build thereon, even the master workmen themselves, & chief builders, who having drawn the plot, give all the direction how things are to be carried; who are as clean opposite in their doings each to other (one working one way, & another working another) as good is to bad, and right is to wrong; as light Difference in builders. is to darkness, or God is to the devil. For indeed it is God that hath the disposing of all the business about the one; and the devil beareth all the sway, giveth all the direction, hath the whole command, and all the controlment about the other. The Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of truth, beareth rule in the heart of the one; and that lying false spirit, even the spirit of the devil, who ruleth Ephes. 2. 2. mightily in the children of disobedience, and was a lying spirit in the mouths of the false prophets to deceive 1. King. 22. 22. Ahab; it is he that carrieth all the stroke, and hath the whole government in the other, (for questionless all hypocrites have unclean spirits breathing in them) the Lord having so in heavy judgement mingled among Isa. 19 14. them spirits of error, which do cause them to err in every part of their work. We know it is meet in every building, from the ground to the roof, to have every thing so ordered, as the house may be well contrived for use, made beautiful for view, and substantial for continuance. Now as for use and continuance, that lying false spirit who guideth and directeth 2. Cor. 11. 13. these false and deceitful workers that work upon this frame, as he intendeth not either of them himself, so doth he not suffer them to strike one right stroke to further such a business; but indeed his aim is for the clean contrary, in setting them a work to do all to no purpose in such respects. His whole drift is, to have matters carried so, as all may show as fair, and be as beautiful and goodly to behold and look upon, both in their own eyes, and view of others, as that which is best and truliest wrought of them that are most skilful in their working, and do all that they do most sound and substantially indeed; but as for use, his desire is to have all so bungled up, and so confusedly wrought, as none may know what to make of such work, nor what good use to put any thing unto when all is done: no other order or method being observed for the framing of things to any purpose, but such orders and methods as the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 6. 11. giveth us warning of, and wills us to take heed of, that are used by the devil, but all to deceive by. In which respect he useth art and skill enough, and none so much as he in that kind of profession. He is the greatest Artisan that is in the whole world beside; he is most orderly and methodical in his wily working, to catch men by deceit, & overthrow them in perdition; he is therein both male artifex, and mill artifex, if one way succeeds not, he will fetch about another, till he have gained his purpose in that he goes about: yea, he trains up men this way and teacheth them cunning, till as perfect workmen, they have got the skill how to deceive others, and most of all themselves, that being become evil men and seducers, Ephes. 4. 14. they may wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being 2. Tim. 3. 13. Isa. 28. 15. deceived, as the Apostle speaketh of those that have made lies their refuge, and that v●der vanity have hid themselves. And as for continuance, this whole frame is set upon so sandy a foundation, and so slightly & falsely is wrought beside, as it will stand no storm nor shower that shall happen; but be as a castle of come down, that shall fall upon the heads, and about the ears of them that dare venture to abide therein. Temporary believers and hypocrites that are these Hypocrites. deceitful workers, who for their double-heartednesse carrying (as we use to say) two faces in one hood, may not unfitly be likened to some two faced pictures, which on the one side shall be seen to laugh like a man, and on the other side like a monster: they can make as fair pretences of holiness as who shall make best, and go as far in the external and outward practice of all religious duties, as who shall go furthest: they will come to sermons, they will be at good exercises, they will pretend great holiness, they will seek the Lord daily, and delight Isa. 58. 2 to know his ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God: they will ask of God the Ordinances of justice, and they will take delight in approaching to God. Hearing the word of God, and that with some kind of joy; as our Saviour showeth in the parable, in so much as many, by means thereof, come to be greatly enlightened, and to taste of the heavenly gift, to be Heb. 6. 4. 5. made partakers of the holy Ghost, to taste of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come: yea, they will be found not only to serve God with others, in the ordinary religious exercises of Gods daily worship, but in the extraordinary also; if there be any more excellent than other, they will therein also be found as forward, as who shall be foremost; they will fast and humble themselves; they will afflict their souls, and bow down their Isa. 58. 5. heads like a bulrush: and make (as Paul saith) a fair show Gal. 6. 12. Colos. 2. 18. in the flesh, and in a voluntary humility: they will not stick with the Pharisie, to fast twice in the week, pay every man Luk. 18. 12. his own, pay tithes of all they have, give alms to the poor: and with the rich young man in the Gospel, (who came to our Saviour Christ, to know what he might do to Mat. 19 20. gain eternal life), keep after his manner, all the Commandments of God even from their youth. And thus much for any to do, is the most that Satan their captain will allow the best hypocrites of them all to do: which yet to do, is to set up a very fair outside of a Christianlike well framed life and conversation, which for sight and outward view showeth as beautiful, and as comely as doth the best; and yet neither profitable for any use, nor substantial for continuance. Hence is it that this sort of men are not only well thought on of others, but they have high thoughts of themselves, and reckon upon great things that they are to receive at God's hands: they make no doubt but to be saved for ever; they look to be in heaven before their feet be cold; whosoever stand out, they promise to themselves that they shall be received in: there are none more confident herein then they: though there should but two in a country be saved (saith such a one) yet I hope that I shall be one of them: yea they dare challenge God himself for not doing right, if such persons as they should not be well regarded of him: Why (say they) have we fasted and thou seest it not? Isa. 58. 3. why have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge of it? And our Saviour Christ telling us of such sort of men how it will be with them in the day of judgement, bringeth them in before us, coming to heaven gate as though they were in haste, and calling earnestly to have the gate opened unto them, as marveling they should be let to stand without so long; crying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: have not we prophesied in thy name: and Luk. 13. 25. 26. 27. hast not thou taught in our streets? unto whom, for all this, it will be answered, depart you away, I know you not, yo● have been workers of iniquity. Though the work of prophesying and so of hearing, reading, praying, fasting, and the like, were, and are in themselves holy actions, yet the doers of them not doing them holily, may be workers of iniquity: for doing unjustly, that, which otherwise in itself were just to be done. Prayer, and prophesying are spiritual Isa. 1. 13. actions, but they may for all that be carnally performed, and so turned to sin unto them that are the doers of them. He is an evil worker, or a worker of iniquity, first, that doth that which is in itself evil: secondly, that doth not that which is good, being the good that he ought to do: thirdly, that doth that which is good, but doth it not well; as doing it in some sinister respect of an evil mind, vaingloriously, or hypocritically, and the like. And thus all that before have been mentioned, that temporary believers and hypocrites may do, or possibly can do, not being sound and sincerely done, in such truth and uprightness as God doth require, all is but lost labour that so is done, and (according to the proverb) As good never a whit, as never the better. When holy things in themselves are thus hollowly done, and in in so great hypocrisy by the doers of them; the things which were otherwise most excellent, are now most vile, and whatsoever shows they have, they are but beautiful abominations; the fairest works are then become the foulest faults, and their best deeds, their worst sins. Things thus done by such deceitful workers, in their so doing of them, they have but marred (as we use to say) good matters in the handling; and all that they have so wrought, even in the working will crumble away as between their fingers, and come to nothing. They may deceive others for a time, but they will find by woeful experience, that they have most of all deceived themselves in the end, that they have toiled themselves in vain, and that they have but wrought as in the fire, which as quickly Haba●. 2. 13. did consume it, as they could work it and bring it off their hand. Hypocrisy is said to be spun upon a fine thread; but for all that, it will make no good cloth nor garments that will cover them; they may weave it who that will, but (as the Prophet speaketh) they shall weave but the spider's web: their webs will be no garments, Psal. 59 5. 6. neither shall they cover themselves with their works. Such builders as these that have builded but after this fashion, when they have set up all this goodly frame, they may lean upon their house (as job speaketh) but it will job 8. 15. not stand; they may hold fast by it, but it will not endure. And because it is slightly built above, it is as unsoundly and unsetledly founded below, being set upon so unsteady and so sandy a foundation, when the rains shall descend, Mat. 7. 26. 27. the floods come, and the winds blow and beat upon that house it will all come down and be overthrown, it will surely job 11. 20. fall, and the fall thereof will be great. Then shall the eyes of these men fail, and they not escape, and their hope shall be job 18. 14. even as the giving up of the Ghost. Their confidence shall then be rooted out of their tabernacle, and they be brought themselves to the King of fear. Yea, terrors will then (for all this great boasting of strong assurance) take hold of them as waters and tempests will carry them away by night. The East wind will carry them away and they shall departed, and as a storm it will hurl them out of their place: then will God cast upon them and will not spare, job 27. 20 21. 22. 23. though they would feign flee from under his hand: men shall then clap their hands at them and hiss them out of their place: as job doth thus speak: time and experience will show what manner of workmen these have been; the day will declare it, and the fire will reveal it, of what sort this whole work is; namely, that they have builded upon a tottering and rotten foundation, no better stuff than timber, hay, and stubble, and therefore all in the end 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. will be consumed, wholly overthrown and brought to nothing. On the other side, the Spirit of God, which is the spirit Sound builders. of truth, and leadeth unto all truth, hath a clean contrary working in the hearts of true believers, who are said to be good and true in heart, and such, as in whose spirit Psal. 125. 4. Psal. 3●. 2. there is no guile: like those worthies of the Tribe of Zebulon that came to David to Hebron, who are commended 1. Chron. 12. 33. to have been men that were not of a double heart, they are guided to do that they do with innocent Psal. 24. 4. Psal. 119. 1. 6. hands, and upright hearts, not lifting up their minds to vanity, nor swearing deceitfully, but to be undefiled in their way, which way so ever they shall walk, still having respect to all God's commandments. In their behaviour Psal. 101. 2. 3. at home, to walk in the uprightness of their hearts in the midst of their house, without setting any wicked thing before their eyes. In their outward behaviour towards men, or in the carriage of themselves towards God in his worship and service, to follow the Apostles practice, in endeavouring evermore to keep faith and a good Acts 24. 16. conscience both towards God and man. In their dealings with men, to do no ill to their neighbour, to speak every one Psal. 15. 2. 3. the truth from his heart, as children that will not lie: in coming to serve God, to cleanse their hands in innocency, Isai. 63. 8. Psal. 26. 6. and so to compass God's Altar; not as do hypocrites, to draw near to God with their lips, when their hearts in the Isai. 29. 13. mean while being removed from him: but so as they with David say and profess, even unto God as did he, O God Psal. 57 7. my heart is prepared, my heart is prepared; I will now sing and give praise. In giving God thanks, they awaken their Psal. 103. 1. souls to praise God, and call upon all that is within them to magnify his name: they praising God with their words, Psal. 47. 7. praise him with their understanding also. When they come to make prayers unto God, they lift up their hearts with Lament. 3. 41. 1. Tim. 2. 8. their hands unto God in the heavens; and holding up their hands, they hold up pure hands in their prayers without wrath and doubting. In coming to hear the Word of God, they with an honest and good heart hear it, and keep Luke 8. 15. Psal. 119. 11. it, holding it up in their hearts with David, that it might keep them from sin. As God loveth truth in the inward Psal. 51. 6. john 4. 24. parts, so do they worship God in spirit and truth. They do not desire to seem to do any thing better, than indeed they do it: neither do they desire to seem to do that, which in truth they do not; but as God is truth, so are they found in all their ways to walk in truth. They believing 3. john 4. john 14▪ 1. God, do believe also in Christ, their hearts therefore need not to fear, nor at all to be troubled, they know with the Apostle whom they have believed, and that he is able to 2. Tim. 1. 12. keep all they have committed unto him sure and safe unto the day of his appearing. This therefore is the victory whereby 1. john 2 13. & 5. 4. 5. we overcome that evil one, and the whole world with him, even their steadfast believing: such as do thus, may indeed be assured of undoubted safety and salvation for ever. They thus believing, and thus living, may know asuredly themselves to be in Christ jesus, because they walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit: they have good warrant Rom. 8. 1. Cant. 2. 16. to say, that Christ is theirs, and they are his; and therefore laying hold of Christ, they may be assured most certainly to be saved for ever by him. They may be fully persuaded, there shall be no condemnation to them, being Rom. 8. 1. 38. 39 thus in Christ jesus; neither shall any thing be ever able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus. They in this case may lay themselves down in peace with Psal 4. 8. Psal. 3. 6. David, and take sweetly their rest; for the Lord is he that will now make them to dwell in safety, not fearing though ten thousand had beset them round about; they need not be Psal. 112. 7. 1. john 4. 28. afraid of any evil tidings, but cast away all fear that hath painfulness, and let their hearts be setledly fixed, and trust in the Lord: for such have their warrant made them out of God's Word, that doing these things, they shall never Psal. 15. 5. 2. Pet. 1. be moved: and as the Apostle Peter saith, they shall never fall. These have laid for themselves a good foundation for eternal life, and as good builders indeed, have well Prou. 10. 25. 1. Tim. 6. 19 Isai. 26. 1. builded a sure habitation for themselves to dwell safely in. Salvation may be called the walls of this building, and safety itself the bulwarks thereof. They that dwell in such a defenced Castle, they dwell to high for any to pull them down, their defence is the munition of rocks (as the Prophet speaketh), they having thus built their faith upon Isai. 33. 16. Christ, that is a rock so strong and sure, as never can be moved, it is impossible that the gates of hell can ever prevail against the same: such as these are surely out of all Mat. 16. 18. danger, and as one set upon a high rock, and standing upon a sure and invincible Tower, they may look and laugh at all their enemies below, not caring what they all can possibly do against them, how fiercely and how furiously soever they shall assail them. These therefore (ascleane contrary to the other) being those that hear the sayings of Christ, and do them, that truly do believe, and thus holily do live, they are most wise men, and good builders that have built their house upon a rock; and therefore when the rain descends, the floods come, the winds blow and beat upon the house, it doth not fall, because all is founded upon a rock; and so the whole work of their building (they thus building up themselves in their most holy faith) is not only made beautiful for view, but wisely and well contrived for necessary use, and made strong and substantial for continuance. They hereby in all their works thus wrought, showing themselves to have been workmen, that need not be ashamed of that they have done: as the Apostle Mat. 7. 24. gave counsel to Timothy for the discharge of his duty. Their work in time shall also be made manifest, the day will declare it, and the fire will reveal, that upon a most 2. Tim. 2. 15. sure and precious foundation they have builded gold, silver and precious stones, and that their work hath been 1. Cor. 3. 12. wrought according unto God, and therefore of him they may look to receive their reward, and so to have praise of john 3. 21. God. CHAP. XV. The different uses they put their persuasion unto. AS the truly faithful lay hold of Christ, so doth the hypocrite: as they are comfortably persuaded to be saved by him, these seem also to be every day as confident therein as they, and do as boldly presume and reckon thereupon, but as there is truth in that which is done by the one, and much guile and falsehood in that which is done by the other: as the one have warrant for their so doing, the other have none; so do they in like manner differ in the use they put this their assurance and Difference in the effects of assurance. persuasion unto, as they differed in the ground that either of them had for their being so persuaded. The one by means thereof fear God the more, because Psal. 130. 4. they know mercy to be with him: the other fear him the less; yea not at all. Misbelievers and carnal Gospelers upon this idle conceit that they are sure they shall be saved, lay aside all fear of God and care of goodness, they sing such a requiem to their souls, as they now sing cock on whoop, (as we use to say) and sing all care and fear away▪ yea job 6. 14. they are as those of whom job speaketh, that have forsaken the fear of the Almighty. That grace of God, which Jude 4. they say, they hope to be saved by, they turn into want oneness: they having gotten this by the end, that the just shall live by his faith, even by faith alone, and not by works, they hereupon lay away all care of good works, which God Ephes. 2. 10. hath ordained that true believers should walk in, and they hold themselves to their idle and their single sold faith, and they run away counter with this in their mind, and this in their mouth, the just shall live by his faith: as though they had now found out such a way to heaven, as do what they will in all their life time, they can never come short of the place that they seem so to hunt for. But they and their faith are like to perish together, and their assurance is as sure to trust to, as is a reed or broken staff, which will be sure to leave them in the ditch, when they trusting unto it most, do reckon and look to leap over thereby. True believers who know of God's love and favour towards them indeed, and apprehend th●se everlasting sweet mercies of God in Christ jesus, which have eternal life and salvation accompanying them, whereof they have good assurance given them, and wrought up in their hearts by their so believing, their souls being now satisfied as with marrow and fatness, which makes them praise God with joyful lips; they do not receive this grace of God in vain, but because they find such mercy from God, they fear him the more with a childlike fear, which makes them awfully to serve him, and willingly to perform every good duty unto him. Yea, the love of God in Christ jesus constrains them to do their Psal. 18. 1. duty, and to profess with David, that of force they must love God. Now are not his commandments grievous unto them, but their delight is in the law of God, which they have learned job, to prefer before their appointed food. The more assurance they have of God's love towards them, whereby they know God to be their God, and have boldness to cry abba father unto him, the more surely hath the Lord their hearts joined unto him in true love again, they being tied fast with the cords of his own love wherewith first he loved them, which causeth them reciprocally to love him back again. And because he hath given them the Spirit of adoption, whereby they know him to be their father, the more may he reckon upon the naturalness of their love and childlike duty unto him, because he now knoweth them (as being so made by him) to be his own true children indeed, whom he hath made partakers of his own divine nature, setting 2. Pet. 1. 4. his own image upon them, and giving them a heart and disposition to be like minded to himself, to love that he loveth, and hate that he hateth: even to love righteousness as their life, and hate all manner of wickedness which God doth most hate. He may now reckon upon them as upon his peculiar ones, to have service done at their hands, though others will do none, that they will stir, when others sit still: and though others do grumble and snuff when they are spoken unto, yet for them to be found willing, cheerful and unwearied in their well doing. CHAP. XVI. How easy it is to get a false persuasion, but difficult to attain sound assurance of salvation: which is another difference between them. THe assurance of an hypocrite is of no such excellency, but it is easy to come by, and may be as soon light upon as ever it is looked after: for it is as refuse stuff that lieth in every man's way, not worth the taking up. No marvel then that they are so full of it, for of such rubbish there be cart load fools ro be had in every ditch, and thrown out upon every dunghill, which he that hath understanding to discern between things that differ, would rather throw from him, than ever take up, though it lay in his way. A wise Christian will rather empty his heart of such idle conceits (as these set so great store by) if any such he found there, then so to fill himself as with emptiness and wind that will put him more to pain, then profit him any whit. Such Christians as these they are no sooner borne, but they are grown men the first: so soon as ever they begin to make any profession of Christian religion they attain to their perfection: so fast as they make any beginning, they by and by know as much as any can teach them, as to love God above all things, and their neighbour as themselves. This they reckon to be all that can be taught them, there is no more to be learned: they know all are to be saved only by faith in Christ jesus, what need they any more? they are now sure of their salvation for ever, they will never doubt after. It may be said of the assurance that these men have, according to that which goeth in the proverb, it is soon ripe, and it will be as soon rotten: it is brought forth at once like jonahs' gourd, they never laboured for it, no more than he did for his gourd (for such weeds as these idle conceits and fond fancies, wherewith such sort of Christians use to flatter their own hearts, they will grow fast enough of themselves): but as it is easily come by, so it is as easily lost again: it may grow in one night, as did jonah 4. 10. his gourd, and perish in another; and than it will be with them as it was with him, they will fret more for the want of it, than ever they joyed in their first having of it. The good assurance of God's faithful servants, is very True assurance hardly gotten. hard to come by. The assurance of faith, like faith itself, as it is most precious, so it is most rare, and not common to be found. In this particular the truth of that which runneth in another proverb (that is common) is much confirmed, that dainty things are dear things, and things of most excellency will not be attained to without great difficulty. Great is the cost many of God's servants have been at, and hard hath been the labour which they have taken about this one point of their assurance: they have sweat much and taken sore pains hereabout, night and day do they seek it, yea days and years have they bestowed upon it in seeking after it, and yet hardly can find 〈◊〉, and with much difficulty can ever attain unto it: the Lord seeing it meet so to have them exercised, so to de●erre them, and so long to put them off, before ever he will give them to have their hearts desire herein. For he knoweth such to be the worth and excellency thereof, as it will quit well the cost they have been at, and pay well for the travail and pains they have taken for the coming by it, when once they shall have obtained it: he holds it therefore at so dear a price, that knowing what it cost them before they could purchase it, they may the better esteem of it when they have it. The Lord seethe well enough that the things we easily come by, we use as little care for and as lightly to set by. Neither doth the Lord use to give this to be had all at once, and wholly to be wrought up of the sudden. It is not a plant of a nights growing, as was jonahs' gourd: for when it is once grown and come to perfection, it is neither the bitterest nor eagerest frost of one nights freezing, nor all the sharpest winters of a man's whole life beside, nor the bitings of all worms that shall lie nibbling at the root, that ever can so possibly bite it or sinite it, as wholly for altogether to overthrow it in the end. We know that the great and mighty oaks, whose enduring is for many ages, are longer a growing and slower in attaining to their full growth, then are either shrubs in the wood, or weeds in the garden, which easily may be brushed up, or weeded out with the hand, or being let alone, will of themselves fade quickly and whither away: but being once grown they will stand any storm, and endure the sorest tempest. So is the coming forward of the good assurance of a true believing Christian: it asketh many a years growth before it can gather strength and attain to due perfection, it must be helped forwards by manifold experiences, and much observation had of God's gracious favours in the whole course of our lives, and so be made to increase as with the increase of God. The growth of it is slow, and requireth much attendance, much labour and cost to be bestowed about it to have it got forward: but when it is grown it is sure, as that which is everlasting, and will not perish for ever. And it proveth to be of nature invincible, that dareth encounter the bitterest enemy that it hath: whereof we have a most pregnant Rom. 8. 38. example in that blessed Apostle Paul. CHAP. XVII. Of another speciali difference, which is, That the misbeliever is free from the assaults of Satan, wherewith the true Christian is always troubled. THe assurance of a misbeleever, how unsure it is, if no otherwise it could be known; hereby it may well appear, that he who is so great an enemy of the salvation of every man, lets them alone with such courses as they take about their salvation when they promise salvation to themselves, and say they are undoubtedly assured thereof already. He doth never gainsay them, nor call their assurance into any question; for they use not to doubt, neither would they doubt for all the world, and as for the devil they say they do defy him: but for all their defying of him, and as well as he on the other side doth love them, if he knew that they were right, and so like to escape him; if he were not certain that so long as he can keep them to be of that mind that now they are of, they are sure enough his own, he would be so bold as to have about with them in that point of their assurance, as well as with other men. But he is too subtle, too wily, and in his kind too wise, so much to wrong himself, and disadvantage his own cause, as ever to disquiet their rest, and awake them out of that slumber: so long as he finds them to be still dreaming that all is well with them. He thinks soon enough to give them such a good morrow at his greeting them in hell, where he most desires to have them, as shall gaster them well enough out of this drunken peace of carnal security, wherein they have slept so long, which then shall have an end when their torment shall begin, which never more shall have end. If he can carry them to hell without any noise, and lead them on by stealing steps to that dungeon of darkness: as the foolish young man caught by the whorish woman, was lead like a fool that knoweth nothing, when yet he was carried to the stocks for Prou. 7. 7. 22. his due correction, it is the only course above all others that he could take to choose. Whereas then it is the known practice of the dwell to assail true faith in every man, and by all means to overthrow and destroy faith where he finds it to be, if possibly he can. It is more than evident, that those who are many times found to be both ignorant in knowledge, and very careless in life, who do boast of great faith, and brag of so strong assurance; that they have nothing less than true faith indeed, or any so good assurance as can stand them in any stead, and that Satan knoweth well enough, who lets them so alone without any troubling of them, or disquieting them at all; which doubtless he would never do, did he perceive any one spark of true faith to be in them, or any such assurance as whereby they apprehending Christ jesus, might have any true comfort of obtaining life and salvation by him. On the other side, all true beleevets, and such as are Godly assaulted. Gods faithful servants indeed, find by their own lamentable and sorrowful experience, how troublesome an enemy Satan is unto them in these points, of their true believing, and comfortable assurance of their salvation. In these things he will not let them alone to die for it, so long as he can find them living here upon earth, within the precincts of his jurisdiction, if God do not restrain him, he will be ever this way troublesome unto them. A devouring Lion is not more greedy of his prey, than he is of making ha●ocke and spoil of the faith of men. Oh how did he desire to have Pet●r that he might toss him a while and winnow his faith, that he might leave nothing Luk. 22. 13. behind, but the chaff of unbelief? He spareth none, he is afraid of none, he will set upon the best, if he can spy any advantage that may be taken. Our Saviour Christ himself could not scape his hands, this prince of the world joh. 14. 30. came even against him (though he could find nothing wherewith once to hurt him) he ventured upon him to have a bout with him in the matter of his faith, & to try a fall with him therein, though himself was cast, and went so much by the worst, as by means thereof he lieth foiled for ever, without all possible hope of being recovered for evermore. Our Saviour being baptised, there came a voice from heaven, proclaiming him to be the Son Mat. 3. 27. of God, even the Son of his love, and of his chief delight: this our Saviour knew well enough in himself, this he believed, this he had the comfort of. After this our Saviour fasted forty days, and forty nights, receiving no meat to eat from his Father's hand. Hear was now an advantage spied out by the devil for him to work upon, he slippeth not the opportunity, he playeth upon the vantage, and feareth not to assail our Saviour Christ in that point of his faith, whether he were the Son of God or no, endeavouring to call that into question, and trying if he could bring our Saviour Christ to make doubt thereon, taking occasion from the present want that he found him to be in, as one left of his Father, that now was to shift for himself; and he reasoneth thus with him: If thou be the Son of God, thou canst cause these stones in this Mat. 4. 3. thy hunger to be made bread: but that thou canst not; therefore thou art not the Son of God. If he thus durst be bold to call the filiation of the Son of God himself into question: whom will he spare or be afraid of to sift in that point, and that to the full? whose evidence is so clear in this behalf, as the devil shall not know what to say against, at the least to find something to cavil at, and to quarrel thereabout? Nay, the true children of God have too much experience of Satan's malice this way: true believers can have no rest for Satan's troubling of them in these points; let him be answered never so oft, he will take no answer, nor ever give over: he is like to malicious and wrangling adversaries, who will never give over to molest such as they hate, but will spend all they have at law to undo their poor neighbours, and not leave them worth a groat. If they be overthrown in one Court, they will begin their suit in another: if they have lost the day at one Assize, they will about with it again to try it at another. So this caviller and envious enemy of ours, Satan, he will bear good Christians down, either they have no faith at all, or that their faith hath this or that fault in it, that it can stand them in no stead; and so stopping them at the point of their faith, as in the head, he would (by his good will) never suffer them to proceed to get any such assurance, as whereby they might find any sound rest for their souls: and where he findeth the best assurance of all, that any of God's servants during their abode in the flesh, can be found possibly to have though they were men as well grown up in the strength of their faith as ever was Abraham the father of the faithful; Rom. 4. 19 20. of whom the Apostle saith, that he was not weak in the faith, neither did he stagger through unbelief: yet will he not fail to try what he can do, even against the best; he will thrust as sore at them as he can, that they might fall: and though he cannot wholly overthrow them, yet will he labour to bend and to make to shake the very foundation of their faith and steadfast believing. And albeit at one time he finds he can do little against them, they being in some sort aware of him, and well armed to withstand him, yet will he come another time when they shall not be so well provided, and try again (Sampson-like) to bend the pillars of their faith, and of the confidence of their hope. And thus by his uncessant assailings he sometimes hath wronged even the most principal of God's servants. Abraham that was so invincible in his Rom. 4. 19 20. faith at one time, at another time was made to stagger weakness of faith in the best. and bewray the weakness of his faith, and trust he had of Gods keeping of him, by betaking himself to such a way of shifting for himself, and escaping of a danger; Genes. 12. 13. 18. 19 and 20. 2. 9 and that not once alone, but again the second time, as did not beseem the constancy and victoriousness of the faith of so great a Patriarch. Moses was brought to show weakness of faith, in not giving glory to God, but speaking Psal. 106. 33. unadvisedly with his lips, for which he was punished with the rest, in not being suffered to enter into Canaan, but only Num. 20. 12. to see it with his eyes. Aaron the Saint of the Lord, caused to take an unsanctified course in making a molten Calf, which they said to be the Gods of Israel, which Exod. 32. 4. brought them up out of the land of Egypt. David in his haste, made to say, all men be liars, and to yield so far through Psal. 116. 11. much weakness of his faith, as to say of himselge, he was now cast off of God: Nay, though Satan did surely know Psal. 31. 22. (as I am persuaded that of some he maketh no other reckoning) that in dealing against them he shall never prevail finally to overthrow their faith with all that he can do, nor to hinder their attainment of salvation in the end; yet will he never let them alone, nor fail otherwise to trouble them what he can, and to weary them, by molesting them from time to time: and though he cannot destroy theirlives, yet (such is his enmity against them, and malice that will never be laid aside) he will do his best to make their lives as uncomfortable as possibly he may. If God will but send him or his messenger to Paul though he find him so strongly supported by the presence of God's grace, as he cannot utterly overthrow 2. Cor. 12. 7. him, yet it will do him good, that he may be suffered well to buffet him, and to beat him as black and blue, before he be constrained to leave him, and to part from him again. It is usual then for all that have true and sound faith indeed, to have it tried, and that many times to the full (such trying of it proving the truth of it, their enemies being judge, who else would never so assail it), that the trial of the faith of God's children, and of the assurance thereof, being much more precious than gold that 1. Pet. 1. 7. perishes, may be found to their praise. The Lord seeing it meet to have it thus, doth sometimes try the faith of his children his own self, and sometimes permitteth Satan to do his best against them, that he may know their faith, and try their assurance and thrust at it with all his might to make it yield; yea to break it down for altogether if possibly he could. Not that the Lord in permitting Satan so to do, would either pleasure or gratify him, or wrong his own servants, or see them wronged by him: nothing less; but to speak as the truth is, the Lord in suffering Satan so to do, gives him nothing, but rather makes him an instrument of his own shame and overthrow: he doth not so much give them into his hands, as rather Rom. 16. 20. gives him up to be vanquished and overcome by his servants, whom he doth so aid and strengthen, as he makes them able to conquer him, and to tread him under their feet; the Lord preparing thus for his servants a glorious victory, that having thus overcome, they may rejoice and triumph for evermore. CHAP. XVIII. The fourth main difference between them is seen in their joy: where the soundness and stability of the joy of true believers, with the contrary of 〈◊〉 is declared. Question. AS you have showed much difference to be both between the knowledge of one that is unsanctified and unsound in the faith, and of him that is a true believer, whose heart is purified by sound and saving faiths indeed: and in like sort between the manner of their apprehending and laying hold of Christ for salvation. As also no less difference to be between the assurance and persuasion that either of them do ground themselves upon for the obtaining of life and salvation in Christ, by means of such their laying hold upon him; Proceed now to declare what you think concerning such difference as may be found between the joy that followeth hereupon, and maketh glad the hearts of either of them, once truly having, or supposing themselves to have good and warrantable assurance of their salvation. A. joy and gladness (which is an affection of the Difference in joy. heart that is derived, and springeth out of the love and liking of a present good, or out of an assured hope and expectation of some good that is to come, whereby the heart is dilated and set out, and the spirits therein stirred to liveliness and cheerfulness) cannot but (according to the measure of the apprehending of such a joyful object as promiseth all good contentment and pleasure to be found therein) be more or less felt in the heart, and follow abundantly, when there is a full assurance, an abundant and confident persuasion of obtaining so great a good, as is indeed the greatest good of all that can be wished or hoped for, or possibly may be looked for by any to be enjoyed, which is the everlasting good of soul and body for ever: whereby they do not only know they shall be delivered from the wrath that is to come, but be made partakers of that glorious inheritance which is prepared for the Saints in light: and that for the present, their state is so comfortable, and they so highly in God's favour (at least in their own consciences persuaded) as of the children of wrath, power is now given them to become the sons of God; yea heirs, and heirs apparent of life and glory with Christ jesus. This cannot but raise up in their hearts great and abundant joy, yea joy that is unutterable and unspeakable, such as will make their hearts to dance in their bellies for joy and merrines in the good liking they have of this their so blissful an estate and most happy condition, that both presently they now stand in, and yet hereafter far more fully do look for to enjoy. Now both these having such a persuasion, they likewise have and do feel joy in their hearts following thereupon. And the joy is answering to the kind of assurance and persuasion that is had of so comfortable an estate and condition that doth cause the same. And for so much as it hath been sufficiently cleared, and made manifestly to appear, that there is as great odds and difference between the assurance of a true believer, and of a true believers counterfeit; as is between the boldness of faith, and the blindness of folly; between humble obedience in believing what God doth promise, and proud presumption in promising to themselves without any word or warrant from God, what themselves alone do fancy; the causes being so differing, and found to be so far at odds between themselves, the effects rising from such causes, must needs be severed as far asunder, and differ as much the one from the other. The deceivable and unwarrantable assurance of misbelievers False joy fades. cannot produce any better effect, than a carnal, lying, a false, and a fading joy, that is not to be trusted unto, but will vanish away, and not be found nor felt in times of the greatest need, when their beguiled hearts shall then most of all be left void of all sound comfort and contentment, when trouble shall be hard at hand, the greatest light of their joys is soon eclipsed, and overcast with any sad remembrances, and but the very hearsay of any trouble or danger towards them, is able to dash all their mirth at once; yea, to strike them so as was Nabal, strooken when his heart died within him, and he became 1. Sam. 25. 37. as a stone. Their smiles are but faint and heartless, they may sometimes counterfeit a laughing gesture, when yet the heart within taketh no such pleasure, as they do make show for: they be but false and durelesse pleasures, they use to make themselves merry with, in the midst whereof, though they do what they can, yet their hearts for all that will be felt to be in heaviness: they may be full jocund, and all on the hoy for a time, and yet by and by the case as much altered with them, as ever it was with Belshazzer, when he saw the hand-writing against him, Dan. 5. 6. 30. what time he was most merry in his cups and carousings, drinking in that wine which the swords of his enemies did soon draw out of his body again (for even that night he was slain), then will their merry Comedies be turned into sad and heavy Tragedies, their pleasantness into pensiveness, their mirth into woeful mourning, and they desperately sorrowing as those that have outlived all their joys, they being for ever left in distress and heaviness, when all joy and gladness shall fly far away. Contrarily, the stable, firm, and good assurance of the True joy lasting. other, will beget, breed and bring forth a sure, solid, spiritual, and true lasting joy, which with a sweet and heavenly motion, v●ill cause their hearts to rejoice in Christ jesus as in their chiefest good, and present good. The nature of this joy, is to enlarge and exhilarate the heart, and so much to affect him that hath it, as it will cause him to exult and leap with rejoicing. This is not a half joy, a giggling from the teeth outward, but a thorough and full joy, that affecteth soul and body, spirit and flesh, to make Psal. 84. 2. job 35. 10. all rejoice together: such joy as will give songs to a man in the night season, even such songs to God his people, as in the night when a solemn feast is kept, and such gladness of Psal. 77. 6. Psal. 30. 29. heart, as when one goeth with a pipe (as the Prophet speaketh). Even such joy as is not only unspeakable to them that have it, and do feel it, but it is incredible to them that have it not, and do but hear of it, as who by their own experience did never come yet to taste of the like. Many think that good Christians are deprived of all comforts, they have no joy nor gladness, they know not what a merry life means, they think for any to do as they do, is to live but a mopish and melancholy life, there is no cheer in their course. But God's servants are allowed to have their delights in this world, to have joy and gladness of heart in this life, as well as any others, nay above and before others; they may have more fuller contentment, more joy, more sweeter delight, more stable and sure comfort, than any in the world beside: not the merriest Greeks', and lustiest galllants in the World beside (that power out themselves to the satisfying of their pleasures, and bathe themselves in all manner of carnal delights, that take so much care for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof) can come near them for a true comfortable life indeed: all the pleasures that they have being but counterfeit shadows, in comparison of the soundness and substance of the joys that these have; theirs are but bastardly, false pleasures, that will end in sorrows: these are true joys indeed, that will never have an end. The sweet music of the Temple was typical, figuring the joy of the Church, where is assurance of forgiveness of sins, and of God's favour in Christ jesus: how sweet is the music and heavenly melody, that the peace of God which passeth all understanding, maketh in that conscience wherein it is so felt? how great is that joy that cannot be contained, and kept within the heart that hath it, but must needs break out, and be expressed by singing for very joy of heart. It is Isai. 65. 14. Psal. 25. 13. Prou. 15. 15. said, that the soul of him that feareth the Lord, shall dwell at ease: and he that hath a good conscience, hath a continual feast. Put these two together, and let them meet in a good Christian, and tell me whose state is so happy, as is the state of a righteous man; easy dwelling, and merry-making? what would any desire more? if things be rightly compared together, the Friday (as we use to speak) of a good Christian is better, than the Sunday of a worldling. And though the wicked have their bellies in this world filled with his hid treasure, yet the very scrape of the Psal. 17. 14. trenchers of God's servants are better than all the dainties that the wicked have, when their fare is all the best. For that is true which is said by one, if Christians be not merry, it is not because they are Christians, but because they are not Christians enough: and if God's servants have not comfort and joy of heart, it is not because they serve God, but because they serve him not as they might, and as they ought. Unto them therefore who cannot conceive, how this possibly can be, it may be said, as Cyprian out of his own experience did write unto a certain friend of his of Lib. ●p. 1. this matter concerning himself, who before his conversion thought it impossible, if he should change his manners to find such comfort in a virtuous life, as afterwards he felt, saith thus to him in his writing, accipe quod sentitur antequam discitur; hear the report of that which is sooner known by feeling it to be so, then learned by any teaching that it is so: for he by his own experience now felt and found that to be, which (before he so felt it) he would not have believed, whosoever should have told it him, that it ever would have so been. As then the sense of God's love is the surest ground of our stable peace, and the mainest prop of our greatest assurance, so the same assurance, so long as it can be felt, causeth the heart that so feeleth it, to rejoice with such a joy, as Peter saith, to be unspeakable, as passing 1. Pet. 1. 8. all speech and uttering, and glorious in regard that it is divine, spiritual, and continual, which bringeth no shame with it, that it may so be differenced from the shameful rejoicings, which many wicked in the world are found often to have, and to use: called glorious or joy Rom. 14. 17. full of glory, because it is part of the kingdom of heaven, and the beginning of that glory that is to come. To the getting of which joy, our Saviour Christ exhorteth and inciteth his disciples, when he recalling them from rejoicing too much in other things, though otherwise very great and excellent preferments bestowed upon them, and gifts given unto them: such as was the having of the very devils themselves to be subdued unto them, which one would think might minister cause of much rejoicing unto any; yet because that alone is not a ground sufficient for any to stay upon, that would have a stable and sure lasting comfort, neither can there be found enough therein for the soul to rest upon, that desireth every way to be satisfied, and the joy thereof to be made full; he willeth them to fetch their chiefest comfort, and take their greatest joy and rejoicing, from the knowledge of this, that their names Luke 10. 20. were written in the book of life: this allowed them to rejoice in, as that which he knew was able to make their joy every way to be full. This joy of a true believer that can thus know▪ his name to be written in the book of life, and thereupon feeleth his heart filled with much comfortable assurance, and persuasion of his present most happy condition, as being well assured of his now standing in God his favour, and so in the state of salvation for ever. It doth go far beyond all the joy that any hypocrite or misbeliever in the whole world (of what sort so ever he be) can ever have or possibly attain unto, when he hath done what he can. And it exceedeth their joy in all the sundry dimensions (if after that sort these several joys should be considered and compared together), namely, in height, in depth, in breadth, & in length; in all which several respects, the joy of an hypocrite cometh not near the joy of a true believer, but is in many degrees cast behind the same, and these joys by a great distance are kept asunder, and far removed the one from the other. CHAP. XIX. Hypocrites differ from sound believers in all the dimensions of joy; whereof the first is, the height both from whence it cometh, and to which it reacheth to. FIrst, for height and altitude, the joy of an Hypocrites joy is from himself. hypocrite is neither fetched so high, as is the joy of a true believer, and as doth the joy of one, whose heart is sanctified and purified by his faith: his joy hath no higher descent, then to comefrom himself, and to be fetched out of the idle fancies, and false conceits of his own seducing and seduced heart, which the deceiver of the world, together with the deceit that is in itself, hath so much abused and beguiled, as to bring it into such a fools paradise, as now to think no man's estate to be better than his own, and that therefore none may be merrier than he may be, nor any have better or greater joy, than he may have; so that this his joy being but homebred, is no better than a carnal joy, and a fruit of the flesh. And as it is fetched no higher than from himself: so doth it reach no higher then to himself; for beyond himself upward, it truly and properly cannot be said to go; it mounteth not so high, as to reach unto God above, as unto the most worthy and principal object, that it can find to settle upon, and to solace itself and take delight in. Such a one seemeth to have a delight indeed, and take some great pleasure in the favour of God, which he standeth persuaded he now abideth in, and which he holds (by misapplying of promises, and mistaking of grounds) without all controversy to belong unto him. Those favours of God (how slightly, superficially, or wtongfully soever they be laid hold upon) he can well enough joy in, when once they are descended, and come down so low, as they are found to light upon him (as he conceives), that now he may seem to touch them, and take hold of them, reckoning without all fail to be saved by them as well, and as soon as the best. Neither need any to marvel, though they are seen to have such a joy; for what reprobate is there that is so foolish, that would not with that foolish prophet Balaam, that was more blind and brutish, than the dumb Ass he road upon; be joyful and glad, if he knew he might be saved at the last, and share with the righteous in his latter end? this differeth not much from the pleasure, delight and contentment, which a very bruit beast may have: the Hog which hunteth after nothing more, then to get his ravenous appetite satisfied, seemeth to be glad when he can get under an Acorn tree, greedily gathering up the Acorns that fali from the tree, and never leaves eating, till he hath eaten his fill, it is the fruit only that he joys in; as for the tree▪ he neither cares for, nor any whit doth look after. Much after this manner is the joying of these kind of believers; they joy in God's favours so far, as they may any benefit by them, but God himself they little care for, neither do they so much delight themselves in him; if salvation might fall to their lot, they would leap and be glad, but to have the Lord himself their portion, that do they not so greatly desire, nor so much reckon upon. The faith, the love, the fear and joy of such sore of men, and all whatsoever else they do, proceed but of corrupt self love, whereby they love their own welfare, their present and future good estate; they desire God's favour, and they joy in conceiting that they shall have it, not simply for itself, but in a by-respect, either to escape some evil, as Pharaoh desired favour to have the plague gone; or to obtain some greater good, as Balaam that wished he might be saved; and Esau as profane as he was, could yet desire to be blessed. They pretend the love of God, when yet they love him not for himself, but in respect of his benefits; as Saul loved God for a Kingdom. The joy then of this sort of believers, arising out of a wrong persuasion which they have entertained into their hearts, that they are in God's favour, and are as well loved as any, and therefore shall be saved with the best in the end, is but a fruit of self-love, and therefore no fruit of faith, but a fruit of the flesh, which is wholly thus occupied about themselves: for as it took the first beginning from themselves alone, so endeth it in themselves, and in no other thing, that being the uttermost aim that it ever hath to respect their own good: higher than themselves simply it cannot be said to reach, and further than to themselves properly it cannot be said to go. On the other side, the joy of the just and righteous servants Believers joy is spiritual. of God, who are true believers indeed, is fruit of a more noble offspring, and of a far higher descent; for it is said to be the fruit of the spirit, and joy of the holy Ghost. Gal. 5. 22. 1. Thes. 1. 6. It is spiritual, heavenly, and divine, like the wisdom that is said to be from above, which is pure and pcaceable: so doth this come from 2n high, as being given of God, and coming from him that is the Father of light, even the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation: he that created all things of nothing in the beginning, createth still the fruit Isaiah 57 19 Isai. 65. 18. of the lips to be peace to his people: it is he that createth jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. He that is the heavenly Psal. 97. 11. husbandman is he that hath sown light for the righteous, and joy for the upright of heart, and in due time, when this that is sown shall once come up and be ripe for them, and they be come ready for it, then shall they that mourn Isai. 61. 3. Psal. 125. 5. 6. in Zion have beauty in stead of ashes▪ the oil of joy for mourning, and garments of gladness for the spirit of heaviness: then shall they that have sown in tears, reap in joy in the time of that harvest, bringing not their arms full, but their hearts full of these bundles of gladness, that will make them rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious. This joy of the faithful, is said to be the joy of the Lord, because he is the only author of it, and it alone is given by him, none can either take joy or comfort for himself, or give it to another that doth want it, if God do withhold it: but on the other side, if he do give comfort and peace, none can make trouble; if he do give joy, none can take that away Nehem 8. 10. again; and this joy of the Lord, is said to be his people's strength. This joy is so high and so heavenly, as it is part of the kingdom of heaven, and is the beginning of the glory that is to come: this joy it is part of the kingdom of God here, which our Saviour Christ saith to be within Luke 17. 21. us, the Lord setting up his kingdom in the hearts of his elect, and ruling mightily there by his Word, and by his Spirit. Now this kingdom (saith the Apostle, consisteth not in meat and drink, but in righteousness, and peace, and Rom. 14. 17. joy in the holy Ghost. It is called the joy of the holy Ghost, because it is not so much our joy, as the joy of the holy Ghost that moveth our joy, and causeth our joy, especially this joy of our salvation, to have the assurance thereof, and comfortably to stand persuaded of the love of God towards us, and of his saving mercies in and through Christ jesus: for it is he that is the Comforter that was promised john 14. 16. 17 Ephes. 4. 30. to be sent unto us; it is he by whom we are sealed up to the day of our redemption: he is given unto us, not alone to be with us, but to be in us, that we may have him remaining with us, and hold him abiding in us, as the earnest Ephes. 1. 14. of our purchased and promised inheritance, and as a pawn and gauge left with us in our hand never to be taken away, till we come to have the full bargain. It is he that is the Spirit of adoption, that emboldens us to cry Abba Father, Rom. 8. 15. 16. and makes us to know God to be our Father, testifying to our spirits, as a most true and faithful witness, that we are his children. So that all the sound comfort which at any time we have, we may well father it upon him, and this joy of our salvation may truly be said to be the joy of the holy Ghost, and not our own. And a the joy of a true believer surmounteth in height the others joy, in respect that it is more highly descended, as that which cometh from above, and is given him of God, and wrought in his heart by his spirit (the others joy having no higher descent, then to be descended of himself, he being the father of his own joy, which being but a bastardly joy, it is all the while but a bastard of his own breeding), so in this respect also, that it reacheth higher than the others do, which resteth but in himself, as from himself it took the first beginning; but this reacheth unto God that first gave it, and first instilled it True joy reacheth to God. into the heart that is so replenished with it; and therefore in right it ought to return, from whence it came, neither can it ever find any full contentment or satisfaction elsewhere, till it be got to him, as being the truest and most perfectest object it can possibly find ever to respect and to seat and settle itself upon: but when the joy of a true believer is extended unto God, and is once fastened upon the happy fruition of him, there hath it all satisfying and full contentment indeed, there findeth he enough to make his joy full, yea, more than heart can think, or ever wish to have, may there be found, and abundantly to be had: for in the presence of God thtre is fullness of joy to be had, and Psal. 16. 11. that for evermore. A true believer hath indeed great joy in the assurance he hath of his own salvation; howbeit, not so great joy in his salvation, as in his Saviour himself that hath saved him, that he now knoweth God to be his God, that God himself is for him, and that God is with Rom. 8. 31. him (for so he need not care, who possibly can be against him), and that he knoweth Christ himself to be his Saviour that hath loved him, and given himself for him, apprehending Gal. 2. ●0. him assuredly to be his own: for now he knoweth, he hath not only salvation as a stream flowing out of him, but in having the Saviour himself, he hath so the whole fountain of salvation itself to be his own. And therefore a true believer, if he should express his joy in singing, he would sing the song of Marry the blessed Virgin, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit Luk. 1. 47. rejoiceth (not so much in my salvation as) in God that is my Saviour: for though other things may cause joy to God's servants, yet God himself is their exceeding joy, and Psal. 43. 4. the gladness of their joy: as the Psalmist speaketh. And doubtless if God and ourselves, his glory and our salvation could not both be respected and regarded together, but the one must be forsaken, that the other may be followed, and the one left yea hated, that the other may be loved, a good Christian and faithful servant of God would according to the precept of Christ labour to deny Luk. 9 23. & 14. 26. himself, yea to hate father, mother, and his own life to, to follow Christ, or else he were not worthy to be his disciple: and according to the practice of Moses and Paul, show the naturalness Exod. 32. 32. Rom. 9 3. of their love how mucb they stand affectioned to God, and to his glory, in so much as in respect of the precious and high account they have God and his glory in, they would not stick to set behind, and undervalue the regard of themselves, and their own salvation; more desiring that God should be glorified, than their own selves saved. If a true believer can find his name to be written in the book of life, and that the lot is fallen unto him, as that he shall now share with the rest in that inheritance, which is prepared for the Saints in light, he worthily may, and indeed aught to rejoice therein: for so doth our Saviour will his Disciples to rejoice in this, that they knew their names to be written in the book of life, and he may upon good cause sing with David, The lines are fallen to me in a fair place, I have a goodly inheritance. But all this cannot give him the like contentment, nor make his joy so full, as when he knoweth that the Lord himself is become his portion: for God being our God and Christ our Saviour, in having him to be ours, all is ours and given us with him. And this was that which David seemed most of all to take his greatest pleasure and chiefest delight in, by his often repeating of this, that the Lord himself was his salvation, and become his jointer and happy portion: and though the lot did otherwise fall out well and happily for him, yet he acknowledgeth that it was God who maintained that lot, and caused Psal. 16. 5. it to fall out so as it did, that be might show, if the lot was to be loved and liked of by him, how much more he that caused it, who ordered that lot, and maintained it in that sort, as he might have it and enjoy it, was above all to be loved and liked for it: teaching all good Christians by his example and practice, that if they do greatly account of their salvation and joy much therein, that they do far more highly account of God himself that is the God of their salvation, and hath freely bestowed it upon them, that he may have the love and joy of their hearts principally, and above all things else to be most delighted in. David had many preferments in earth, he had good evidence also to look for something in heaven as well as another, his own heart did often afford him much comfort when he desired but to have those joys again restored unto him that he was wont to find, and yet there was nothing in heaven, nor nothing in earth that he desired to have beside the Lord, and in comparison of him; yea he esteemed more of having the Lord for his portion, then of all the comfort his heart could afford him: for his flesh did often fail him, and his heart would also fail him much, but God failed him never, but became Psal. 73. 25. 26. the strength of his heart (when that failed him), and his portion for ever. Like as they who to day do believe, and have now the comfort of their salvation, which they do much joy in, to morrow may have their faith so shaken, that they cannot believe as they did before, and so the comfort and joy of their salvation for the time may be gone: but God is the strength of their faith, and the upholder of their salvation for ever, who himself is so faithful, as though they cannot believe, yet he cannot deny himself. God's children have learned therefore more to joy in God, who is the strength of their faith, and the upholder of their salvation, then in the steadfastness of their believing, or any assurance that they have of the same their own salvation. If a man have a rich and royal portion, he is much pleased and delighted therein: the Lord being the portion of his servants and their chief treasure, all their longing desire is to enjoy him, which if they can obtain it is enough to them, and that which their souls are fully satisfied in, this is the making up of their joy, their chiefest solace and their hearts only delight. Give a man his delight, he asketh no more, he is then content: Gods children think they want nothing, so long as they have him for their own, above all joys, above all pleasures, above all that their hearts can delight in, they delight in the Lord, and in his love and favour continually, when they know him to be their God and father reconciled in Christ jesus, and do feel his love shed abroad in their hearts, so as they know he loves them by tasting the sweetness of his love, which is better than wine: such is the goodness and the greatness, such is the glorious excellency of God his own majesty, as the better he is known, the more he must needs be loved, delighted and joyed in for his own majesties sake: Gods children do therefore love God dearly, yea they cannot but of force they must love him: so do they love him, joy and delight in him, as they love the habitation of Psal. 26. 8. his house, and the place where his honour dwelleth, they love (as we use to say) the very ground he goeth upon, they are never well but when they are with him; their soul is a thirst for God, even the living God, they use to long for Psal. 42. 2. Psal. 84. 2. Cantic. 5. 8. him, even to the very fainting of their heart, and to grow sick with the love of him, there is nothing they can less bear then his absence, and for him to be estranged from them for any time, it is as death to them to want his presence, but they ask no more then to have the light of his Psal. 4. 6. countenance lifted up upon them, for they find contentment enough in him: this causeth to them more joy than the abundance of corn and wine and oil, (though never so increased) can. Yea, the loving kindness of God is, better Psal. 63. 3. 5. than is love itself, they are ever satisfied with the sweetness of his mercy as with marrow and fatness. This makes them to rejoice in the Lord always, and to rejoice in his strength, Psal. 18. 31. Psal. 77. 13. Psal. 34. 2. & 44. 8. continually to praise him, & to make their boast of his praise: for who is God but the Lord, and who so great a God, as is their God, and who so gracious and good as he? They are (as I may say) proud of their Master, his greatness and excelcencie being as it is, many are seen to get them under great men to serve them. A noble man thinks himself honoured if he may but hold the basin to a King, it may be the rejoicing, and counted for the greatest dignity that the highest Kings in the world can be advanced unto, to serve so great a God as is he, there is no place in his service mean, his Majesty is so great, there is none so honourable a Master as the Lord to wait upon, for his throne is prepared in heaven: therefore do the faithful serve the Lord with gladness and much joyfulness of heart, as thinking themselves greatly honoured that they may serve him: neither do they as mercenary servants only respect their wages and hire they shall have for their service, but they look upon the high dignity, the great worth and glorious excellency of him they attend upon▪ whose highness and greatness is such, as that touching him, it may well be said, Worship him all ye Gods. In serving the Lord they never think any duty sufficient, nor service great enough that can be performed to so eminent a Master, so mighty and so gracious a God as is the Lord: for God is with such an affection, with such a desire and mind to be loved, served and joyed in, that he himself may be esteemed and reckoned reward great enough of his own worship of all the love that is borne to him, and of the best service that any can do unto him: otherwise he that serveth God for any other respect then for the Prosper. lib. sent. Lords own sake, serveth not so much God, as that which by serving him he aimeth at and desireth to have. CHAP. XX. Of the second dimension of joy wherein they differ, which is the depth of a dejected and disconsolate estate. THE second dimension that the joy of a true believer exceedeth the joy of a true believers counterfeit in, is, in the depth of a dejected and low estate and condition: whereinto they both, as well the one as the other, may at sometimes indifferently be brought: which so happening, the joy of one unsound in the faith, is altogether extinct, and can no more be had, when distress cometh upon them they begin to mourn, as those that had outlived all their joys. But the joy of a true believer, which is the joy of faith, it is either felt in it according to the power of faiths working, as he then can get to believe: or it is undoubtedly in the end fetched out of it, and many times doubled afterwards for the little time that it than was eclipsed. Both of them may Psal. 140. 10. be cast into a labyrinth of troubles and into a sea of miseries, they may be in woeful distress, and brought to False joy in sorrow doth sink. the state of the forlorn hope (as we use to speak), the one by biding the adventure is blessed with such success, and scapeth happily out of danger, when the other shifting for himself, miscarrieth in all that he endeavoureth, and so cometh short home in the end. A true believer True joy riseth out of sorrow. is never in such a sea of misery, but he escapeth drowning, and swimmeth safely out of it again; for he is always held up as by the chin, either by the strength and comfort of his hope, which maketh him to rejoice in hope that he shall be delivered in the end; his hope (by holding fast the confidence of it) boying him up that he sink not in all those waves: or else he is caught hold upon and held up from sinking, by the good hand of God his gracious aid, as Christ took hold of Peter when he was in the Mat. 14. 31. hollow of the wave, and saved him out of danger. The other when he cometh to the depth that he can feel no ground with his feet, is left there in the suds, and being hopeless and joyless, sinks down to the bottom, like as doth a stone. Both Gods faithful servants and false hearted dissemblers may fall down so low, and after a sort be drowned in such depths of desperate sorrows,▪ as they may be thought in their own feeling, and in the judgement of others also, to be sunk, even into hell, as the Psalmist acknowledgeth God had delivered his soul out Psal. 86. 13. jonah. 2. 2. of the nethermost hell. And jonah being cast into the sea and swallowed up of the Whale, (when he thence cried unto the Lord) said, he cried out of the belly of hell. The wicked they also sometimes meet with their hell in this life, and are tormented somewhat timely, or (as the devils complained to Christ) before their time: for as they that truly serve God have a double heaven, one heaven upon earth while they live here, another heaven when they have left the earth, and are out of this life, wherein they shall remain and abide for ever: so they that serve sin and Satan have a double hell; beside that which was prepared for them of old, (as the Prophet speaketh) which is made deep and large to hold them all, the burning whereof Isa. 30. 33. is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord as ariver of brimstone ever kindling it, into which they shall be thrown at the last, when their life here shall have an end: they have another hell in this world: For when they have done the devil the best service they can, and wrought all the mischief that possibly they are able, they can find no rest to their souls in the end of their work, when they seek some rest after their labour, the bed is found too Isa. 28. ●0. short, the covering too narrow, so as they cannot wrap themselves, so churlish and cruel masters are these to serve, as they deal but blows in stead of wages, and cruel death for their last reward; in the end, they that serve them best, are beaten most, carrying deepest wounds in their consciences, and feeling a very hell in their souls, so as they are in hell, before they be in hell. When Gods children are in hell, they are not (as I may so say) in a piece of hell, there is a little heaven in their hell: either they have hope when they are at the worst that it will be the better with them, and they shall be delivered out of it again, or they cry out for help, and desire to be delivered, looking and longing for it till it come: or if they have not such strength of grace to hope and to pray, yet they have that grace to desire the having of such grace as might be saving unto them. The wicked, when they come into hell, they are in a true and whole hell, there is no piece of heaven to be found therein, there is no hope, there is no help for them, there is no comfort, there is no peace (saith my God) to Isa. 57 20. 21. the wicked, they are as the raging sea that cannot be still, but is ever casting up mire and dirt; they are forced to cry when calamity cometh upon them; yea to roar and howl for vexation of spirit; but being left void of all hope and comfort, they know of no other remedy but to sly to the halter despairing and hanging themselves out of the way, and so miserably getting out of this wretched life, they make haste to bring themselves unrecoverably to be plunged into a ten thousand times worse woe, through the little hell of their miseries they have endured here, they go to that great hell of everlasting torments that are readily prepared to take hold of them at their first entrance thither; so hastening out of a few troubles that were of themselves but momentany, and could not possibly ever have lasted long, to bring themselves where they shall have their fill of those hellish torments and troubles that will never have an end, where they shall be tormented in fiery flames, which neither can possibly be endured, nor ever avoided: so by the first death, bringing themselves to the second, where they shall die no more; for they shall find no halters in hell to hang themselves out of the way as they have done before. The joy of a true believer is of the nature of true faith, True joy euercomes all. which causeth it, and bringeth it forth. Now faith if it be true and precious faith indeed, is a grace that is victorious and unconquerable: such is the joy of a true believer which always doth accompany a man's faith; if that may be felt, this also will be found present: and according to the degree and measure of the working of his faith; so will joy be felt to be either more or less, and where faith doth not fail, there joy in believing cannot wholly be extinct: it will live in the fire, it will not be drowned in the water, nor be made to die even in death; but procure to him that hath it, a joyful passage unto life. The joy of an hypocrite is answerable to his brainsick fancy that bred it; and therefore as a fancy it cometh to nothing, but soon flieth away, especially in a tempest and troublesome storm, that it can no more be found, nor ever heard on again. God's people may sometimes be in heaviness, as were the people of the jews, when they mourned and wept, hearing N●h. 8. 9 10. the book of the Law read by Ezra the Priest, and did perceive how it had not been kept, but then the joy of the Lord becometh their strength; and if in the time of their heaviness this joy for the present cannot be felt, yet will it in the end be fetched out of their greatest heaviness, and most sorrow that they at any time can fall into. For true joy useth to rise out of godly sorrow and to further the same again: as godly sorrow taking some beginning out of a joyful feeling of God's loving kindness and mercy in Christ Jesus, endeth in the fullness of joy afterward, making the measure thereof far more to abound. These (as twins and friends) do keep company together, and do follow one another. The joy of the faithful is often made out of sorrow; yea the soundest and sweetest joys use to spring out of the bitterest griefs; as the best wine that was drunken at the marriage, was that which by our Saviour Christ was made out of water: and so out of the lowest bottoms of the deepest sorrows, the highest springs of the liveliest and most lasting comforts do oftentimes fall out to be found and fetched forth. These springs are not opened, till there be Sorrow brings joy. digging so deep into the hollow ground of the heart, (which above all things is most deceitful) as there may be coming at the length to the rocky hardness that is there to be met with, and that rock itself be so far digged through, till there may be felt such a tenderness and softness of the heart, and such a brokenness of spirit, as the heart at length may become wholly contrite, Psal. 22. 14. and so melted in the bowels with godly sorrowing, that it be as water powered out, and being thus broken, contrite, and sorrowful, it so be made fit to be presented as a most acceptable and well pleasing sacrifice unto God. Now when the heart of a poor penitent is thus deeply pierced wounded, and beaten down, even to the very bottom and lowest depth of a thorough-sorrowing and holy despairing, that he lie complaining and crying out of the bottom of those deeps for help unto God, setting out his throat and crying with David; Out of the deep have I Psal. 130. 1. 2. called unto thee O Lord, Lord hear my voice. And with jonah being in the Whale's belly, cry out from thence as out of the belly of hell, then will not the Lord despise nor Psal. 22. 24. abhor the low estate of such as are so deceived, he will not hide his face from them; but when they cry he will surely hear them: for though he inhabit eternity, and dwelleth on high, yet will he listen and look to him that is Isa. 57 15. of a contrite spirit, to receive the spirit of the humble, and to give life and cheering to them that are contrite in heart. Prayers, sighs and tears going up from such a distress, mercies and compassions from God, must needs come down to help all again; and the succours of the Lord are usually in such cases so ready to be found, as he letteth those poor perplexed servants of his to see them before their eyes, and to touch and feel them as with their hands; and that in such a manner, as they are not alone comforted for the present, but confirmed for evermore afterward to trust assuredly in him (fall out whatsoever at any time may happen), such sighing and weeping, such calling and crying out unto God for help in time of great need, cannot but ever at the length obtain a prosperous issue: as may be seen in David, who by his long crying, was at the length drawn out of that horrible pit, Psal. 40. 2. out of the mire and clay wherein before he did stick so fast: and as he else where saith, had his heaviness turned into Psal. 30. 11. 12. joy, his mourning into dancing, his sackcloth put off, and he himself girded with gladness: for which cause his tongue gave praise unto God without ceasing, and he vowed to give thanks unto him for evermore. And by how much the more they have hungered and thirsted for the consolations of God, by so much the more doth the Lord fill them Psal. 90. 14. 15. and satisfy them with his mercies, and that right soon, so as they are made to rejoice the more, and to be glad all the days of their life: yea it is the Lords manner to comfort his, according to the days that he hath afflicted them, and according to the years that they have seen evil, then is their mouth filled with laughter, and their tongue with joy, as in Psal. 126. 1. the turning again of the captivity of Zion. So that the joyfullest body that ever was, or is, is a true penitent sinner, who having first felt the load and burden of his sins, and been wounded in conscience for committing of them, coming at the last to have those stiff and stark wounds of his, suppled by the pouring in of that oil of gladness into his heart, whereby he is cheered and comforted again in Christ jesus, assurance being given unto him to have full redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of all his sins. Oh then there is joy unspeakable and glorious in that heart, which so sweetly refresh the soul of that mourning sinner, as he is in a manner, wholly swallowed up therewith; blessing now the time that ever he so mourned for his sin before, whose so mourning before, hath brought him this great measure of comfort now, and hath put such gladness into his heart, as causeth him for very joy both to laugh and sing. Isa. 65. 14. These are the sweetest joys that are thus fetched out of the most bitter sorrows, and these are the surest joys that will last longest, whose ground hath been laid so deep, as to be raised thus out of the lowest bottoms of a most afflicted estate, in a mind that hath been sore wounded, and much pierced through with painful sorrows, and most woeful griefs. And thus at the length cometh that promise to be fulfilled, which the Lord so long ago made to his people that had endured great affliction, that Isa. 61. 7. for all the sorrow and shame they had endured, they should have double comforts, and for their confusion he would make them rejoice in their portion. Yea, so are Gods servants comforted in their troubles, as ever after they are made better able to comfort others which are in trouble, by the 2. Cor. 1. 4. comfort wherewith they themselves are comforted of God. CHAP. XXI. The difference of their joy in the third dimension or breadth of it, and how it is straightened or extended in them. THe third dimension wherein the joy of these two sorts of believers may be perceived much to differ, is in respect of the large spread that the one hath, reaching itself out every way far and wide, and extending itself to such a latitude and breadth, as no man can say, Thus far go the bounds of it, and no further: and on the other side, the narrow breadth, stra●t lists, and short precincts, within the compass whereof the other is shut in, hardly penned up, and so narrowly confined, as beyond the same it can never be found to extend itself or reach out any further. Hypocrites and misbelievers, who are no better than Hypocrites joy is small or none. mere reprobates, and plain wicked persons, have the lists of their joy, and bounds of their rejoicing made so narrow, and so nearly set together, as if one should demand what allowance of breadth is there made unto such to spread out their joy upon, and to let their rejoicing lawfully be extended by it? may be answered, if there be respect had to the lawfulness of their joy, they have not so much as the breadth of a foot, of one inch, or of one nail to plant and settle true joy upon. If one would ask in what things may such men lawfully have joy and true rejoicing? The answer must be, they warrantably can have joy in nothing: for to whom there is no peace granted, there can be no sound joy allowed unto them: but there is no peace, saith God unto the wicked: and therefore Isa. 48. 22. having nothing to do with peace, they have as little to do with joy: if they take joy in any thing, they do but usurp the joy that they take; nay they are so far from having cause to rejoice in any thing, as contrarily they have cause to fear in every thing, because they fear not him whom they ought to fear: that is, they do not sanctify the Lord of hosts to let him be their Isa. 8. 13. 14. fear and their dread, who so would become a sanctuary unto them, to save them from all things else that might hurt them. They therefore may fear every thing they meet with, till they can truly come to fear God, they may fear the wind, the sea, the earth, the air, all things they have use of: their hook, their hatchet, their horse, their cow, their dog that follows them, the meat they feed upon; they may fear men and devils, and all things beside: they wanting a good conscience, washed in the blood of Christ, and in all holiness of life and conversation, which is a continual feast, cannot but want true comfort, and want the feeling of sound joy and peace in their hearts; nay contrarily, having an ill conscience, that is either without feeling, seared as with a hot iron; or else blinded by the error of judgement; or that hath guilt in it to accuse & condemn for sin that hath been committed; it so cometh to pass, that they cannot but either be restless for the present, the accusation of their consciences ever stinging them, and tormenting them with the guiltiness of their sin; or if they have quiet, it is because hypocrisy hath put their conscience to silence here, that they may soon after roar out the louder in hell fire; where their cries neither will be pitied, nor their pains ever be eased. It is truly said that evil doers they are their own prisoners, and their own hangmen. And if it be so (saith one) Plessis. what skills it who thou be, if thou be not thine own man? They that are cast into prison for treason, or stealing, they have (after a sort) already the halters about their necks, even from the very instant of their first being taken and put in; howsoever it be that sometimes forgetting their own misery, they may (as desperate wretches after their cursed manner) be sound merry together, playing at dice and cards, to drive (as they use to say) the time away. Such professors as are but hypocrites and misbelievers, who have an ill conscience, that either ever doth, or ever may be accusing of them, they have nothing to do with sound joy, and true peace: for they are peculiar comforts, appointed peculiarly to true believers, and to righteous persons, for whom only they are sown (as light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart), and unto them alone it will come up, and by them alone such fruit will be reaped. As for the other, the Lord hath bidden woe to be cried out and proclaimed unto them, as who have rewarded evil to their Isa. 3. 11. own souls. Unto such all things are unpure; they have no freedom to take joy or comfort in any thing: they are those that are made prisoners in their own houses, who can neithey go out to fetch sound comfort abroad, nor have allowed unto them any liberty to be merry at home. If these do look without themselves, they being not in Christ jesus, there is nothing in all the world which they can find justly to belong unto them, or which they can claim rightly to be their own. If they take the use of any thing, they are but usurpers of the same; yea as very thieves they have but stolen all they do set hand upon; and therefore they must look to be had to the gail, and put into the Lord's pinfold, to answer for the trespass which they have done unto him (as to the right owner) therein. The delight which they take in all outward things of this life, is but as the pleasure of stolen waters, that are thought sweet of them that do drink them; and like to bread eaten in secret, that is pleasant for a time: but they that banquet with no better cheer, unhealthsome and unhappy is their fare. The guests that are at such feasts (as Solomon telleth us) are all in the very depth of hell. If these do rest in themselves, and Prou. 9 18. seek for some comfort at home, as who would gladly be made merry, and feel some joy and delight from that which is within; for as much as their hearts are not sprinkled Heb. 10. 22. from an ill conscience, and their bodies are not washed with pure water; there is no joy to be afforded from thence: nay, there they find the least ease, and the most torment and disquiet of all the rest that possibly they can meet with else where: beside (unless they chance to earth themselves in the caves of oblivion, that judgement to come may not come to their minds), their estate in that behalf is as uncomfortable, as is their that are clapped up in closest prisons, and cast into deepest and darkest dungeons, so as they can see no manner of light of Sun or Moon, or any star that doth shine: the liberty they find there, is as little as the liberty of him that is chained fast to a post that cannot stir at all. For where the conscience doth accuse, their soul is made restless with the vexations thereof, and then any palace, how princely soever, would be no better than a prison, or a gail to keep the offender in: yea, Paradise itself would be little better than Purgatory, or hell itself; as may be seen in Adam, who having lost a good conscience by eating the forbidden fruit, though he was in Paradise still, yet all the joys therein were not able to comfort him; but as one condemned in himself; when the Lord called for him, he ran into the thicket to hide himself from God's presence, that he might not be found. Thus are the workers of iniquity imprisoned in the little-ease of their own accusing and condemning conscience, and held as captives bound ●●st in the cords of their own iniquities: they may dwell in good houses, they may walk in fair galleries and pleasant gardens, they may solace themselves in many other delights: but if they be but hypocrites, that have only fair outsides, and but rotten hearts, carrying about with them the crying of their restless conscience that is ever accusing of them, though outwardly they may seem to look as smirk and as clear as the Sun, and not once look awry; yet within the faces of their conscience do gather blackness, and there are terrors and fears of damnation felt within; and so while the body dwelleth in a palace, the soul lieth in the mean while in a painful prison; and when outwardly they seem to live at ease, and to have great liberty and freedom to do what they will, they inwardly are in very great staits, and lie fast snared and fettered in those spiritual bonds, out of which they cannot possibly deliver themselves. And this is that common gail that the Lord (as the high and chief justice of all the world) sendeth all malefactors unto after they have trespassed and done evil against him, he maketh his warrant to have them bound in the cords of their own sins, and their souls to be thrown into the hellish dungeons of their accusing, condemning and tormenting conscience, where they shall lie in little ease, restless and joyless, deprived of the light and true comfort of their hearts, and overwhelmed with such darkness, such horrors and fears as cannot but dismay them, where they shall find no more ease than if they did lie upon a rack, but be as restless as any prisoner that lieth under bolts and heavy irons, when he is put in the most uneasy stocks that do pinch him with pain, gawling and hurting him as he lieth in them: as it is said of joseph, that when his feet Psal. 105. 18. were put into the stocks, the iron entered into his soul. There is no prison so uneasy, nor dungeon so uncomfortable for any to be cast into as this is. And yet Gods own servants and children for displeasing their father are many times committed to ward, and put into this prison and gail where they are suffered to lie, without seeing either Sun, or Moon, or light of any star, no light of comfort shining to them for a long time. Howbeit these are but prisoners Zach. 9 12. in hope (as speaketh the Prophet) Christ their surety will in good time bail them; for he is come to bring deliverance Isa. 61. 1. to the captive, and to them that are bound in prison the opening of the door. But as for the other, their sentence is to endure perpetual imprisonment in this kind of prison here without bail or mainprize, till the day of that great Assize come, when there shall be a general gaile-deliverie out of all prisons on earth, to send all such prisoners to hell, there to be fast bound in the chains of darkness for evermore, during which time, there is none that can rescue or bail these prisoners, or fetch them out of this captivity which they are thus held fast in: friends may be made to fetch out a malefactor out of man's gail, his pardon may be sued out and gotten for him, yet being got out thence, he is never the nearer for being freed, and got out of God's gail, he will be sure to hold him still fast chained to the block, till pardon be obtained of him, than he may be heard say (as it is in job), deliver him, and according job 33. 24. as he made his warrant to put him in, so he likewise do make his warrant to have him out again. Otherwise where the sorrows of the mind are the fetters of the soul, if any will go about to break out of them, or to file them off, before God himself shall be pleased to unlock them, and free them out of them, woe will be to them. For howsoever out of other jails, the prisoners sometimes by breaking prison escape the hands of their keepers, yet it is not so in this prison of a restless, unquiet and accusing conscience, none that hath been committed to it could ever by any indirect means of his own which possibly he could use, break out of it again: this prison will hold him, and have still where ever he become; if he flee away it will follow him, and go with him as fast and as far as he goeth; though he flee never so far off, yet he is never a whit the further from it; he is still in safe prison here, and in sure ward; he may not think he can escape out of God's hands, as sometimes the prisoner doth out of the hands of his keeper; God standeth in no such doubt as men do, the offender can never get out of his circuit and compass, for he hath branded him as with the broad arrow in his forehead (as well hath observed that thrice Noble Man), He may (saith he) well shift his apparel in some Morney. privy place, and change his name; but do what he will, he can never so lie hid, but God will find him out; for the Lords branding iron hath pureed even to his very heart, he can never fly so fast but God will still be befor● him; if he she from the East, the Lord will have him in the 〈◊〉 the further Bee goeth from the North, the near 〈◊〉 is unto the South; he ever runneth as in a round, and 〈◊〉 be is with in the Lords reach and compass so that there is escaping from him. The Lord will be sure to fetch again every one that would break from him, and play the runaway; run whither they can, he will belay all the world for them, but he will be sure to have them, he will send out his sergeant to arrest them, and he hath his Bailiefes in every corner, that have writs to serve upon them, and to bring them in. jonah jonah 1. 4. 12. 15. 17. played the runaway, and would have been gone from God, but he sent out after him, the sea had commission to arrest him, which would never be quiet till it had him, and had committed him to ward as close prisoner in the Whale's belly. Thus hypocrites and unbelievers, and all wicked persons whosoever that are workers of iniquity, they do ever trail their own halters after them, and spin the thread that will make chords to hamper them, and to hang them in the end. And this may truly be said to be the latitude of the sound joy of an hypocrite, or misbeleever, that it hath no latitude at all to be laid out unto it, there being no one thing to be found wherein he may have sound comfort, and which he may settle true joy upon, as in the end shall never fail him. Contrarily so ample is the joy of a sound Christian and Sound joy is la●ge. true believer indeed, so wide and large is the spread of it every way, as the extent thereof reacheth itself out to every thing; their eyes are clear to see from East to West that all is theirs, as they are Christ's, and as Christ is Gods: 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. neither is there any one thing that may happen unto them, wherein their true and warrantable joy cannot find some ground or other to set footing upon, and to be raised out of the same, though not primarily and simply for the thing itself, yet for their own selves, and for their own sakes in some one or other respect they may find cause (though not in themselves, yet in the Lord) to rejoice always for his goodness unto them, who by his gracious and wise providence doth so order and dispose of every thing that doth happen, as he never faileth, but doth cause all to work together, to the good of them that truly do love him. This is that which the Apostle willeth Phil. 4. 5. 6. and waranteth to every good Christian, that they do rejoice in the Lord always. Now always includeth, as all times, so all things and all cases that may happen; for if there were any thing that might come to pass, or any condition might befall a true Christian, wherein there could not be found some cause of rejoicing in the Lord for some one respect or other, then might not a Christian rejoice always: but this the Apostle hath said, he may, yea and aught also to do, or else he would not so directly have spoken it, and willed the doing of it: and lest any should think, he had somewhat with the most, and granted too large an allowance unto Christians thus always to rejoice, to meet with that doubt, and to make it clear, that there is warrant for them so to do, he saith it again, and speaketh it the second time, doubling that speech; as if he should say; I willed you to rejoice in the Contra. 116. 128 Lord always, in saying whereof, I have said nothing too much, I know what I do● say▪ I say nothing but what I have warrant for; I will therefore say it again, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice. But it is worthy the marking, he doth not will us to rejoice always in all things that may happen; for some things may either be done by us, or be done to us, which are not simply to be joyed in, but to be lamented in, and much be wailed by us; for which things (themselves alone being considered) we are to be greatly sorry, as being evil in themselves. But because so wonderful is the Lord in counsel, and so excellent in working, as he knoweth how to bring good out of the greatest evil that can happen to be done (for otherwise (as well hath one of the Fathers observed) the Lord would never let evil be, unless he knew how to bring good out of evil); therefore he willeth us (whatsoever cause we may have) to be humbled in ourselves for that which may befall us, or unto any others; yet to rejoice in the Lord always, in his mercy and goodness, justice and truth, in the excellency of his wisdom and the absolute perfection of his skill, as who knoweth without all failing, to make all things beautiful in due time; for Eccles. 3. 11. so perfect a workman is he, as it skilleth not what matter and stuff he taketh into his hand to work upon; refuse and rubbish that none others can tell how to put to any use, he will improve to such a purpose, and cause so well to serve his turn, as the very perfection of beauty shall be seen in that passing workmanship of his hands, which he will make evident to be done by him, and to be wrought upon the same: For perfect is the work of the mighty God, and all his ways are judgement; God is true and without Deut. 32. 4. wickedness, just and righteous is he, as Moses did sing in his swans song. Now if any do desire, that as the Lord turneth all things to good, so he might get good also out of every thing, that so he might always rejoice in all things so made profitable unto him, the Apostle giveth him this direction following in the place before cited, that in nothing being too mistrustfully careful, he do make prayers unto God always, and in all things for the same. Innumerable be the things that in particular may and do fall out in our life time, which do much and nearly concern us, some which of themselves in their own nature, and at the first hand are very joyful and comfortable unto us, sent from God as benefits and blessings to cheer comfort, and do us good, and so they are accounted of by us, and entertained with all gladness and rejoicing on our parts, returning back again hearty thanks and praises unto God for the same. In such things it is clear enough, a good Christian may and aught much to rejoice: but there are many other things happening, which may seem to be as much against us, and about such things is all the question, and the greatest doubt made, how in those things (which first and in their own nature are heavy things to be heard of, to be seen with our eyes, or felt by our own experience, which justly do bring matter of grief and heaviness to our hearts, and as justly may call for much humiliation at our hands), a faithful servant of God may possibly gather or pick out any kind of true comfort, or find how any cause of sound joy, and warrantable rejoicing in any respect may be raised from the same; that so this may stand true, the joy of a sound Christian is of so large an extent, as it may be reached out to every thing that doth happen, and (according to that the Apostle willeth) that a good Christian may be warranted to rejoice always in the Lord. CHAP. XXII. Of the lets of true joy, and first of sin: And how the Lord raiseth thence maater of rejoicing to believers. OF all the things that are of this nature and kind, the greatest doubt (so far as I conceive) may be made of these two in particular: viz. either of such things as do respect our dealing against God by sinning and disobeying of him, or do respect God's dealing against us by chaftising and not sparing of us, and that either by his withdrawing himself from us in hiding his own countenance, or by his coming near unto us in judgement to smite us with his rod, laying on heavy chastisements, and bringing sore and great troubles upon us. For as for all else that do befall unto us, by any other means of men or devils, or any other the creatures, if they were not armed and made strong against us by our sins, or were not sent and set on by Gods own hand his warrant and allowance, he being thereunto justly provoked by us to set them upon us, and to set them against us, we need not weigh them a rush, nor care at all what they all together could possibly do, for the doing to us any hurt, or any way to hinder our steady comfort. But even in those things whereof the greatest doubt may be made: if there can for the present no manner of cause be found why in any respect a true believer may have his joy in the Lord even then still abiding, and some kind of lawful reioyeing in the Lord yet allowed unto him; it is not because there is wholly wanting all manner of ground from whence may be raised a true and warrantable kind of rejoicing, but because we cannot see it till our eyes be opened, and the same be showed unto us, as the Angel did sh●w Hagar the well and fountain from whence she Gen. 21. 19 fetched water for her refreshing in time of her great thirst, when she thought there was no way but perishing, both for her and her child too in that her distress. If we consider of our sins against God, which of all things else may justly be thought to be the greatest let of our joy, and that which doth most hinder our rejoicing, it cannot be denied, if there be any one thing more than other in the world (in respect of ourselves alone) that may cast us lowest down, and make us vile in our own eyes, which may cleave the reins of our back asunder, load our hearts with heavy grief, and fill them brim full of sorrow and woe, which may take all joy and gladness from us, and cause our haps to be turned into mourning▪ job. 30. 31. and our organs into the voice of them that weep, and make our songs be turned into howl, as the Prophet Amos 8. 3. speaks: it is this that we not only do know that in us, that is in our fl●sh no good thing is abiding, but that there is such a perpetual rebellion found to be in us, and such a law in our members rebelling against the law of our minds, Rom. 7. 23. as is often c●rrying us captive unto the committing of sin, whereby our own consciences are deeply wounded, God dishonoured and much displeased, and thereby enough done to incense his wrath, and to cause the fire of his anger to be kindled and flame out against us: in regard whereof we have cause to take up that sorrowful mourning and lamentation of jeremiah: Woe to us that Lam. 3. 16. ever we have thus sinned, and every one to cry out with the Apostle, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall now deliver Rom. 7. 24. me from this body of death! Howbeit, as the Apostle Paul feeling that prick and thorn● in the flesh▪ the messenger of Satan which was sent to buff●t him, and praying earnestly to the Lord that it might be taken from him, when he once had received answer from the Lord, that he would have his own strength made perfect in his weakness, did rest in that answer, and was content to have his own weakness made known unto him, that so the power of Christ might the rather rest upon him, for the Lord would have that continued still, causing it to turn to the singular good of the Apostle, which he was so much afraid of, and did so earnestly pray that it might be removed and taken quite away from him, thereby wholly disappointing Satan of his malicious purpose, in turning that to a sovereign remedy and preservative medicine for the good of his servant, which Satan had prepared and injected into him as a most pernicious poison to do him hurt withal. After this manner may the true servants of God, when the Lord either leaves them to themselves to fall through their own infirmity, or giveth Satan leave not only to buffet them, as he did Paul, but to beat them quite down and overcome them, so far as to make them fall to the committing of some gross and grievous sin: if by that means (the Lord being merciful unto them) What gain out of sin. through the supply of his grace given) they may be brought the more to be humbled, and the better to know their own frailty and weakness how great it is, and to be the more careful for ever after with fear and trembling to work out their own salvation. If the riches of God's grace, and superabounding of God's mercy may be occasioned to be showed forth the rather, and to shine out the more to his praise, in pardoning the sins, and passing by the transgressions of his people, by the means of Satan's great malice, in drawing Gods servants to commit both many and most heinous offences, until sin every way may be seen to have abounded in them▪ If the glorious excellency of God's almighty power may be made clearly to appear in raising up again his fallen servants from under so great a weakness, giving such new strength unto them, as whereby for ever after they are made to stand much more firm and sure, than they did before they so fearfully and dangerously did fall: If Gods infinite wisdom, and the wonderfulness of his working, who hath given skill to the Physician by his art to take the flesh of the viper, which is poison, and to temper it so with healthsome things, and to correct it so with cordials, as of poison he can make sovereign treacle that shall expel poison, and so make that which would have caused death, to become an excellent means of preserving life: shall in like manner appear in so ordering and using the sins of his servants, after they have once been committed, yea even the greatest and grievousest of them (which are the deadliest venom of all other, and the rankest poison that can be, which doth not only kill with death, but with death everlasting), as by those sins they have so committed, he cureth them of many sins past, and preserveth them from many sins for time to come, fetching from them, and causing to be expelled out of them a deal of inveterated naughtiness and poisonful corruption that was so habituated in them, that hardly by any other means would ever have been drawn from them, or any way got out of them: If by seeing and suffering them to be cast into such filthy sloughs, such puddle and mire and sinks of loathsome sins, he forceth them by occasion thereof to go wash and rinse themselves cleaner, purer and whiter from them, and all other their sins, than ever they were before: If by their falling away for a time, and departing from him for a season, as did Onesimus from Philemon, he recovereth them to a better condition, and thereby maketh them his own for ever, that now they may no more departed away from him, but cleave faster to the Lord with purpose of heart then ever they did before: If by the committing of some enormous vice, some most heinous and flagitious wickedness, in committing whereof the very deeds of the wicked may seem to be exceeded, the Lord shall bring his hardhearted servant, whose heart was harder than the neither millstone, that could not before by any means be broken, now to be so suppled and softened, so mollified and made to melt, as did the heart of josiah, in such sort as 1. King. 22. 19 that the same sin of his which was most dammable, & would have caused death, is now made to be a means of such humiliation in him and godly sorrowing, as causeth and worketh 〈◊〉 in him, even repentance unto life. In these 2. Cor. 7. 10. and the like respects a true servant of God (notwithstanding his manifold sinning) may and aught to have joy and hi● rejoicing in the Lord. For some one or other of these respects, or it may be for them altogether, doth the Lord suffer many, and some of his most worthy and excellent servants too, to have been overtaken with many infirmities, yea sometimes As the mighty power of God in the beginning of the world did appear, in bringing light out of darkness, and shall appear in the end of the world, in bringing life out of death: so doth the same mighty power and wisdom of God daily appear, in bringing good out of evil. with very gross and grievous sins, yet always so ordering and disposing of every thing, as he that is seen daily to bring light out of darkness, never hath failed to bring good out of all their evil, and such good as hath been for the very good of those his servants themselves that have done all that evil, and made to the high honour and glory of his own Majesty; who is so good in himself, as he is goodness itself, and maketh all things good that he meddleth with, and is wrought by his hand. This is and hath been the Lords own and only doing, and that from the beginning, and worthily may it be accounted marvelous in our eyes. In the first sin that ever was committed by man, how wonderful hath been the Lords working therein, to bring so much good out of that great evil, as unto all Gods elect, and redeemed in Christ, their case is now made far better than ever it was, far happier and far surer than either it was, or would have been, if to this present Adam had kept his standing, and should still have kept his foot from slipping or stepping amiss. The Lord we know hath turned Adam's fall to his higher rising, and his dangerous slipping to a more sure standing, in so much as not praising the evil, but him that bringeth good out of evil, we may say with that reverend Beza, Oh happy fall which hath brought us higher! Oh most happy darkness, without which this truly Serm. on Cantic. cap. 2. group light had never appeared unto us. After this manner hath the Lord still for the one improved the falls and foils of his servants ever to their more good. David that fell so foully, and committed so gross, and so heinous a sin, that gave him cause to think of washing and cleansing himself from such filth and pollution, that made him seem loathsome even in his own eyes, was brought by means thereof to go ransack his whole life, and search out all his other sins, until he came to the gauging of the very belly and womb of sin, where it first had the conception, and from whence originally it first took his beginning, and did first of all spring, and that he crieth out on, and bringeth it forth, doth disgrace himself therewith, confessing unto God, that beside that great sin that he had now committed, he saw himself to be an unclean creature, overrun with a contagious leprosy of sin all over, and that from his conception: so as his falling into that one great sin, became a means of his going in hand with the labour of getting himself washed and cleansed, not only from that, but from all the rest of his sins, even his birth sin and all; and that not slightly, but earnestly with a thorough rinsing and rubbing of himself, till he might become as clear as the glass, and as white as snow. Psal. 51. 5. 7. Many are conceited of themselves, and of their own strength, taking no notice of other filthiness of the flesh and spirit, or corruption of sin that is within them, so long as they are kept from committing gross and enormous iniquities, the Lord is feign therefore to give them over, and to leave them to themselves, that they may fall into such gross sins, as whereby their other hidden corruptions may break out, and manifestly be discerned both to themselves and others how great it is. There be that will never think of thoroughly repenting themselves, nor of jer. 4. 14. cleansing and washing their hearts from wickedness, that they may be saved, until they be tumbled into some such puddle as David was, and bemired with such filth, and then of force they are driven to it, and made to set hand at once to that work, unless they care not to see themselves perish for altogether. Thus the Lord is feign to make of the poison of some gross sin an antidote against the poison of other lesser sins, which of themselves are baneable enough, if they be not in time expelied and purged out, to kill every soul in which they are retained, that so there may be a ridding away of all by a general repenting for all, though the going in hand with such repentance was at the first occasioned by one. And thus we may perceive, how as the Lord is said to punish sin with sin in the wicked, so he knoweth how to cure sin Sin cured by sin. by sin in the godly, so making their sins as well as all things else to turn to their good. Look but upon the strange cure of that one sin of pride, which is a sin as high-born as any other, and spreadeth out itself as far, the whole race of mankind being either more or less infected Pride. and tainted with the same. This sin will live, when other sins shall die, and will raise itself up out of the ruins of them all, which is more to be feared among virtues, then found among other vices; it is the very venom of virtue, and as a spreading canker or gangrene, having once gotten to be fastened upon the body of virtue, it never leaveth (unless it be the more timely cured) till going from joint to joint, it hath weakened and overthrown that whole body, how beautiful soever it were otherwise and goodly to look upon. This is the greatest enemy to virtue that it hath, as that which hath virtue ever in chase, and still is dogging it at the heels. The Apostle himself after his high advancement, and abundance of revelations given him, when he had been wrapped up into the third heavens, was not exempt from the peril thereof, nor from the danger of the hot pursuit and assailement thereof, as which was ready to set upon him, if help and aid the sooner had not been sent; the messenger of Satan therefore was feign to be sped out apace▪ to stand Paul herein in some stead, who fell to beating and buffeting of him, 2. Cor. 12. 7. and brought him so low, as he was every way unsitted for any manner of pride to set upon him, or once to meddle or make any whit at all with him, but was feign to leave him as it found him. And so by one enemy he was helped out of the hands of another enemy, every way as bad as he. Though Satan sending his messenger, aimed at nothing less, then at such an end: but God that overpowreth Satan, and overruleth in all things, would have it so come to pass. But what is the cure of this mischief of pride? surely as pride spoileth virtue, so vice spoileth pride again. And as out of the ashes of other sins, pride is said to spring up; so out of the flourishing again of other sins, all that pride is plucked down again. And this may be thought to be one cause, why the Lord seethe it meet, not wholly to free his servants from many infirmities, and much corruption of nature which is found still remaining in them; namely, that as he would not cast out all the enemies of his people out of that good land, to which he had brought them, lest the wild beasts for want of their help should prevail against them: so doth the Lord suffer that strength of corruption to remain in his children, that they may be aided thereby against all the assailings of pride, which is such a wild beast as otherwise could not well be withstood, but were likely otherwise to devour all virtue that it could find in them, and by so doing, come finally to overthrow them. Satan therefore that is so busy with God's children to be ever tempting them to sin, and to one sin after another, doth therein but work against himself, and doth but lay a train to blow up the castles of pride, wherein himself should most strongly and safely abide. And while he never leaveth, till he have drawn the child of God at the last to commit some great and heinous sin which proveth to be as a wakening sin unto him, who before was slumbering in security, and maketh him to start up and arise out of his sleep, and considering his ways in his heart to humble himself at once, and to repent for that, and for all his sins beside. Now Satan in this doing, doth but pull (as we use to say) an old house upon his head, for he pulleth down, and overthroweth thereby the whole frame of all the other sins which he had built up, and got to be planted in that man's heart before, and so by his restless temptations, he destroyeth and crosseth his own work, the Lord making him in despite of his teeth, to work against himself, who though he do what he can, yet will the Lord ever be found to overshoot Satan, even in his own bow. In all which respects, the Lord (through his infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy) so ordering every thing, as he maketh the very sins of his servants committed by them, not a little to turn to the good of themselves, by causing them thereby the better to know their own frailty, and what strength of corruption is still abiding in them, that so they may be drawn to a greater humiliation, and more earnest repenting not alone for their last sins, but for such sins also as before, either were not known, or never at all sound repent on, and withal to have a far greater care bred in them, how to carry themselves more warily for afterwards, evermore with fear and trembling working on their own salvation. And when besides God's servants shall see the works of Satan thus dissolved in them, that what he intended for their overthrow, doth now serve for their furtherance, and to their making for ever, the devils poison being so altered and changed by the overruling hand, as it becometh medicine, Satan tempting and drawing them to sin, and the Lord by that sin pulling them out of more sin, so curing sin by sin. And lastly, and chief when they at the length doth see, how the Lord doth out of the sins committed by them (how odious and abominable soever they have been which they have done), make way for his own greater glory, and the more magnifying of the riches of those his mercies, whereby both the same, their sins are pardoned unto them, and they themselves in like manner cleared and purged from the venomous infection, and strong corruption of them; what should let, but that (which being ever humbled in themselves with godly sorrow for their sins, and going out of themselves), yet the true servants of God (their sins notwithstanding) may rejoice in the Lord, and always rejoice in him, for the excellency of all this work thus wrought by him? Q. Though there may be some cause of a Christians rejoicing in the Lords blessed work, whereby he bringeth good out of the evil of such sins as he hath committed, when once such good effects are seen to be brought out, yet while this sin is still abiding, without being put to any such use, as you have before spoken; I demand what cause there can be showed, or any way found to be, of a Christians rejoicing in the Lords work which he is in hand with towards him at the very time of his sinning, or still abiding in his sin? A. That I may not be mistaken herein, I am so far from either saying or thinking, that any servant of God falling into sin, may any way rejoice in himself, in respect of the sin that either he hath once fallen into, or still is seen to continue and abide in; as confidently I do affirm, he can never be sufficiently cast down, nor grieved enough with godly sorrowing for the same; and therefore according to the counsel given by the Apostle james 4. 9 10. james, I say, he ought to be afflicted, to mourn, and to weep; letting his laughter be turned into mourning, and his joy into heaviness▪ humbling himself daily in the sight of the Lord, till having obtained mercy from God, for having repentance unto life granted to him, whereby he may turn from his sin, and bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life, the Lord may then lift him up, in giving him sound comfort, and true joy again. Howbeit, in respect of another work which the Lord himself is then in hand with, even when his servant is sinning; or after he hath sinned, found still abiding in that sin he hath committed (if that work of God could be well seen into, and rightly and wisely discerned), I see nothing to the contrary, but there might be found the like cause of rejoicing therein, as the sick patient findeth cause to rejoice in the work, which he seethe his skilful Physician to be in hand with, when he is tempering the potion, mixing the ingredients, preparing the medicine, and then doth administer it unto him, and sets it a working; the patient cannot all this time rejoice, as having seen and felt what is the good effect of that medicine, nor in perceiving the cure to be fully wrought, and finished upon him: but knowing that the Physician, who hath taken him in hand, is both skilful and faithful, he rejoiceth to see him to be about the work, and so diligent therein, as to be a preparing the medicine within his best understanding, he knoweth of all others to be most fit for his curing. So when the Lord seethe no other means, to be so fit for the recovering of some dull and dead-hearted servant of his, out of some sin that he is fallen into, and in which he still lieth slumbering, without any repenting for the same, but to leave him to himself, that the falling into a greater sin, may by occasion of so great a fall, be made to awake out of his slumber, and be brought to a thorough and sound repentance for all his sins together: while such a secure Christian, thus sick and diseased, is committing of some great and heinous sin, the Lord who is his Physician, is in hand in the mean while with another work of his own, namely, to be tempering of such a medicine as shall not fail to cure him, the Lord taking the poison of that sin which he is a committing, and making thereof a most sovereign medicine, it being the Lords manner, as hath been spoken before, to cure sin with sin. Now this work which the Lord is in hand with even at that time, if it either can be seen by himself (which is most hard so to be seen by any for the present time), or can be showed him by any other to be so a working, hath matter in it sufficient to bear out a warrantable rejoicing for that the Lord is a doing, though otherwise there is most just cause of deep sorrowing, and most bitter lamentation for that which already is done, and is yet further a doing by his ownself in that thing. CHAP. XXIII. Of the second hindrance of joy in Gods hiding his face, and how that is made an occasion of rejoicing unto a true and sound believer. THe second main point about which especially doubt may be made how a true believer may always have joy, and rejoice in the Lord, is in regard of Gods own dealing towards us: and that either in regard When God hides his face. of his withdrawing himself from us by hiding his face; or in regard of his coming near unto us by smiting us with his hand. Touching the first; it is true there is nothing more grievous and fearful, then to be forsaken of God; and therefore God himself saith, Woe unto Hos. 9 12. you when I shall forsake you: for if God be our light, our confidence, and our comfort; and if all our happiness be in him, then to be forsaken of God, is to be deprived of all true comfort, to be left to all misery, and to be cast as into a whole sea and gulf of desperate sorrow, and into very hell itself: the favour of God being better than is life it Psal. 63. 3. self. A man were better be out of his life then out of God's favour. But it may be demanded with the Apostle, doth, or will God at any time cast off his people? and it may Rom. 11. 1. be answered again with the same Apostle, God forbidden. God will not cast away his people! And as the Psalmist saith, he will not forsake his inheritance: for so hath God Psal. 94. 14. Heb. 13. 5. himself said, I will never fail thee, nor forsake thee. True it is, God sometimes for a moment in his anger, doth hide his Isa. 54. 8. face from his children; and carrieth the matter of his good will towards them so closely, as they can know of no favour that he beareth them, it not being between him and them as it was yesterday, and yesterday, when Psal. 90. 13. he is found to be unto them as a passenger, and as a stranger that tarrieth but for a night: then there is hanging about him, and crying with Moses and the people, Oh God return, be pacified towards thy servants: then there is entreating and praying, with David, Go not far from me Psal. 22. 11. Psal. 119. 8. O God, for trouble is hard at hand, and forsake me not overlong, Oh God. Yea the Lord himself seemeth to rise up against his children, and then there is crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Then Zion mourns and Psal. 22. 1. complains, the Lord hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten Isa. 49. 14. me. But this hiding of God's face is but a fatherly frowning for a time, to awe his children the more, and breed the better circumspection in them for afterwards: when God doth forsake his children, that forsaking is neither fully nor finally for ever. He many times having forsaken them, doth tarry long before he doth return to them again; he holds off, till he can hold off no longer; that so he may make his children fear the more to fall out with him again. But it is a saving fear that keeps us in that state, as we shall not need to fear anymore, and it is a profitable vexation and anguish of the soul that bringeth rest thereunto for ever after. Though the Lord may seem sometimes to go away, and to hide his face, yet he never taketh such a farewell of them, as meaning joh. 16. 7. 22. no more to come at them: But as our Saviour Christ about the time of his departure, comforted his Disciples, by telling them it was expedient for them that he did go away; assuring them, that though he did go away, yet he would see them again, and then they should have the greater joy; yea their hearts should so rejoice, as none should take their joy from them: So may it in some other respect be truly said in this case, that it is sometimes expedient for God's servants, that their heavenly Father do hide his countenance from them, withdraw his presence and go away; especially when that through their too great unthankfulness and security, they begin to play the wantoness too much, and it is found with them according to that which runs in the proverb, Too much familiarity breedeth contempt: than it is time for the Lord to hide his countenance for the better awing of such; then doth need require that such be made sorry and left in heaviness: for howbeit this is ever but for a time, I will go away Hos. 5. 15. (saith the Lord) and hide myself till they seek me, in their affliction they will seek me diligently: the Lord looketh for certain to hear from such when they are in affliction; but howsoever he doth go away, yet may it truly be said to such, as our Saviour promised to his Disciples, he will surely come to see them again, and their hearts shall rejoice with such joy as none shall take from them, when they shall once see his face, and know his face again, and perceive the rays of the bright countenance of God to shine upon their dark and cloudy hearts, what light of comfort will not that bring to a poor distressed soul? even more joy than corn, and wine, and oil, though never so increased, can possibly cause to be felt. And this is that which the Lord promised his people, that though for a moment in his anger, he Psal. 89. 32. 33. hide his face, yet with everlasting mercy he would have compassion upon them. Yea when the Lord himself seemeth to be in greatest displeasure, so as he doth visit the offences of his people with the rod, and their sins with scourges; yet will he not take his mercy from them, nor falsify his truth: though for a time he may be angry, yet will he not keep his Psal. 103. 9 anger always towards his children: and unto this it hath pleased the Lord to bind himself not only by promise, but by oath, that his kindness shall never departed from his, nor the Covenant of his peace be removed from them: which he would have them know is as sure to be performed, as the oath which he hath sworn shall be kept, that the Isa. 54 9 10. waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth; and if any man can break the Covenant which the Lord hath made with the day and night, that there should not be day nor night jer. 33. 20. 21. in their season; then may they break this Covenant which the Lord hath made with his people in this behalf. Howsoever than the Lord being offended, may sometimes in his displeasure hide his face from his servants and forsake them, as Christ did the Spouse, that we might more desire after him, and more earnestly seek for him; yet may there a favour be found and perceived to be borne unto them by the Lord himself, even in that his displeasure: yea that vey kind of forsaking of God's children, is a token that they are not forsaken, because it is done by way of correction, and in meaning to reclaim them. When he so seemeth to go from us, he doth indeed but offer himself to come nearer unto us (though this be not so easily discerned); for so doth the Author to the Hebrews tell us, that God in chastening of us, doth offer himself unto Heb. 12. 7. us as unto sons. It is more fearful forsaking of God when the Lord seemeth to do nothing less than to forsake, and when he bringeth no trouble nor affliction for sin, but leaveth men to themselves, and to the fulfilling Psal. 81. 12. Rom. 1. 28. of the lusts of their own hearts to do what they he is never more angry, then when after that sort he seemeth to be pleased in doing nothing against them; for this is such a kind of dealing by the Lord; as if a Physician should give over a patiented when his case is desperate. And so on the other side, the Lord is never less angry, then when he seemeth to be so angry, as to have now left and forsaken us, that thereby he might the better humble us and break our hearts. For this he useth as the best medicine, the fittest remedic to cure us, and recover us out of that most dangerous lethargy of carnal security into which we were fallen; and therefore as sick patients are not glad of their sickness and disease, but being sick, are glad of the coming of the Physician, that bringeth them medicine and ministereth it to them, because now they hope they are in the way of being cured and recovered again; so God's children having fallen by their sinning, so far to displease God, as now he will give them no countenance till their hearts be broken for their sinning, and they brought to better humiliation; though there is no cause they should be pleased with their sinning; yet have they cause to rejoice in the Lord's faithfulness unto them, that when no other way could be found sufficient for the reclaiming of them out of their sin, and bringing them home again that were departed from him, then for himself to be a while estranged from them: he would choose rather to lose them for a time, that so being occasioned more earnestly to seek his face and his favour again, he might by means thereof make them more constantly to abide with him for ever after, rather than by continuing his wont favours towards them, see and suffer them to departed still further from him, till there should at the length a perfect breach grow to be made between them, and so a falling off for altogether CHAP. XXIIII. Of the third let of true joy, which is the Cross; and how their joy is augmented, through the much good that comes thereby. TOuching that other point of Gods drawing near unto us in laying the cross upon our shoulders and bringing troubles and afflictions upon us for our sins, when he doth visit our offences with the rod, and our sins with scourges; the like doubt may be made how God's children bearing the cross, should not be so pinched and gauled with the same, and being smitten and sorely strucken, yea deeply wounded with Gods own hand, should not so have all comfort and joy in God taken from them, as that possibly they should do any other thing during all that time, but lament and mourn; especially when the Lord himself findeth it to be a great fault in his people, and complaineth of it by his Prophet, that he hath smitten them and they have not sorrowed; and ler. 2. 30. and 5. 3. therefore saith, that in so smiting them he hath smitten them in vain. Doubtless it is a great fault in God's people, when being justly smitten for their sins by the hand of God, they turn not unto him that smiteth them, and do not Isa. 9 13. seek the Lord of hosts: when they being afflicted, do not mourn and weep, causing their laughter to be turned into jam. 4. 9 10. mourning, and their joy into heaviness, as james counseleth. Howbeit that God's servants may still keep their joy, and hold their rejoicing in the Lord, even during the time while themselves are in heaviness, through manifold afflictions that do befall them, the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 1. 6. 7. doth plainly show, who finding these to meet together in one and the same subject (though in divers respects) saith thus, writing to the dispersed people of God that were elect, that they greatly rejoiced that they were kept by the power of God unto salvation, though even at that time for a season they were in heaviness through manifold tribulations. Not much unlike to this, for this matter is that which the Author to the Hebrews saith concerning Heb. 12. 11. troubles, that no chastisement for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous; nevertheless aftherward they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness, to them which are exercised thereby: he saith, that the troubles and chastisements are not presently so grievous, but the fruit of righteousness which afterward will be reaped thereby, will be every way as pleasant, and as peaceable to them that so have endured them. There is cause then why a Christian, even during the time that he is under the chastisement, should rejoice in hope of the good fruit he shall reap of it; like as hope is said to be that which doth hold up in comfort the heart of the husbandman, who having been at much cost to prepare his ground, and commit seed thereunto, is yet cheered in hope, that when harvest shall come, the crop that he shall then reap will quit all the cost he hath formerly been at; but above others, that place is most pregnant and clear for this purpose, where the Apostle writing to the Romans, saith, that being justified by faith, we not only are at peace with God, but also rejoice even in tribulation, Rom. 5. 3. knowing how many ways tribulation bringeth benefit and profit unto us, as he there showeth the particulars. Indeed tribulations in themselves are troublesome, and do much trouble Gods children, being as needles in the flesh which make men restless; but if they were rightly considered of us, and the great benefit well valued that might be reaped by the same, we should not need to be so troubled with them as we are, but should find and perceive, that when they do befall us, they bring no hurt at all unto us, though a number (as if they were venom) are seen to fly from them: if things were rightly taken as they ought to be, we should soon see, that the hand of God, when it were so laid upon us, were not a destroying but a delivering hand; not put forth to thrust us from him, but a hand reached out to draw and pull us more nearer unto him; and that as God's judgements are just unto all, so unto us in particular: it is of very faithfulness that he Psal. 119. 75. causeth us to be troubled, who otherwise had been like to have perished in our sins, if troubles had not medicined us to pull us out of them again. If God will ever recover a people that have falsified their faith, and broken covenant with him, he must take that course which he told his Prophet he would take with the backsliding people of the jews; namely, cause them to pass Ezech. 20. 37. under the rod, and so bring them into the bond of the covenant again. The Lord by manifold afflictions useth to nurture and school his children: partly to prevent sins 1. Cor. 11. 32. Icr. 31. 18. to come, and partly to humble them for that which is past. The Lord is feign sometimes to put his children into the salt brine of afflictions and long troubles, thereby to season them, and to sweeten them, and to suck out from them the most stinking and rotten corruptions that do breed in them, that he may the better preserve them safe until his last coming. It is well observed by one, that the evils which men call evils, are helpers unto good men to do good withal, and furtherers of them in the exercise of virtue; As poverty serves well to bridle Basil. their lusts; baseness serves to humble their pride; sickness to meeken their stoutness, and all manner of encumbrances to drive them unto God. Sickness and disease doth many times prove to be wholesome medicine unto life, for the making of it to be led much better, when soundness of health doth contrarily prove often the greatest sickness to the soul, to make it much worse, and to bring it at the length to eternal death. Men use to gather acquaintance of other neighbours and familiars, by living long and conversing much together with them; but how long soever we have lived with ourselves, we hardly can gather any good acquaintance with ourselves, or come to know ourselves, till we have been taught it in the school of affliction: the rod of God is that which sendeth us home to the house, lodging, and privy chamber of our own heart: example in Manasseth, 2. Chron. 33. 12 who learned the way into his own heart out of the dark cold prison, lying in fetters and chains; which he could never learn sitting in his throne and glorious palace. So the prodigal son being at home in his father's house, having the company of civil men, knew not himself; but when all was spent, having the company of swine and beasts, he was led into himself, and began to know himself, and to know then that he was not at home Luk. 15. 15. 16. 17. when he was at home; but his troubles brought and made him to come to himself again (as the Scripture speaketh), and so to be in his right mind, for before he was one besides himself. Which things and the like being well considered, may justly cause us, not only to be comfortable and cheerful under our troubles, but much thankful for them, as being true tokens of Gods fatherly love (for if we should want them we were bastards and Heb. 12. 6. 8. not sons), and as needful promoters of our holiness and better sanctification; for God in chastening of us, aimeth at our profit, that he might make us partakers of his holiness, that we might be holy even as himself Heb. 12. 10. is. To conclude then this point also as touching troubles befalling a good Christian, which seem ever to bring with them causes enough to hinder their holy rejoicing, and not to descend to any more particulars, but to muster all troubles together (manifold, and after a sort infinite and innumerable though they be), and for an overplus of store for the making the heap the greater, to put and to join unto them all other things also that may happen and befall to a true Christian during his whole life time, I doubt not but a wise and understanding Christian may be borne out, if he in some one or other respect should find cause of some joy in every thing, and of his holy rejoicing in the Lord for his most gracious and most wise dispensation of all things that any way do concern him: My ground and warrant for so saying is in that remarkable place and speech of the Apostle in his writing to the Romans (which for the great light and comfort in this behalf that it doth give forth, shining gloriously unto us out of the firmament of the Scriptures, seemeth among other places of Scripture to be as the morning star shining out of the midst of a cloud, yea as the passing brightness of the Sun itself, that lighteneth all things when the full and perfect day is come; which to be but remembered by us, is as the sweet smell of perfume, and of the most aromatical spices which have power in them to comfort both heart and brain, and which to be spoken unto us is as the sweetness of honey in the mouths of all men) namely, we know (saith the Apostle there) that all things work together for good to them that Rom. 8. 28. love God. As if all things did conspire together in one to lend their common help to further this one and only work, to see and take heed together that nothing more or less be done by any thing, but that which may be for the most certain and undoubted good of a sound and true Christian, as if they were all sworn to be true unto him herein, and were in such perfect league and friendship with him, as could not be broken at any time: yea and as if every thing were so willing hereunto, as all might be seen priest so cheerfully, to bestow their labour and take pains about this thing, as it were not easy to be discerned which were found to be foremost or forwardest therein; all things diligently working together, one thing as well as another to work good to them that do truly love God, as if they had all their power and all their willingness bent only upon this, to do that man good, but had no power nor any manner of inclination at all to do him the least hurt in any respect at all: as the Apostle speaking how he stood affected to stand for the truth, 2. Cor. 13. 8. and for the maintenance thereof, said he could do nothing against the truth, but that all he could do was for the very truth alone. Let this be apprehended and believed by such a man, and then tell me if you can find in all the world throughout, a more joyful creature, a more happier or a merrier man, then is a true believing Christian, who standeth thus confident and comfortable in his persuasion, that blow where the wind blow will, it shall ever blow good to him. This may (to very good purpose in this behalf) be instanced in those things which were lastly mentioned and spoke of before, namely, the many troubles that may befall a good man during his life time (which are things that the most make no small doubt of, how possibly this can be true in them): let us therefore grant that changes and armies of sorrows may come upon such a man, as job complaineth job. 10. 17. they came upon him: and let them come as fast one in the neck of another, as did the messengers who came to bring job all the ill news of the sundry and many evils that were at once befallen unto him, one having no sooner job. 1. 16. ended the telling of such heavy news as he came to bring, but another at hand to tell one as bad after him; yea for haste beginning his tale while the other was yet a speaking: such a multitude of troubles coming so by heaps, and rushing all at once so suddenly upon a man, may for the present not a little astonish and amaze a right good and sound Christian, though otherwise never so well settled and known to be a most constant and a most resolute man, and may for the time as much disquiet and affright him; as one would be much troubled, yea in a manner wholly overwhelmed with dreadful fear, who traveling alone in the twilight, or in the darkness of the night over New-market heath, Gad's hill, or Salisbury plain, of in the most thievish and dangerous places, where the borderers were wont to make their greatest Inroads to rob and steal, and carry all away before them that possibly they could set hand upon, should there of the sudden be overtaken with a troup of horsemen, that having followed after him, should all at once come rushing in upon him; now in that case who would marvel if such a man were found to be much dismayed at that time, and to tremble and shake with fear in every joint of him: for he might well think (being thus fallen into their hands) at that time of the night, and in such thievish places too, besides the losing of all that he had about him, he were like never to die any other death: but if in the mean time, contrary to his expectation, and beyond all that he feared, these should be found and proved to be his good friends all, that intended no manner of hurt unto him, but come in a meaning to comfort him, and to do him all the good that they can, if his father or dearest friend he hath, having care for his welfare, and knowing the dangerousness of the way that he were gone, should of purpose have sent all this company in haste to ride post after him, that they might be a safe convoy unto him, till they might see him set past all danger, and safely gotten to the place whereunto he were traveling; and if by reason of their coming thus suddenly upon him, they finding him to be thus strucken with fear and trembling, should for the better staying of him, comforting and cheering of his heart again, all of them begin at once to tell him they meant him no manner of hurt, but were all his friends, who were come to do him what good they could, if one after another should begin to speak unto him after some such manner as this; I see you are much disquieted and dismayed by our hasty and unlooked for manner of coming unto you at this time, but stay yourself and fear you nothing, you shall receive no manner of harm by our coming, we are all sent from your loving father (who hath a special care of your welfare, and would that no evil might come unto you) to the end that we might be with you, bear you company, and see to you in this time of your need, that nothing might hurt you: and as for my part I protest and swear unto you by a solemn oath, that as I will do you no hurt, so will I do you all the good I can, to stand between you and all your harms, for therefore am I sent, and in token thereof, for your better satisfaction and security, lo here I do unarm myself, and deliver into your hands all my weapons, that so you shall not need to fear any thing. And while he were yet a speaking, another should begin, and say as much for himself, and the third likewise, and so all the rest, till every one had spoken unto him after the same fashion. All this being done, we may well think the case would be much altered from that it was with this man, and a great change would be found in him, now would he begin to revive and to be cheered again, that heart of his (which was so much overcome with inward heaviness, and skarred with fears and frights of the perils and dangers that were imminent before) being now made glad for itself, and all the fellow members beside, would even dance for joy of this happy change of things, and those cheerful spirits which before were retired into the heart, as into the chief centre of nature, and had been there locked up for a time with fear and affrightnes of that which was expected, would break forth and issue out all again upon this occasion, to give a cheerful welcome, and comfortable gratulation of that, wherein they could not but take singular contentment, and much pleasure and delight in; yea, so would this sudden and rare joy, occacasioned by this unlooked for and unexpected change, ravish his conceit, and astonish his heart, as all would be turned into nothing, but much wonder and admiration; then would he after a little recovering of himself out of that amazedness and astonishment, wherewith Nature itself before seemed to be benumbed, and after a sort dazzled, be ready to exult and leap for joy; even clap his hands for gladness, and sing for very joy of heart: then would he perceive what love his Father did bear him, and what care he had of him, wondering at such a kindness as herein should be showed unto him. His fear and trembling did not so much distract him before, as boldness and assurance would settle him in peace, and put courage and comfort into his heart now. He would see that his fear was causeless (he being now in better case than he was before); for as there was not an enemy near him to do him any harm, so they were all his undoubted friends that were about him, that were ready to stand him in the best stead they could, and to do him the best good they were able, and should see that he were in the midst of most sure and undoubted friends, whom before in his great fear, he doubted to have been most dangerous and The world a tedious wilderness: Gods servants walking therein, hardly find any place where to refresh their wearied members. Afflictions like gnats and flies importune them, that they can have no rest therein. deadly enemies unto him, that would have wrought his destruction. Much after this manner it is with God's poor servants, in the sore travel of this life which they do endure, and wearisome pilgrimage they are to pass over through this most uncomfortable, and vast roaring wilderness of this troublesome world, which needs must be gone through, before ever they can be brought to that heavenly Canaan that is above; innumerable are the dangers which they lie open unto, and the hazards are more than can be showed that they may light upon. If any desire to have some particulars named, especially by one that hath had the trial of them in himself, there is none can bring in a better reckoning from his own experience, nor speak more fully of this thing, than that most blessed Apostle Paul himself hath already done, in that rehearsal he hath made, writing to the Corinthians of the sundry and manifold afflictions and tribulations, that had befallen him after his conversion; who comparing himself with the other false Apostles, saith, that he was in labours more abundant, 2. Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. in stripes above measure, in prison more plenteously, in death often; of the jews siue times he received forty stripes save one, he was thrice beaten with rods, he was stoned, he suffered thrice shipwreck, night and day he was in the deep sea: in journeying he was often in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own Nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the City, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren: in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in cold and nakedness, besides other daily encumbrances which he there doth speak on. These and the like things thus incident to God's best servants, makes them in their passage through this Psal. 84. 6. Psal. 23. 4. world, to go as through a valley of tears; and brings them sometimes to walk, as in the valley of the shadow of death, where nothing can be looked for but utter miscarrying; so great are the distresses of God's children in this life, their troubles so many, and those so dangerous too sometimes, as they are even brought with the Apostle, 2. Cor. 1. 8. 9 to receive in themselves the very sentence of death, as thinking they shall never be able to shift with them, nor escape with life; but cry out with the Psalmist, This will be Psal. 77. 10. my undoing, or my death. The endless pursuit of David by Saul, who hunted him as a Partridge in the mountain, and persecuted him as a Flea; made David at the length to grow heartless, to faint, and to quail so much, as he was near giving over his hope, and to say (in his great weakness, and much fear and doubt that he was in), One day or other. I shall surely fall into his hands. Yea, God's servants▪ are sometimes so beset, so environed and compassed about with innumerable troubles, and most dangerous on every side, as they are brought to the like pass as David was brought unto, when he cried out, that his heart was pained Psal. 55. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. within him, and the terrors of death were fallen upon him, fearfulness and trembling do then come upon them, and a horrible fear doth overwhelm them; then are they ready to cry out and say with him, Oh that I had wings like a Dove! then would I flee away, and be at rest; behold, I would take my flight far off, and lodge in the wilderness, I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. So near are they sometimes brought to the very jaws of death, that after a sort it even breatheth upon them, and they in as great straits, and brought to as soar exigents, and as narrow pinches, as were the poor Israelites; who departing out of Egypt to find better liberty in another land, unto which God promised to bring them, before ever they could get themselves clearly gone, and rid away out of the Egyptian Country, had such a farewell given them, when they were even upon the point of parting out of that land, as brought then greater distress, and more fear upon them, than ever they were in before; and caused them to have less hope of their lives, than when they were in Egypt under the soarest bondage, and pressed with the heaviest burdens, which Pharaoh with all his cruelty had willed to be imposed upon them: For marching as with a double pace from Etham, towards the valley of Pihahiroth, they were forced to sit down (as not seeing how they could go any further) between two ledges of Mountains adjoining to the red sea; and so being come to the brink and wash of the sea, the Egyptians getting sight of them, and they of the Egyptians, then was the time of jacobs' trouble, and the greatest pinch jer. 30. 7. of their hardest trouble; for the sea was now before them, the Mountains on either side of them, and their fierce and furious enemies at their backs pursuing of them, so as there was no hope left of ever escaping: for though they did all they could to flee before the Egyptians, yet death seemed to come running after them in Pharaohs chariots: this made them to murmur against Moses, and to cry out for fear, because of the present danger. According as it is usual with God's servants, when they are in soar Psal. 40. 11. 12. affliction, and in heavy distress, then do their hearts begin to faint within them, and their hope to quail; hobeit if they would but hold their peace a while, and labour to throw out that fear that hath such painfulness in it, 1. john 4. 18. possessing their souls with patience: if they would but stand still (as Moses willed the Israelites to do), and behold Exod. 14. 13. 14 the salvation of the Lord, waiting for the happy issue that the Lord would make for them out of all their greatest distress, than should they well perceive and find, that the Lord would be seen of them, as he was of Abraham Gen. 22. 14. in the mount, though not in the way to it, yet in the very mount when it is come to the extremity, and to a pinch indeed: then will he show himself a help at hand ready to be found, and make a sweet and comfortable deliverance for his servants so hardly bestead: yea, they should not only perceive, and see the strange and marvelous manner of the Lords working (who in doing of another work, knoweth how to bring his own work to be perfected), and not alone come to find their deliverances happily wrought out by him, to be so famous and so notable, as they will deserve to be acknowledged by a most triumphant song in the end, as was that of Israel's Exod. 15. 1. carrying through the red sea: but experience would also show them, that their greatest fears would make up their chiefest comforts, and the most dreadful dangers they were brought unto, become means of their safest security, and best assurance at the last: witness both the horrible fear that came upon the people of Israel, which was like to overwhelm them, when they were at the brink of the red sea, their enemies being at their hells in their hot pursuit after them, and the joy and gladness, yea, triumphant joy wherewith they were cheered and comforted, yea, made to exult with rejoicing, when once they saw all dangers to be escaped, and themselves (not one of them being missing among them), brought all safe to the shore, and on the other side; then did they sing for joy of heart, yea, triumphantly rejoice and sing with timbrels and dances, and at the length they found, that those things Exod. 15. 20. which before bred, & brought greatest fear upon them, served now but to make them far more secure, then either they ever were, or in any likelihood ever could have been, if this had not happened, which now was done. True it is, that when their merciless enemies the Egyptians (who had so tyrannously oppressed them in the house of bondage) were now come with bloody minds, to make a full end of their tyranny, and to perfect their cruelty upon them, in their utter and last destruction, and were now come within sight of the Israelites, it is not otherwise to be thought, but the nearer they perceived them to be unto them, the greater was their fear of them: but see how all this was ordered by the Lord to make them far more secure. The purpose of the Lord doubtless was with his own hand, to do execution upon the enemies of his people, and to take full vengeance upon the Egyptians, upon Pharaoh and all his host, in destroying them at once for the cursed cruelly, they had exercised towards the Israelites. Now if Pharaoh had not followed them at all, but had let them departed quietly out of his Country for the present, yet might they have afterward been in some doubt and fear, lest for the old grudge he bore them, he might have joined with other their enemies, and at some other time have again set upon them; or if the Lord (minding to destroy Pharaoh and his army), should have done it at some other time, or in some other place where Israel should not have seen it, but only heard the idings and the news thereof, the very report might have much cheered and gladded their hearts indeed, but yet their minds would not so abundantly have been every way satisfied and secured, as when they should see all this done in their very presence, they standing by, and beholding the same. The greatness therefore of their fear by the near approaching of their enemies, who were now at their heels, made but for their greater quiet, safer security, and fuller satisfaction, that those enemies who had troubled them so long, should henceforth never trouble them any more; execution being done upon them while they did look on. Israel seeing with their own eyes the Egyptians dead upon the sea bank, Exod. 14. 28. 30 not one remaining. Beside, the waters which were so deep and unfoordable for any army to pass through, and the swelling and mountainous billows of the sea, which (as the Psalmist saith) are mighty, and do rage horribly, might add to their fear, and make their hearts more to fail and to faint within them: for what could they otherwise expect then (if they should venture that way) to be quite swallowed of the deep: but that which they feared would have been for their destruction, they found by God's providence so ordered for their good, as it became unto them a sure and safe protection: for the slouds stood still as an heap, the depths congealed together in the heart of the sea, and stood about God's people as walls of defence for them on their right hand, and on their left; so as all things here wrought now together for their good, even that which they most feared would have hurt them, did now best of all help them: the raging sealaying down her proud waves, and making way for the entertaining of them, became now as a sanctuary unto them, and as a City of refuge for them, that flying unto it, they might be preserved from the hand of the revenger, that so hotly did pursue and follow after them; their sorrows brought them solace; their deepest dangers gave them best safety, and most sure defence, they being in the depth and bottom of the sea, were walled about as with strong bulwarks, and kept safe as in a Castle, that no power of the enemy could prevail against them; yea their very enemies themselves, who so fast followed after them, did (though against their will) serve to help them forward in their way, and to further them on to make more speed, that the sooner they might be set out of all danger, and brought where they should need to fear them no more. Never could any be more distressed nor put to a greater plunge, than were these poor Israelites at this time: but though all was fearful to them for a season, yet nothing (we see) proved hurtful unto them in the end: the troubles which now came upon them, were not sent nor appointed of God to trouble them further, but to put an end to the troubles they had endured before, and to bring them rest from the hands of their hateful enemies, that otherwise would never have rested from their despiteful vexations, their deepest dangers became their best defenders; the waters standing about them, as walls and Castles do about Cities defenced, which no enemy can possibly scale or ever break down. If therefore when the case of God's children is as was the state of the Israelites now, as it was with David, Psal. 18. 4. 5. when he complained that the sorrows of death had compassed him, and the floods of wickedness did make him most Psal. 116. 3. afraid: when the snares of death did overtake him, and the griefs of the grave did so catch hold upon him, as he could find nothing but trouble and sorrow: If in the multitude of these troubles so rushing upon them at once, they would but pauze and take breath a while; and as Moses willed Isa. 63. 1. the Israelites, stand still and not fear, but see and look for the salvation of the Lord (who having promised to deliver his servants, speaketh in righteousness, and is mighty to save), they should find the issue would be with them as was both with the Israelites then, and with David afterward; who acknowledged thus unto the Lord, that when I said my foot slideth, thy mercy, O Lord, stayed me up; in the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts have rejoiced my soul. Yea, if their troubles themselves had but Psal. 94. 18. 1 language to talk with them▪ and tongues put into their heads to declare to them in words, what by proof shall be found at the last they will do to them in deeds; in stead of dismaying them, they would abundantly satisfy and content them, ease and quiet their minds; yea much cheer, rejoice, and make glad their heavy hearts with letting them know what a benefit they should receive by their coming unto them, and how much good they all would do unto them, before they would ever leave them, or part from them any more: for though the troubles were never so many, yet all of them would begin one after another, to speak comfortably unto them, letting them know they are come as friends to help them, and not as enemies whom they need to be afraid of, for any manner of way harming or hurting of them. Troubles indeed in their vizards, are fearful to God's children, and terrible to look upon, but in their true faces when those vizards are pulled off, and the true end and plain meaning of their coming is once discovered and made known according to God's gracious purpose in sending them to his best belovest children, then do they appear amiable, and are found lovely to look upon, then will they be thought worthy the welcoming of them, and of finding a cheerful and friendly kind of entertainment to be given unto them: for so witnesseth the Apostle james, who plainly affirmeth there is cause why Christians should account it all joy when they fall into jam. 1. 2. divers temptations; for than they are happened among their friends, and fallen into the company and hands of such as are their well-willers, that will all of them work together (each one doing his part) to do them good. When they see many troubles to be before them, if they had eyes opened to see them unmasked, and were able rightly and wisely to judge and discern of them for the present (according to that which they will show and prove themselves to be unto them in the end after due trial be once taken and made thereof) they would be as much comforted in the beholding of them, and seeing them nearly to approach unto them as was jacob who flying from his unkind and churlish father in lay Laban, standing also in no less fear in meeting of his most cruel and currish brother Esau, that threatened his death, when in the midst of all these dangers the Angels of God met him in the way for his comfort, whom when he saw he said of them, that they were God's host which God had sent unto him, calling the name of that place Mahanaim, Gen. 32. 1. 2. that is, two hosts: even two that were now joined together, his own, and that camperoyall from heaven, for the better safe guarding of him. For so are these God's messengers, that go forth at his bidding, and they go to no other but to whom he doth send them; neither do they otherwise demean themselves where they become, then according as they have direction given unto them, and their appointment from him. They are sometimes sent out against God's enemies, and othewhiles (when need doth so require) they are most employed about his friends, and about his dear children whom he loveth best: but as the persons are much differing to whom now and then they are thus sent; so is not the end of their sending to either of them the same, neither the manner of their working found to be alike with them, after they be once come, but as clean contrary, a carrying of the matter in their dealings with the one and the other, as was appointed by the Lord to be used by the six men whom Ezechiel saw in a vision to be sent out into the City, to Ezech. 9 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. kill and slay the sinners that were in jerusalem, every man having a slaughter-weapon in his hand. Among whom order was first taken for the preserving of the faithful, that they might be marked out to be known from the rest, charge being given that none of them should come near any man upon whom the mark might be seen; but as for all the other, their commission was large to go through the City and slay utterly to destruction, the old and the young, not letting their eye spare nor have any pity, but to fill the courts of God's house with their slain. When troubles come upon the wicked, when afflictions, calamities, and woeful distresses are sent out to take hold upon ungodly persons, who go on with a high hand to provoke God by their sins, th' en are they mustered as the host of God, and as his levied soldiers and strong warriors that are sent forth to fight God's battles, and to be revenged of his enemies; then have they slaughter-weapons put into their hands, and their commission is made large to kill and slay freely, without sparing any, or showing any pity. But when they are sent to the godly (as they are sent to The sea is found oftener without wind and tempest, than the lives of God's servants without troubles and affliciions. none more, and scarce to any so often, in so much as for any to be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, were to carry the brand of a bastard, and of one that were not the Son of God), then have they their slaughter-weapons taken from them. Then must all troubles unarm themselves, and lay down their venomed Heb. 12. 8. weapons with which they are found so much to hurt others: for Christ upon the Cross unarmed them to his, the venom of all crosses and troubles being taken out of them by his sufferings upon the Cross. And being thus sent out, they are not sent forth without their limitation, what to do, how far to go, when to stay, and where they must go no further, and meddle no more. The devil was not more limited nor prescribed by the Lord how far to go, and where to stay in his dealing against job 2. 6. job, to see that his life might no way be touched, than these are restrained from doing the least harm to such as love God: nay contrarily, their whole employment for which they are sent forth, and about which they are set a work, is, that they do neither more nor less save that which may be good unto such; and that they do all work together to work them good in the end: whilst God's servants being through their troubles, judged of the Lord, and so bettered by them, might (like those that were marked in jerusalem, to the end they should be spared, when others were to be destroyed), by their chastisements in like manner be marked of the Lord as those whom Heb. 12. 6. he loveth, and whom of very faithfulness, he causeth to be troubled, to the end (as the Apostle showeth) they might Psal. 119. 75. 1. Cor. 11. 32. not be condemned with the world. Never was David more careful for the saving of the life, nor for the good usage of his unnatural and rebellious son Absalon, when he sent forth his Captains with the host and army of the people, to fight his battles against those rebels, in giving them charge to deal gently for his sake with the young 2. Sam. 18. 15. man, even with his son Absalon: then the Lord is found careful of the safety of all that do belong to him, to give charge to the whole host and armies of sorrows when they are sent out and do go forth into the world (though there were hundreds and thousands of them, that whatsoever they do to others, yet they ever take heed they use well God's servants: neither is this charge at any time neglected, nor any found that ever durst (with joab) be so bold as adventure to transgress Gods gracious commandment and appointment herein. How excellent then, how blessed and how happy is the state of all God's servants, that living in the world, are yet such privileged men, as no manner of evil (how greatly soever it may prevail against others) can yet ever hurt them; but that which is others bane, be cometh a blessing unto them; and the sorest judgements that are found to be heavy plagues where they light upon others, are become so altered unto them, they bearing the same, that (as if their nature were wholly changed) they then (of judgements) are made mercies unto them. A skilful and learned Chemist, can by his art marvelously change the nature of things; and by separation of visible elements, draw helpful medicines out of hurtful and rank poisons; but all the changes that they can make, come not near to this change; and the greatest excellency of their skill in working things, otherwise strange in nature, is infinitely beneath, and cometh short of the glorious workmanship which is showed forth to be done and wrought by the Lord (who is said to be he that worketh wonders alone) in that work of grace whereby men are so altered and changed by him, as they are made new creatures, and all things are made new (after a sort) unto 2. Cor. 5. 17. them. There is a conceit of the Philosopher's stone, that it should have such a virtue in it, as to turn into gold that which it should touch: it were doubtless a most precious stone, if this could ever be found to be so done indeed. But so wonderful and strange is the alteration and change that is made in God's children, when they are once made new creatures by him, so are they then become precious, and made of such metal, when as (their nature being changed) they are now made partakers of the divine 2. Pet. 1. 4. nature of God, as that whatsoever then toucheth them and cometh at them, though it were evil before, doth then become good unto them. Troubles may come upon God's children, afflictions may befall them, and the like outward calamities as are seen to happen unto other men; but yet in a far differing manner, they are altered and ordered, they are blessed and sanctified, and otherways made good unto them, than they are found to be unto any other sort of men: for there is nothing that ever befalleth to God's children, which cometh not in mercy, and through mercy unto them: the reason of it is, because God's mercies do compass them about on every Psal. 32. 10. side. Now we know that when a place is surrounded with a strong wall on every part, or compassed about with a moat on every side, there is nothing can come at that place, but of necessity it must come by, and through that which compasseth it. Every child of God is as a man standing in a centre, having a circumference of mercy circling him about on every side, so as nothing can come to the true child of God, but from, or through mercy; and that in such manner, as it shall relish and taste of mercy, and become mercy unto him, before ever it come at him. Yea, so are all the ways of God mercy and truth, to all Psal. 25. 10. such as fear him, as he never setteth foot, nor treadeth step out of this path, he never doth any thing but in all mercy to his children; not only then when he ladeth Psal. 68 19 them with his benefits, and rich blessings bestowed upon them, but as well when he doth humble them under the hardest pressures, and weight of the heaviest judgements that he layeth upon them, because it is in all love and faithfulness that he causeth them so to be troubled. Whence it is, that when God's mercy in a favour and blessing bestowed, being once abused, and his grace being turned into wantonness, would become a plague and judgement, if it should so be contained; then is it Gods greater mercy to take that mercy, that favour and blessing away, and to bring on some judgement for the remedying of that abuse; and in that case mercy being so removed, judgement itself is made mercy unto such. Why it should be thus, the reason is, for that God hath made his children to be Rom. 9 22. 23. vessels of his mercy, as others are made vessels of his wrath. Now we know, none (but those that overseen in that they do) will put contrary liquors into contrary vessels; as poison, where they should put their potion; or new and sweet wine, into musty and old vessels; as neither will they put sour vinegar into their bottles of Rose of solace: but the Lord is never thus overseen, to power in wrath into those chosen and elect vessels of his, which he hath set apart for to be only vessels of mercy; neither on the other side, to lavish out his saving mercies upon castaway reprobates, that are vessels appointed to be filled with nothing but wrath and vengeance. If then there is nothing ever done to God's servants, which is not done in much mercy at all times; if judgement itself is made mercy unto them; if whatsoever toucheth them, is turned into a blessing unto them; if when they are in trouble, God doth it in all faithfulness, causing them to be so troubled, to the end their troubles might do them good; if when they are judged, they are chastened of the Lord, to the end they might not be condemned with the world: what should let, but that as they are at peace with God by being justified by faith; so they should rejoice even in their tribulations also? Yea (as Saint james willeth) count it all joy when they fall (not into some few, but) into great variety and multitudes of them? Which if any shall be so far from doing, as they shall rather despise the chastening of the Lord, contrary to the counsel given Heb. 12. 5. by the holy Ghost, they shall but (as the Prophet jonah speaketh) forsake their own mercy. jonah 2. 8. CHAP. XXV. The difference of joy in the last dimension, or the longitude thereof; and how the joy of sound believers is permanent, and inducing the joy of hypocrites transitory and feigned. THe fourth and last dimension, wherein the joy of true believers, and of such as are but hollow and unsound in the faith, may appear far to differ between themselves, is in respect of the longitude and length of time, for the continuance and enduring thereof. The one is transitory and fading: which (according to the unsoundness of them that have it) will not last long, but is momentany, and of short abiding like a morning cloud, and as the early dew, which when the Sun ariseth, Hos. 13. 3. passeth soon away; the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment (as speaketh Zophar job 20. 5. the Naamathite) but the other is lasting comfort and termelesse joy, which will endure as long as the days of heaven, and is so firmly fixed and deeply rooted in the heart of him that is sound in the faith, as it is found able to endure the skorchingst heat, and most fervent Sunshine of the hottest persecution, without any withering. The joy of hypocrites, the cheering and lightning joy of hypocrites ●ut short. of their hearts, are but as the flashes of lightning in a dark night; which though they may bring some light for a time, yet the darkness is doubled afterward; the candle Prou. 13. 8. Amos 8. 9 of the wicked (saith Solomon) shall soon be put out; yea, their Sun goeth down over them, even at noon, and the Lord will darken their earth in the clear day: their joy is but as their hope is, which is as soon blown away, as is the flower of a dried thistle. There are none that seem to have greater forwardness, greater delight and joy in good things for a time, then have temporary believers. Mark 4. 16. 17 Our Saviour Christ compareth them to the seed that is sown in sto●ie ground, which useth to come up hast●ly, as soon and sooner than other, and to show as green and goodly for a time, but yet wanting depth of earth, never cometh to perfection, but is quickly withered, and soon cometh to nothing again: their delight and joy in the best things is not constant, they may delight and joy in one Sermon, and loath the next they hear again; they may with Herod, reverence john Baptist, to day hear gladly Mat. 6. 20. his preaching, and feel some joy at the Sermon, and yet to morrow do as bad as he did, who added that to all his other evils, that he put john into prison, out of which there Luke 3. 20. was no bailing of him, till he had paid his head for a ransom. Yea, their joy is so deceitful, so false and durelesse as it will not last long in any thing, they may be as pleasant and jocund for a time, as was Agag, when he said, the fear of death was gone, and then in a moment and turn of the hand, feel nothing but the bitterness of death and unavoideable sorrows upon them, and then their hearts like Nabals will soon die away in them, and become as heavy as a stone. The light of their joy is soon put out in darkness, and all the shining thereof overcast of the sudden with some sad remembrance, or but the job 18. 5. 6. hearsay of a danger, the light of the wicked shall be quenched, and the spark of their fire shall not shine; their joy being but as the shining of some great light, when it is ready to go out, which may shine with a great (though not with a long) blaze, and then all of the sudden ere one be aware, it is quite extinguished, and seen to go out again; and then as the candle stinketh more, being put out, then if it had never been lighted before; so they that have once loved the truth, and had joy therein, if they leave so to do, or loathe it afterward; if they wilfully reject 2. Pet. 2. 21. it, and turn● away again from the holy commandment, they are then 〈◊〉 to greater judgement, and become more odious both to God and man, then if they had never known and embraced the same. Who was hotter in 2. King 10. 16. zeal than john for a time? what delight and contentment took he in that he did? how was he conceited for it, and prided himself therein, in so much as he called in others to come and see, and behold what zeal he had for the Lord? and yet he was but an hypocrite, this was not sound, neither lasted it in him. judas seemed to begin well, and made a show of leaving all, as well as did the rest, to follow Christ: but he was a foul hypocrite, he held not out as he seemed to begin; woeful was his end, he being one of the twelve, to whom power was given against unclean spirits, to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases, being Mat. 10. 8. sent forth as well as the rest to use this power; it is like he had great joy as well as the rest, in seeing such things to be effected by him (according as it is said, that the Disciples whom Christ sent forth, returned again with great joy, because the devils were subject▪ unto them): but this joy Luke 10. 17. did not last long in judas, but was changed into a most desperate sorrow, woeful and fearful was his end. Alexander the Coppersmith was thought a while to have joined with Paul and (as some think) to have suffered in his Acts 19 33. case, & to have been near unto martyrdom: but he soon fell from the faith, and lost all the love, the joy and delight that he had in the truth, making shipwreck of all, so as the Apostle 1. Tim. 1. 19 20. delivered him up unto Satan, and doubted not directly to pray against him. Saul while things went to his mind, was content for a time to advance God's religion, he was turned Prophet on the sudden, the people with much wondering saying one to another, is Saul also among the 2. Sam. 10. 11. 1. Sam. 11. 15. Prophets? he served God with the people, offering peace offerings, and had great joy in so doing, he was so hot upon God's service, as he was impatient of tarrying till Samuel might come to offer the sacrifice, and therefore fell to offer 1. Sam. 13. 10. 12. it himself; for he thought the time long (as himself said) till he had made his supplication to the Lord: but he was a foul hypocrite, his joy and his zeal they continued not, his end was fearful. Flitting spirits be never good, and this warbling and quavering music of joy that is thus but by fits, brings never such steady comfort, as may be reckoned upon, will stay long with a man. If men seem never so to joy in good things, to affect godliness for a time, if they be not constant, they may go to hell for their pains in the end. Great joy if it be but only for a time, Apoc. 2. 4. & 3. 1. good motions and fits of zeal that will not last long, are not so much to be rejoiced in while they are had, as the loss of them is to be lamented when they are so lost, as they can no more be found nor perceived to be in them that had them. If there be a terrible sight in any thing to be seen, it is in this, that a man was good, but now he is become nought: he had delight and comfort in well-doing, but now he hath none: he had zeal and forwardness, but now he is lukewarm; he was alive and quick to good works, but now he is dull and dead-hearted, and that way become as lumpish and heavy as a stone: he seemed to hear the Word with much gladness, and to have had great joy for a season; but now there is no such thing to be found remaining with him, but all is vanished and quite gone, all is withered away and brought to nothing; that being found verified upon him which our Saviour hath threatened, that as to him that hath shall still be given to Matth. 25. 29. have more, so from him that hath not, shall be taken away, even that which both to himself and to others he seemed otherwise to have had before. On the other side, true believers have joy and peace in Rom. 15. 13. believing, their joy is sound and lasting: and as their faith is True joy is lasting. sure which never will fail them, so are their comforts and joys steadfast, , and unconquerable, such as are able to cheer up a man's heart in greatest distresses, and make him strong to endure by a firm and most settled resolution, against all manner of opposition, and whatsoever thing may happen; yea, so lively and effectual is the sense and feeling of their joy, as it is able to carry their hearts after a sort out of their bodies, and to lift them up, even to the very heavens. Their joy is permanent and enduring, & their comforts are like a spring of water, whose waters fail Isai. 58. 11. not, for rivers of waters of life flow out of their bellies, so as john 7. 38. they never can be wholly dry again; the joy of the Lord, which (as Ezra told the people) was their strength, is said to Nehem. 8. 10. be everlasting joy; the Lord promising his people, that everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they are promised Isai. 35. 10. Psal. 112. 4. Isai. 42. 16. to have joy and gladness, and sorrow, and mourning shall 〈◊〉 away; Unto the righteous doth light arise in darkness, but such light as is not like to flashes of lightning in a dark night, which tarrieth but a moment, and then doubleth the darkness when it is out again but their l●ght is as the break forth of the light of the morning, or as the light Isai. 58. 8. of the Sun when it breaketh out of a cloud, and shineth forth in his greatest strength, whereby all darkness is dispelled, and driven quite away. And if comparison be made, the light of the Moon to them, is far above that, which the light of the Sun is to others, and the light of their Sun is found to be Isai. 30. 26. sevenfold, and like the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord doth bind up the breach of his people, & heal the stroke of their wound (as saith the Prophet). The joy that these have, and light of comfort arising to them, is not like to the light of those whom Jude calleth wandering stars, to Jude 13. whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, for the Lord is the creator of their joy, and he giveth to them the light of their comfort, so as their sun shall never go down, neither shall their Moon be hidden from them, for the Lord will be their everlasting light, and their God, Isai. 60. 19 20. their glory. The Lord dealeth with them as he dealt with his people in old time, when he brought them out of Egypt, and went before them in a pillar of a cloud by day to lead them the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to be guide Exod. 13. 21. 22. unto them of that unknown journey, that they might go both by day and by night, neither taking away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before his people. Christ who did this for his people then, doth no less for his Church at this day, and is no less present with his faithful ones now, than he was with those Fathers then at that time. And therefore Isaiah prophesying of the times of Christ, among other blessings reckoned, remembreth this, that God will create upon Isai. 4. 5. 6. Psal. 105. 39 It is said he spread out the cloud for a covering to his people, as though he had held a canopy over their head. Thus doth God to this day spread over the wings of his gracious and mighty protection over all his faithful, that they may rest safe under the shadow of the almighty. On the other side, whom Bee leaveth of them, it is said, their shadow is departed from them. Numb. 14. 9 joy eclipsed. 1. Pet 1. 8. Isai. 61. 7. every place of mount Zion and the assemblies thereof a cloud, that it may be a covering and shadow in the day from the heat, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, that upon all the glory (that is, upon the Church and company of the faithful who are so called) may be a defence, and that by day and by night they might have comfort, which comforts shall no more be taken away from his servants. Now then was this shadow of the cloud by day, or the shining of the pillar of fire by night, taken from the Israelites after they were gone out of Egypt? True it is, the joy of God's servants sometimes, may through their own default be eclipsed from them, as we perceive to be sometimes to be the very light of the Sun, but howsoever the Sun may be eclipsed for a time, yet we see that it is soon recovered again: so it is with the joy of God's servants; howsoever for a time it may be interrupted, and they may seem to be in heaviness for a season (need so requiring) yet never can it wholly be lost from them, nor finally fail them for altogether, but so is it found in the end to be restored again with advantage unto them, as that for their single sorrows, they have double joys given them; yea such joys as Peter calleth joys unspeakable and glorious, at what time they shall see cause to rejoice in their portion. They may by their sinning against the Lord, and by the provoking of his anger against them, have the feeling of this joy kept from them for a long time, and their desired comforts so long withholden, as may make their hearts to fear and to faint within them: but as the Prophet Habakuk counseleth and Hab. 2. 3. giveth direction, though it tarry a little, yet let them wait and hope undoubtedly to find it again, for certainly in the end it will come and it will not stay long; and then the desire once so accomplished, will much more delight their Prou. 13. 12. 19 soul, and though they have tarried for it long, yet that will be verified upon them at the last, that the patiented abiding Prou. 10. 28. of the righteous will prove gladness in the end. Though then the joy of the faithful may not be felt for a time, yet is there no fear but it will be found again afterward, for their joy is such joy as is everlasting, in respect of the grounds thereof, and which being given them by Christ, according to the promise he hath made, none shall for ever be joh. 16. 22. able to take it from them any more. The sunshine of God's favour may for a while be hidden out of their sight, but then as the Lord himself hath promised, that though for a moment in his anger he hides his face, yet with everlasting Isai. 54. 7. 8. mercy he will have compassion on them again, and turn their shadow of death into a most bright and cheerful morning. Amos 5. 8. The joy of a temporary believer, how great soever it may seem to be for a season, yet (as the seed sown in stony ground) it cannot be kept from withering in the scorching heat of hot persecution, because it wanteth depth of earth and good ground to root it on, as not being Mak. 4. 17. grounded either upon any stable assurance of God's undoubted Temporary joy withers. love and rich mercy unto him, or upon any good steadfastness of his own love to God back again in thankfulness for the same: as who for that love of God wherewith he seethe God to have first loved him in Christ jesus, should be made so far to forget himself and to prize God's glory, as for God's cause to be found willing to carry his own life in his hand, and to hazard the exposing of himself to any danger that may happen; but rather raised and being grounded upon some worldly, some self and by-respects, which failing, and not falling out according to his own reckoning and expectation, then is his joy also gone, and he as much altered, as if he had never been the man. The joy of an hypocrite vanisheth quite away and cometh to nothing in time of tribulation. How triumphing soever he was found to be before in his great rejoicing, yet when persecution and fiery trial doth come, he groweth then to be most heartless and crest fallen of the sudden, whosoever dare show himself in presence: then he will be sure to play least in sight at that time. And no marvel though an hypocrite be but a coward, for what hath he to trust unto that might make him bold, in whom nothing is sound and right as it should be, who hath nothing but shows in stead of substance? And who will marvel if such a one being false to God, though (his heart deceiving him) he prove false to himself also? and if wanting such faith as is only able to give him the victory, he be overcome of fear that causeth him dastardly to fly the field, and turning his back upon his enemies, to run the country. Such kind of persons (whose faith doth so fail them, and whose hope is unsound) in the time of trouble and adversity, are like a man that is in the wild sea in time of a storm, without anchor or cable, without mast or sail, or any tackling to make shift with and help himself by, who having no means left unto him to use for his succour and relief in time of such distress, as one despoiled of all things but the expectation of death only, what else can he look for but to perish in that storm, without all hope of any possible escaping? These kind of persons as they are left faithless, so are they made hopeless, when they see their case to be thus helpless, and therefore ruin and utter confusion must needs be their last end. But the joy of a true believer, as it hath better rooting True joy lasteth. and is grounded upon a better foundation, whence it springeth up and taketh the beginning, so is it of a more firm and fast abiding, standing unmoved, what time the other is not only shaken and wholly cast down: and then flourishing and seen still to grow green, when the Vinesoit vulnere virtus. other (not being able to abide the heat of persecution) becometh so sulged and blasted, and so withered away, as it wholly fadeth, and in the end is quite brought to nothing. The joy of a true believer ariseth and groweth out of faith which is unfeigned, whereof Christ is the author and the finisher, and the holy Ghost is the worker and the framer of this blessed work, planting faith in the good ground of an honest heart, and causing this joy to spring out of that flourishing plant, as the most sweet and pleasant fruit thereof: for it is called the joy 1. Thes. 1. 6. Gal. 5. 22. of the holy Ghost, and it is numbered among the fruits of the spirit. Faith is the sure ground of this joy from whence it springeth, while by faith we are persuaded of the love and favour of God towards us, in and through Christ jesus, into whom we being grafted and planted by our believing, do come so to find ourselves to have a most happy and joyful being in him; which causeth us, not only to have some joy and rejoicing, but our joy is made joh. 15. 11. full in him, for there is no want in Christ, but enough to be found for the making of our joy full every way: for the fullness of the Godhead and of all goodness, is and dwelleth Coloss. 1. 19 joh. 1. 16. in him, that of his fullness we may receive, even this fullness of joy and of spiritual and heavenly consolation, which he joh. 16. 24. himself willeth us to seek by prayer for to obtain. And so is the heart of the believer filled with this joy of the holy Ghost by Christ jesus our Saviour, as it is more than the world (or all the enemies he hath beside) can do, to pluck that joy from him which Christ hath once given joh. 16. 22. him, or so to rifle and rob him of it again, as it can ever truly be said, he is now wholly empty who before was full, (according to that which Naomi spoke in the grief Ruth. 1. 21. of her heart as touching the change of her estate) and he is now despoiled of all joy, and hath all cause of rejoicing wholly taken from him, that before was so abundantly filled and replenished with the same. For light being sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart, Psal. 97. 11. as being the pleasant fruit and rich crop which they are to reap of their sowing to the spirit; that fruit is not like to the summer fruit which will not last, that soon must be spent, but it is lasting fruit that will endure, not alone all the year, but all their life time for them to live upon, and to cheer their hearts so long as they have a day to live upon earth. And therefore doth the spirit of God call upon the righteous to be glad, and all such to rejoice Psal. 32. 11. Phil. 4. 4. Psal. 5. 11. and be joyful as be upright in heart: they are willed to rejoice in the Lord always, and again to rejoice, yea to rejoice and triumph for evermore. Now if all joy could be so wholly extinct at any time, as not only all power should be wholly taken away of bringing it into act for the present, but in like manner all such ground and causes of it removed, that otherwise might as warrantably and sufficiently cause it to be, (though now it is not for the present act in being) as doth the true cause bring forth the natural and proper effect: how could this possibly be done which the spirit of God in these and many the like places of Scripture, doth will and warrant the righteous to do? The reason why true joy in Christ being once given to the faithful, can never be afterwards taken from them again, is, because God's gifts of grace to his children are without all repentance: Rom. 11. 29. the mercies of God which he giveth to them, are called the sure and the everlasting mercies of David, God having promised to David, that he would not take away his mercies 2. Sam. 7. 15. Psal. 89. 28. 33. 35. from him and his, as he took them away from Saul that was before him. And this is no more than that which in express words our Saviour Christ did promise to his Disciples before he left them, that he would come again joh. 16. 22. unto them, and their hearts should rejoice, and their joy should none take from them. All true believers then to whom God at any time hath given to have true joy and peace in believing, may with a joyful reverence, rejoicing Psal. 2. 11. with fear and trembling before the Lord, hold fast this their joy: and following the example of that worthy leader in the Lord's camp and host (even that blessed Apostle Paul) challenge all their enemies to do their Rom. 8. 35. worst herein, and ask who, or which of them all shall be able to separate them from the love of God in Christ jesus, which alone is the surest ground, and mainest foundation of all this their joy and constant rejoicing. If anguish▪ tribulation, affliction, or persecution (things which already have been so much treated on) shall stand out to try what they can do hereabout, they are things indeed grievous to the flesh, and to a worldly minded man, they are as pricks and thorns in the flesh, that will make him restless, disquiet his carnal ease and peace in the world; and such may they be, as not only by feeling of them when they come, but by the fear of them before they light upon him, not only take all joy from him, but strike him dead at the heart; witness the example of Nabal. But to a true believer, whose faith is unfeigned, and who by his faith knoweth himself to be certainly justified, and so set at peace with God, all afflictions that may befall him, can cause no such effect ever to be seen wrought upon him, as can wholly and altogether bereave him of all comfort, and take for ever his joy from him, howsoever for the sudden (by the power and strength of tentation they may somewhat astonish him; yet calling himself to better remembrance, he well perceiveth, and soon cometh to know, that they are but sent of God for the exercising of that precious faith, which once by his grace he hath received from him, that now the worth and the value thereof may be the better known, and that they are come rather to be triers, than destroyers of his faith, that the trial thereof being much more precious than gold that perisheth, may cause to him the greater praise, and 1. Pet. 1. 7. make more to his honour and glory at the appearing of Christ jesus. And therefore by that faith of his, whereby he findeth himself enabled to overcome the world itself, he feareth not to encounter such afflictions, such tribulations and persecutions as he meeteth with in the world, as not only daring to wrestle with them, but to promise to himself the carrying away of the victory from them, and so finally in the end to overcome them: yea, in all such things to look with the Apostle, to be more than a conqueror Rom. 8. 35. 37. 38. 39 through him that hath loved him. These things than cannot wholly extinguish nor destroy the joy of a true believer, they may better serve to double, then to destroy the joy of such a man. It is that property which is only peculiar to the joy of faith, so to abide in tribulation, as it maketh him that is justified by his faith, and so is at peace with God, not to be troubled with his troubles, but 2. Cor. 6. 10. and 8. 2. 1. Thes. 1. 6. to rejoice in tribulation, and to suffer valiantly and patiently; yea cheerfully and joyfully every thing that falleth out by God his appointment for his trying. The fishes are not more fresh in the salt sea, than God's servants remain faithful and comfortable in their afflictions and greatest persecutions: there are no misadventures can dishearten their well resolved minds, the Christian resolution of a valorous and steadfast believer, in the cause and quarrel of Christ jesus, is so stiffened with a magnanimous and manly temper, as nothing can daunt his valiant If there were as many devils in Worms, as there are tiles on their houses; I will among them saith Luther. Psal. 56. 4. courage from looking the stoutest & proudest enemy of Christ in the face; for he knoweth his cause to be so good, as he is ready to bear the hazard of the most dangerous adventures, and feareth not what flesh at all can do unto him; for when God hath once spoken peace to his soul, and given unto him the joy of his salvation; such peace and such joy unto him, are as brazen boots to make him run without fear, through all briars and thorns that are in his way, and through the sharpest pikes themselves of most cruel persecutions. Of the truth of these things we have whole clouds of God's witnesses, that the joy of such as are true believers, and sound in deed in the faith, hath still abidden with them, as well in the time of their greatest trial, as of their most happy and longest continued peace: for such hath been found to have been the joy of God's servants, as in their greatest troubles it hath caused them to find comfort, yea and ease upon the very rack itself: some have been so refreshed in the fire, as if they had been laid upon the bed of sweet roses, james Bainham, Act. and Mon. pag. 939. One burned at Brussels. p. 799. when they were but frying among the faggots: many have been seen to have looked on death's face with good assurance, and to have stood upright in the midst of all other ruins that have happened on every side; and so have the holy Martyrs been ravished with joy in John Bradford, pag. 1474. and Cicely Ormes burned at Norwich. Act. and Mon. pag. 1835. Cyprian willed his friends to give the executioner for his pains 25. rials. Thomas Hawks burned at Copehall. pag. 1447. Ten Martyrs burned at Colechester. p. 1822. their greatest sufferings, as they have not only patiently endured them, but most cheerfully and joyfully embraced them, kissing the stake to which they were bound, rewarding the executioner that should put them to death; clapping their hands in the flame while they were a burning, and that with as great triumph and kind of heavenly rejoicing, as the victorious soldier (after his valour hath been showed in the field) cometh at length to be made a knight: or as doth a king when he entereth upon his kingdom, and goeth to be crowned with such pomp and solemnity, as may beseem his kingly dignity. They were comforted of the Lord with such inward joy, as some writing to their friends professed they were never so merry in all their lives before: some leaping for jow, some for triumph would put on their scarves, some their wedding garment, when they went to the fire. One saith well, That to be cooled in the shade, is'a thing of no great wonder; but to be refreshed in a hot fiery furnace is strange and admirable: to be cheered and refreshed with wine and oil at banquets and feasts is not a matter so much worthy the speaking of; but in prison, persecution and trouble to be refreshed, and find comfortable cheering, is a thing worthy both to be made of, and marveled at: but thus hath it been with divers. Witness that famous Italian Martyr, Pomponius Algerius, who Pomponius Algerius his story. pag. 857. found even when he lay in prison, in that same deep and dark dungeon, a very Paradise of pleasure: and in that place of sorrow and death, he found to dwell tranquillity and hope of life: in that infernal cave, he found heavenly joy, he found ease and rest to his soul, in his straight bonds, and cold irons: yea, where other did weep, there did he rejoice, and there had he boldness and strength, where others through fear did tremble and shake: and so he shutteth up his excellent letter with as comfortable a farewell, bidding his friend's farewell in the Lord, from the delectable Orchard of leonine prison. But in reporting of these things which every way Isa. 53. 1. may seem strange and incredible to a carnali worldling, we may say and cry out with the Prophet, Lord, who will believe our report? Doubtless it may well be thought that the joy of the holy Ghost, even that joy that Peter saith to be unspeakable and glorious, wherewith the hearts of these worthy Martyrs were so abundantly replenished, and the interior heat of God's love in them, The creature that serveth the Creator, as it increaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment; so it abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their trust in him. Wisd. chap. 16. 24. See Acts and Monuments, pag. 1879. The history of john davis. Heb. 11. 38. wherewith they were fired within, did much surmount the heat and burning of those fiery flames that outwardly did fasten upon them; the fervent zeal and burning of which fire within sustained them so in their greatest torments, as they shrunk no whit, nor gave any place at all to such things, which otherwise without that sustaining had been able to have enforced them; not only to have given back, but to have given over for altogether; the cause wherein so manfully they stood without any staggering. These things which men of renown in former times, even the worthies of God (whom worthily the Apostle saith, the world was not worthy of), have abundantly tried by their own experience to have been most true: their cheerings, and comforts having so far surmounted their sorrows and griefs, in the midst of all their torments and pains, as that when they were tried with the greatest tortures, and put to the most painful rackings, and then offers made them to be released, they have yet refused to be delivered (so great was their constancy, the joy and the comfort that they had in their hope, of obtaining a better resurrection): these things Heb. 11. 35. (I say) are so high, and do so far transcend, not only all sense by feeling, but all height of reason by apprehending and conceiving, how possibly they could ever be in the understanding of any mortal man, as that even unto God's children themselves (especially to such of them as are of the weaker sort, who through frailty & fear, seem to be very doubtful what they should do, if times of trial should ever come) to them that saying of Cyprian to his friend, had need in this case be again remembered (which was alleged before), Accipe quod sentitur antequam discitur: Hear the report of that which better shall be known by experience & feeling, than any can now learn, or so well stand persuaded of by others telling, or their own hearing; as well as did those blessed Martyrs find by their own trial and proof, whom God called forth to the witnessing of his truth, who of weak ones were made strong ones, as the Apostle speaketh, waxing valiant in battle, so as though at Heb. 11. 34. the first they did quake and tremble, as so many fearful Hinds and Hearts, that were ready to run for hiding and covert into every thicket, and behind every bush, yet when they were brought forth, and put to the trial in deed, the cause of God being hazarded, and pawned upon their heads, than were they found to be most cheerful, and of courage invincible, their fear was then taken from them; and they which before were wont to run away quaking and trembling, did then come forth, and show their faces like the faces of Lions, who had courage to turn back to any that listed to pursue them, and boldness enough to encounter their greatest force: like to those worthy Gadites that were David's helpers, of whom it is said, they were valiant men of war, and men of Arms, 1. Chron. 12. 8. 14. that could handle spear and shield, whose faces were as the faces of Lions; one of the least could resist a hundred, and the greatest a thousand. Yea, so lion-like was become the courage then of those poor weak ones before, as some of the weakest sex have been heard to say, when they were at the point of martyrdom, and the raging fires before them kindled, ready to devour them in the flames thereof, that if every hair of their heads were the life of a man, they would die so many times all those deaths in that cause for which they then suffered; for so great was the comfort they then had, and so unspeakable and glorious indeed was the joy that they then felt, as death itself was bid defiance of them, neither did they esteem at all what proud flesh was able to do unto them, when the storms of greatest troubles met them a head, yet were they of courage, because they ever failed by the Cape of bone sperance, hoping that God whom they did with David, set always before them would so be at their right hand, as if Psal. 16. 8. they did faint, he would certainly cheer them; if they did Cyprian. fight, he would undoubtedly crown them, and never fail to give them the joy of his salvation. Psal. 51. 1●. Hypocrites and counterfeit Christians, they know of no such joy, they are mere strangers to this joy that the true godly have, and as strangers they are not to meddle Prou. 14. 10. therewith, as Solomon speaketh. They have carnal joy enough, and many times too much, far more than they know well to use, though it never will last long: they can laugh and be merry, they have laughter as if they were tickled, they can laugh even at a feather. If they come where worldly delights are, and pleasures of sin, which yet will last but a season, they stick not to take their pleasures in them to the full; yea, they will be ready to burst with their fullness, and surfeit in the midst of their delights; for they can keep no measure, but pour out themselves to merriments, to sport and to laughter, proving their hearts above that ever did Solomon, with vain Eccles. 2. 1. and sinful mirth, suffering them to enjoy such ungodly pleasures above that ever did he; and therefore most worthily doth such laughter deserve to be reproved with salomon's rebuke given unto it, who said unto it, thou art mad; and of such mirth it may well be demanded, What is it that thou dost? If carnal men can but flourish in worldly prosperity, if they may swim in pleasures, abound in wealth, be advanced to honour, they have what their hearts desire, and are overjoyed with gladness, and soon overset with the pleasant gales of their overmuch joys, as ships are with gales that fill too full their sails; they are light and merry, they are all on the hoy, they know not themselves, they contemn all others, boasting themselves of their Psal. 10. 3. hearts desire, and blessing the covetous, as the Psalmist speaketh, Ambitiosas honour & opes & foeda volup●as, Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet. whom the Lord doth abhor. If it be profit and commodity of the world, if pleasures and honour, they never have done enough in admiring of such things, thinking them all to be either fools or mad, that do not the like as do themselves: but such comforts as these joys and delights as are taken in such matters, they are no better then plain witcheries, which do disguise men, and transform them to bruit beasts. But how merry soever worldlings are found to be, so long as things are as they would have them, and do ever sort well to their liking; yet if they be crossed in any thing, if the cross come, if trouble and affliction chance to happen, than they are all a mort, there are none so joyless and so heartless as are they; then grow they so dead-hearted, as it is in vain to go about to cheer them, and to comfort them again: for worldly joy rising on worldly causes, the causes fading, the joy as soon hath an end, and cometh to nothing. Haman rejoiced so long as he was in favour with the Hest. 5. 9 11. 12. & cap. 7. 6. 8. 10 King and Queen, and all that time who but he: but his joy soon failed him when he was thrown out of their favour again, and then who could be found a more unhappy man? Men worldly minded are joyful in harvest time, when come, and wine, and oil are increased unto them: but if the fire of God come and burn it up, all their joy is gone. Thus is it not with true believers, they have not only joy in their prosperous estate, but they knowing themselves to be justified by faith, and so to be at peace with God, they can rejoice in tribulation also, let all their enemies do what they can: for if a man knew he were so in the favour of a great man, as it were more than the worst, and then all the enemies he hath can do to thrust him out of his favour again; he would be comforted, though his enemies were never so malicious: this makes true believers to have much joy and peace in their believing, Rom. 15. 13. fail out whatsoever otherwise may happen. Hypocrites, who are but true believers counterfeits, they may (and I know they often will) make a show as if they had good comfort, and some joy in their trouble, as well as have the best Christians; for they are like the Egyptian Sorcerers, that did strive to do all the things that Moses did, that so they might be thought to be as good as he: they will seem in their troubles not only to take them patiently, but also thankfully, as if they had some comfort, and felt contentment in their bearing of them, when in truth they have none; they will be heard to thank God for them, and yet never feel any manner of benefit o● good that they have gotten by them, which is but a very mocking of God, and a deceiving of men; and to say as the truth is, it is indeed but a very wicked kind of thanksgiving, when a man with his mouth only thanks God in some great affliction that is upon him; and when he lieth sick (it may be on his deaths-bed) shall be heard to say, he is sick he thanks God, when yet in his heart he connes God no thank at all for sending it upon him, but wisheth rather a thousand times he had never had it, or that he could well tell how to be without it again. What is this but deep dissembling? for will not we think a man did mock us, if he should thank us, when we do him no better pleasure, than thrust a knife through his cheeks: so is it for men to thank, God when he smiteth them with his plagues, and thrusteth them in with the sword of his scourges, and fearful judgements, except they found that they were sanctified unto them, and that they did them good, by letting out the impostume of some great corruptions, that lay rankling in their souls, whereby they are now like to have better, and more found health for ever after. If God shall by any means show to a man at any time, what benefit his sickness shall bring unto him, and what is the good that he shall reap out of his troubles and his affliction, that thereby, as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet, The iniquity of jacob shall be purged, Isai. 27. 9 and this shall be all the fruit thereof, to take away his sin; he hath then cause indeed to be thankful and cheerful in his trouble: but for a man to rejoice against his conscience, and contrary to that he feeleth cause for, is but to rejoice in playing the hypocrite, for he neither is, nor can be sound merry at the heart in such a case. This is as if a man should be seen to go leaping and rejoicing to the gallows, when he is to suffer, not for a good cause, but as a malefactor; every one knows that is a cause of sorrowing and mournful heaviness, and not of rejoicing; and they to be pitied, and not to be envied that are seen to do so. As therefore many do fear, where no cause of fear is; so yet there are more that rejoice where no cause of true joy is. The Lord hath promised to make the hearts of his servants glad and joyful in the house of prayer; Isai. 56. 7. Gods faithful servants they are, and may be merry, but they only take comfort in that which is matter of true rejoicing indeed: the other (like them that are sick of light frenzies) laugh at their own shadows, and at their own fancies and vain conceits. To conclude then this matter also; hypocrites and temporary believers may have in outward show and appearance, the like for a time that have true believers, though never any such joy as can be found to be in like manner true for the sincerity of it, or in like degree pure without other mixture, for the soundness and simplicity thereof, as is theirs. Their joy is neither of like measure for fullness, nor of like solidity and firmness for continuance. Their joy therefore may rather be said to be like, than any way equal, to the joy of true believers, which is the only true joy when all is done, all other being but counterfeit in comparison of the same, which being compared together, in respect of those sundry dimensions that severally before have been expressed, and which have in like manner between themselves been apart considered, thereout so plain a difference will be made to appear between them, as is between truth and falsehood, between that which is most sound, and that which is but mere seeming and in bare shows alone. We had need therefore to look well and to make sure work, that we desiring to have comfort and joy of heart, wherewith to be made glad, may have of that joy that is true indeed, because we can have no other witness of our having thereof, but only our own selves; neither any other to help us to consider of our own estate in this behalf, how it standeth and fareth with us in this thing, than our own selves alone; so as we shall be but even plain cozeners of ourselves, if we be deceived herein. CHAP. XXVI. The fifth main difference between sound believers and counterfeits is, in their repentance; and how far hypocriees may proceed therein. Question. THere have been showed many plain and clear differences between the 1. knowledge of Christ that men have, and between the manner of men's 2. apprehending and laying hold of him for salvation, as also between the 3. persuasion and assurance that men have of obtaining life and salvation in Christ, by means of such their laying hold upon him: and lastly between the 4. joy following thereupon, which may be found in those that are but hypocrites and temporary believers, and in those that are unfeigned in their faith and true believers indeed. It remaineth that forsomuch as you have showed in all that have true faith indeed, there must be found wrought together with all these graces b●fore going, a sound and thorough reformation of life to follow after, and for ever to be maintained and continued in, to the end. And that hypocrites can as well counterfeit this as any of the rest: that you likewise do now show some prognant and clear differences, whereby the repentance of a true believer, whose faith is unfeigned, may be found to differ from the repentance of an hypocrite, that is always hollow at the heart and unsound in his faith. A. Repentance among other the graces of God's spirit Repentance. given to such as shall be saved (being one of the vital parts of the body, among other the members which cannot be wanting) if we would have life well to remain, (repentance being called repentance unto life) and being in some sort as necessary to be had as is true faith itself, which cannot be true, except this be accompanying of it: and therefore they are many times joined together in the Scripture, and both by john the forerunner, and by Christ himself that followed after, the one of them is as well commended unto us, as is the other: Repent (say they) and believe the Gospel. This therefore being a grace absolutely needful for all, and which all seem to be desirous greatly to obtain, there are none that will bear themselves more bold upon it, and that will presume further upon their undoubted having of it, than those that are most without it, and are furthest from all likelihood or possibility of ever obtaining it: those are hypocrites and counterfeit believers, of whom our Saviour Christ saith, their portion assigned to them is to be with the devil and his angels: showing that of all others there is least hope of their being ever brought to sound repentance, that so finally they may be saved; for he saith, that harlots and publicans are nearer unto it, then are they, and therefore sooner shall be saved, as who shall before them enter into the kingdom of heaven. And yet none will make a more fairer show of being indeed humbled, and of earnestly repenting, then will such. There is no external action requisite to be done by him that is truly penitent How far hypocrites go. indeed, which they will not perform, and that in outward appearance to the full, they will fail in none of the parts that do belong to the humbling of the outward man, and bringing down of the body, though it it were to lie under ashes, and to rake themselves in the dust, but in all the bodily worship of sound and true repentance indeed, so far as ever that doth extend, there shall be nothing found wanting in them, but as if their work were absolute herein, they will appear to be very complemental in all. There are none that will bid fairer, nor go further for giving God contentment in all outward respects, than they will do, if they might but know wherewithal they might come before the Lord, and bow themselves before the high God, and what would be pleasing unto him, in such respect he could not ask the thing at their hands, but he might be sure to have it: If their coming before him with offerings, and with calves of a year old might be accepted if he would be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with teme thousand rivers of oil: if the giving of their first borne for their transgression, the fruit of their bodies for the sin of their souls, they would stick at none of this: as may be seen in those hypocrites of Mich. 6. old. Nay they will pinch themselves nearer, and come to be no sparers of their own flesh. If punishing of their bodies, and whipping of their flesh will help any thing to better this matter, they will be whipped, and whip themselves in vie who shall whip themselves sorest, and till the blood shall be seen to follow after: all which things (as the Apostle speaketh) have indeed a show of good wisdom Coloss. 2. 23. and great humility, while thus they are found neglecting of their own bodies, not having them in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. Which courses of theirs making such affair show in the flesh, causeth their repentance in outward show to seem, as great and as good as doth the best, and setteth such a gloss and lustre upon it, as maketh it not only seem to be very conspicuous and notable in the eyes of all men that do see it and look upon it, but so observable, as the Lord himself from heaven seemeth to take knowledge of the same, and in some sort not to neglect: as in the example of Ahab is plain and manifest. Yea not 1. King▪ 21. 29. to restrain their repentance to so narrow a compass, nor to keep it shut in within the lists and bounds of an outward casting down and bodily humiliation alone, let us grant it a larger scope, and give way unto it, that it may have entrance and passage into the very heart, and see what work it will make there. Now thither will it also bring in all manner of disquiet, the sea doth not rage more, then that will turmoil the heart: great stirs are made there, and sore broils are bred therein. There doth it work upon all the powers and faculties of the soul, the judgement, will and affections, are all set upon strongly, and seen much to be altered and changed. By it the judgement is brought to understand better, and see that they were much deceived, and that they have grossly sinned: the will gins to will, and to unwill again that which before it did so eagerly covet: their affections are pierced through with hellish sorrows, horrors and fears, and strucken after a sort dead with pensive heaviness, which will bring to death. Who ever felt his sin heavier upon him, loading his conscience, than did Cain, who complained Gen. 4. 13. that his sin was greater than could bo forgiven, or his punishment for it, greater than could be borne? Who hath cried out more lamentably, or shed tears in greater abundance for his oversight, than did Esau for the loss of his Gen. 27. 34. birthright? Whose conscience was ever more stung with the guilt of sin, or felt the burning thereof more fretting, like fire in his bosom that was not to be endured, than judas did, who crying out of his sin, could no better hold Mat. 27. 3. 4. 5. the money in his hand, which he had gotten as a purchase of iniquity, then if hot lead had been poured into them, and therefore threw it away, though that could not quiet his conscience, nor purchase him at all any more ease than he had before? But yet to go further, what glorious works and goodly fruits of their fair seeming repentance, will many cunning hypocrites be seen to bring forth? How many good things did Herod after he heard john's preaching? Who fasted oftener then did the pharisees, prayed more, gave more alms, paid their tithes better than did they? Who could go further in the show of doing good works for outward appearance, than did that rich ruler that came to Christ to know what he might do Luke 18. 18. 21. to inherit eternal life, who being directed unto the Commandments, answered, he had kept them all even from his youth up, and yet he seemed to be but an hypocrite? What seeking of God was there daily by the hypocrites in the time of the Prophet Isaiah, how did they delight to know Isai. 58. 2. the ways of the Lord, to ask of him the ordinances of justice, taking delight in their approaching unto God, fasting often, and afflicting their souls much, and bowing down their heads like bulrushes, with spreading sackcloth and ashes under them? and yet all to no purpose, because they doing all this, did yet hold fast their sins, without losing the bands of wickedness. Such their repenting was no whit more acceptable unto God, then if they had not repent at all, they with the Pharisees, making clean but the outside of the plattar, when all within was full of bribery and excess: neither could that kind of their fasting cause their voice to be heard on high, as the Prophet there telleth them. All such kind of repentances, they were and will be found to be but counterfeit, and very fruitless, repentances ever to be repent of, because they that have rested most on them, and trusted most unto them, shall still find cause to repent, because they have repent no better. Thus is there no grace or gift of God's spirit how excellent so ever, which the devil (who is said to be God's ape) will not have a counterfeit of. As he hath gotten a counterfeit of true faith, so he hath gotten a counterfeit of true repentance, which shall seem as like it, as if it were the very same, when there shall be as great difference as between silver and lead, and between gold and copper. He is like those cozening coiners, who having gotten the stamp of the money that is currant among merchants, carrying the Prince's arms & picture upon it, doth after the form thereof coin that that is counterfeit, and pay it over for currant: they that have good skill can perceive which is gold, and which is but copper; but they that are unskilful take one for another. Of these false and counterfeit, unsavoury and unsound repentances of false hearted hypocrites, with which they are known to have perished, and by which they could never be saved, the Lord would have sundry patterns and examples to be set down in the Scriptures, to teach and admonish all the world to take heed how any do trust unto the like, but to seek to have better, and such as is true indeed, every way sound and unfeigned. CHAP. XXVII. The description of Repentance that is unto life; with the kinds of it: And how true believers and hypocrites differ in them; as also in the whole body and frame of Repentance. Question. Show then (I pray you) what is that true repentance that may be trusted unto, and which is never to be repent of, which the Scripture calleth repentance unto life, and how it doth differ from the unsound repentance of hypocrites; which how glorious soever it may be in show, yet when it is at the best, it is but (as you say) a repentance still to be repent of, because it is no better? A. Repentance is an action and work of grace, whereby a man that hath mistaken himself and gone out of the way (upon knowledge and persuasion of God's mercifulness, and readiness to receive again to favour every sinner that repenteth), doth again recover himself our of his errings and dangerous ways wherein he hath gone astray, and by a kind of retractation of those ill courses he hath taken, be cometh changed in his mind, in his will, and his affections, and wholly altered in the ways of his life, and outward actions; eschewing evil, and doing good, so bearing out the fruits worthy of amendment of life. All which ariseth from the sorrow of his heart, that hath been bred by the knowledge and sense of such sins as he hath committed: which sorrow is not only felt within, but also manifested outwardly, by agreeable actions, words, and gestures. When such repentance is wrought and found in any, then is repentance unto life (as the Disciples Act. 11. 18. called it) granted unto them. Such repenting is the recovery of the soul, after, and out of some deadly disease fallen into. It may well be called the sick man's salve, or the sinner's salve; for it cureth all diseases, and is an universal antidote against all plagues & punishments whatsoever. Of true repentance there are two sorts: an ordinary, and (as I may say) a common and daily repentance, which every Christian is bound to use, and to practise all his life long, and every day of his life. The second is, an extraordinary and special repentance, upon some extraordinary and special occasion, either of obtaining some singular blessing, or getting to be either removed, or kept away some heavy and grievous plague. This kind of repentance may justly be occasioned, by a man's falling into some gross sin, after he hath been called to the participation of grace; the rising again from which sin, is a special repentance: as David's rising again from his fall was. In the first we are all to walk, and that we are to use and practise every day, it being no other, than the showing forth of the efficacy and power of the death and the resurrection of our blessed Saviour, in us that are members of his body, while we are seen daily to practise the mortification of the flesh, and vivification of the spirit: the putting off the old man, and the putting on the new: the dying unto sin, and living unto righteousness, and the endeavouring daily to do these things: for the repentance of the very best men is but a daily sorrowing that they cannot be sorry enough, and repent no better: but as we are to walk in the daily practice of this first kind of repentance; so from some of the occasions of the second, and especially any falling into gross sins, we should beseech the Lord to preserve us always, if it might be possible by any means: if it cannot be but through too much humane frailty we should find occasions, not only to renew our ordinary daily repentance, but often to bring into use and practice, a special and extraordinary kind of humbling ourselves before the Lord, in a manner of repentance used more than ordinary for some special sins, or special occasions, our own, or others; then is that course to be carefully taken and used, which in the description of true repentance was beforeset down. And such kind of extraordinary repentance in humbling of themselves upon extraordinary occasions, is ever like to speed the better at the hands of God, and to prevail more with him, whensoever, and by whomsoever it shall be performed in his sight: if they that are so humbled, are known and found to be of the number of them which walk and live in the use and practice of daily humbling themselves by ordinary repentance, for their daily slips, common frailties and infirmities. Whereas if it be otherwise done, by others that are not acquainted with the like course, and enured thereunto; the like reckoning cannot be made by them, neither is there the like hope for them to expect at God's hands the like gracious acceptation. Hypocrites they have little to do with the first of these two kinds of repentance, they scarce know what it meaneth, and are little acquainted with it: it is not their custom nor manner ordinarily to humble themselves before God, for their daily infirmities and sins, to make conscience of their ways, as being desirous to please God better, by going about daily to reform their lives: it is well for them if any judgement and plague do come, then to be heard howling upon their beds, and to assemble themselves for corn and wine, though they still rebel: than it is for them to fall a rending their garments, though they keep whole their hearts, if guilt of some heinous wickedness committed, like those fiery serpents in the wilderness, do sting and bite their conscience; then is it time for them to cry and roar out with Cain and Esau, and to fall a repenting with judas, and confessing their sin, with like satisfaction as was made by him. If the Angel of God's vengeance pour out the vial of Isa. 8. his wrath, so as men are plagued for their sins, then is it Apoc. 16. time for them to fret and vex themselves, and gnaw their tongues for the pains and sores that are upon them; and then make trial what their formal, ceremonial, and always extraordinary repentance (because ordinary they use none) can prevail with, and for them. To show then 1. Difference of repentance. some differences between the repentance of true converts, and of them that are but coloured counterfeits: first, this is a main difference evidently to be discerned, that there is one degree or kind of true repentance, more in the one, then can be found in the other; which is so much missing with them, that many of them do never meddle with a daily and ordinary humbling of themselves all their life time, but defer it to their end, and think it time enough to begin, when they shall lie a dying: the other having their use and practice of it all the days of their life; and therefore the extraordinary repentance of hypocrites, with whom the ordinary is ever wanting; especially▪ that also being sickly and faulty (as it ever is) is like to stand them in very little stead; which can no way be allowed to be repentance unto life: which were safe for any to trust unto. Again, the repentance of a true convert, differeth from that of an hypocrite, in the whole body of repentance and frame of it, as it is compact and made up together, and in the several joint parts and members if it, if they be a part considered and so taken asunder; they differ in the object, which either of them do most respect, and are most occupied about; they differ in the effect which they work, and which either of them do bring forth▪ they differ in that which causeth either, and in that which is caused by either. The words for repentance used in the new Testament, are two; the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which cometh of a word that signifieth as much, as for one to come to his right mind, to be wise, at the least after some oversight to recover one's self, it is after-wit, or after-wisedome; so called, because the children of God take warning by the Spirit of God to be wiser, after they have once been overseen and beguiled through the deceitfulness of sin: this hath in it a godly sorrow, with hope of God's mercy, truly and wisely converting all the powers of the soul; and causing a through change in the whole man, from sin to righteousness, and so it becometh repentance unto life. And this is properly the repentance of true believers, and of all such as shall be saved; for it is sound repentance, and hath the perfection of parts in it, though not of degrees. The other word used in the new Testament, to set out repentance by, is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, coming of a word that signifieth to be sorry after a fact committed, to be heavy and pensive, to be vexed and grieved for it: it is after-griefe, because sorrow and grief, pensiveness, and heaviness of heart, vexation and trouble of conscience usually do follow upon the committing of some heinous sin. This may be without any conversion or change of a man to make him better; this after-griefe may be without that after-wisdome, which brings a man to his right mind again: but the other is never without this, but hath it always included in it; for it is sound, and hath the perfection of all parts in it. This may be alone without the other, which yet is the chiefest part of true repentance; and therefore it is unsound and unperfect repentance, and so, unprofitable and unavailable every way to salvation: and this is indeed properly the repentance of hypocrites, and may be the repentance of all manner of reprobates. This is that repentance that judas had; for the Scripture saith of him, that he repent; but with this Mat. 27. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance, he went to the halter, and so from thence unto hell fire. Thus the repentance of true believers, doth differ from the repentance of hypocrites, in the whole frame and body of repentance, when all of it is taken and considered together. CHAP. XXVIII. How they differ in all the parts of repentance severally considered in their sorrow for sin, and the effects of it: where also is showed the necessity of sorrow in Repentance. THey differ also in the parts and several members of the whole, they being looked on, apart, and considered asunder. There is in true repentance a sorrow for sin, which is the first occasion of a man's repenting (for if a man had not his heart troubled for that he had done, he would never repent and change his couse) then followeth a turning from sin, and a bearing out of fruits that may be worthy of amendment of life. Our souls by swerving from God, and going out of the path of God's Commandments, breed their own sorrow, and bring painful grief and vexation upon the heart, such as many times hardly can be endured; like bones that are broken, or out of joint, cause heavy dolours to the body, and pain intolerable, and the longer they abide so, not well set and put into socket again, the more painful is the aching that is felt therefrom: so is it with the wounds that do pierce the soul, they will never leave aching, till some good means be used for the well curing of them. Sin (which is as a serpent) carrying his sting in his tail, after it hath been once committed, leaveth such a guilt in the conscience, that is as painful to be felt, as is the sting of a Scorpion that is dashed into the flesh; or the biting of those fiery serpents in the wilderness, that did torment them with extreme pains, as if fire had been burning in their flesh. Sin is like a most venomous serpent, and draggeth a long tail of punishment after it where ever it becometh: God hath tied together as with fetters of brass, the pleasures of sin, and pains of punishments, and plagues for sin: he that will have one, must have both; they that will sow iniquity, shall be sure to reap affliction; much smart, much grief, much sorrow of heart will always follow after: the sense of the guiltiness of sin cannot be felt, but the heart will be made restless, and it will disquiet all the peace thereof, causing those painful dashes and heavy compunctions in the tender soul, as hath forced out those lamentable voices, and sorrowful outcries, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? And without such bitter grief and sorrow of heart that may force us thus to cry out, yea to roar like bears, and mourn sore like Isa. 59 11. 12. doves, we may doubt of our repentance, and can have small hope of obtaining any forgiveness or pardon for our sin; as well as may any woman hope to get to be delivered of her child, while she is a sleep, or in a dream, without ever enduring any further pains or travel, usual to all women in their childbearing, as for a sinner to be freed and delivered from his sins, without the sorrows, the painful throws and pangs of thorough and unfeigned repentance, whose working is many times felt so forcible upon the heart, as it is ready to overcome it, and make it for a time utterly to faint. Sin will not be got away without a great deal of sorrow and grief, and that of such sort, as must break and bruise the soul, and grind the very heart to dust and to powder. Sin sticketh so fast to, and is so baked on, as there must be rubbing hard to get it off. Wool is as fit to wipe away pitch or bird-lime, as an overly sighing or slight saying, Lord have mercy upon me, will get sin done away: who so doth go about by truly repenting and humbling of themselves to do away their sins, shall find sin in their souls to be like melancholic humours in their bodies, which are found to lie so low, and to be so hard to purge away, that they who by purging would seek to be rid of them, must almost be purged to death, before such humours will ever be got out: So when any of God's true children have been drawn into some foul sin, and gross kind of offence, before they can get to be recovered by repentance again, they are brought so low by sorrowing deeply, and bitterly mourning for their sin, that they seem not to be worth the ground Levit. 26. 39 they go upon, by pining away for their iniquities, and by such sorrowing for them unto repentance, lest they should pine away for them by punishment, because they did not repent at all. Repentance than cannot be without much sorrow of heart; where that is, there will be found mournful heaviness, and great dolour and grief for sin, that hath been committed. And this sorrowing and mourning is so necessary to all sound repenting, as the latter can never be found, where the former hath wholly been wanting. But where sorrowing and mourning is perceived, and found to be for some offence that hath been done, there we conclude is a kind of repenting: for when men are said to repent, we understand by and by, that they are grieved, and are sorry for that they have done; so as they would feign, if it were possible, have it undone again. And as sorrow is necessary unto repentance, so it must be very effectual, and thorough sorrow indeed that must cause such repentance as shall be sound: the heart must be contrite, and ground to dust, as is pepper in a mortar, or corn in a mill: the bowels must sound like a harp with sighing Isai. 16. 9 11. and sobbing for the offence done. There must be weeping with the weeping of jaazer, and Elealah is to be made drunk with tears by daily lamentation. If corn come whole out of the mill, what is it better for having been put to grinding? If men come from under repentance not bruised and contrite-hearted, it will profit them nothing. God (I know) commendeth unto men the preservation of their health; but yet he will not that we tender so our health, that we may not break our hearts with sorrow after God for our sin. They that are so smyrck and so smug, that being old, have yet so young faces, and so few wrinkles upon them, no paleness or leanness to be seen, it is to be thought, that if ever they have come where true repentance had grown, they would have lost some of their colour by this time: it is dangerous for men to be over-quiet with themselves after they have once sinned: for it is well observed, that the way to draw sins on with cartropes is, not to be grieved for sin; and the refusing and casting off temporal grief, is the way to be brought to eternal grief: they that drive sorrow away from their hearts, work their own sorrow, and procure to themselves the greater woe; for afterwards we surely do know and feel much more earthly sorrow than we should, because we will not disquiet our own souls, nor trouble ourselves with that godly sorrow that is required. Too much merriness (unless the mirth be the better sanctified, arising from the joy and peace of a good conscience) doth not well. It is hard for any to bring two ends together, that will not meet: to think to fly to heaven with pleasant wings, to dance with the world all day, and look to sup with God at night. They that have their hearts thoroughly stung with the conscience, and guilt of their sin, and feel the biting of that worm that lieth at the heart, nibbling and nipping it thorough, and gnawing and grating upon it with endless vexation, and casting the coals of hell ever in their face, they can easily lay aside their vain mirth, and listen to the counsel of james, who willeth such to sorrow and mourn, to let their james 4. 9 laughter be turned into weeping, and all their merrines into mournful lamentation: they can easily be drawn to go and hang up their haps with the poor captives, upon the Psal. 137. 1. 2. willow trees, and sitting by the river banks, go weep with them their bellies full. David, how many excellent Psalms did he compose and make? for how pleasant tunes did he make those ditties, which he so divinely did frame and devise? he was worthily styled the sweet singer of Israel: 2. Sam. 23. 1. but David himself, when he had so long fallen in sin, so long as he had a wolf in his own breast, he could be no Physician to other men, he left of making Psalms, till he had sound recovered himself by true repentance, and had gotten restored to him again the joy he was wont to find; till than he left off his singing, and fell to weeping, and that in so great abundance, and with so long continuance, as he made his bed to swim, and watered his couch Psal. 6. 6. 7. with tears, and his eyes did grow dim, and waxed old with weeping. As for such as love to be so jocund, and to be all of the hoy, that cannot abide to hear of this repenting, and of having their hearts to be broken with this sorrowing for their sin, they may put away Preachers, and keep fools to make them merry with: but let such fear what will be the end. Godliness will not dwell but in a broken john. 7. 38. heart, the waters of life that must fill the belly, till they flow thence again, even the manifold graces of God's spirit must enter through those passages into the heart of a man; that is to say, through the holes and cliffs of the brokenness of a man's heart; for God will give grace to the humble, and them will he teach his way. Neither is it when men be called to weeping and mourning, to baldness and Isai. 22. 12. sackcloth, and sorrowing for their sin, that then the way is taken to deprive men of sound comfort, and take all true joy clean away from them, but thereby they are prepared for the obtaining more sweeter comfort than ever they yet felt, and to have their joy now more to abound, than ever before it did, even so to abound until it be made full; as our Saviour hath spoken, for they that mourn thus, they Mat. 5. 9 are promised to be comforted; and such godly sorrowings as these are, do ever end in contentments, and are turned into the best, and the most lasting joys; yea, there wanteth not some comfort and sweetness of joy in the midst of most bitter mourning, and greatest lamentation that is made for sin, when the heart is best humbled, and most broken for the same: for men are deceived if they do not believe, that the very tears for sin be much more pleasant to devout and holy men, then be to wicked men their laughings, mockings, jestings and scoffings which they delight so much in; and if they do not think fasting to be sweeter to the one, then feasting is to the other, though they should far never so daintily, fed with Plovers, Quails Pheasants, and such other costly meats, and most dainty dishes. Now as there be some that cannot abide to be called to this sorrowing, and to hear of such mourning for their sin, there be others that would sorrow more abundantly, and mourn more thoroughly, and in far greater measure, if they knew how: it is the grief of their hearts that they cannot be grieved enough, they are still complaining of the hardness of their hearts, because they relent no better, & are not more broken asunder; they complain of the dryness of their eyes, and of the dullness and deadness of their affections, that are not more moved for their sins, to open themselves as so many fresh springs of sorrow abounding so in the heart, that the head might be filled with water, and the eyes made a fountain of tears to weep day and night, for all their offences and things they have done amiss. They sigh and are sorrowful in their very souls, to perceive what softness and tenderness they find in their hearts, readily to be moved for any worldly matter, falling out any thing crossly with them. And on the other side, how stony and flinty their hearts are felt to be, when they would sorrow most for their sin, and feignest get their hearts to melt with greatest remorse for the same. True it is (as one hath well observed it) were it to grieve at earthly occasions in things wherein we are crossed in the world, here our affections will come to us, before we sent for them, but to sorrow godly, that is not so ready with us, we have not our affections at command in that case, our foolish hearts love not holy mourning, our hard hearts (till God hath better softened them) are far from relenting. How beit, let such know this for their comfort, if they do mourn for the hardness of their hearts, if they be truly grieved, because they cannot be better grieved, and desire yet more to be grieved, and further to be humbled, there is doubtless comfort and hope in such an estate: for what is this but the smoke of true repentance, whose sparks are now new kindled in such a heart; and though the fire thereof hath not yet gotten such strength, as to flame forth with that hot burning and lightsome shining as may be hoped for it will do afterward in the due time; yet hath our Saviour promised, he will not for the present quench, nor suffer to be put out Mat. 12. 20. such smoke as this, but nourish it, and cherish it, and never leave it, till he hath made it to blaze out with a stronger burning. And so much may be enough to have spoken about the making clear of this point, that it is absolutely needful for every one that would be brought to repent for his sin, that he specially labour for the humbling of his heart, to get it much broken and contrite with deep sorrow for the same. CHAP. XXIX. The divers sorts of sorrow, with the objects about which they are conversant. NOw of grief and sorrow thus necessary to be found in every kind of repentance, there are two sorts; the one is a godly sorrow, or sorrow after God; the other is a worldly sorrow, conceived for worldly respects and fleshly ends. Godly sorrow is that sorrow which God himself is the author of, and Godly sorrow. which is wrought by Gods own Spirit in the hearts of his elect; and therefore cannot but always be pleasing unto God. It is called godly sorrow, because it is more for God's cause, then for our own, caused more with disqueit Psal. 51. 3. and grief for the sin that hath been committed, then with the smart of the punishment for sin either feared or felt. It is a grief for sin, because it displeaseth God, which Zach. 12. 10. is made so much more to abound, by how much more we apprehend and have feeling of his favour, and his love unto us in Christ jesus. This godly sorrow may be occasioned not only by our own matters, but others matters may in like manner justly cause this godly sorrowing, when men can be grieved to see God to be dishonoured by others, Deut▪ 9 28. Numb. 14. 6. joshua 7. 8. 9 and cry out with Moses and joshua, when they saw God's glorious name was in danger to be blasphemed by the Heathen, after the people having sinned, God was stirred in wrath to be revenged, and to execute heavy judgements upon them. When Gods servants with David can put on sackcloth Psal. 35. 13. in others heaviness, and their souls with jobs, can be in heaviness for the poor, weeping for such as be in misery: job 30. 25. Psal. 119. 136. when men's eyes can gush out as did David's, with rivers of tears, because men keep not God's Law; when they can mourn with those mourners in the days of Ezekiel, for the abominations in the land. All such kind of sorrowing is to sorrow godly, and tears so shed, are tears of love and pity to men, and tears of zeal and piety towards God. Now this godly sorrow is the sorrow that is only proper and peculiar to the elect of God to all true believers, such as are truly sanctified indeed, which causeth and bringeth forth in them that repentance which is unto life, by which they shall undoubtedly be saved in the end. A worthy and excellent gift which God hath given to his elect (as one of the Fathers hath well observed) That (saith he) which God gave first for a punishment, he hath Ambrose. Peccatum peperit dolorem & dolour contririt peccatum. now turned into a blessing, sin hath caused sorrow, and sorrow hath consumed sin: like as the wood breedeth the worm, and the worm consumeth the wood again; that is a happy sorrow that doth drive sin away; one tear of true repentance caused by this godly sorrow, is worth a thousand sack-clothes of all hypocrites beside. There is also another sorrow, which the Apostle calleth Worldly sorrow. a worldly sorrow, when he that sorroweth, sorroweth as men of the world use to doc that are wholly addicted and given to the world, and not as men that are renewed by the Spirit of God. This sorrow is like to that spoken of by the Prophet Hoseah, which makes men whine because Hosea 7. 14. the world is hard. And this sorrow is common to all worldlings, and indeed is but the sorrow of all hypocrites, for they have no better, though they can better colour the matter than others, and cast a fairer cloak of a pretence of holiness, to do sanctifiedly all that they do, when yet their most spiritual actions are but carnal deeds and works of the flesh. Worldly sorrow may be occasioned as well by others matters sometimes, as by men's own: when any mourn, sorrow and lament, for the troubles, losses, and crosses of other men, their kindred, friends, and acquaintance: but yet in a worldly respect. There is a Vixque tenet lachrimas, quia nil lachrimabile cernit. kind of sorrow that is conceived about others matters, which is the sorrow of envy, conceived for others welfare, which is devilish and destroying sorrow. But to leave others matters, and to consider of the sorrow of a worldling in his own particular case. This worldly sorrow is such a sorrow, as is conceived by him for worldly respects, for fleshly and carnal ends; when one is made sorrowful, not so much in respect of God, or any reverence he beareth to his glorious Majesty, whom he hath so much offended, as for the present pain that is upon his carcase, the anxiety upon his conscience, and the grieuous●es of some judgements and plagues, either feared or felt: this is but a blind terror, vexation and anguish of conscience, which being brought upon them, they many times neither know from whom that cometh that doth so trouble them, nor for what it is that they are so smitten. Stricken they are, and they know not by whom; they find not out the cause that procures their griefs, which are their sins and wickedness, to get them removed; and therefore the cause not being removed, the effect must still remain. They lie snared and held fast by the cords of their own iniquities, to those heavy miseries, plagues and calamities, which God by his righteous and just judgement doth bring upon them. And as blind men in the dark, they see no way to escape, or how possibly to get out, and therefore they must needs miscarry in it, their sorrow being but sorrow unto death. This kind of sorrow is either intended in a high degree, or it is in such a measure as may be suffered: when it is in an high degree, desperation is the end of it, making them to lay violent hands upon themselves, to become their own hangmen and executioners to devour themselves. When it is but in a small measure, then by little and little it vanisheth away as it began, and soon cometh to nothing again; no sooner the pain over, and the affliction gone that did trouble them, but their tears and their sorrows are at an end, and no more to be heard on, they becoming as bad as ever before, without any amendment to be seen, but with the swine they turn again to their filthy puddle and wallowing in the mire, and with the unclean dog they fall to the eating up again the vomit which they spewed out before. Such sorrow bettereth not the heart by changing and turning a man so as he become sound converted by means thereof, but only moveth the heart for the present with the diuquiet of pain, which only was the cause why it hath been so vexed. By all this it may appear how the sorrow that is in the repentance of a true convert, is found to be differing from the sorrow that is in the repentance of an hypocrite; and that is in the object that either of them do respect and is occupied about. The sorrow of him that is truly penitent, is most conversant and occupied about malum peccati, The evil of his sin, whereby God hath been offended, to be most grieved for that. The sorrow of him whose repentance is unsound, is most of all occupied about malum poenae, The evil of punishment, and this (by the marvelous sly and subtle working of Satan, and the unknown deceitfulness of his own heart) is always and even then done; when it may be a false hearted hypocrite doth both think with himself, and boldly profess to others, that it is his sin that he mourns for, and is most troubled about: when indeed if the truth were known, and could be sounded and seen into, which lieth so deeply buried under a mass, and (as I may say) a mountain of hollow hypocrisy of such a man's heart, it would be found that it were either fear of some further punishment, than yet he hath endured; or shame for his sin already committed, which hath thus broken out; or loss of his credit, or some profit and benefit that is like to follow thereof; or else the sense of some stinging judgement and plague that he now goeth under, and things of the like nature (all which are yet but punishments for his sin) to be the things that he is most chief moved for. About these things he principally is grieved, and that in the first place, and for their own sakes, as which he is most afraid of, and which he doth most abhor. He may also be grieved for his sin, False sorrow for sin. and wish it had never been done: but this he doth in a secondary place and in a by respect, not simply grieving for the sin, and abhorring it therefore because it is sin, but because it is like to bring all this woe upon him, and is the cause of the punishment that he presently doth go under. For who knoweth the depths of Satan how cunning a deceiver he is, that can deceive the falsehearted hypocrite himself, that is so ordinary a deceiver of others, and cause that in a most material point necessary to salvation, he shall be overseen most and soon deceive himself? And who knoweth besides Satan's cunning working, how many nooks and crooks, windings and turnings again is in that labyrinth of an hypocrites hollow heart, wherein deceit may closely be hid and never found out, no not the wrong and wry respects that are in his own heart, and privily do lead and guide him in the actions that himself do commit; they are not easily discernible to his own self, much less can they be showed by others, which they are, and where they lie, that so they may be the better taken heed of. But indeed the main object of the sorrow of an hypocrite is malum poenae, the evil of the punishment, with which he is smitten and made so to smart, that he cannot rest in quiet, and that maketh him so much to sorrow and be grieved, which else he would not. He may be humbled, but it is rather before his sickness, with which he is afflicted, then before the Lord, whom he hath offended. CHAP. XXX. How they differ also in the effects which either do bring forth, and in the causes of either. THe one, namely godly sorrow of a true convert, Effects of godly sorrow. draweth a man to God, and causeth him to seek comfort from him alone, even then when he seemeth most of all to be enemy unto him: saying with job, job 13. 15. Though thou shouldest kill me, yet will I trust in thee. The other, which is the worldly sorrow of an hypocrite, driveth a man away from God, after he hath sinned, and causeth him to fly, what he can, the presence of God, in whose sight he dares not be seen; but shunning his presence, he thinketh himself never more safe than when he is furthest from him. The one therefore findeth comfort, and the other hath none. They differ also in that which causeth the sorrow of the one, and of the other; and in that which is caused by either. That which causeth the sorrow and repentance of hypocrites, is more usually plagues and punishments, either inflicted and felt, or threatened and feared when they are imminent, and hang over their heads: their hearts resemble flint stones, which will cast no sparkles unless they be struck. Rarely will it be found that any of them are brought to be humbled by the sole ministry of the Word; or if by that, rather by the denouncing of judgements, and by the threatenings and thunderings of the Law, then by the sweet and amiable voice and sound of the Gospel, whereout the promises of life, and offers of grace are made unto us. Foelix trembled when Paul preached of temperance, and righteousness, and judgement to come, but Festus mocked when he heard him preach Christ, and begin to open the secrets and mysteries of the Gospel in his hearing; then he cried out against him, that he was beside himself, and that too much learning had made him mad. They be not (for the most part) words, but blows and strokes, and those well laid on too by the powerful hand of a revenging and ireful judge, that will serve to maul and break down the stoutness and stubborness of the hearts of proud hypocrites, though so well able is the Lord to smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and to slay the wicked with the breath of his lips, as he can make his word quick and powerful, and forcible enough to pierce deep, and cut sharper than a two edged sword, and out of that quiver can draw out such arrows to shoot into the sides of all hypocrites, as shall be sharp enough to pierce and to split the hearts of all the King's enemies, and be able to draw blood out of their sides, and to fetch sighs out of their hearts; yea to make them for the time to roar out of their throats for horror and fear, be they never so secure, though in the end they become little the better for it. The Lord can make the threatenings of his judgements out of his word denounced, come bleak to the hearts of offenders, which shall send a terrible shaking through all their bones, and become as thunder strokes doubled, that are able to daunt the stoutest stomach that is: the Lord can make the terror of the Law, and the thundering out of the threatenings thereof to flash as the lightning in every conscience that hath guiltiness in it, and to be as fire to make their hearts to melt, though otherwise as hard as brass. Thus either by the mighty strokes of God's revenging hand; inflicting judgements, plagues, and punishments, or by the terror of the Law, that doth nothing but thunder out threatenings of vengeance, do the hearts of most secure hypocrites many times come to be daunted; yea in a manner strucken dead with horror and fear, and trembling for the time. And these are the things that breed and bring out the repentance that they have, and causeth all their sorrow to be such as it is. On the other side, the true and godly sorrow, the sound and unfeigned repentance, the best conversion of true believers, that is freest from suspicion of being counterfeit, is that which is caused by the ministry of the Word, and by the powerful working thereof upon the conscience: which is as a hammer to break the stony hardness of the heart, that it may go all to dust and powder, and is as fire with the heat thereof to melt the heart, though it were never so hard frozen in the dregs of sin before, as shall cause such a thaw to be in that heart, and to abound of weeping, mourning, and shedding tears for sins committed, as if the very springs of sorrow were all opened and loosened, that might cause whole streams The tears and waters of repentance are as that red sea, wherein the whole army of our sins, which are our most dangerous enemies that do pursue us, are deeply drowned. and brooks of tears to run down, and flow from the eyes of him that is truly penitent, sufficient to lay in soak the very heart itself in that abundance of tears; yea, to cleanse both heart and life, and wash away all filth of sin that ever before have been committed. When such a work is wrought upon a man's heart by the ministery of the word, and the conscience feeling itself wounded and strucken at the hearing thereof, shall find no rest till it hath eased itself by abundant weeping, sorrowing and mourning that God should ever be so offended by him; and until direction be given him, what better course is now to be taken, crying out with those true converts, and penitent persons in the Acts, Men and brethren, what shall we do that we may be saved? When the word doth thus work upon any, without any other enforcement of outward cross or affliction, that else do happen, it is an excellent good sign, and one of the best evidences that can be brought out, of the truth of that sorrow that hath been bred thereby, and of the soundness of that repentance that hath followed thereof. I deny not but that by crosses and afflictions the Lord doth oftentimes recover and fetch home his stray-seruants, and reclaim them out of their sins. The Lord hath many means, and he can make all, or any of them effectual to do good to those that are his: he sometimes awakeneth his servants by the sound of his word, knocking at the door of their hearts: sometimes Act. 2. 37. 2. Sam. 12. 1. 7. 13. Neh. 9 30. Gen. 6. 3. by his Spirit, wherewith he striveth within us: sometimes by striking and whipping our naked consciences, leaving them dismayed with fear and dread, and hiding the light of his countenance from us, so as we feel not the joy we were wont to have: sometimes by corrections and punishments 2. Sam. 24. 10. Psal. 38. 2. 3. 8. job 33. 16. 17. jonah 1. 17. and 2. 1. 2. on our bodies for our sins, opening our ears by them, and sealing our instruction; that so he may keep back our souls from the pit, and our lives from perishing, the Lord making this the fruit of all the affliction he sendeth to his children, even the taking away of their sin. For Isa. 27. 9 which cause it is that the heavenly justice and fatherly care of God is often showing us his rods; sometimes shaking them at us, sometimes striking them upon us, to make us awake and leap out of this miserable, filthy, and dirty puddle of our sinful life. If then the Lord be feign to lay on bodily crosses upon us, the better thereby to break our hearts, they being blessed of God, may well be made available this way to do us good. But it is not so free from suspicion; it is better to leave one sin by the power of the ministry of the word, than twenty by being beaten from them by constraint of outward trouble and affliction, especially when the knowledge of God's inexpressable love unto us in jesus Christ, is manifested and brought to light by the Gospel preached, so as thereout we are made to know how God hath so loved us, as he hath given his Son Christ jesus unto us to be our Redeemer, and so hath given us to him to be his redeemed; yea, that he hath given his own self unto us to be our most loving Father, reconciled unto us in Christ jesus, and given us again power by him, to become his children, with boldness to cry, Abba father to him, by the spirit of adoption which we have received from him; when the knowledge, especially the sense and feeling of th●se things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearts with sorrow and grief for 〈…〉 committed, that ever we should have 〈…〉 gracious, and a Father most kind 〈…〉 spoken: when of a childlike affection 〈…〉 towards him, with sorrowing deeply for having offended him, and are found as The soul that is drenched with tears of true repentance, receiveth such a tincture and die of grace, that will never after out. good natured children, that have soft and tender hearts, to be grieving, sobbing and sighing in every corner for angering our Father; so as our tears may be perceived not to be tears of sullenness or stubbornness, but of kindness and dutifulness towards him: when looking upon him whom we have pierced with our sin, we shall be found to mourn before him, as one that mourneth for his only some; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that Zach. 12. 10. is in bitterness for his first borne. And when on the otherside, the Lord looking graciously back upon us, as he did upon Peter; that look of his shall pierce our Luk. 22. 61. hearts in remembering all his kindnesses, causing us then with Peter, to go out and weep bitterly. When our sorrow groweth thus, and is caused after this manner to arise; and when the change of life following hereupon, taketh also his beginning from the like ground, which is, that the appearing of the grace of God, which bringeth salvation unto all men, is that, that teacheth and moveth, Tit. 2. 10. 11. yea after a sort compelleth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live godly, righteously, and soberly in our whole life time following: then is such a sorrow a true godly sorrow indeed, and such a conversion and repentance following thereof, undoubtedly sound and unfeigned; which safely may be rested on, and trusted unto indeed. I deny not but that God's servants both may, and aught to have sorrow and grief of heart when God's chastisements are upon them, and when they are wounded and smitten by his hand; but that must not be the principal cause of their sorrowing, nor that which should cause their sorrow most to abound: not the punishment, but the fault is most to be respected of such, and ought principally to be lamented and bewailed by them: I do also acknowledge that the terror of God's Law denouncing plagues and punishments, and threatenings of vengeance to all that are transgressors thereof, may so strike and astonish for a time the hearts of Gods humbled and dejected servants, as there can be felt of them no other than a servile and slavish fear of death and condemnation, trembling before the fierceness of God's wrath, whose angry countenance they behold frowning upon them, and his hand lifted up, bending the blow at them, which they fear will strike them dead at his feet. Then is their sorrowing little differing from that worldly sorrow that causeth death: they sorrowing, because they can see no way of escaping; but of necessity (as they think) they must have their portion with the devil and the damned, in eternal hell fire. But this kind of sorrowing and fearing, is not that which they do ever abide in, nor no longer than the Lord seethe it most expedien for them, for their better humbling, and then it is taken away again with that spirit of bondage that made them so to fear, and their worldly sorrow becometh changed into godly sorrow, that causeth in them repentance unto life; and their slavish and servile fear, into a sonlike and a childlike fear, causing them to fear the Lord; not so much because of his wrath, as for that there is mercy with him: with which fearing there is joined boldness, and the spirit of adoption given them, which causeth them to fear after that painful manner no more. Legal contrition than is not any part or cause of repentance in God's children, but only an occasion thereof; and that by the mere mercy of God; for itself is the sting of the Law, and the very entrance into the pit of hell. The Law and the Gospel, although in some sort they teach one thing, yet they persuade not by the same arguments. The Gospel persuadeth by the death of Christ, who hath loved us, and given himself for us, that we might be saved by him: this the Law never knew, nor yet taketh knowledge of, but it persuadeth with terror and fear of judgement: but the Gospel hath a more sweeter voice, and in a more amiable manner calleth us to repentance and amendment of life, and our Saviour Christ cometh with blessing us, to turn us from our iniquities. Our godly sorrowing then for sin, which causeth repentance in us, and a turning from our sins, it jer. 32. 39 40. 2. Cor. 7. 1. is a gracious effect of the Gospel, and a part of the new Covenant which the Lord promised to make with us in the latter days. Thus the sorrow of true converts differeth clearly from the sorrow of hypocrites, in that which causeth either. CHAP. XXXI. How the sorrow of true believers and hypocrites differeth in that which is caused by either. THey differ also no less in that which is caused by either. And to name the chief and principal difference at the first; the one causeth death, and the other causeth life; and that is a difference broad enough for every one plainly to discern. The worldly sorrow of hypocrites causeth death two manner of ways; either by making men too secure, or by filling them too full of dreadful horror, and hellish fear; either by making them to presume too much, and so they come to perish that way; or by making them to despair too much, and so they come to be overwhelmed and drowned in perdition, that way. When hypocrites are brought by the fear of God's judgements, or by the feeling of them, to be much troubled and vexed with grief and sorrow in their hearts, and to express their inward heaviness by an outward great humbling of themselves, after the manner that Ahab was seen to be before the Lord, they grow so conceited in themselves for that they have done, & do so flatter themselves with a vain hope that that which was feared, shall now never come, or that which they felt, shall now not tarry long, trusting to the merit of their halting, lame, and every way imperfect repentance, wherewith they seemed to be humbled: as that Michah of Mount Ephraim never promised to himself more confidently, though most vainly and unwarrantably, that God would now do him judg. 17. 13. good, seeing that he had a Levite to be his Priest: then these after once they can say, they have (they thank God) repent of their sins, they have humbled themselves, they have mourned and wept, they have asked God mercy for all that they have offended in, will hereupon be ready to say, they know now assuredly that they shall be spared, and doubt not but the judgements which already are upon them, shall shortly be removed, and not tarry long: they are made hereby as secure from fear of ever perishing; as was Agag the Amalekite, grown foolishly and desperately careless of the sudden, a little before the time that execution was to the full to be done upon him: for they trust too much to lying vanities, and follow not that course that would assuredly procure them mercy; and therefore they come at the length to sink upon the sands of security. If they fast often, as did the Pharisie in the Gospel: if they wrinkle their faces with weeping, and look sour, as they then used to do in that time: if they weep and howl and roar out upon their beds: if they afflict their souls with fasting, and bow down their heads like bulrushes for a time: they make so full reckonings, and presume so largely upon the merit of that they have done, as though God were now come to be in their debt, and that they had abundantly deserved it at the hands of God to have all things granted, which in such a manner they should seek to obtain, and that the Lord should deny nothing, which men so humbled after such a fashion should make suit for, and request to have given: yea, they seem to be impatient of any delay to be made, and that the Lord is not more present, looking beside upon all others, to attend better upon them: and so these run a-shelfe upon the steep banks of presumption, where they once touching, can never be safely got off again, till they have made their graves there, and do sink right down to the bottom of deep destruction. Anorher way by which this worldly sorrow causeth death is, when (there being no measure kept in it, nor moderation that can be had of it, to keep it within the compass that were fit), the sorrow that is awakened and raised up out of the heart that before was secure, breaketh out to all extremities in the highest degree, there being No outward balm able to assuage a raging conscience. nothing to stay, or ballast the heart from being utterly overwhelmed in the stress and storm of tentation, when it cometh upon the conscience: no light of comfort, no dram of faith can then be found to give any succour in time of that woeful distress, or to support and hold up the heart from falling flat down, and sinking quite under the importable and intolerable load and burden of sorrow pressing hard upon them: but yielding over (as those that can resist no longer) to the lust and will of their vowed enemy, who all the while did but seek opportunity to work their utter ruin, they tarry not till he destroy them, but damnably destroy themselves, and desperately do take on their course to throw off this sorrow, that shortly would otherwise of itself have here had an end; making haste by laying violent hands upon themselves, to rush into hell at once, and that with such violence, as if by force they would break open the gates of that gaping gulf before them, that they might have the more speedy entrance there to grow acquainted with those sorrows, that will never have an end, which can neither be thrown off, nor possibly borne, can never be avoided, nor no way endured; ridding themselves out of these painful fears of some worse things that might have happened unto than, wherewith they were before endlessly perplexed, tortured, and tormented, by coming to feel the worst of all, many thousand times worse, than the worst they could possibly have feared before: that so from fearing they may be brought to feeling of as much, and more than ever they feared. When, though they shall never find any cause to fear any more that that can be worse than they do feel; yet shall they feel worse, and much more than ever they could have feared: and such fear having an end, their feeling shall be everlasting, of pains that are unspeakable, and torments that never will have an end. Thus worldly sorrow, proveth hellish sorrow in the end; and when it is an over-deepe sorrow intended to the uttermost and furthest degree, it causeth death, and death everlasting, by swallowing men up in the gulf of deadly despair, and dashing them against that most dangerous rock, where they split in a thousand pieces, and wrack woefully to their final and everlasting undoing, All this may be seen in Saul, Achitophel, and in that arch-traitor judas, who having been a long while secure and dead-hearted, every way unreclaimeable from further going on with that mischief he was in hand with, till he had committed it; when once he had done that enormous fact, that heinous sin of his most unnatural treachery and villainy against his Lord & Master, that incomparable wickedness, and unmatchable villainy of his, did lie so boiling in his conscience, as made him restless, and never gave him over, till for want of other ease and comfort elsewhere to be found, he sought to get rid out of that trouble, by strangling himself in an halter: and so though he sorrowed as much as some other, and repent more than did, or do many, yet because it was but a slubbering sorrow, and a fruitless and false repentance, his hellish sorrow drowned him up in despair, and for all such repentance, he went to hell in the end for his labour. Again, some sorrowing for sin, how commendable soever it may seem to be in the outward appearing, and very hopeful for a time, that much good will come thereon, yet not being deeply enough rooted, and sound wrought in the heart, but slight and overly, so as the heart is but a little razed by it, and not wholly rend up, such kind of sorrowing (being still but of the nature of worldly sorlow), have been seen to have brought out no good effect, but in the end to have also caused death. Some that have been much astonished, and soarely gastred by some extraordinary judgement happening, and who have sometimes come wounded from a sermon, mourning for a time, and making bitter lamentation for their sin; because they have not held fast their sorrow by a longer labour of serious meditation, in better considering their own ways in their hearts, that so their sorrow might soak and sink deep enough into their hearts, their sorrowing have soon been given over, and they quickly have ceased from their mourning, and so have lost all benefit that might have come thereon; and making no better use of such their sorrowing for a time, they have gone away, and grown to be more hardened ever after, and have been found to become worse than they were ever before; according to that of Peter, their end is worse than their beginning. Besides, worldly sorrow in worldly minded men causeth death, while they, too eagerly pursuing the things of the world, and setting their hearts too much and too strongly upon them for the enjoying of them; if they have not their longing, if they be crossed in their desires, if they miss of their purposes, and cannot obtain what they so much aimed at, and travel for, they grow sick with Ahab, and pensive, they tumble on their beds, and will eat no bread▪ 1. King. 21. 4. they pine away to nothing. Men for worldly things are sometimes seen to go and run mad, to lose their wits; yea, to hang and kill themselves. Saul killed himself, not sorrowing for his sin, but lest the Philistims should mock him, or insult over him. So Achitophel, because his counsel was no better regarded and followed. It is reported of Lycurgus, the Lawgiver among the Lacedæmonians, that he would have hanged or starved himself, Tertullian Apcap 46. because somewhat against his credit they had m●nded his Laws. Some have been so impatient of disgrace, as they have been ready to hang themselves, for not playing their parts well in a Play. Thus worldly and carnal sorrow being the only sorrow that all hypocrites can have, is found to cause death every manner of way. CHAP. XXXII. Of the seven atendants on godly sorrow, in the heart of every true convert and unfeigned believer. GOdly sorrow, being the sorrow of true converts, and of unfeigned believers, that on the other side causeth life, for it couseth true repentance, which is called repentance unto life; and it causeth not a single and bare kind of repentance alone, but a repentance richly furnished with such graces as are most fit, and found to be most meet to be her attendants; and they are reckoned up by the Apostle to be seven in number, which we know makes a perfect number, all which are brought forth, and set every one in her place and order, as so many maidens of honour, to give their attendance, to accompany and wait upon their Lady and Mistress, true and saving repentance; which among many other virtues taketh place before them, and sitteth as a great Princess, and chief Lady of honour, whom the rest are to give much way unto, and duly to attend upon. Now godly sorrow marshalleth in all these graces, as which procureth and causeth them all, the Apostle setteth it out as a very generous grace, and fruitful virtue, having a goodly train following her, and a very fruitful offspring, and generation of other graces that spring out of her, and are produced by her. The first grace mentioned by the Apostle, which groweth out of godly sorrow, and is caused thereby, is care; and that not an ordinary care, after an ordinary manner taken, but a singular and very special care every way notable and remarkable: as the words used by the Apostle to show and set it forth by, do plainly import, that it was a care worthy the marking and looking upon, when he saith, behold your care; and not simply your care, but what a care; with a new rise, and as it were a double vie: both words showing, that it was a very great and extraordinary care, that they were now seen to have, after they had once sorrowed thus godly. So long as men have not the sight and knowledge of their sins, and have not the sense and feeling of their sorrow and grief for them, they abide secure and careless, and are troubled with nothing: but when their hearts are thoroughly once pierced and wounded with sorrow for them, than they begin to bestir themselves, and to look about them, than they begin to take care for the business, how things may be remedied, that are so much amiss; how they may get out of Satan's clutches, of whom they have been held fast as prisoners so long; and when, as poor prisoners, they have scaped out of the hands of a rough and cruel jailor, to care and take heed never to come into his fingers any more. And since by grieving God's spirit, we have been thus grieved ourselves, to have care to show ourselves more tractable ever after to follow better his guiding, and the leading of his hand. The word that is used, may signify study, earnest labour and diligence, which they used to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correct the fault, and take away the scandal: it was not an idle thinking, but a deep weighing and laying matters together, and as it were a beating of their brains with an earnest study and care about those things. So that where godly sorrow hath been first wrought, for offending God by our sins committed, that sorrow will breed and bring in this caring, this studying and ever taking thought about the matters of our salvation, how God that hath been so offended, may again be pacified: how his anger that is kindled, may be quenched and be caused to cease: what we are to do that we may be saved: what course we may take to please God better. It breeds in us care to shun all such occasions, as by which we were drawn to fall into sin before, and care to use all good means, without neglecting any, whereby we may be confirmed in our better standing, and kept from falling for afterward. In whom such a care is not found to be wrought and follow upon their sorrowing for sin, their sorrow is unsound, and they themselves are far from repenting truly, for they are not come yet to the first step that should lead to the same. The second grace, caused by godly sorrow, was a cleared of themselves: and that too, in a notable manner: for of all these several graces, the Apostle useth the same words, to show they were all very remarkable in them. Behold (saith he) what a care! behold what a cleared! Giving all to understand, that these graces were right and of the best kind, and were in a very notable and excellent degree found to be in them. Now the word may signify Apology, or defence of a man's self, whereby he may be excused. This cleared of themselves, was rather by a free acknowledging of the fault, confessing of the action, ask mercy for it, by suing out a pardon to have it forgiven, and they that way to be cleared and discharged, when the action is once withdrawn, the contrcuersie taken up, and the suit so brought to an end: then for them to stand upon points with God, in holding plea with him, to make that either nothing or less than it is, made by God himself, in his declaration that he hath drawn and put in against them. If a child hath offended his father by evil doing, and his father knowing it, shall call him to an account for it, it is not for the child to go and seek how he may excuse himself, by laying it upon some others, by telling this or that lie unto him, for that will but more offend him: but his way is, to down upon his knees, to confess plainly the fault, to show his grief for it, and to crave to have it forgiven. This will soon purchase pardon from his father, and so being forgiven, he goeth away cleared of the fault. This cleared, the Apostle mentioneth twice in one verse in the same place, and maketh it to be the last and blessed effect, which all these graces (together where they are found to be wrought) will at the length bring forth in him that truly doth repent: and that is, they will clear him from all his sins. There is no better cleared to be got from sin, then by sound repenting: that will clear him before God, who hath promised to pardon all the sins of such, to take away all their iniquities, to cover their transgressions, and never to remember such their sins any more; in such sort, as if they should be inquired for, they should not be found, and if they should be asked after, there should be none: now if God do justify, who shall condemn? Repentance is the best way of cleared any sinner in like manner before men: who if he be once found to have truly and sound repent indeed, and to have given that satisfaction, which in some cases is necessary to be given: then let his sin have been never so grievous, they ought to forgive it, to clear him of it, and to upbraid him no more by the same. Sound and true repentance is the best way of cleared any sinner, and of defending of him against the strongest accusations that sin itself or Satan can lay in against him: for though they can justly lay to his charge that he hath done such a sin, yet he can as readily clear himself again from that accusation, by answering that he hath unfeignedly repent for that sin, and obtained pardon for the same, which he hath ready to show for his lawful discharge, against all that list to challenge him, or call him further into any question. The sinner that hath truly repent for his sin, hath always such an answer as this to make unto Satan, even when he is most troublesome unto him: for such sins as cannot be undone, he may say unto Satan, Tell me not what I have been, and what I have done; but what I am, and what I do, and what I would do: I was a rebellious sinner, but I have obtained grace truly to repent and to leave my sin, sound to be converted and changed from that I was, and now to become a new and another man, I am no more what I was, and I would yet be better than I am. There is a double kind of cleared away sin: there is a cleared of the guiltiness of sin by pardon for the same: and a cleared away of the filthiness of sin, by purging and cleansing sin away. He that hath committed sin, as well open before men, as before God, is to seek to clear himself, as before God, so before men, by free acknowledging of the same, humbling themselves for it, and showing themselves to have truly repent of it. The third grace, caused by godly sorrow, is indignation. This followeth godly sorrow, that men are set in a chafe, and put into a heat with fervent anger and indignation against their sins, and themselves, for committing of them, to make them fret in their minds, to be at defiance with sin, and fall out with themselves for being so grossly over seen; and as men when they are angry one with another, they will not stick to fall a railing one upon another: so are they ready to give themselves hard terms, to say, What a beast was I? what a fool thus to be overseen? how was I bewitched? I think I was mad, as Paul saith, he was mad in raging against the poor Church. Yea how impatient such have been with themselves, hath been made to appear by some outward gestures, of smiting their bands on their thigh, tearing their hair of their head, and from their beards, rending their garments: which Ezra. 9 3. showeth they could not keep quiet with themselves. And as for their sins, by which they have offended God, there is nothing so deadly hated and abhorred of them, as are they: they can never more abide them, their blood riseth, and their hearts swell against them where ever they see them. Never did Amnon more loath Thamar, 2. Sam. 13. 15. after he had satisfied his filthy lust with her, when he could not abide her presence any longer, but commanded she should be thrust out of the doors, and the doors bolted against her that she might come in no more, insomuch, as it is said, the hatred wherewith he then hated her, was greater than the love was wherewith he had loved her before▪ then these true penitent servants of God do loath and abhor most those sins, which before they were known to have loved best, so as they cared not if they never saw their faces more: and it is an endless vexation and torment to their conscience but to think of them, and of the vile evils that they have committed with them, so as they can have no rest, till they have rid them away out of their sight, thrust them out of the doors of their hearts, cast them out of their hands, as things most loathsome that cannot longer be abidden, and in detestation of them, bid them get them hence, barring up all passages so to keep them out, as there may be no place left open, by which it might be possible for them, returning, ever to get any entertainment there again. Their angry carriage towards their sins that have deceived them most, is not unlike the rage of some men, when they come once to see how they have been oft abused and undone by filthy queans and harlots that have enticed them, they then grow impatient, and can no more abide them, they are ready in defiance of them, to spit them in the teeth, to slit their noses and give them whores marks, and send them away disgraced, that none may ever more be deceived and abused by them, but know them what they are. So do these deal with their sins, they do not only loathe them themselves, to spit in their faces, thereby to show in what degree they do abhor them; but they cast all the shame and disgrace upon them they can, to make others in like sort to loath them, and not to be deceived as they have been by them; they so brand and mark them, that all may be warned to take heed of them, and not to endanger themselves to be mischiefed and spoiled by them. This is that which the Prophet showeth shall be done by the people, when they are once reclaimed out of their way of erting, and showed the right way they were to take and walk in; he saith, they should not only leave worshipping of graven Images, care no more for them, and do them away: but show their indignation against them, by defacing them, spoiling the coverings of them, tear and rend their golden ornaments, defile that Isai. 30. 22. that was about them, and then cast them all away as a menstruous cloth, with words of greatest abhorring and defiance spoken unto them, when they shall say unto them, Get thee hence. This is that fervent anger and indignation that is caused by godly sorrow, in the hearts of them that do truly repent, against all their sins which they have committed, and wherewith God so much hath been offended. The fourth grace caused by godly sorrow, in the heart of him that is truly penitent, is fear, a grace that is contrary to security, profaneness, and all contempt of God. This fear, so it be understood of a holy fear, such as may beseem a true servant and child of God to have, may be carried as far and as wide as you will, it hath included under it all that is to be feared: for he that is thoroughly touched and wounded in his conscience with godly sorrow, cannot abide careless any more, nor remain void of much trembling and fear; fearing for that that is past, and cannot be undone, what mischief and harm may grow thereupon; fearing for that which through the hidden corruption of nature may be fallen into and committed, yet worse then that which hath been done, if grace be not in time begged and sought of God for preventing the same; fearing lest by this his falling into sin, God shall now be dishonoured, his truth slandered, the Gospel disgraced, the holy profession evil spoken of, and brought in contempt: fearing lest his example in sinning, should embolden others unto evil doing, and should lie as a stumbling block in the way, to cause others to fall; offending the weak, grieving the good, and opening the mouths of the wicked to blaspheme: fearing Satan's malice, lest he do again assail him, and set anew upon him: fearing his own frailty, lest he should again be overcome: fearing lest God being displeased with him, should withhold his grace from him; and lest being left to himself, he should let the spirit be quenched in him, and the sparkles of grace die out, that were so lately but new lighted and kindled in his heart. There is nothing that he may not in some sort fear of the things that are to be shunned, and which he ought to be careful evermore to prevent all that he can; according to that, A good man feareth always; and that is the best way to cause him to departed from evil. Many labour to put away this fear, but then they put away that which should breed their safety, and their best security in the end: in this doing they lay the rains upon the neck of their own lusts, being without fear to be carried by them which way they take liking; and then they were as good ride upon a wild colt without a bridle, there being no bridle to keep men in from sinning, if the fear of God be not found to be in them: the fear of a wounded conscience is whereby they forecast all the worst things to themselves, and labour to prevent them. The fifth grace which godly sorrow causeth in the heart of him that is truly penitent, is desire; which is a grace contrary to that dullness and dead-heartedness, that sluggish and careless negligence, that is usually found to be with them that are never troubled about the estate they abide in; and therefore they seldom or never are moved with any thing; they have dead hearts and feel nothing; and their desires after goodness are as dead as their hearts, so as they care for nothing. But a poor, grieved, and humbled soul, that is strucken and wounded in his conscience with the guilt of his sin, he is made of desires, he hath nothing but desires in him. The heart that is chased, desireth not more after the water brooks, than his soul is a thirst for God, even for the living God, that he might see the light of his countenance lifted up upon him, and so be received into his love and favour again. How doth his soul open itself in desire unto God after reconciliation with him, for the obtaining of pardon for his sin, and that he might be refreshed with his mercies right soon; even as the thirsty and dry ground when it is chopped and dry gapeth and riveth for want of rain, till it may be mostened and refreshed with showers from heaven. What is there more in the longing desire of his heart for afterward, then to cry out with David, Oh that my ways might now be made so direct, as I might henceforth keep the Commandments of God always: and that a new heart might be given, and a right spirit renewed in him: that he might have strength to withstand tentation the next time; and that measure of grace given him, as by which he might be able to overcome his chiefest corruptions, deny himself, bring under due obedience the rebellion of his will, and rule better his unruly affections; that his life may be so reform, as God may be well pleased, the Church better satisfied, he may have more peace, and sound comfort in his heart. These, and the like, are the holy desires which a godly sorrow will cause in that heart wherein it is once wrought. Such will complain they cannot pray as others, remember Sermons as others, prevail against their sins as do others: but they have desires to do all these; and so they being of the number of them, whose desires are still unto goodness, and who are ever hungering and thirsting after righteousness; they therefore are pronounced by Christ his own mouth to be blessed, because such (in the end) shall undoubtedly be satisfied. The sixth grace which godly sorrow causeth in the heart of a true penitent, is zeal; which is somewhat more than is desire; for it is desire intended and increased. This zeal is occupied either about that which is good, with great and fervent desire after a most earnest manner for loving of it, and having it better practised: or about that which is evil, with like desire to have it shunned and abhorred. It is a most earnest affection of the soul, which cannot be kept in, but breaketh through all, and bewrayeth itself: it is a fervency of spirit, arising of a mixture of love and anger, causing men, with all earnestness, to stand for the truth, and the maintenance of goodness, piety, God's worship and honour, and all things that may make for the furtherance and advancement thereof. And on the contrary, so to be filled with grief, displeasure, indignation, and holy anger, to see God dishonoured, and the truth wronged, or goodness any way to be disgraced: as God's servants have not been able to endure these things, but their zeal about them hath even consumed them: as David professed, that his zeal had even consumed Psal. 119. 139. 136. him, because his enemies did forget God's word. A true convert then, that is thoroughly penitent for his sins, whose soul melteth within him, and (as it were) droppeth away Psal. 119. 28. with heaviness for his sin, where he thinketh how God hath been dishonoured by him, what evil he hath done by the sin he hath fallen into. How do his eyes gush out with rivers of tears, when he considereth of these things? his zeal compelleth him so to do, he can do no otherwise. And as he is thus troubled about his own sin, such is his zealous hating of sin wheresoever he finds it committed and done, as his soul within him, is vexed and tormented; as was Lots from day to day, in seeing and hearing men's outrage in wickedness, and all the abominable and filthy words and deeds of ungodly men; on the other side, how is the heart of such a one inflamed with the love and zeal of the glory of God, what a burning desire hath he, that as God hath been dishonoured by him through his falling into sin, so he might now bring some glory to his name, by his rising again from the same, and by doing of things worthy of amendment of life, labouring to keep the commandments of God, with zeal as hot as fire? what an earnest care hath he over the good of his brethren, lest any of them should be hurt by his example in sinning? how ready is he found to be in his true zeal to God, and love to so many as he that way hath wronged, to make them the best mends he is able, and to give them any satisfaction? he stands not upon his credit among men, how that may be hindered, neither cares he for worldly shame, so he may be sure God may be honoured and well pleased by him. He hath burning in his breast such a fire of ardent zeal, as soon will consume all such trashie counsel, if any such should be given, so to let and hinder him, and bring it so to nothing, that as nothing it would be esteemed by him. The seventh and last grace mentioned by the Apostle, which godly sorrow causeth in the heart of him that is truly penitent for his sin, is revenge. All the other things being done, it doth not yet content a true penitent person; he will not forgive himself, though God should forgive him: he would not spare his sin himself, though God should spare him for it, and never at all be found to smite him. The reason why he is thus implacable and unappeasable towards his sin, is, for that he knoweth he hath not the like enemy in all the world beside (no not excepting the very devil of hell himself, with all his malicious working) that possibly could do him the like hurt and mischief, as his sin alone, either hath, or might have done: which so long as it is spared by us, and no execution seen to be done upon it, that sin is all the while in hand with doing that against us, as may become our utter undoing: for enough is done by it, so long as it is contained and maintained, as may cast us out of God's favour for altogether, and cause the Lord to take no more delight nor pleasure in us, but to hide his countenance, and to withdraw the love of his heart, and his favour from us; yea, to incense his anger, and cause the fire of his wrath to flame out upon us: enough is done by it, to set God's Angels and men against us; yea, the devils of hell also, and all other the creatures with them, to become ministers of God his vengeance, to do execution upon us, because we have not done execution upon our sins, that they might not have stirred up such displeasure and wrath against us. What child would not be revenged of such a mischievous and spiteful enemy, as is never ceasing to set his father against him, so as he can have no countenance at his father's hands when he cometh before him, but is the cause why the father looketh with a most ireful countenance upon his son, and is ever frowning and bending his brow upon him, in such sort as is intolerable, and cannot be abidden; yea, is ever upon the point of disclaiming him to be his son, and so for altogether to disinherit him? All which is done by sin against every party offending. Who could ever endure the mischievous working of such a spiteful enemy and malicious makebate, as will be sure to work a man's unquiet at home, and see that he shall have no long peace nor rest abroad, but is ever running to the justice, often to the Council, to have him up to the star-chamber; yea preferring to the King himself many and grievous complaints against him, for which, warrants are still out for him, to fetch him coram, that he can never rest nor abide in quiet by him; if such an enemy could be known, would not a man be provoked rather to die upon him, than not to be revenged on him to the full? But such a despiteful enemy have we of sin, which setteth all that it can against us, it being the greatest makebate that is in all the world, putting us to more trouble, then do all the enemies we have beside. It is the only cause we can have no peace nor rest in our consciences at home, because it ever leaves there a sting of guiltiness behind it, which never ceaseth to torment us. It breeds us all the trouble, the molestation and the grief, which we at any time do meet withal abroad; that is ever crying in the ears of the Lord against us, the cries thereof still going up to heaven. Whence it cometh, that wrath oftentimes goes out from God, and then whole armies of sorrowful troubles, afflictions, crosses, losses, sicknesses, pains, diseases, and death itself, are sent out against us, and come upon us, as ministers of his vengeance, to execute such justice as is meet for such offenders. Will any one than marvel, that a true penitent person that hath been much humbled, and whose soul hath thoroughly smarted for his sin, should carry such an unappeasable hatred against it, and be at such deadly feud therewith, as nothing can turn, nor stay him from taking vengeance to the full upon the same, seeing by revenging his sin himself, he knoweth he shall spare God a labour, who 1. Cor. 11. 31. then will be revenged thereof no more. Therefore is it that you shall see true penitent persons take the whip and rod into their own hands, and whip their sins stark naked; not after a Popish fashion, with opinion of meriting for the same: but after a childlike fashion, that mourneth before his father, whom he hath wronged and wounded when he knew not what he did, as one that was for a time beside himself, and looking upon him whom he hath so pierced: and being in bitterness before him, catcheth hold upon the instruments and weapons by which all the mischief hath been done, and then throweth them as far from him as possibly he can, that he may never see them more. Thus doth a poor grieved soul (that is ever mourning before God for the offence that he hath done against him), fly upon the face of his sin, and rending his heart with grief within, and tearing his garments for sorrow without, setting his hand upon his sin, wrecketh all his anger upon the same, tearing it into a thousand pieces, and rending it all to fitters: pulling out his right eyes, cutting off his right hands, martyring the whole body of sin, and maiming all the members of the old man; till that as his sins have crucified Christ, he may see them also crucified, and to have breathed out their last life breath. A notable example of zeal in taking vengeance upon sin, and of seeing execution to be done upon the same, and that to the full, we have in Moses the man of God, who otherwise was the meekest man upon earth: this Moses when he was come down from the Mount, and saw the Calf they had made, and their dancing about it; it is said, his anger first waxed hot, and he cast the Tables out of his hand and broke them beneath the Mount: and then be took the Calf which they had made, and burned it in the Exo. 32. 19 20. 26. 27. 28. fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel to drink it; that if they would have it again, they might no more pluck it off their ears, but go and rake it out of their bowels. All which was done for the greater detestation of their sin, and of that their unsufferable abomination, which he thus found to have been erected and set up by them. And yet not satisfied herewith, he called the sons of Levi to him, and commanded them, every man to put his sword by his side, and to go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, every man his companion, every man his son, and every man his neighbour, until there was vengeance taken of three thousand men, which fell that day by the sword. So severe was the vengeance that was taken, and the execution that was done, both upon the sin committed, and the sinners themselves that had done it. And this is the furthest that a poor grieved and troubled soul can go in his angry and zealous pursuit of sin, to be revenged upon the same; namely, when he hath set hand upon it, and got it under the hatchet, then to wreak all his anger upon ●●, hacking and hewing it, mangling and martyring it, and cutting and chopping it, as small as herbs are to the pot (as we use to speak), making sure work of it, in giving it such deadly blows, as it may never be possible for it to recover any more, of the wounds and hurts it so hath taken, and ever seeking (as sin doth revive) to mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, by a daily dying unto sin, and breathing out the ghost thereof. And this is that holy revenge the Apostle meaneth, when a repentant sinner useth all good means he can, that may serve to subdue the corruption of his nature, to bridle carnal affections, and to mortify all manner of sin. The Author having thus far fully perfected this Treatise, was called out of this life, leaving so much as followeth (according to the first draft) in lose papers; whereout being collected by a faithful Minister, and found fitly to agree, it was judged convenient to be adjoined. CHAP. XXXIII. How sorrow for sin causeth confession of sin, according to the divers kinds of it; and of the differences to be seen in men therein. Confession. SOrrow in the heart conceived for sin, especially if it be in any great measure, and the heart be deeply wounded, and thoroughly pierced with the same, it will not be held in, and kept shut up within the doors and gates of the heart, there alone to work such effects, and cause such events to follow thereof, as before have been set down; but it will break out as fire, that cannot any longer be smothered; and the fullness of that sorrow that cannot be held and contained in the heart, will seek some way to have vent, and to empty and pour out itself, by uttering of speech with the tongue, and by making open and plain confession before others of the sin, for which the heart is so overburdened with grief and sorrow within; which is for the time a little easing to the heart, which otherwise was as if it would have burst with the fullness of sorrow it felt, if this had not been the sooner done. Even as when the stomach is oppressed, and surcharged with too great a fullness, and overladen with more than it can either brook or bear, there is never any quiet to be felt, until the stomach be eased by vomit, and casting out of that surplusage of matter in it, that makes so sick and painful: so likewise when sorrow and grief for sin committed, doth overlade and press the conscience, and fill the heart brim full with painful heaviness, and woeful distress, which is felt broiling within, and turmoiling and loathsomely fretting the bowels of the soul with greater disquiet, then can be abidden; there is no case to be hoped for, or that ever can be felt, until by open and plain confession (which is, as I may say in this case, the vomit of the soul) that sin be with utter detestation vomited up, and cast out with all kind of abhorring and loathing of the same. Whereof there is a pregnant example set forth in David 2. Sam. 11. 4. after the committing of that great and gross sin of his, into which he so foully did fall. Who did ever take more pains to hide his sin after it was committed, then did he for a time? Who tried more ways? Who cast more about by using sundry and divers likely courses, to have had his sin smothered, that it might never have been known, nor come to light, than did David, as the history doth report? 2. Sam. 11. And yet all his labour this way was lost, nothing prospered nor succeeded to his mind, he could find no ease of that torment which he felt in his conscience, thorough the guilt of his sin; no rest to his soul from the turmoil and disquiet which he felt within; no freedom from the pains which he was so soarely vexed withal, which God had inflicted upon him, as just punishments for his sin; but which way soever he turned him, he felt no more ease, then if he had lain upon a rack; for night and day the hand of God was heavy upon him, so as his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day, and his moisture was turned into the drought of summer. All this he himself saith (Psalm. 32. 3. 4. 5) was while he kept silence, and would still have kept close his sin, and bit in his sorrow and grief he felt for the same: but such smothering of his sin was, as if he having hot coals powered into his bosom, should have clasped his garments close about him, so to shut them in; which every one knoweth, would have been a course not to be abidden, for the burning and scalding would have been intolerable, and never to have been endured and borne, until all had been ripped open, and thrown out again. Therefore when he could find no more ease by keeping silence, he burst out to make open confession of what he had done, and came to the acknowledging of his sin, without any further hiding of his iniquity: for so he saith, he did conclude with himself, and resolved to do, even to confess his transgressions unto the Lord; showing what a blessed effect followed upon this course taken, that then he was refreshed, and found ease to his soul, the Lord was pacified towards him, and forgave him the iniquity of his sin. A very memorable example, and thing most worthy to be marked, as we are well given to understand by that word [Selah]. Sin in the conscience is as a thorn in a man's foot, as needles in the flesh, or as poisonful matter in a soar, which lieth burning, and belching, and aching with pain not to be abidden; there is no rest in such cases until they be got out, the soar launched, and the poison expelled; then cometh ease to the patiented. job doth say, that If he job. 31. 33. had covered his transgressions as did Adam, by hiding his iniquity in his bosom, he could have had no comfort by that course in his distress. Yea, the Spirit of God directly setteth it down, that whosoever covereth and hideth his sins shall never prosper: but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, that is the man that shall have mercy, Prou. 28. 13. The covers and cloaks of sin do nothing but intercept and hide the gracious light of God's countenance from shining upon the obtenders and users thereof: for why should God vouchsafe to forgive that to us, which we will not vouchsafe to acknowledge, seeing that mortal men do look for confession of such faults as others, though being but their fellow-servants, have done against them, before they will forgive them. Thrusting out of sin then, and a clearing of the conscience by casting it up, and vomiting of it out of the stomach of the soul as a loathsome burden, that cannot any longer be borne, by a free, an open, and plain confession made thereof; and by an acknowledgement of the evil that hath been done, though it be against a man's own self, that hath been the doer of the same, is the readiest and best way that can be taken, to ease a grieved heart that is oppressed with sorrow, and heavily laden with the importable burden of his sin: * Confessio peccati est medicina peccati: Nazianz. for confession of sin is the medicine to cure sin; and where sorrow is in such a degree felt in the heart, it cannot always be kept in, but it will force out some confession to be made by the tongue, to try if that way any ease can come to the heart, or any relief possibly be gotten by such a course taken. This confession of sins is to be made first and chief 1. To God, Public, to God, and that both publicly with, and before others, in the public Congregations and Assemblies of the Church; and also privately in our secret and private prayers Private. by ourselves, which is then sufficient, when our sins are not known to others, or none else thereby wronged and offended; unless we find cause to discover our privy faults and secret infirmities to some faithful Minister or friend, that is fit and able to counsel and comfort us in respect of the same, as jam. 5. 6. willeth Christians to do. And we are to confess our sins unto God, not as to one that were ignorant of them, and knew them not before to have been done; but as to him that knoweth, and perfectly remembreth all things, having them as it were written before him in a book, who searcheth the heart, and knows all that we do amiss; that spieth out all our ways, and hath the heavens, the earth, and our own consciences the faithful witnesses of our sins against us; therefore are we the rather to confess our secret sins unto him, because we know he knoweth them, that by our so confessing of them we may do him to know, that we also know them ourselves; and that our hearts are so filled with sorrow within for having done them, that we cannot but express the bitterness of our grief, by making such an humble confession of our sins unto him, who taketh knowledge of all sins, and that only can forgive them, and grant us pardon for them; as he hath promised so to do, Prou. 28. 13. 1. john 1. 9 and hath accordingly performed to David and others, 2. Sam. 12. 13. Beside this confessing of sin unto God, if the sin 2. To men. committed, hath not only been done in the sight and knowledge of God, but also before men, with scandal and offence to the Church wherein it is so done; then is it to be openly confessed both to God and men thereby offended, that the plaster of confession being spread as far, as the hurts and wounds of sin have extended, they may be sound cured. Sins for which confession is due unto men, are either such as be offensive, and hurtful unto some certain and particular persons only, unto whom like private confession is requisite, by the testimony of our Saviour Christ; Mat. 5. 23. 24. or else they are such as be publicly offensive, and scandalous to a whole Church or Congregation; either in regard of the notoriousness of the crime committed, or in respect of the obstinacy of the offender, proceeding unreclaimeably with an obdurate heart and high hand in 1. Cor. 5. Matth. 18. 17. any private or lesser sin, whereby he doth justly deserve▪ and cause that it should be made public, that others may take heed of him, and he accordingly be censured, ashamed, & chastised▪ for these, no less than public confession is sufficient, that thereby the Church and Congregation may be satisfied, and the poor sinner's sorrow and grief of heart, as one that is indeed truly penitent, may be brought out, and made manifest to be true and sound, as it ought to be. Here in confession of sin also, there is many manifest Difference thereof. and plain differences between the repentance of sound converts, and of those that are impenitent, unrepentant, and at the best but counterfeit. And first to begin with the Papists, who for private 1. From popish confession. confession are more severe in their tradition, than God is in his Word, urging every man under pain of damnation to confess in the ear of a Priest, all, and every one of his 1. Unto men. sins in particular, how secretly soever they have been done; and so many times do urge men to do open penance for secret sins, inverting the discipline of the Church: this neither the Word of God any where requireth, neither the Orthodox Church hath taught, as well doth Master Perkins make to appear in his Reformed Catholic in his Treatise of Confession, that Auricular August. Confess. lib. 10. cap. 3. Chrysost. tom. 5. hom. 5. de dei natura. Et in Psal. 50. hom. 2. confession was not known unto Augustine, it is clear, for he said, What have I to do with men, that they should hear my confessions, as though they should heal all my diseases. And likewise Chrysostome; I do not compel thee to confess thy sins to others. And again; I do not bid thee confess them to thy fellow-servants, who will mock thee: but confess them to God, who will cure and heal thee. The Papists do likewise err about the confession of sins which they make unto God, in that it is, and must 2. Unto God. be made in a tongue or language not understood of the speakers thereof being ignorant, which hindereth the fervency of his zeal, that so doth make his confession, and the breaking of his heart with sorrow for that sin, which he confessing, knoweth not what it is that he doth confess; and therefore may well think such confessing will be fruitless, and bootless, and all in vain: for it is not likely that ever God will take knowledge of that for the forgiving of it, though pardon in some sort may be asked of him, when he that asketh it, knoweth not what he asketh, and understandeth not what he saith; it is not like that ever the Lord will hear him, that heareth not himself all the while he is a speaking he cannot tell what. Now in the next place to come to the openly profane 2. From open Atheists. and ungodly persons, they offend against the making confession of sins unto God, at least in any particular manner, because they are shut up in hardness of heart, so as they cannot repent, and therefore will be brought to no special confession at all; which course doth need no light of God's word and glorious Gospel to show the damnablenes thereof; for the candle light of the Heathen is sufficient to discover their state to be most desperate and past all hope. Seneca could say, that as to tell a dream is the part of one that first wakened himself out of his dream, that now he may tell it unto others; so to confess sin, is the office and part of him that is in the way of being recovered out of sin: whereby is intimated the contrary, for any to hold his peace this way, is to be in his dream still, and to lie drowned in the gulf of perdition, and in a deadly lethargy and sleep of sin. But to come to set down some differences of confessing 3. From common Protestants. sins between common Protestants (I mean those that only are but carnal Gospelers, hypocrites, and counterfeit converts at the best), and them that are thoroughly penitent, and who have their hearts broken indeed with godly sorrow for their sins. The first sort, if they could 1. Difference. get their shame and ignominy removed, and still keep credit with men, they care not though they do keep still their sin, which appeareth by the manner of their making confession of their sins; which is done after so slight a fashion, and in a stubborn manner, having such a companion of pride joined with the same, as will strangle it to death before it come forth: but a true penitent child of God doth make confession of his sins with shame and confusion of face for them; yet not sparing nor caring for any shame amongst men by confessing his sins, nor what cause he hath to look sadly upon them, but how he may in all humility look up with hope and comfort unto God; he careth not what punishment soever God layeth upon him, so as his sin may be taken away; he is still crying out with David, Lord take away mine iniquity, and blot out all my sin: for the Psal. 51. nature of true repentance is to make a man ashamed of sin, which he hath committed, but not ashamed with grief to confess it when it is done; but men are for the most part so full of self-love, as they will not yield to make any other confession of their sins, than such as will (as they think) stand with their own outward safety, credit and honour. Hypocrites are more general in folding up all their 2. Difference. sins in a bundle together, when they come to make confession of their sins, regarding no more one than another of them; but shuffling of them together upon a heap, they do make a general and confused kind of confession and acknowledgement of them, and such also is their humiliation for them. But as in surfeits taken in eating, some one kind of meat intemperately eaten, may be the principal cause of that surfeit; so among many sins there may be some one or two chief festering sins, which do lie rankling in men's consciences, that require special cost to be bestowed about them, and regard to be had of them. True penitents therefore do deal more particularly, and look to their special and chief sins, acknowledging them with grief of heart unto God, making their beginning there; and having their thoughts most specially to dwell upon the consideration of them. It is meet that men should take several repentances for their several sins, and for the vain pleasures and carnal delights they have taken therein, that having had many unlawful pleasures in sins, they do not shut up all with one repentance alone. There is a story, 2. Sam. 21. 1. that in David's time God sent a plague upon the land for a sin committed in the days of Saul: if David and his people were punished for not regarding saul's sin; how much more liable was he to punishment, if he had not regarded his own sins, and the sins of his time? It was well said by one, that if for the blood of the Martyrs shed in this land in Queen mary's time, we had had every year since a fast throughout the whole land for that blood shed, it had been little enough; how much more than for our own proper sins, and the sins of this time, which now overflow the banks both of religion and civil honesty? Where capital and principal sins that have much angered the Lord, and greatly provoked his displeasure against the offenders, have not in special manner been bewailed, acknowledged and confessed unto the Lord, when men have made their repentance, and humbled themselves for their sins, it hath come to pass, that such as have gone forward a great way in repentance, have been feign to go a great way back again to fetch better repentance, that they may repent for that which yet they never repent of: as in the time of Ezra. 10. 10. 11, the people having repent long, were feign to go back to fetch now repentance; and having fasted before, to fast again, & turn all mirth into mourning, because they forgot a special sin of marrying with strange wives. For as in an Evidence and writing for assurance, there may be left our such words as should be most effectual in the conveyance, to the great prejudice of the lawful owner, which must cause it to be new written again: so in a man's repentance many things may be found out, which were forgotten at the first, to the great hindrance of a man's comfort. Hence it is that men often remember upon their deathbeds, with much grief of heart, the sins of their youth, their incontinency, their pride, their oppression, their slanders and wrongs they have done to their neighbours that are dead and gone, no satisfaction having been therefore made by them. And experience hath tried and taught this, that many, though they left their sins long ago, yet because they did not thoroughly and sound repent for them, they have rebounded back upon them with terrible sights and fearful visions, to humble them, and to bring them to a more serious examination of them, and better sorrowing for them, though long since left, and in a manner quite forgotten. I do not deny, but that hypocrites and reprobates The confession of judas. may sometimes, through the great distress of conscience Matth. 27. 3. 4. that they are in, be brought to make a more particular confession of their sins, and to make special mention of their most heinous and enormous vices, which they are guilty of, and which now have brought them to that distress wherein they are. judas was a rank hypocrite, and a close cunning one, if ever there was any, yet he is said to have repent; and in the hellish sorrow that he was in, he made confession of his sin; yea he made confession of his particular sin, & that openly, he cared not who heard him; and he confessed that sin that was of all his sins the greatest, and whereby he had most offended: but because it was without faith in God's mercy, and without any true humbling of himself before the Lord, seeking unto him to have it pardoned; and was made not in the true and perfect hatred of that sin, because it was sin, but because he could keep his own counsel no longer; and the overruling hand of God would have, that he should pen his own indictment, and confess the action that he was guilty of, the fact for which he was in his conscience now arraigned, before he should be hanged; that being out of his own mouth thus condemned, all the world might know that he died justly damned. This confession of his, though it was of his particular sin, though it was of his chiefest and most heinous sin, and that openly made to his own shame; yet was it no better than his satisfaction, when he brought again the money and cast it a forehead from him: for nothing can be well done in a wicked man, which yet would be excellent, found done by a good man. Besides, the confession of judas was a false confession, made to wrong parties, such as were guilty of the same sin himself had committed; and therefore were no way fit nor able to relieve him. He made his confession to man, he made none to God, whom he had so greatly offended, to ask mercy of him; he humbled not himself before his Lord and Master, whom most villainously above all he had wronged, to ask pardon and forgiveness at his hands, who only could help him; it was a confession of desperation, and not of hope; a confession that had no true humiliation joined with it; a confession more of the innocency of Christ, then of the greatness of that sin, by which he had done all that mischief that then was done: it was therefore but an effect of worldly and hellish sorrow, that caused his death and just damnation. But the humble confession, which godly sorrow in the True confession. hearts of such as are truly penitent doth cause them to make, is the reverend and modest blushing of their guilty consciences; they now putting themselves to shame, not hiding their sins any longer, but making open confession of them both before God and men, when there is just cause for them so to do, with desire of reconciliation, with hope of obtaining mercy at the hands of God, and pardon for the same: and these do so confess their sins, as it is done with an utter loathing and perfect hating of them, as those that have no purpose at all to have any more to do with them from that time forward, as Ephraim who said, Hos. 14. 8. What have I to do with Idols any more? The confession of sin made by hypocrites, and such 3. Difference. as are unsound in their repentance, is not a voluntary humble confession of sin in the grief of their hearts that they have done it, moved by a loath some hating of it, that makes them so to throw it out, as overburdensome longer to be kept: for they commonly do not confess their sins, before their sins be known in such sort, as the denial of them is in vain and without colour; and before the confession of sin be extorted out of them, by the extremity of some judgement and plague upon them. As when that terrible thunder, and hail mingled with fire, Exod. 9 27. so grievous as never before was known, was thrown down upon Pharaohs head, and upon all his land; and that innumerable Exod. 10. 16. army of locusts sent after the hail had devoured all the fruit which the hail had left, then was this confession wrong out of Pharaohs mouth, that he had sinned, that God was righteous, but he and his people were wicked; that he had sinned against God, and had sinned against his people. Hypocrites come not to confession, till they be drawn out as by the ears to the making of it; as was Adam, Josh. 7. 18. and that they be arrested and attached by some judgements sent from God: as the Lord was said to have taken Adam, and so he was brought out to make his confession. When they do make their confession, they do make it but by halves, and with their mouths as half open, confessing something, but not fully the whole matter as it was by them done. They confess their sin as did Adam, who for all his confessing (as job saith of him, job 31. 33), yet did still hide his sin; so do these, making confession of their sins for all that keep close much iniquity in their bosom. Adam, because his sin was known unto the Lord, who now called to examination for the same, did indeed at the last with much ado say, he had eaten: but he kept close his own iniquity in his bosom, and laid the whole blame of the fault upon another person. When hypocrites come to confess their sin, they seek how to extenuate it, and make it seem as little as possibly they can, excusing it in themselves all they are able, and laying the greatest 〈…〉 upon the shoulders of other men, if they can fasten v●●●●ny partners in the same course with them. As in ●a●s example and practice is evident to be seen, who being challenged by Samuel for 1. Sam. 15. 14. 15 20. 24. 30. the bleating of the she●pe i● his ears, and the loughing of the oxen which were kept vbs●●ine, though at the length being strongly & notably convinced by Samuel, he was brought in spite of his heart to make co●●●●sion of his sin, and that twice for failing; once after his conviction, and then again the second time before Samuel wholly left him; yet at the first he stood stoutly to the matter, that he was innocent, and free from all bl●●e; yea, that he deserved much commendation, for having done all that God commanded him, and performed his whole will in all that he would have done; for he for his part had slain the Amalekites: as for that fault of keeping some of the fat beasts alive, he transferreth the blame thereof wholly from himself, as if he had had no hand in it, and layeth it all upon the people; they indeed (saith he) spared the fat beasts for sacrifice. Wherein he dealt like a notable hypocrite indeed: for of that which was well done, he would have the whole praise, as though he himself had done it all alone: but of that which was evil done, he would have all think that he stood clear from all manner of fault therein; that, others must answer for, let the people share that, and part it amongst them, and much good do it them, for he will none thereof. And this is the most usual dealing of falsehearted hypocrites that have lived since, and do live at this time: in good things if they have done any thing, they will have it understood, that they have done all things: but in evil things, except they have done all things, they would have men believe, that they have done nothing: if they can pick out any that have done as bad as they, or though not so bad, but fallen into the lapse of those sins, wherein they do lie notably bemired; though they cannot deny but they have done evil, yet they presently have such an answer as this ready to make to all, that list to charge them therewith; I cannot indeed deny, but that I have not done well in doing of this thing: but I am not the first that in like manner have done amiss, neither shall I be the last; there be others, I warrant you, that be as bad as I; neither am I alone in this sin; there were others as well as I, that joined with me in it, and were as forward as I, and provoked me to it; and though I cannot say I have done well in doing of 〈◊〉 yet I pray God I never do worse: I have as good a heart to Godward as any whosoever, and I had a good meaning to do for the best, how heinous soever you make the matter: God be merciful to us; if I should not do thus, there were no living in this world, but to be undone and laughed at for a precise fool. This and much more might Saul have answered to Samuel; which answer would have been as good, as an apron of Fig leaves to cover his nakedness. They that are truly penitent indeed, take none of these courses when they are humbled before the Lord, or before men, to make confession of their sin; they do it after a much differing▪ yea after a clean contrary fashion. When their hearts are wounded and stricken thorough with godly sorrow for sin, there need no great urging nor enforcing of them to make their humble confession and acknowledgement of them; they are never well till that is done; their hearts are so oppressed and filled with sorrow within, that they are as if they should burst, till after this manner they have s●ught to ease them; they stay not always the extremity, until by some outward judgement, the confessing of their sins be extorted from them; it is enough that the greatness and heinousness of their sins is set before them, and made known unto them, and that there by they have offended God, their hearts being convinced of them, and smitten with remorse and grief for the doing of them: this is found sufficient, without the enforcement of further terror and fear of punishment, to bring them on their knees before God, yea, and before men also, when there is just cause for them so to do, to make their free and humble acknowledgement of their sins, and to crave earnestly the pardon and forgiveness of them. And in the confessing of their sins, they do not mince the matter, to make their sins either fewer or lesser than they are; they seek not excuses, pretences and cloaks to cover their sins, and to shift of the blame and fault from themselves to lay it upon other men: but they discover all their sin, and lay them open to the full; they seek not how to extenuate, but rather how to aggravate the faults that they have committed; they leave other men, and take the blame upon themselu●●, and lay the burden upon their own shoulders: There are none so hard and severe unto them, as they are unto themselves, in making the most and worst of their sins, and passing out the sharpest sentences and censures against themselves above that any others would ever do; they coming to take the scantling of their own sins, do set them upon the tenterhooks, to draw them out to the full and furthest length and breadth that they can extend unto; yea, they strain them many times so hard, that they do reach them beyond the true extent of them: and do make them greater, than either God himself, or man would do. There are none have been so humbled; none that have thought so meanly and basely of themselves, or that have cast themselves down so low in the sight of their sins, and conscience of their unworthiness, as have done some of Gods most worthy and excellent servants; as it is plain to be seen by the Scriptures. Agur (Prou. 30. 2) Prou. 30. 2. saith of himself, Surely I am more foolish than ●ny man, and have not the understanding of man in me. Now it is sure Agur was a wise man, and a holy man, yet he thus meanly conceiveth and speaketh of himself. So the Apostle speaketh of himself, that he was of all other the greatest sinner, 1. Tim. 1. 15: and yet answering for himself before 1. Tim. 1. 15. Acts 23. 1. the jews and High Priest, Acts 23. 1; he saith, Men and brethren, I have in all good conscience served God unto this day. Doubtless no other godly and wise man living in those times, and knowing these men, would ever have given such a hard sentence of either of them. Question. The question then from hence may be, how far a man may amplify his own weakness & unworthiness, without prejudicing the truth. Answer. For answer hereunto, we are to know, that as an act of justice, differeth from an act of charity, so the sentence of judgement differeth from the sentence of affection and sense: an act and deed of justice we know must go by a strait thread, without swerving any way at all: but an act of charity hath latitude or breadth, as the health 〈◊〉 a man's body hath, and the Zodiac Circle in the heavens, within the extreme whereof, the Moon is never out of her right course, though she move not ever with her Centre unvariably upon the ecliptic line. Now in the practice of repentance, which is an immediate act of the affections, men may according to their feeling make their faults, and the revengement thereof with the most, rather than with the jest, and yet be within the compass of the truth of their conceiving and feeling, though beyond the extent of the truth of their sins in themselves exactly considered; according to the practice of Zacheus, Luke 19 8. who, repenting of his getting goods unjustly, said, he would give half of his goods to the poor: which thing, though an act of repentance will allow a man to do, yet an act of strict justice and judgement will not design and enjoin a man to do so much. Zacheus repenting said, If he had done any Levit. 6. 5. man wrong, he would restore him fourfold; which was more than the Law would have required. An indifferent and upright judge coming to judge between two sinners, must judge according to the truth of things, neither more nor less: but a repentant person coming to judge of himself, he judgeth with the hardest, according to the truth of that he doth conceive and feel to be in himself: so in the act of charity, a man thinketh best of others, and worst of himself, as we see in the Apostle (Rom. 7. 24.) who in true sorrow for his sin, crieth out of himself, Rom. 7. 24. expounded. as of a most wretched man, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word is a double compound, used when one would most disgrace a man: now we know the Apostle had not committed any so heinous a sin after his conversion; for in his apology for himself, Act. 23. 1. he saith, that in all good conscience he hath served God unto that day: and 2. Cor. 1. 12. he saith, that that was his rejoicing, even the testimony of his conscience; that in all simplicity and godly pureness he hath had his conversation in the world, etc. Now according to this precedent set before us, in that which was thus done by this blessed Apostle, is the course and practice of true converts, that are thoroughly humbled, and cast down with sorrow and grief for their sins: there is none that will think more meanly of them, nor any that will cry out more loudly against them, than they will think meanly and abjectly of themselves, and cry out with a note higher, than they that are loudest against them for their unworthiness and evil doing. And Qui sibi displicet in vitijs, deo placet. Bernard. indeed the more abject that any true penitent servant of God is in his own account, so he end in faithful humility, and not in stubborn desperation, it is the better. And so much may serve to have been spoken for showing some differences between the confession of sins made by hypocrites, and those that are sound converts, and true penitent persons. Now as touching confessing of sins in genial, when Confession in general. we are brought upon our knees before the Lord, to confess & acknowledge our sins unto him; though we may be specially moved thereunto, by some one, or some few later gross and grievous sins committed and fallen unto by us; yet is it meet that we rest not alone in the consideration of that one, or those few sins so lately committed; but by means thereof to take occasion to find out our other sins also, and them all (if we could) by which in former time we transgressed and offended; that all may be repent of, and we the better humbled for them. As when one lighting a candle to go seek some one thing that he misseth, by means of that light, and seeking, doth find another; yea (many times) many things that were overcast, and (in a manner) quite forgotten. As a worthy man hath wisely observed out of the practice of David, that being checked by Nathan for one gross sin lately committed, and by him done, he coming to make his repentance for it, thinketh of more, and never resteth till he come to the root of all, to be humbled for his Original sin, as well as for his actual; Psalm. 51. as in that penitential Psalm composed by him is evident to be seen: so is it meet, that when (by means of some gross sin lately or last committed) our consciences are so wounded, and our hearts so pierced and smitten thorough with sorrow and grief, as there is no abiding for us longer to defer and put of our repentance, and humbling of ourselves before the Lord for making our peace with him, that we take occasion therefrom to survey and overlook all our ways; to cast over the daybook of our whole life, to see what Items the Lord hath against us, and what arrearages we have run into, by our transgressing his most righteous laws, and to go so far back in searching and trying our ways, and job 14. 4. Psal. 25. 7. well considering them in our hearts, (according as the Lord willeth us to do by the mouth of his Prophets, Lam. 3. 40. Hag. 1. 5. 7.) until we come with job, and David, to bewail the very sins of our youth, and to ask mercy for them; yea, until we come to the head spring and fountain of our Original corruption; and to gauge the very belly and womb of sin in our first conception; and so acknowledge that, with all the rest, unto God, as particularly as we can; labouring to break our hearts for them all jointly and severally, that so our hearts may fall into the more pieces, there being the more strokes given to the same, by the more sins we can remember to have been committed by us, until our hearts may be so smitten and so contrite, that they may be as if they were ground even to dust and powder: for the which purpose we must narrowly search and sift ourselves, unto the which course the Prophets have so much, and so often called God's servants by their earnest exhortations, Zeph. 2. 1. Now albeit we be willing to take knowledge of all Of special sins. our sins in general, yet are we most to humble ourselves, to ask mercy, and seek reconciliation for our special sins, whereof we are guilty, if we can guess which they are that God hath chief in chase, and for which he most pursueth us by his judgements, for still retaining of them. For commonly men that could be contented that all their sins might die with the lean cattle slain by Saul, yet have they some one or two fat sins, which 1. Sam. 15 9 they would as feign spare, as Saul did the fat beasts and Agag the King. There is no gift of God given to many men that is so dear unto them, but there is something forbidden by God, that is in like sort as dear to them as that is, and as loath to be parted from. Herod would not Mat. 14. part with his darling sin: but God when he hath sin in chase, and pursueth men with his judgements, because they will still retain those sins, will never give them over, no more than joab pursuing Sheba the son of Bichri, 2. Sam. 20. did give over his pursuit until the traitor's head was thrown over the wall unto him. God's judgements are as his armies of soldiers, that do pursue us for our sins: we are to be as wise therefore for making peace with God, as was the woman with joab in Abel, by whose counsel Vers. 22. the traitor's head was cut off, by cutting off the heads of all such our sins, and casting them away speedily from us, that God may cease any further to pursue us with his judgements for them. There are also some sins most specially aimed at, as chief in the treason, which God will see special execution to be done upon, before ever he will give us over: their heads are to be cut off in time, and they most specially to be thrown out by humble confession and pardon craved for them. We are therefore to be most heedful in observing our chiefest infirmities, our strongest corruptions, our commonest and most masterfull sins that have foiled us most, and into which we are most in danger soonest and oftenest to fall; to acknowledge them especially unto God, as bewailing them most, with desire to have mercy for them, and power against them, ever keeping a vigilant eye open over our greatest frailties, that we may be most humbled for them before the Lord, most afraid of them in ourselves, in regard of our known weakness; and labour to arm ourselves the better, and to make over selves the stronger to deal with them, and to wrestle against them; both for the throwing them out of us, when they are got in; and for the keeping them out when they are once expelled and gone. For as one saith well, they that are the best men of war against all the vanities and fooleries of the world, do always keep the strongest guards against themselves, to defend themselves against themselves, from self-love, selfe-estimation, self-opinion, and such other homebred sins. In confessing of sin, beside the variety and multitude Quality of sins. of our sins, which thus are to be searched out, the quantity and quality of sin is to be weighed and considered, to the end our humiliation may be thereby the better furthered. And first, for the finding out the heaviness and weightiness of our sins, we are not to do as they, that, coming to weigh gruffe or massy metal, bring great scales, and leaden and great iron weights; but we are to weigh them in the tried scales and weights of the Sanctuary, that are as the weights where with men weigh gold, that will show what is wanting, though it were but the weight of a dram, grain, or less. The cause why we undervalue sin, is because we take out our own weights to weigh it by; which are as weights of lead; if things be not somewhat excessive heavy, we cannot perceive or find any great want or difference with them. But nothing is little, nor lightly to be accounted of, that is committed against the great Majesty of God, the price of Christ's redemption, the covenant that we have made in Baptism, by the committing whereof we are made covenant Nihil leave quod praeponderatur mundo. breakers, and as perjured persons. That cannot be accounted light, that is able to weigh against, and to outwaigh the whole world, and overthrow it too; as we know sin hath done: one jot of God's Law is more esteemed by him, than all heaven and earth is beside. We know what the Psalmist saith of men, yea and of men in their best estate, how by sin they are made so subject to vanity, as if they should be laid in the balance, they would be found lighter than vanity itself: and if the Lord should hold the scales, and put a sinner into the balance, though weighed but with the least sin that ever can be committed; yea though without any actual sin at all, no more being put in than his bare Original corruptin; as let it be an Infant newly come into the world, and not yet a day old, he would be found not to hold weight in the Lord's balance; and therefore the sentence of God's justice passing out against such an one would be so heavy, as would make manifest the weightiness of his sin; for thereby he would not only be thrust down from the throne of an earthly kingdom, as was Balthasar, Dan. 5. but of the everlasting kingdom of heaven, but also pressed down into endless torment, and most woeful condemnation in hell. Let no man then account of that to be light, which is able to sink and weigh down any under it into utter destruction, and everlasting confusion; which the least sin in the world is able to do. As for the quality of every sin, there is as great difference between sins and sins, as between moats and beams; hundreds of pence, and thousands of talents; between fifties and five hundreds, in our reckonings & accounts. Yea, even the same sin again and again committed multiplieth, according to that order which is in cyphering; where that figure which in the first place standeth for single, in the second place is ten times as much, in the third place an hundredth, in the fourth a thousand, and so infinitely increasing by ten, hundreds, and thousands, according to the order of the place wherein it standeth. The same sins by circumstances are greater in one then in another, according to the differences of men's persons and places. Sins are greater in public persons, then in private; in such as have knowledge, then in them that are ignorant: the white hairs of old men, do make their sins a great deal the blacker: and this, that men sin in the clear light and sunshine of the Gospel, setteth them up to a far higher degree of wickedness, and of just condemnation, both before God and man, then if they had done the same wickedness in the night of ignorance, and times of darkness. Sins of wilfulness, are above sins of weakness: but if there be any one sin to be named more dangerous than another, it is security, hardness of heart and impenitency: all other sins, through faith and repentance, may be pardoned: this only is the kill sin, which if it be not prevailed against, will never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come: for except you repent, (saith he that shall be the judge of all the world) you shall all likewise perish, Luk. 13. 3. Neither doth that impardonable sin against the holy Ghost otherwise kill, but for that it is accompanied with final impenitency: for though God in himself be infinite in mercy, yet hath Heb. 6. 6. he set marks, marches, and limits, how far, and not beyond that, to show mercy to men, that they may fear and tremble to offend and proceed in sin. CHAP. XXXIIII. Of satisfaction, and the divers kinds thereof: with the differences between true believers and hypocrites therein. BEsides confession of sin, there is another Satisfaction. 1. To God. thing that godly sorrow will urge unto, namely satisfaction; in all such cases wherein by our sinning we have wronged either Church, or Commonwealth, or any singular person or persons, be they more or fewer. But as for making on our part any satisfaction unto God for our sins committed against him, we wholly renounce the opinion of them that hold it possible by any mere man to be done; and we do as much abhor from the practice of ever endeavouring or going about the doing thereof; giving ear to what is said by the Psalmist, Psal. 49. 7. 8, concerning that, namely that it is to be let alone for ever; for it cost more to redeem our souls, and the price is greater than we are able to pay, though we were able to give the whole world, and offer it unto God in satisfaction for our sin. We know not of, neither will we acknowledge any other meet satisfaction and sufficient unto the justice of God for our sins, then that alone which our blessed Saviour himself hath offered; when he gave himself a price of redemption for us, and offered up his body upon the cross, a sacrifice of a most sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5. 2. unto God. The best satisfaction that we can offer unto God for our sins is, with the renouncing of ourselves, and all opinion of our own merits, being cast down before him in the brokenness of our hearts for offending of him, that by the hands of our faith apprehending Christ jesus we hold him up, and all that he hath done and suffered for us, desiring that thereby his justice may be satisfied, and we discharged. And in this we may and are to rest, and that boldly too. Christ (saith Augustine) August. serm 37 de verbis Apostolorum. by taking upon him the punishment of our sins, and not the fault, hath done away both the punishment and fault: and then on our parts what is it that we should fear, that we should go about the satisfying of God's justice? Peter's tears (saith Ambrose) I read of; but I read of no satisfaction that was made by him. Neither ever was, nor ever shall be made by any, that can be sufficient or meritorious, but by Christ alone; and therein we rest as touching such kind of satisfaction. Satisfaction to the Church for faults committed to the 2. To the Church. scandal and offence thereof, is when the offenders do submit themselves to the discipline thereof, bear such censures, endure such corrections, and perform such duties as shall be in justice imposed upon them, and enjoined unto them, after such a fashion as the Church shall appoint or approve of; and so long a time as till the Church do say it is enough, and think it is sufficient that hath been done, and so rest themselves as fully satisfied therein. This, hypocrites and counterfeit penitents will never Difference in hypocrites. be brought readily to yield unto, nor found willing to perform; though they make no dainty of sin to commit it, with how great offence soever that be done, yet their stomachs are too weak to brook the shame that they ought justly to take for it, or the punishment that doth belong as due for the committing of it: they think that which should be their gracing for ever, the repairing and recovering of their credit again with them that are good; if any thing else be able to do it, namely conscionably and penitently to give such satisfaction to the Church, would be their shaming for ever, make to the utter overthrow of their credit, and bring upon them so great a confusion, as they should never know how to look any man in the face again. Rather than they will stand in a white sheet, come into the congregation there upon their knees with grief to confess their faults, and renounce them, publicly ask forgiveness, they will either run the country, or if it may be bought off with money, they will be as frank in offering liberally, even to the full contenting of them that in that case have to do with them, if they will take money, so as thereby they may be discharged from further penance, as ever were those hypocrites in their offers they made to God in the days of Micah, so as there might be dispensation Micah. 6. 7. granted them for their sin. And yet these very persons will make a show of being very penitent; talk with them in private, and you shall find them as though they were much humbled; you shall see them weep and shed tears in abundance, and cry out of themselves for having done as they have done; you shall hear them to sob and sigh, as if their hearts would break within them: but where they refuse to give the Church due satisfaction; this declareth them to be but rank hypocrites, hollow and unsound, and no better than plain counterfeits in all that they do beside. For this their way (as it is in the Psalm 49. 13.) declareth their foolishness. They are like unto stubborn Absalon, who, though he had committed that flagitious fact, and most injurious to his father, of murdering his father's son and his own brother, yet rather than he would any longer abide to go under that which was but too easy a censure for so great a crime, namely to endure his father's frowning, and the hiding of his face from him for a time, he had rather die, be knocked on the head, or hanged out of the way. So these, rather than they 2. Sam. 14. 32. will endure this shame of making such a satisfaction, they will give over all, and will go as far as their legs will carry them; they are vexed and confounded not for that they have sinned, but because their sin is found out and known: for they are like to the people in jeremiahs' time, of whom the Lord by his Prophet asketh whether jere. 8. 12. they were ashamed, when they had committed abomination; and answereth again the question, nay they were not ashamed, neither could they blush or take shame. And jere. 3. 3. it is directly said, they refused to take shame: which is the very thing that these do; and therefore the sentence which the Lord in that place by his Prophet jeremy, 8. 12. doth set down against them, may be justly feared of these; and that was, therefore shall they fall among them that do fall, in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. But they that are truly touched with godly sorrow, In true penitents. and are unfeignedly penitent for their sins indeed, as led by another spirit, are found to be of a clean other practice; they willingly submit themselves to all the censures of the Church: they care not what they are appointed to suffer, nor what is enjoined them for to do; they are ready to fulfil all, so as thereby they may give that satisfaction to the Church and every good Christian that is meet; so as none may any more remain justly offended, or further to think themselves wronged by them. They stand not upon their credit with worldly men; and as for shame they refused not to blush and be ashamed; for they know it is duly belonging unto them, both before God and men. They are ready to say with Daniel, To us Dan. 9 8. O Lord belongeth shame and confusion of face: and when they make their prayers, to say with Ezrah, O my God I Ezrah. 9 6. am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee. And when their sin is broke out to the offence of many, than shame doth also cover their faces before the sons of men, especially when they are shamed by rebukes, corrections and censures of the Church passed out against them; they refuse not to take that deserved shame, but so draw themselves to a willingness, since that must be their burden, contentedly to bear the same; saying with the Prophet Micah, I will bear this indignation, because I have sinned. Micah. 7. 9 For as the Lord answered Moses in the case of Miriam, If her father had but spit in her face, ought she not to Numb 12. 14. have been ashamed seven days? So if the fathers of the Church, as abhorring such foul courses and gross sins committed, shall show how much they are offended by the hard censures they do set down, and sharp penance they do enjoin; should not the offenders be ashamed seven days as it were? Yea doubtless; and they that do truly repent, though they had not such outward shame put upon them, yet would they with repentant Ephraim, jerem. 31. 19 having truly repent and being turned, smite their own hands upon their thigh, and grow ashamed of themselves, yea even confounded by bearing the reproach of their so doing amiss. And this their shame, howsoever for a time it may be their abasing; yet being well carried, contentedly, conscionably and meekly borne, it will afterward make to the lifting of them up; to be had in better account with all that are good, and to have the better credit and estimation among all them. David committed a sin so gross in that kind, as in many respects a grosser could not lightly have been done; not a single sin, but a compound sin, that had many other very grievous and most heinous wickednesses folded up in it, and enwrapped with it, yea tied & twisted to it to strengthen the evil of it, till it became hugely big, even a very gross and grievous sin indeed; which could not be but with great offence given to the Church of God, when it once became known. But who more penitent Psal. 51. than was David? or who ever gave the Church a better satisfaction than did he? who spared not, besides the confessing and acknowledging of it in words, though it were (as he said) against himself, and to his own shame, to publish it in writing, with his great sorrow and repentance for the same; and suffered it to be spread abroad, yea not only to be spoken of, but also to be sung out openly aloud in the midst of the solemn assemblies and Churchmeetings throughout his whole land as it were, thereby gathering, and in a manner pulling upon himself the shame belonging unto it from all the people of his whole land: and not only shaming himself with it in his own country, but also not refusing to bear the shame of it in all other countries, and from all sorts of people, among whom that which he had so written should ever come to be either read or heard: yea, as if it had not been enough to have made it known to the people of that age alone, he hath so published it, as if it had been his meaning to tell all posterity of it, that we to this day, and all to the end of the world may know what was his fall, and how great his frailty was. Yet who doth not know that all this abasing and casting down of himself, and taking upon him the shame of that he had done, that so he might remove the offence that was thereby given, and render unto the Church the better and more full satisfaction, hath tended to the lifting up of his honour higher in the Church of God; and hath caused him, and still will cause him, not only to be as much reverenced, but a great deal more admired for the abundance of rare grace, that by all this was manifested, than it is like he ever should otherwise have been, if happily that which he so offended in, had never been by him done and so repent of? There is another kind of satisfaction, which is a civil 3. To the Common wealth. 1. For violating good laws. satisfaction, that is to be given and made to the Commonwealth, and civil state, and societies of men, when the wholesome laws that are constituted for the well ordering and governing of a country or kingdom, are violated and broken by any; then is the civil state and societies of men wronged, and Commonwealth itself impeached. For laws are said to be the bonds of a Commonwealth Cicero pro Clement. to hold it together, and chains whereby men are tied one to another in the world, to live civilly one by another; they are the foundations of liberty, the fountains of equity, they are the very sinews and spirit of every state, by which they live and move. And therefore no marvel though the Ephesian Heraclitus said, that citizens were to fight as Laertins'. well for their laws, as for their cities themselves: for if they be seen and suffered to be violated and torn asunder, all will soon be brought to ruin. The satisfaction then which transgressors of laws are to make unto societies of men and Commonwealths thus wronged, is to bear and go under, and contentedly to satisfy and pay the fines, mulcts, and penalties that are imposed upon offenders; and patiently without resistance to suffer imprisonments, chastisements, & punishments; yea even unto death itself, according to the nature and quality of the offence and crime that hath been committed, be it greater or less. And herein also a clean differing carriage is found to Difference in impenitents. be by the delinquents on both sides: unsanctified persons whose consciences are never sound touched with true remorse for committing any sin, neither for violating wholesome and good laws, what wrong soever that way hath been done by them, they stand not upon making any recompense, or giving satisfaction so far as they are able to tender their goods, where they are found sufficient to make it; or to yield their bodies where their goods cannot do it; or patiently to lay down their lives, in cases; wherein nothing else can be found sufficient fully to satisfy: but they seek shifts how to avoid all; if they be great in the world, they stand upon their prerogatives, their greatness must allow them to be lawless; they are like the great flies which do break through the cobwebs, they will not be taken, there is nothing can hold them. If they be poor, and it be a pecuniary mulct that is imposed upon them for their trespass, they shift off the matter by their poverty, by means whereof they promise to themselves an immunity in such cases; standing upon that maxim, where there is nothing to be had, there the King must lose his right; and so they will be sure by their shifting to pay nothing, whether then be able yea or no. If their bodies be attached they their next course is, to spy out some advantage how to scape away, and break out of the hands of them that have taken them. If seeing of the Sergeant, or bribing of the Bailiff will not serve the turn; if they be clapped up i● prison, the prison must be strong if it can long hold them; they will have many times files to get off their bolts; they have devices to open locks, to break bars, and find shifts to make a way for their scaping, where no way could have been imagined might have been made before. If they be put by all their muses, and prevented of all their courses, and no remedy but to the gallows they must come, there men of this sort are found to die either most desperately, as those who after all the wrongs they offered to others all their life time, stick not to wrong God and nature itself in the end, by carelessly, yea madly casting away their life; (as though it were a thing but vile, which God hath made so precious, and nature teacheth all to be so chary of, to stand so much for, & to make so much of) as daily may be seen. Or else to take their deaths most impatiently, as those who would yield no obedience, nor give any willing satisfaction, either to law, or to Magistrate, otherwise than it is thus extorted from them: but hold their rebellion to the end, and so die therein. Hereof we have a pregnant example in that arch-enemy to the Gospel, and most bloody persecutor of God's faithful servants, and traitor to the Prince and State, Doctor Story, Doctor Story. who first broke prison into which he was put; and then being caught again, when he himself was brought to suffer death, who had been the means of putting to death hundreds of others, that died Martyrs in God's cause, in time of his most deserved execution by quartering, was (as the story doth report) so impatient, that he did not only roar and cry out, but also struck the executioner while he was doing his office, and resisted as long as strength did serve him, and was Fulke in his confutation of Papists quarrels, pag. 14. feign to be kept down by three or four men until he was dead. But they whose hearts are thoroughly touched, and deeply pierced with sorrow for the sins they have committed, and whom God doth give grace unto, to consider rightly their own ways in their hearts, after they (having been left to themselves for a time) through strength In true penitents. of tentation, and frailty of nature, have not only been overcome to transgress the laws by some lesser crimes, fallen into, and faulted in; but also drawn to commit some heinous wickednesses, and enormous vices, greatly prejudicial to the State and Commonwealth in which they do live; so as the wrong and hurt they have done thereby cannot be recompensed, nor the law satisfied, the unpartial executing of justice by the Magistrate, saved harmless without confiscation of their goods, attaching of their bodies; yea and in some cases, the taking away of their very lives; for so much as these knew there is no hope of obtaining any pardon of sin at the hands of God, if in the wrong done to a brother, and persisted in, the same be asked; much less, having dung a wrong unto a whole society of brethren; yea a whole state of a kingdom, the party's delinquent should come to the court of heaven to sue for their pardon, would their petition he ever regarded or looked upon? but the answer would be made them as Christ taughr in his doctrine, If thou knowest thy brother hath aught against thee, leave thy Mat. 5. 23. gift at the Altar, and go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer. And because they can have no comfort of their sorrow, if their sorrow cause not satisfaction; nor prove that their repentance is unto life, if fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life be not borne out: they willingly do not betake themselves to any such shifts, as are ordinarily to be found to be taken by the other sort of offenders: but they come in and submit themselves unto the law, and yield themselves to the Magistrate, and that for conscience sake, to make what recompense they can for the fault that they have done, and give the best satisfaction that they are able: they offer their goods where they will serve the turn; they yield their bodies to prison, where their goods cannot be taken; and where their bodies yielded to prison, or to other punishment, will not be taken for a sufficient satisfaction, in regard of the heinousness of their transgression; then their very lives themselves are no longer held so dear unto them, but that even they also shall be laid down to make the payment full. But all this is done of them with such humble submission, and in so good a fashion, as all that took themselves to have been wronged by them before, seem now to rest contented, and to be satisfied to the full. Yea some that are executed as malefactors, are many times found to take their deaths so patiently, and so penitently, with such brokenness of heart, with such sorrowing and mourning for their sins, and abundant bewailing the misleading of their lives, with showing such testimonies of their sound repenting, and being found to bear out such fruits of repentance upon the tree they do hang on, that that tree seemeth now to be laden with good fruit, and that of the best kind; whilst with the good thief on the Cross, they condemn themselves, they justify the Law, they reprove Luk. 23. 40. 41. sin in others, they exhort to amendmeni of life, they warn all before them, they pray much and fervently, they look to Christ, they commit themselves to his mercy; and so taking their deaths patiently: all that see them thus dying, make no doubt at all of their salvation. Besides such a kind of satisfaction given to a public 2. For not performing unjust laws and wicked. state by parties offending, for violating wholesome and good laws that have been made, even the innocent servants of God, when they have been taken and condemned for offenders against a State, because they have not yielded simple and absolute, whole and ready obedience to all laws in force; thoug sometimes there have, and may fall out to be, that there is an antinomie between the laws of men, and the laws of God: they also have not refused, neither yet will refuse, in cases wherein they cannot satisfy the Law, or the Magistrate, by obeying the precept, there to make satisfaction by their suffering the penalties that are set down; and that whether it be to the losing of their goods, and the losing of their livings, they have both learned and practised, to suffer with joy the spoiling of their goods, because they Heb. 10. 34. look to receive in heaven a better and more enduring substance: or whether it be to bonds, or to imprisonment, they are ready with Paul to be bound; and refuse not to go to Act. 21. 13. Gen. 39 20. Psal. 105. 18. prison with joseph, though the iron do enter into their souls, when they are hurt in the stocks. Yea, they have not refused to lay down their lives, if nothing but that would go for payment. As did the three children in Daniel, for Dan. 3. 22. not obeying the King's command, suffer themselves to be thrown into the hot fiery furnace. And Daniel himself Dan. 6. 16. to be thrown into the den of Lions, for not obeying the decree of Darius, which as a law of Medes and Persians might not be broken: whose examples the blessed Martyrs of God have since worthily followed. And such kind of transgressors of laws as this second sort are, that have been now mentioned, are not to be ranked up among rebels; neither are to be every way counted as persons that are disobedient: for there must be a distinction made of obedience; there is an obedience in doing, and there is an obedience in suffering: now where that which the Law commandeth cannot so safely with a good conscience, or readily be done; if that which the Law setteth down as punishment to be inflicted for it, be patiently borne, there is then another obedience showed, and a satisfaction given for the want of the former, and for that which else could not be done. Daniel though he disobeyed the commandment of the King, in the doing of that, (though it were a law of the Medes and Persians, which Dan. 6. 22. being once made, might not be broken) that he might obey God the better, yet justified himself in that he had done; and said plainly to the King, that he had done him no wrong, he was no rebel, he was no undutiful subject: which may be said for others of God's servants in the like case and respect. There is yet another kind of satisfaction, and that is 4. Private and particular men. more particular and private between man and man, when wrong is offered to any man. And this is also requisite to be made by every person that is truly penitent, if he would either give testimony to others that his repentance is sound, or take comfort to himself that his sins shall ever be pardoned. For Augustine hath well set that Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum. August. down, there is no looking for pardon for the sin, if that which was taken away be not restored again. And this did Daniel give in counsel to Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 27. who had been a great spoiler, waster and undoer of the greatest part of the world, he having undone many, and made them poor, he counseleth him to make some satisfaction unto them again; and so break off his sins by exercising now more righteousness, and showing mercy to the poor: whom in some sort he shall satisfy for the wrongs before he had done them in spoiling of them, if now again he will secure them, and help them in their need. Hypocrites and worldly-minded persons, they have Difference in hypocrites. no skill of this restitution, nor will, to make this kind of satisfaction: if they have got any thing (that is no matter how) that they think to be their own; that they will hold fast; and they will be sure to part with nothing. They are of their religion that will neither do right to others, nor take any wrong to themselves. Wherein they go not so far as judas (that notable hypocrite) did; nor do not so much as did he: the money that judas had gotten for selling his Master, was as justly and as lawfully his, as the money of many is theirs that they come by: for it was his by buying and selling, and performing his bargain: now it was as lawfully his, as the money that men sell good corn for, and put chaff and dross into it: and as the money that men get by oppression and usury; who feeling the sweetness of gaining, care not how they come by money, though it were by sucking out the very lifeblood of the owners thereof, so they may have it. But though these know and feel the sweetness of the coming of it in, they know not with what bitterness it will go out again. judas might have kept his money by any law of the land; he had sold and performed his bargain; and why might he not have kept the money that he had therefore gotten? but his conscience so pinched him and pricked him for his treason against his Master, whom he had sold to get this money; it being the purchase of that his iniquity, and knowing how unlawfully he had got it, his hands could hold it no longer, he was never quiet till he had brought it again, and given it to them of whom he had it, though that neither would quiet him; for nothing was done as it should be sound by him: his repentance was a false repentance; and this satisfaction a false fruit of the same. What then may be hoped for of them that go not so far in making satisfaction, and restoring again that which they have most unjustly taken, as this damned devil judas did, who is now in hell?? But they that are truly penitent indeed for their sin, whatsoever wrong they either know themselves, or can be showed by others that they have offered to any man, either in his person, in his name, or in his goods; they never can be quiet till they nave made the party satisfaction, and that to the full, if their ability will extend so far, that so it may be performed by them. If means be wanting that they cannot do as they would, they show themselves more penitent; and by a greater submission they humble themselves before the parties wronged; and ask them forgiveness of that which they cannot make any better satisfaction for. And in such kind of wrongs wherein others have been wronged in their goods, either unjustly taken away, or wrongfully withheld by them, if the parties be dead to whom such wrong hath been offered, then seek they out who are left that did belong unto them, and were nearest of their kin, that to them they may make a full restitution and satisfaction for the wrong. If none such can be found to be living, they will rather bring it to the Church for holy use, and see the poor to have it distributed among them, than they will keep penny or pennies-worth thereof: which as the plague, would infect all they had beside, and fret as a canker, till it had consumed whatsoever before had been justly gotten, and which with good peace they might have still possessed well, and kept lawfully as their own. This care to make restitution they have learned from the practice of that blessed penitent, and saved-conuert, rich Zacheus, who having been a great pillar and powler of the people, in the day that salvation by Christ was brought to his house, stood forth and said, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by forged accusation, I restore him fourfold. Thus much touching confession and satisfaction; which two do never fail to accompany that sorrow especially which is godly, that causeth repentance never to be repent of, being repentance unto life. FINIS. Errata. Page 1. line 24. read▪ hear. p. 74. l. 4. r. which. p 81. l. 21. r. good. p. 84. l. 22. r▪ Lydia. p 86. l. 22. r. the tongue. p. 92. l. 3. r. which. ibid. 18. r. for it. p. 94. l. 25. r. as if it. p. 97. l. 2. r. as if it. p. 97. l. 2. r. truth. p. 100 l. 14. r. so thirdly. p. 192. l. 2. r. dejected. ibid. 6. r. revive. p. 240. chap. r. permanent and enduring, p. 269. chap. r. considered; and first. p. 134. l. 6. r. rending. p. 140. l. 10. r. as. p. 145. l. 36. r. hurts. p. 154.▪ mark r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. p. 171. l. 14. r. himself. p. 180. l. 3. r. have. p. 182. l. 36. r. And as. p. 183. l. 31. r. much. p. 186. l. 16. ●. l●fe. p. 189. l. 17▪ r. are such. p. 192. l. 2. r. dejected. ibid. l. 6. r. revive. p. 199. l. 26. r. have him. p. 212. l▪ 6. r. do see. 213. l▪ 1●. r. is found. ibid. 26. r. which in. p. 224. l. 31. r. on. p. 231. l. 25. r. cruelly. p. 234. l. 20. r. beloved. p. 235. l. 1. r. father in law. p. 252. l. 25. r. joy.